Congress, the White House, and the Myth of Free Security
The very real trade-offs inherent in Internet security have to faced directly, but politicians are avoiding these trade-offs as they talk about SOPA and PIPA.
A First Take on Apple's New Education Tools
Some early thoughts on Apple’s recent announcement for tools for developing educational content. It’s not about the product; it’s a game of platform wars.
The Hidden Expense of Energy — Print Is Costly, Online Isn't Free
How many joules does it take to get a journal out? A small, quick study suggests that print consumes much more energy than online, but shows that online is far from free, with energy its main variable cost.
Pirate Attitudes: SOPA, PIPA, and the Struggle to Control Digital Properties
On the Wednesday of SOPA protests worldwide, it’s time to consider why these bills run counter to the security and reliability of the Internet itself.
A Newfangled Online Bookstore
There are compelling reasons to create an online bookstore specializing in academic titles. Such a bookstore could be linked to physical community spaces and may even have a life as a component of library catalogs.
Devices and Shopping — New Trends, New Potential, and New Perils for Retailers
As customers become facile with a new level of information infrastructure, what will that mean for us over the next few years?
The Secret to Your Perfect Look — By Adobé
The secret to a beautiful you? Just apply this, and all your concerns about your appearance can disappear.
The Mirage of Fixity — Selling an Idea Before Understanding the Concept
In despairing over the loss of “fixity,” Nicholas Carr unintentionally reveals how fluid even printed materials have been.
Tweets, and Our Obsession with Alt Metrics
Can tweets predict future citations? A study of article tweets raises validity and ethical concerns.
Paper and Press — How Vanishing Technologies Become More Precious
Two shops from a bygone era fight for survival in downtown Los Angeles. Moving into the future doesn’t guarantee that things improve or become more edifying, as this video shows.
YouTube — Long-term Strategy Pays Off With Amazing Stats for 2011
How many views did YouTube have in 2011? More than you might imagine. Is it any wonder YouTube is front and center in so many cultural shifts?
"Hating Amazon Is Not a Strategy" — The World Reacts As Amazon Opens a New Front in the Pricing Wars
The misplaced anxiety and consternation publishers and authors showed in the face of Amazon’s Price Check app revealed an industry and culture rooted in the past. And that’s not where the readers of the future are coming from.
More On the Power of Mobile — Trends, Functionality, and Adoption All Point to Dominance
Mobile integration with plants, carpets, and shoes? Yes, they are increasingly being used, as the centrality of mobile devices increases.
The Broader Context of Patron-Driven Acquisitions
A new book edited by David Swords on patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) provides a good background on the topic, but there is a broader context of PDA, which is not fully addressed.
The Costs of Print
The question of when print will end is often framed as if it is a natural occurrence, an evolutionary question, or the likely outcome of a sporting event, rather than a business decision that publishers may revisit on a regular basis.