The Autumn exhibition season is beginning to get into full swing, with Labelexpo already have completed its run in Chicago with notable UK news from Bradford-based The Label Makers with an order for a Xeikon 3030 digital label press. Coming up in the near future we will have the European newspaper focused IFRA show taking place in Hamburg, with the UK software specialist Wave2 exhibiting two new products. In the same week easyFairs opens the doors to its Packaging Innovations event to London. Benson Group will be exhibiting its cartonboard expertise there. Also in that first full week of October, Apex Digital Graphics hosts its own open house event in Hemel Hempstead, with pre-press, press and finishing kit on show.Elsewhere in the print industry, manroland continues to shed jobs, with news this week of 500 more job losses at the German press manufacturer. Odd news also from that stable regarding questionable payments being made in Switzerland.
In the wider world of publishing talk has focused this week on Apple’s next move and its desire to put together an iBooks style stable of newspaper and magazine products. The aim is to provide a focal point for users of publications, rather than publishers create their own individual apps. Almost in the same breath, the News of the World does launch its own pay for app!
Tablet talk follows on quite naturally, and a recent piece from the guys at TechCrunch forewarns of the tablet wars that are on their way! Indeed, it might even be argued that they are already here, and early skirmishes have started, with Samsung and its Galaxy Tab and Android interface putting its head about the parapet this week with a neat ad, whilst HP and Windows 7 is showing as well with a demo piece from Engadget.
Tabs don’t stop there though, as both Dell and Blackberry are also keen to get their names heard, though it is mainly talk at this stage, and no real hands on product.My questions still remain as more and more tabs are talked about. Whilst companies are keen to talk features and operating systems, there is still very little info on price. Apple might have put itself in its usual premium price position, but actually does its £420 starting point leaves that much room for anybody else to make much money from the products. Maybe the glut of seven inch products is key; smaller screen must mean cheaper to make, but there are still a few mark-ups to add to any device once it’s been manufactured. That surely means a starting point of £250 to £300, and that is for what is, to my mind, an inferior product. Your thoughts on where tablet pricing will sit are welcomed: tell us at PIND.editor@gmail.com
Returning to the world of apps, the BBC has told us about a European project that aims to make apps a central web based resource. The idea is that one software product will then suit a variety of operating systems and devices by accessing the application through a web browser. It would mean that apps are not just limited to phones and tablets, but could be accessed by other devices: TV’s for example, or from within your car. “One app for all” certainly sounds like a good idea, but will participants (currently excluding Apple) be willing to share information and allow their best apps to migrate to the competition freely? Don’t forget, proprietary systems provide profits!
One quick note on the app front: Awesome Note is a new notes tool for iOS. One of many, it is true, but the good folk of Lifehacker tell us about how well this syncs with both Google Docs and Evernote. Might well be worth a look. We will investigate further and report back!
A couple of new keyboard options for friends of Apple: firstly, for the iPad, I do like the look and sound of a fold-away Bluetooth keyboard (as mentioned in a previous edition of PIND!). Also something that might appeal to some for adding text to their iPhone is this case with keyboard; not too sure myself, but it will have an appeal to some I am sure!For those with a need to carry a bit more info around with them, Kingston has released a new series of flash drives including a 64Gb capacity USB 3.0 beast. Legit Reviews take you through the details.
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