Tuesday, June 05, 2007
It won’t be long before paper-like ads do the talking
Did you hear about the new breakthrough in flat panel display screens? Sony has released video of a new 2.5-inch display that is 0.3 millimeters thick. It is razor-thin and bends like paper while displaying full-color video.
The possibilities are endless. The day of the foldable electronic newspaper is coming closer. I’ve mentioned in previous columns that it won’t be long before readers will be able to receive their newspaper via download to a computer tablet that for all appearances is an electronic piece of paper. The device I was discussing was simply a monochromatic gadget that would display text and have the appearance of a newspaper page.
This effort by Sony opens the door to full-color displays that could completely replicate a full-color newspaper or magazine. It is just a small set to include a WiFi download ability to access your favorite news source. But why stop there, you could also unfold your device and view your favorite movie or show at your whim.
But others have suggested some more insidious uses of such technology. This is how this type of device could be used in advertising. The box of cereal in the grocery store would not only feature the mug of your favorite sports hero, it would try to attract your attention by displaying a video of his game-winning swing. The can of soup would simmer for you. The floor wax would display the easy steps to a sparkling finish.
Take it a step farther — a short step at that and have the products all program their video pitches to your own profile. How? Through RFID chips that will be in your national identity card.The products will pick up your profile as you pass. From the product’s database they will determine when you last purchased their product or if you use a competing brand. The display would then tailor its pitch to your needs.
You think campaign candidate calls are bad now. Wait until you pass by a candidate’s electronic poster and have it speak directly to you. Isn’t technology wonderful.
Seem farfetched? So did the idea of sitting outside a coffee shop and surfing the Internet on your WiFi enabled laptop computer just a few years ago.
On a note closer to home, I’ve kept the laptop poll up longer and more votes have rolled in, but the ratio has stayed about the same. Approximately two-thirds of the voters favor the continuation of the Talbot school laptop program. About one-third feel it should be discontinued.
One day, a laptop or whatever it will evolve into, will be considered as basic a tool for the student as paper and pencil is today. Whether Talbot is insightful or is too far ahead of its time, will be for the county to decide. Computer literacy is important now and will be crucial in the future to survive in the workplace. Just how we achieve that literacy is something we will all have to wrestle with.
As always you can reach me at rpolk@ches pub.com.
The possibilities are endless. The day of the foldable electronic newspaper is coming closer. I’ve mentioned in previous columns that it won’t be long before readers will be able to receive their newspaper via download to a computer tablet that for all appearances is an electronic piece of paper. The device I was discussing was simply a monochromatic gadget that would display text and have the appearance of a newspaper page.
This effort by Sony opens the door to full-color displays that could completely replicate a full-color newspaper or magazine. It is just a small set to include a WiFi download ability to access your favorite news source. But why stop there, you could also unfold your device and view your favorite movie or show at your whim.
But others have suggested some more insidious uses of such technology. This is how this type of device could be used in advertising. The box of cereal in the grocery store would not only feature the mug of your favorite sports hero, it would try to attract your attention by displaying a video of his game-winning swing. The can of soup would simmer for you. The floor wax would display the easy steps to a sparkling finish.
Take it a step farther — a short step at that and have the products all program their video pitches to your own profile. How? Through RFID chips that will be in your national identity card.The products will pick up your profile as you pass. From the product’s database they will determine when you last purchased their product or if you use a competing brand. The display would then tailor its pitch to your needs.
You think campaign candidate calls are bad now. Wait until you pass by a candidate’s electronic poster and have it speak directly to you. Isn’t technology wonderful.
Seem farfetched? So did the idea of sitting outside a coffee shop and surfing the Internet on your WiFi enabled laptop computer just a few years ago.
On a note closer to home, I’ve kept the laptop poll up longer and more votes have rolled in, but the ratio has stayed about the same. Approximately two-thirds of the voters favor the continuation of the Talbot school laptop program. About one-third feel it should be discontinued.
One day, a laptop or whatever it will evolve into, will be considered as basic a tool for the student as paper and pencil is today. Whether Talbot is insightful or is too far ahead of its time, will be for the county to decide. Computer literacy is important now and will be crucial in the future to survive in the workplace. Just how we achieve that literacy is something we will all have to wrestle with.
As always you can reach me at rpolk@ches pub.com.
# posted by Richard Polk @ 9:21 AM 
