Two interesting news items about e-paper / e-ink this week:
- Ryosuke Kuwata, E Ink Corp’s vice president in charge of the Asia Pacific region claims that electronic newspapers could be as close as next year according to Tech On.
- Dutch company Polymer Vision has demonstrated the first prototype of a rollable full colour display.
Newsagents need to understand that the e-paper model will connect publisher and reader more closely than ever before. The daily visit to the newsagency will not be necessary to purcahse the newspaper. Instead, the best newsagents can hope for in this future world is accepting a recharge transaction. But that it probably going to be handled through mobile phone credit.
While all of this is years off, it is important to understand where publishers are investing in their future.
I don’t see any of this as bad news. Like any change it is an opportunity.