Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Sony Reader Electronic Paper Book
Sony brings a new dimension to the electronic book with its new Sony Reader. Measuring just 6.9" x 4.9" x .5", it holds up to 80 average sized books at a time. Sony will be happy to sell you a memory stick or SD card to give you room for more. Looks like Arthur C. Clarke's 1968 newspad is here and ready for you to use.
(Sony Reader does graphic novels, too)
According to people who have tried it, Sony has largely succeed in creating an electronic book that can present pages with a display that has the characteristics of paper. Usability experts have long decried reading on a screen; due to low contrast, strong backlighting, screen flicker and low resolution, most people would prefer to avoid long reading sessions on computers. The e Ink technology provides relatively high contrast, no backlight, no screen flicker and good resolution.
(Sony Reader paper-like text)
It also appears that Sony has listened to consumers who tore their hair in agony over the absurd digital rights management (DRM) scheme in their previous reader - pretty much total lockdown. This one appears to let you choose from among different formats, allowing you to read downloaded web pages, PDF files, and more.
(e Ink microcapsules at work)
Microcapsules provide the magic - e Ink writes the page just once. Positive or negative charge holds the "dot" (or lack of one) in place until the screen is rewritten with a new page.
Douglas Adams provides an entertaining look at the idea of an electronic book - the Hitchhiker's Guide from his 1979 novel is an early description. Arthur C. Clarke had the same thing in mind when he described a newspad in his 1968 novel 2001: A Space Odyssey.
When he tired of official reports and memoranda and minutes, he would plug his foolscap-sized Newspad into the ship's information circuit and scan the latest reports from Earth. One by one he would conjure up the world's major electronic papers; he knew the codes of the more important ones by heart, and had no need to consult the list on the back of his pad. Switching to the display unit's short-term memory, he would hold the front page while he quickly searched the headlines and noted the items that interested him.
(Read more about Arthur C. Clarke's newspad)
Read about the Sony Reader predecessor - the Sony LIBRIe and the Two-sided Toshiba Reader; peek into the future at two-sided electronic paper. Check out the Sony Reader features page for more info.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 1/7/2006)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 6 )
Related News Stories - (" Culture ")
Poul Anderson's 'Brain Wave'
"Everybody and his dog, it seemed, wanted to live out in the country; transportation and communication were no longer isolating factors." - Poul Anderson, 1953.
Waymo Cars Shout At Each Other, Autonomously
'My cars talk to one another. I have no doubt about it...' - Isaac Asimov, 1953.
Cognify - A Prison Of The Mind We've Seen Before In SF
'So I serve a hundred years in one day...'- Joe Haldeman, 2011.
Robot Preachers Found To Undermine Religious Commitment
'Tell me your torments,' the Padre said, in an elderly voice marked with compassion. - Philip K. Dick, 1969.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Biohybrid Robots Made Of Living And Synthetic Materials
'If the biological robots were not living creatures, they were certainly very good imitations.'
Drug Induces Hibernation-Like State In Humans
'... drugged and chilled and stowed in sleep tanks.'
Poul Anderson's 'Brain Wave'
"Everybody and his dog, it seemed, wanted to live out in the country; transportation and communication were no longer isolating factors."
AI Note-Taking From Google Meet
'... the new typewriter that could be talked to, and which transposed the spoken sound into typed words.'
Qore IcePlates Are Personal Cooling Suits
'... underneath they consisted of networks of cooling tubes against the skin.'
P1 Just The Latest Robot To Take A Beating From Humans
'...we mere people come second.'
Waymo Cars Shout At Each Other, Autonomously
'My cars talk to one another. I have no doubt about it...'
Your Solar Electric Paint Is Ready, Larry Niven
'...you spray it on.'
How Long Till We Have These Tattoos?
Truth or fiction?
Seeing Faces On Grains Of Sand (AI Pareidolia)
'... the imprint of her image on the telephoto cell.'
Lunar Biorepository Proposed For Cryo-Preservation Of Earth Species
'...there was no one alive who had ever seen them. But they existed in the Life Bank.'
Tele-Driving Offers Jobs For Tele-Drivers, Not AIs
''...some bored drone pusher in a remote driving centre...'
Autonomous Robotic Dentist - Would You Say 'Ahhh'?
You might be surprised at how much more efficient this could be.
GM Scraps Cruise Origin Robotaxi With No Steering Wheel
'Ames tinkered around with something on the instrument board when he got in; and in a few moments we were off.'
Taza Aya Air-Curtain Tech Protects Turkey Workers
'I'm going to have to buy a filter-mask.'
Torobo Humanoid Robot Hammers A Nail
7-axis dual arms, 3-axis waist (pitch, pitch, yaw), 3-axis neck (yaw, pitch, roll), and 4-axis undercarriage!
