Welcome to a Synchronous Digital Hell
We’re accustomed to a digital world of asynchrony. But as bandwidth becomes the norm and communication becomes more real-time, can we design the human-centric systems to buffer the effects?
Morgan Stanley’s 2009 Trends Favor the Mobile and the Social
Mary Meeker from Morgan Stanley presents her Internet and economic trends for the sixth year, and it’s another tour de force.
What is “Library Bypass”?
Publishers are seeking new markets by finding ways to bypass libraries and selling directly to end-users. Do we need new approaches here?
Metaphors of News at “The Guardian”
The Guardian is doing what every news organization — every publishing organization — should do. Are you listening?
Will Mobile Broadband Close the Connectivity Gap?
Mobile connectivity is trending upward, and may eclipse other forms in the coming years. What will that mean for publishers?
Easier Access for Small and Medium Enterprises
Access to the scientific literature by small and medium-sized businesses is good, although it could be a lot easier, according to a new report.
Google Makes Nice with News Publishers
Google seems to be playing nice with news operations. But are they really? And are the news organizations as open to change as they should be?
Operation eBook Drop — Indie Authors Helping Soldiers
Operation eBook Drop has delivered hundreds of books to soldiers in less than a week. It says a lot about indie authors and the power of digital distribution.
E-books: Tasting Blood in the Water
Sony, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, AT&T, Verizon — a veritable who’s who of consumer electronics and communications has entered the e-reader fray. Do they smell blood in the water? Is it yours?
A Textbook Case of Missed Opportunities
Textbook publishers engage in a massive shoveling of content onto the iPhone. Will students dig it?
Deep Links and Commercial Use of Content
A Trojan horse argument about links misses the point — copyright and contracts reach farther.
Retrofitting Scholarly Communications
As scholarly communication moves from its frankly printer-centric reality of today, publishers will be faced with many more rounds of improvement to their digital information. Is ePub an answer?
Text as Interface — The Usability of Words
More than ever, text is a part of the user experience. Do we appreciate the art involved? Has the medium changed the message?
Pubget: Time-saver or Content Aggregator?
The Pubget search engine delivers search results along with PDFs. Should we view this new service as a time-saver for readers or as a threat to publishers?
Two Stories from the Management Trap
Two owners, two magazines — but one magazine wishes it could flee, while another is part of a larger digital strategy. It shines a light on what can happen when the owner is the problem.