Monday, September 24, 2012

Printing Industry News Digest No.114, September 22, 2012

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 114, providing a summary of major news items from the printing, publishing, packaging, digital, and communications technology sectors. PIND incorporates brief summaries and links to the week’s key news stories so that you can look up that all important detail, digging deeper behind the headline.

Whilst we firmly believe that printed packaging is likely to remain one of the stronger fortresses for traditional print production, it was illuminating to see this last week’s article from Packaging News detailing how Waitrose are to utilise digital production methods for flexible packaging for a number of ready-meal items. Speed to market and reduced costs are cited as potential reasons for this to replace cartonboard: wonder how the green footprint measures up?

Cover art for books is given an interesting focus by the Guardian in an article that suggests that it is going out of fashion. The argument is based on the indisputable fact that the role of the cover is changing: less likely to be blown up into billboard sized posters, and more likely to appear as a miniature icon on a web page.

“Early October,” is as precise as Amazon is prepared to be regarding the release of Kindle products in Japan.

A little mystified regarding what Lifehacker describes as the top 10 secret features of iOS 6. Of the items listed, none appears to be what we would have considered a secret. None of them were able to hold great fascination for us either. Mashable meanwhile gives us both the ten best and eight worse things about iOS 6.

Added to the list should be the non-compatibility of the upgrade to the original iPad. Just over two-years-old and seemingly now out-of-date and unsupported. We have found one nice additional use for our’s however at PIND HQ: iDisplay turns your iPad into a monitor extension for your Mac or PC. The Mac version certainly works just fine and can be a great help.

Just in case you were in any doubt, London agrees that Apple’s new maps are terrible! Apple, meanwhile, dabbles in long-lasting batteries.

In the meantime, whether you are an Apple or Android user, mobile keyboards are becoming ever more usable and more affordable. Do take a look at Jorno – a unique folding Bluetooth keyboard that works with iPhone and iPad, as well as Android devices, such as the Google Nexus. Go mobile and get productive with a pocket sized Jorno keyboard, and get in early as a project backer. Pledge just $79 bucks to help get the project off the ground and you already have bought yourself a $119 keyboard, plus self-esteem oozing from every pore!

What would you use a Raspberry Pi for? Following our occasional visits to the odd-ball cheapo computer package? Here are some suggestions! Also turbo boost the machine for 50% performance improvements.

Perhaps of more significance even that the Raspberry Pi, a new $35 seven-inch slate from Aakash is promising basic internet browsing to India’s masses. Whilst many budget based computing solutions have been touted for the huge Indian market, this one does appear to have strong government support. Be interesting to see how it progresses.

Keep your finger on the pulse: grab an RSS feed of PIND (copy this link into your feed reader); click here for the GenesisNews #Print Daily to get the latest daily stories; or click here for regular Tech & Comms updates in blog or RSS form. You can also connect to a free subscription of the Print Daily for an update on print, publishing, packaging and associated technology delivered straight to your in-box every day! For details on Genesis Marketing – publishers of PIND – click here.

PIND114    

Missed Issue 113, including Alderson Brothers admin? Then simply click here!

Issue 112: New Amazon Kindle product
Issue 111: More printed electronics
Issue 110: Kodak film exit?



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