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 ")
Miss Alabama Beauty Contest Offers Different Standards
'...they moved with the ease of dandelion puffs.' - Jack Vance, 1952.
How Old Are Tesla Designs?
You be the judge.
California Fireman Arrested For Starting Fires
'Fire is bright and fire is clean.' - Ray Brandbury, 1953.
Tether Cryptocurrency Flow Rate US$190Bn Per Day
'Alex did not find it surprising that people... were electronically minting their own cash.' - Bruce Sterling, 1994.
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
Miss Alabama Beauty Contest Offers Different Standards
'...they moved with the ease of dandelion puffs.'
Has Musk Given Up On Full Self Driving (FSD)?
'...some bored drone pusher in a remote driving centre...'
Prufrock-3 'The Monster' Ready To Launch
Just go for it.
Drones In Vast Airborne Grids
'These pods were programmed to hang in space in a hexagonal grid pattern...'
Starship Special Edition For Lunar Shuttle
Love those special edition spaceships.
Capturing Asteroids With Nets
'...the meteor caught and halted just as a small boy catches a swift ball in his cap.'
Project Hyperion - Generation Ship Designers Needed!
'We have decided that it shall be but one ship... it must contain everything needed to take us through the generations.'
AI Welfare Position At Anthropic Filled By Human
'You’re the robopsychologist of the plant, so you’re to study the robot itself...'
Marslink Proposed By SpaceX
'It was the heart of the Solar System's communication line...'
Simple Way To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'... designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Wood-Panelled LignoSat Launched
'The Consul remembered his first glimpse of the kilometer-long treeship...'
Laser-Beam Welding In Orbital Factories
'His contract with Space Industries required him to work summers in their orbital factory.'
'Iceberg House' Of Travis Kelce Reflects Science Fiction Of Past Century
'The basement was huge... carved deep into the rock that folded up to underlie the ridge...'
Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'
A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
