The WSJ on e-Books

Yesterday The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled 'How the e-Book Will Change The Way We Read and Write' by Steven Johnson, both in the print and the online edition. Here's a link to the online version:

'How the e-Book Will Change The Way We Read and Write' by Steven Johnson
The Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2009
http://online.wsj.com/public/page/technology-042009.html


The Wall Street Journal online also has a video review of the Sony E-Reader vs. Amazon's Kindle 2:

'Worth It?: Sony's E-Reader vs. Amazon's Kindle' by Stacy Delo
The Wall Street Journal, April 10, 2009
http://online.wsj.com/video/worth-it-sony-e-reader-vs-amazon-kindle/221A6DF1-04D5-485C-AB46-622FCC21106F.html


Briefly, my questions and comments -

• Johnson notes that there are no page references when using the Kindle and wonders what method may be used when trying to reference particular segments of text. The simple answer would be word number, rather than page number, assuming some level of edition stability.

• Johnson suggests that soon it may be possible to be notified of as-yet unread sources based on the citation history of books in one's current collection; I'll wager Google Books will have such a feature in short order.

• After describing testing the Sony eBook Reader by knocking it on the floor, Delo quips that 'in full disclosure, our office floors are carpeted'. I'd prefer a full disclosure of The Wall Street Journal's relationship with Amazon, and any exclusivity agreements they may have as content-providers.

To me, both e-book readers are just brief stepping stone towards the technology demonstrated in this TED talk by Pattie Maes of MIT (which in turn, as Maes notes, will likely be a stepping stone to even more 'interactive' technologies):

'Unveiling the "Sixth Sense," game-changing wearable tech' by Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry
TED.com, filmed February 2009 - posted March 2009
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

Maes states the off-the-shelf hardware they used cost $350. I wonder if that includes the marker caps?

You may be wondering if, as a librarian, I feel concerned about my profession in light of these technological advances. In a word, no. For a science fiction author's take on the future of librarianship, see the Vernor Vinge novels, Rainbows End and A Fire Upon the Deep. I preferred the latter of the two.