WIRED Magazine and Adobe has teamed up to develop a digital-based form of the magazine that is much more than a simple website. It is suppose to combine the best from both of the print and web worlds. Using Adobe Air and tablet technology, this video shows a live demo of what could be the future of magazine.
More details and information of this product demo can be read in this Adobe’s blog post
Almost a year ago, in an interview with the New York Times, Chris Anderson, WIRED’s editor in chief, hinted on the print magazine’s need for a brand new direction in this digital age. “‘We need to do something that doesn’t exist online, and do it in a superior way. Otherwise we should just do it online,’” said Anderson, who is not part of the magazine’s website operation in any way.
Certainly, this kind of tablet-magazine does not exist, YET. While the tablet technology has been around for a while, rich media content has not been available to truly take full advantage of it. Not so anymore! So, will this really be the future of magazines, print or otherwise? How soon will this become reality? Consider what it will take for the already financially-strapped news media to begin an industry-wide development with this platform; and how fast consumer adoption of the technology would reach a critical mass?
No matter. The driver of this kind of rich media tablet experience (like iPad) will most likely not be the news media (ha! you wish!) but by personal entertainment like movies, music and games. It is certainly good to see a new way of imagining the future of magazines in this seemingly new platform. It is also great to see the news media (at least one of them) leading the development and use of a new platform rather than always trying to play catch-up with technology.
However, the most important and unanswered question - will people be more inclined to pay for a digital news product this way? Perhaps, this recent study, “Changing Models: A Global Perspective on Paying for Content Online,” by the Nielsen Company could shed some light on what consumers now consider worth springing a buck for.
Just when you think Leica couldn’t possibly get anymore luxurious with its limited special editions, it shoots out this “Very Special Edition” of M7 crapped in calfskin and a Hermes name.
It has all the usual (analog) M7 components & specs with some minor (yet so important) tweaks, for cohesiveness in design. No red logo. Logo is on top of the camera instead of smack in the middle of the front (I never really liked that element). “Auto” dial apparently matches the color of the calfskin. And at this price, Leica better throw in a matching leather shoulder strap and lens hood.
This limited edition with only 200 units will be sold at roughly $14,000 a piece (£8550).
Put it on your Christmas list.
Education Week’s Diplomas Count 2009 released earlier in June includes two very interesting (and addictive if you are a data geek like me) interactive tools, Graduation Rate Trends 1996-2006 and Graduation Rate Map Tool.
The Grad-rate Map Tool, using Google Map, shows you state and district graduation rate data. These data include demographic data as well as grad data from the past decade. So, the first thing I did was to check the graduation rate for my old high school’s district.
To my surprise, I discovered that the class year before my own graduating year achieved a 98% rate (which was about 30% higher than national average). It is the highest (by 10% or so) comparing to all the other graduating years, before or after, in the same district.
How I remember all those smart ass upperclass students that my mother just won’t stop comparing me to….
The trend map graphically display state-level data over the past decade. The U.S. national average has been (slowly) improving from 66.4% in 1995-96 to 69.2% in 2005-06.
(More education-related infographics from Edweek here)
Track the release of education-related stimulus funds with this tool on Edweek.org.
Edweek Stimulus Tracker
It shows an overview of the total funds released, to-be released and received by states. It also breaks down to the state-by-state level with detail numbers for each funding category.
During Design Week 09 Milan, French luxury brand Hermès held its Prix Emile Hermès competition for the second time. The stated goal of this competition is to help discover young and new object designers in Europe.
This year, the theme was everyday lightness. In the end, the jury selected no first and second prize winners but three third place winners as well as 14 other notable entries (Click here to see all selected projects).
Among them, these two are my favorites. I have no idea how use-able they are from look at them. But they certainly appeal to my visual taste (and I would buy them).
Rolling VS Folding, a “weekend bag” by Francesco Librizzi / Vittorio Venezia, Italy (third-place prize)
1+1, Briefcase : Alexandre Mussche / Xavier Figuerola, France (final selection)
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