Digital Wallpaper

I don't want to sound big headed about this, but it looks to me like most people don't really get the Amazon Kindle.

Yes, it's a fantastic portable reading device. Yes, I want one. And no, I can't get one, because I'm in Europe.

But what's really exciting about it is that it uses Digital Ink.

Digital Ink is not an LCD or LED technology. It's not OLED. In fact, it's not any kind of technology that emits light. And it doesn't consume power, either.

What was that? Doesn't consume power?

Not once the page has "turned". It only uses energy when the image is changing. Thereafter, the image stays there until it's changed again.

Now, I've thought for quite a long time that we're all obsessed with video. We expect every new device to have some kind of video capability: just look at Smart Phones.

But I really don't see why every display device has to be able to play moving images.

That's where digital ink really, er, shines.

Eventually, digital ink is going to be very cheap. It will be in colour. It will probably display video, as well, but that doesn't matter.

What does matter is that we're on the verge of being able to replace just about every printed surface with an electronically updatable one.

At that point, digital signage signage will be the world's most powerful medium.