Grumpy Old Men — Franzen, Sendak, Permanence, Capitalists, and E-books
Authors sound off about e-books, revealing both a misunderstanding of publishing but also of how their interests and capitalist interests align.
Apple and Textbooks: A Second Look
Apple’s move into the education market may be just a bare-knuckled move designed to sell more iPads. Does Apple truly support the education market? Or is it hoping the education market will support Apple?
Rediscovering Discovery — How We Find Things, and Its Implications
A recent ALA panel on discovery prompts some musings about the direction that local search will take and the likelihood that one vendor will control access to almost all library collections.
The End of the Salad Days — Where Is Google Headed Next?
Google once represented the spirit of Internet optimism distilled into a successful company. Now, with more cynical plays and shuttering experiments, what does Google’s new approach tell us about the Internet of tomorrow?
Why E-books Are Turning the Library and Publishing Worlds Upside Down
Old intersections of libraries and book publishers don’t work in the e-book era, and the rapid adoption of e-readers has shown that new bargains are inevitable. Whether libraries and publishers belong together in that future isn’t clear.
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.