December 16, 2009
As we’re making the turn into 2010, interactive projects have become more and more prominent in all industries. It started with a heavy introduction into Web, followed by a more recently booming field of experimental installations and it now seems that “tablets” are next in line. With huge speculation from just about everyone, Apple may very well be preparing a tablet form computer which has been hinted at by large print focused companies such as New York Times and Conde Nast.
My personal guess regarding such a tablet is that Apple, along with an array of competitors, will attempt to revitalize and revolutionize what’s left of the print industry. There have been conceptual ideas around such technologies, and some companies have even attempted to enter this market.
Bonnier R&D has garnered the attention of many designers, conceptual thinkers and developers over the past 24 hours with the release of the Mag+ video. According to the description, the main focus of this video is to attempt to “capture the essence of magazine reading” in a digital tablet form.
Although the realism of the video lacks slightly, the real interesting part is the actual thoughts and ideas being conveyed. Just listening to the thought process is increasingly interesting, while the video does a great job of visually representing the general idea.
I’m personally inclined to believe such a product would be of great success, if done correctly. The Mag+ video shows the potential and even if only in the slightest, it shows that people are truthfully putting time into the conception of such a product. What intrigues me even more, is what’s truly possible with a product and focus such as this.
One thing is for sure, if there is a tablet technology like this in the works, I’ll be one of the first to purchase it.
Reference links:
Mag+ via Vimeo
Mag+ via Bonnier R&D
Bonnier R&D
Kicker Studio