Tag Archives: technology

A futuristic thriller

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Tomorrow and tomorrowThomas Sweterlitsch’s ‘Tomorrow and Tomorrow’ is set in the not-to-distant future, when technology has advanced. In the place of smartphones, people have software installed directly into their heads which is connected to the internet and connected to retinal display screens. People’s social media profiles are displayed automatically as they walk past, advertisements are videos that stream directly into your hear when you glance their way, instead of business cards people can just push their details straight into your address book and news streams offer constant real time updates in the corner of your vision.

Another new feature of this world is a virtual archive of the city of Pittsburgh, which has been completely destroyed by a dirty bomb that obliterated the city’s entire population. The archive is made up of video footage, taken from personal streams, social media sites as well as traffic, surveillance and security cameras. People are able to visit the archive, going to any time, any place and anyone and reliving the past through augmented reality software.

Dominic was one of Pittsburgh’s survivors, out of the city when the deadly bomb struck, but lost his wife and unborn child. He works in the archive, tracking down people and reliving their last hours to help settle insurance claims. He also spends a huge amount of his time living in the past – reliving the same memories of his wife, following her final moments and hearing her speak to him again and again. Continue reading →

Reading between the lines

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Since their introduction, e-Readers have exploded in popularity. Their ability to allow avid readers to carry an entire library of books in one simple, lightweight device marked the beginning of a reading revolution and changed the shape of the publishing industry beyond recognition. But while sales of eBooks continue to go through the roof, sales of e-Readers themselves have waned over recent months as other electronic device compete for their own share of the market.

In particular, I’m talking about tablets. Figures from the Ipsos MediaCT Technology Tracker show that in the Christmas sales race, tablets won hands down. In the last quarter alone, tablet ownership doubled to 25%, meaning that statistically, one in four households owns one. By marked contract, e-Readers saw an increase of just 1% over the same period.

To me, this comes as no great surprise. Yes, e-Readers have their advantages for readers – a glare free screen makes reading easier on the eye, and even the most advanced Kindle is still distinctly cheaper than Apple’s cheapest iPad – but if you’re going to invest in something, it should be in something that can offer everything that we’ve come to expect from modern technology.

That’s where a tablet can really shine. It’s a camera, music player, browser, e-Reader, games console and even a SatNav all rolled into one. in a second, anyone with an iPad and access to the internet can download app’s from all of the major players in the reader market, from Kindle to Kobo to Nook, while any apple device also offers access to the iBookstore. Put simply, a tablet, or even a smartphone, means that you’re not just limited to just one platform. The amount of choice on offer is limitless.

You could argue that the latest Kindle model is actually more of a tablet than a traditional e-reader. It’s no longer an e-ink reader, having abandoned this in favour of a LCD screen, and it’s clearly trying to re-position itself in the market and compete with the likes of tablet giants such as Apple or Samsung. That said, I’m sure there are plenty of users out there who choose a Kindle specifically because it’s better to read on. And is Amazon’s attempt to revolutionise the traditional e-Reader reaching a new audience, or alienating the old one?