Mag+ digital magazine concept makes e-readers cower with envy (video!)
By Thomas Ricker 
posted December 17th 2009 6:59AM
posted December 17th 2009 6:59AM
posted December 17th 2009 6:59AM
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Looks really cool. With an open app store and fast and good web browser this could be a game changer.
@teapower I don't really think an open app store or a web browser would make any logical sence on this kind of device, it seems that it would better to keep it simply magazine based, with a subscription service too. I would love to see some of my own magazines (Game Informer, Macworld, PC Mag, etc.) following suit with technology like this, that will be the future.
@teapower
You didn't even read the article or watch the video did you? App market? That's not what this device is about.
And the whole attempt to apply analog layouts to digital forms as well as the UI is simplistic and idiotic. I don't want to see a rag reproduced in digital format; I want to see my RSS feeds for specific media outlets arranged nicely so I can skim over them, and if I want to, buy an individual article for $0.005 to read. To keep, I'll pay another $0.005. To get an idea of how media should be presented, just look at how Boxee does it with multimedia, or how Feedly does it with RSS feeds.
No more of this asinine reproduction of the analog world in a digital world.
@teapower
It seems the CrunchPad/JooJoo can do this much, but I doubt if the device is going to be as cheap as a netbook ($350) as everyone is asking. I'm looking forward to such a tablet as long as the battery life is good and it's built to last. It if plays games and videos, so much the better.
@gerrrg
Sadly its almost a guarantee this will have an app store..... Because in this world maybe only in my home the US not one device should be without a fart app. No matter the size, complexity or beauty of the device.
@teapower.in other words, an oversized ipod touch. with perhaps 3g data to go with the wifi.
even looking at the mockup I thought immediately of my iphone.
unlike some who demand that Apple's tablet be a fully working computer I actually like the idea of a larger screen (perhaps 2-2.5 the size of the iphone/ipod) with a built in e-reader function, 720 video viewing and unlocked 3g data. along with all the current iphone bits and baubles like email, web browsing and all those apps. I would probably skip the next iphone for the tablet and go back to an dumb phone for making calls (assuming the tablet couldn't do it). toss in a front facing cam so I can video chat on the road and I'd really be in
I think it could be in the best interest's of the Magazine's and Newspapers to give these away with subscriptions, The amount of money they could make with advertisements as well as the doors they could close by keeping your focus. Not sure if that means no App store, I guess you could buy more readable content, but if i were TIme inc - i would rather you be reading my articles and advertisements then getting rss feeds or playing video games, as much as i love video games - i also love not using paper and dedicating my devices - don't think this will replace my computer - maybe magazines could give these away - and if you really wanted to pimp all your options the geeks could just get the tablet from apple that does all that and is computer ? maybe that would speed this digital revolution up a smidgen - any thing to get the ball rolling eh ?
I'm pretty effin blown away right now
@Hotrod I just got a Bonnier!
Make it cheap enough to be affordable and put up a decent list of magazines that I can subscribe to and have it support a couple ebook formats and I'll buy 2 devices.
@thoth +2
- ebooks wth?
If it support CBRs or the Comic Book publishers support it, I am there!
@ebonydad +1 Would love to have a dedicated Digital Comic Book reader; no, the PSP doesn't count.
@ebonydad
First off CBR is not a format. It's just a collection of JPEG files compressed into ZIP format. Secondly CBR reader is for pirated comics.
guys, "it" doesn't even exist. it's just a slab of plastic they edited the interface onto afterwards.
that aside, it does look pretty fancy and it wouldn't be terribly hard to pull off with current or near-future hardware. i found the navigation and the question of where exactly i am at any given moment very confusing, though. there's definitely potential, but also a lot of room for improvement.
@Phil
could easily be produced..think about it
charging is the only question left unanswered really
thing is, isnt this what websites are for. now a days with all these smart phones that are capable of internet browsing, it seems like we are pretty close to this anyways, its just not as fast. either way, that was a very beautiful concept.
When and how much?
@(Unverified) When they've actually invented it. You realise it's just a slab of plastic at the moment?
@Timmmmmm
I don't think anyone on here realizes that was just computer animation...no actual working prototype.
EBook readers and such will only be truely mainstream when they can be read in the bathroom.
Ya know?
I've got a bonnier right now lookin at that thing.
Beautiful. Simple as that.
I look at this, and I think "they've got it". With all the hoopla surrounding a potential Apple tablet, I often wondered how they could change the landscape, and make me covet the device. Apple, if you're listening, THIS is how.
Matter of fact, the first manufacturer to get this made, wins—it's just really that simple. Love the concept of having a "bind" on the device, too. Make it with just a little bit of a less harsh edge, and make it now please. Or keep the harsh edge, and make it now please. It is "teh want".
@byran
Except a screen has to be highres wide-angle and easy on the eyes, and the battery must last a long time, and the gpu must push lots of pixels at high speed.
In short: $25,000
Happy selling
@Wwhat
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think your reply to me has absolutely nothing to do with what I said. Actually, I couldn't seem to find a post on here that had anything to do with what you said. Did some wires get crossed in the tubes?
@byran i'm with you. all the sourpusses who hate the analog metaphors in the digital world can stuff it. some of us LOVE our magazines. i have several subscriptions and always a few issues in my pack. this device would be PERFECT for me, put all those mags on something the size of ONE, i'd love it all day long.
and i know some are thinking, "another exclusive/dedicated device?!" this is one case where i'd love to have an additional device, i don't really want a tablet, i have a smartphone or my laptop for so much of what i'd do on a tablet. This would be perfect for the format i still get so much of my reading from. i would readily embrace this device.
and to all you cotton-headed ninnymuggins, yes i get it, it's a concept beautifully rendered digital composition, but it needs to be a real device. santa put this at the top of my wishlist.
Nice concept, puts eReaders to shame and I for one would buy something like that if it were available now. Kind of reminds me of the tablet thing that Captain Picard used in Star Trek TNG...
I think this could be a huge success if you could buy it like you buy a phone, with a carrier subsidizing the device, in this case the magazine would be the carrier..only problem that has to be solved is when you want more than one magazine subscription, then how could the costs be split?
@DavidMagnus I was thinkin some sort of 'Magazine Consortium of the Future' kinda thing. If a bunch of magazine publishers got together they could offer magazines from any company in the consortium and if they formed together before actual production of the device they could share the R&D/manufacturing/distribution/management/whatever costs and lower the cost to each individual company. This in turn would more than likely lower the price to consumers. win/win
That was very cool indeed.
That ring selector was drawing way too slow, I wonder why they did that. to emulate the annoyances you will always have with any device?
what display? e-ink?
@renaissanceman2 Even better, CGI.
*Yawn*
When Nokia makes a concept it is horrible and will never deliver the promise. But when someone else makes the same thing... Whooooooooa... Breakthrough, Incredible, Amazing.
Sad, sad, sad...
This and the courier should have sex and make the ultimate tablet.
I don't think magazine publishers will be as stupid as to make their content exclusively available on particular devices. E-paper is just a screen technology, and in the near future all magazines will be available on any e-paper device. There is too much money at stake for this prediiction not to be fulfilled. E-paper technology enables publishers to charge payment for their content, it saves them about 50 percent of their current expenses (print and transport). AND they can earn more by selling directly to the reader. Most important, they don't let Amazone or Apple get all the extremely valuable data about their readers. Paper magazine publishers today know very much about thir readers likes and dislikes and how they will react to price movements et cetera et cetera. Giving away stuff for free on websites takes all this away, and also it looks like crap compared to both treepaper and e-paper. From a publisher's point of view the internet is finally old fashioned.
@thelebrity
Thats the next big question really. E-paper is very close but not quite there yet. Flexible OLED displays and the like as well. But the e-reader devices are reigning pretty powerful right now. If this device is picked up within the next few months then it might (if it keeps this UI and slender form factor) over take the rest of the market. I suspect there is a device much like this already being developed and readily being formatted to overthrow the B&W e-readers and the nook alike.
And no, the device on the video doesn't exist yet. But we'll take huge steps towards it in 2010, and we might very well be there in 2012. And by 2020 (well, I have a bet going on that my company will not be publishing anything on treepaper by 2018) magazine readers will be given away for free and every magazine, book, newspaper and periodical publisher on the planet will chip in to pay for it.
@thelebrity As you comment, there is no device in the market yet for our prototype. But, as there will be soon, we wanted to share our ideas for the actual reading experience to kick off a discussion. So thanks for all comments:) / Sara Öhrvall, Bonnier R&D
@SaraOhrvall Technology is certainly moving our way these days. The first obstacle seems to be making hardware producers realize that they wont be able to charge percentage of the income generalized from content. Noone pays Dell or any other pc- producer to have a web paper showing on their pc screens. And there is no reason why that should change just because the computers are equipped with e-paper displays. I mean, soon Dell computers too will have epaper-displays.
The publishing industry ought to take steps to stop this trend of sharing content income with hardware producers. I don't think yet another - publisher controlled - e-reader is a good idea though. It is a fact that e-readers are of little use without content, and it should be possible to create a situation where hardware producers understand that if they open up to every bit of content available, that is what will make their products sell.
Is that how it works? "That white guy's penis! I'm cowering with envy!"
Ohhh, a CGI "concept video" for a non-existent device. Yeah, next please.
Only the perfect product idea, and we'll probably never see it. Oh well I always found it more convenient to have phone apps that offer similar functionality. Less devices + more features = win.
Pleaaaaaaase kill Kindle
this looks awesome. I can not wait to get one. I hope it will not cost a lot. But it probably will. If and when he finally sells this product i think it will be a very big change on the way I read the news paper and magazines :)
That was stunning.
I love when somebody has really pulled apart and thought about something and designed for functionality.
It is far more shiny than super space age designs with buttons and whirlies and crap everywhere.
I would shake the hands of the people in this design group and buy them a drink.
@savagemike Thanks for your positive response... We would love a drink:) / Sara Öhrvall, Bonnier R&D
Bravo, we are very near to the e-paper.
Very nice. But I want designers to keep more of the aesthetics of magazines (and especially books). Does anyone else remember the Last Book project that launched eInk?
http://www.nytimes.com/library/arts/040898book.html