Another View of DRM for Publishers
Publishers’ practice of clinging to DRM may be strengthening Amazon’s already overwhelming market position. Publishers should consider dropping DRM and even assisting in the creation of new digital venues.
Little Printer — Possibly a Big Disruptor
Can a cloud-based printer with a small footprint insert print back into daily information flows?
What We Should Learn from the Collapse of Borders
The collapse of Borders should be a wake-up call to publishers that assume that the core infrastructure of their legacy businesses will always be there to provide essential services.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Plagiarist
Is plagiarism of fiction less of a problem for publishers? Another tale of pilfered prose seems to indicate that checking for plagiarism isn’t something book publishers care about . . . yet.
The White House Calls for Information on Public Access to Publications and Data
The US government’s requests for information are of great importance for the future of academia and scholarly publishing. If you’re a traditionalist who sees open access as the downfall of civilization, an advocate who thinks information must be free, or someone who falls somewhere in between, this is your chance to create the future you’re seeking.
The Internet Can Be Touched — The Physicality of Cyberspace
The Internet was built and is being built. This fascinating little video shows the unique characteristics of this construction project, including why some big buildings are so important to its existence.
Is Anyone Immune? "Race Against the Machine" and Today's General Purpose Technologies
General purpose technologies are broadly applicable, and when they double in effect like IT has been doing for decades, they can start taking fast tracts of land. Is there anything safe as we “Race Against the Machine?”
Siri and the Resurrection of the Semantic Web
Siri may be many things — cool feature, Google killer, source of amusement — but it is perhaps the ultimate expression of the semantic Web. And it’s still in beta.
Can Amazon and Apple Peacefully Coexist? Probably, But As for Google…
The Google Era isn’t over by a long shot, but initiatives from Apple and Amazon reveal that the search giant is open to disintermediation by some clever and large-scale commercial tactics.
Quantum Levitation — Turning Your World Upside-Down
When science breaks your brain, it’s time to acknowledge its power once again.
SSP Annual Meeting — A Call for Participation
Now is your chance to shape the SSP program as a speaker or session organizer. The Call for Participation is open now through November 11, and we want to hear from you with a proposal for a session you would like to see, organize, or lead.
Mary Meeker's Internet Trends 2011 — Global, Mobile, and Immersive
Once again, Mary Meeker has presented her Internet trends, and once again, they are fascinating. Subtitled, “We Aren’t in Kansas Anymore . . .,” the data Meeker presents paints a picture of an online world — literally. More users come […]
The Qwikflip 780: Netflix Trails Only HP in the New Olympic Sport of Corporate Strategy Flipping
The way Netflix unbundled DVD-by-mail and streaming video services, flipped branding strategies, and made it all a public show created a focus on strategic inflection points and betting for the long-term.
From 1987 to 2011 — Apple's Prototype Prediction Is Eerily Prescient
It seems Apple underpredicted the future they’d make. Facetime, Siri, iCloud, iPhone, and other innovations have made this prediction of the future seem almost old-fashioned.
Short-term Thinking, Twitter, Economics, and the Change Process
Technology adoption in the academic space may occur more slowly, especially when the technology requires a bit of what feels like hackery to become adept at it. But it does occur. And by watching the long-term trends, recognizing the compatibility of the motivators and reward, and watching the fundamentals, we can think about their implications now instead of later.