iPad: Publishing’s Savior?

Its been a few months since the debut of Apple’s version of the Cuisine Art, the iPad. It slices away the bulkiness ( can’t believe I’m saying this ) of a laptop and makes it possible to curl up on the couch, or wherever you like to get comfortable, to read with this device. It dices and dispenses music, pictures, bo0ks, movies, games and the internet in a beautiful piece of sculpted titanium. All at a price point that is shockingly reasonable. As the dust settles from the frenzy ( dude I waited in line for 3 days to get my iPad ) the device is already showing it will have some serious implications on the future of publishing, music, gaming, and movies but can it save the the industry?

All signs point to yes. As expected, the iPad is creating new ways for magazine and newspaper publishers to deliver their content while adding value to ad placement, or in some cases, creating new ways to sell ads in the form of exclusive digital rates. Publishing giant the New York Times is looking at how they can license their technology to other publishers who want to claim stake in this century’s’ version of the gold rush. They are creating a platform to allow other publishers use New York Times’ technology to create content for mobile devices. Soon it will be common for magazines to offer print or digital subscriptions meaning most publications will have digital versions of their issues.

This is a prelude to an explosion in digital publishing. Add the dynamics of devices will allow you to experience an article or chapter in ways one could have only imagined. Reading about distant planets, then with a single touch, watching live streamed footage of that planet and its orbiting moons. Reading an article about the new M.I.A. album and listening to snippets in the background—and then purchasing the deluxe digital album filled with more bits of media. Reading about a Kehinde Wiley exhibit, virtually walking through the gallery AND even reading/learning more about each individual piece—maybe even purchasing one for your collection before some hot-shot collector does.

The possibilities are endless for enhancing and extending a readers experience. I am starting to see passengers with their iPad on buses, writers hacking away at their latest manuscript/article in coffee shops, or hardcore early adopters watching double rainbow with friends. What does this mean? This is only the beginning.

Sustainable Dance Club

This is truly effing DOPE.  Earn your keep at the club – dance your ass off and power the wattage to keep the music and lights going all night!

Applying the Piezeo Effect, little generators in the dance floor collect the energy generated from the “mechanical stress” of you shaking and moving on the floor.  The first Pizeoelectric dance floor is in Rotterdam, go get your green party on…

The Real YOU-Tube

Since the beginning of time man has sought to communicate and connect with other humans. The telephone brought people from great distances closer through a seemingly magical machination of wires and signals. But of course, the insatiable nature of humans would lead us to more immediate ways of connecting ( when a physical or  face-to-face connection is not possoble ). We fantasized about the future when every home would have a video wall or a teleporting machine—the latter still a fantasy nowadays. The internet gave birth to message boards, email, chat rooms and now chatroulette.  This site takes making friends to an odd level.

Of course, you will have every pervert in the world showing or playing with bodyparts ( and some of y’all need to put those tiny things away )—it’s inevitable. Then of course there are college boys asking women to show some boobs, more college boys smoking out ( ha ha DOPE…sorry could not help it ) or smart-asses shouting racial slurs—all under the guise of anonymity. Some people leave their screens blank and wait for someone to say ‘hello’. Or my favorite, a half-second video of Jessica Alba followed by a guy wearing a clown outfit.

Like the physical world there are some people who were looking to make an actual ‘connection’. In my two hour global flight ( via Air MacBook ) I met a woman from Ohio, let’s call her Allison,  who claimed I looked like her ex-Hatian boyfriend while her gay friend ( as described by her ) made snarky comments ( which they thought I could not hear—HA! ). I also managed to chat with someone named Phillip who left his screen blank but schooled me on some hip hop out of North Carolina, J-Cole. Then there was a couple from Austrailia. I could not hear their names too well ( Josh and Erin? ). I think Josh killed the conversation because his girlfriend kept asking me questions…Yo Josh, I understand man, it’s all good. My last connection was with a guy from France named Christophe ( if that’s his real name ). We talked unemployment, politics and laughed about our experience on the site ( too many dudes whacking off ).

Nothing like experiencing racism in augmented reality

It was like experiencing a real-life Sliver ( minus the kooky murder stuff ) early AOL Chatrooms and a lame attempt at an Abercrombie & Fitch viral ad campaign ( almost every guy was wearing an Abercrombie shirt one guy had it tattooed on his entire rib cage…really??? ). I can see the appeal of this site. It reminds me of flipping a channel until you see something interesting only you get to interact with the content ( unless you get next-ed…is that a word? ) It’s not for the thin skinned though. Getting dissed or skipped by a stranger may make some relive awkward high school moments. The beauty of this site is that you may see or meet someone you would have never crossed paths with otherwise.

I did not see too may people of color there ( although Allison claims to be mixed…I’m just sayin’ ) which was disappointing. That fact coupled with the junior racist coalition calling me nigga’  makes me wonder about how far we have really come. Here we are in 2010 with amazing technological capabilities and we revert to “hey chocolate-face…heeee heeeee heeee”. There is a world, in the palm of our hands, that we can shape and mold into something amazing. We can learn so much from one another, hell maybe even make a friend. I not expecting utopia or anything, I’m just sayin’ you are better than that. And if you are not then  fuck you.

I highly recommend the experience. It’s the cheapest way to see the world in sugar packet-sized doses. Thanks to all who had ‘something’ to say. —AG