Jason Stamper's Blog

Making information portable and easy to read on-line but in a familiar way like reading a book or a printed piece of paper is one of the cultural challenges. Reading hard copy makes a lot of sense to people who steal time in between other activities to do the reading they need or want to do. Being trapped in front of screen does not offer the same flexibility. PDA's do not cut it for readable screens, so the challenge is to deliver content on something small that fits in your pocket, that opens out to A4 or larger is flexible and can hold an display content people select to transfer to it.

Perhaps Canon should spend their money on inventing a disruptive innovation like this which would secure the long term future of the business and not trying to coax people into toner and paper addiction just to drive the sales of questionable toner cartridges which no dount have a longer term health risk and recycling issue let alone the energy required to produce them, the paper and print it all out. Lets get real and invent something!!

You're probably right David - we did something on a technology in this area just before Christmas in our sister publication ComputerWire:

Electronic Paper Reader Aims to Transform Publishing Industry

News Publication Date: 21 December 2005

An electronic paper display with wireless connectivity and touch screen technology that threatens to revolutionize the publishing industry is to be launched on the market in 2006 at a price in the range of 400 to 450 euros ($475 to $535).

The device, with an 8.1 inch display and 16 grey levels, will be available by April for distribution to business partners from Eindhoven, Netherlands-based iRex Technologies BV.

iRex, a spin-off from Royal Philips Electronics NV now backed by major equity investors, claims it offers the first complete solution for portable electronic reading and writing.

iRex is already in negotiations with potential customers, and CEO Hans Brons told ComputerWire the device would only be a success if it is brought to market in close contact with content. Content can be downloaded from the internet, a PC, or flash memory cards, and can capture user input. Potential customers are those offering news services, educational content, and professional publishers. In newspapers, for example, Brons said it has the potential to break the 24-hour publishing cycle because content can be constantly updated.

The paperless office has always been a dream because with conventional displays the screen is being refreshed several times a second, which is tiring on the eyes. By contrast, electronic paper display technology from Cambridge, Massachusetts-based E Ink Inc is based on white and black particles having a different electronic charge, giving the viewer the experience of reading from paper. The only time the screen is refreshed is when a page is turned.

iRex had been working on the project with E Ink since 2001 but the conglomerate has become fearful of the risks of frontline technology and sold the company to venture capitalists last year.

It does retain ownership of Polymer Vision, which is using the same technology and aims to be in volume production by the end of 2006 with a rollable display that could transform mobile devices by giving users access to a five-inch screen whenever it is needed.

The company can be found at http://www.irextechnologies.com/home.htm

They missed the most obvious thing - making paper airplanes out of the wasted paper and then having paper dart competitions where employees have to run around blowing the airplane/dart to keep it in the air. First prize is a pint at the nearest watering hole (you'll be thirsty after all that running around) and a complementary visit to A&E (within whatever government guidelines apply at the time) spluttering with heart failure form all the sudden unaccustomed exercise.

This will have the effect of producing even more interesting statistics around ambulance arrival times which can then become part of CPA.

Well done Canon!