Printing Industry News Digest No.106, July 28, 2012

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 106, 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.

The newest version of OS X for Mac is out this week. Code-named Mountain Lion, this latest update provides tighter integration with the mobile iOS operating system, notably with apps such as Notes and Reminders, both of which interface with iCloud. Another big feature amongst the 200 additions is Dictation which provides support for speach-to-text in any software that requires keyboard input. For $20 / £14 Mountain Lion is very well worth the upgrade.

Manroland’s sheetfed operation in the UK has parted company with its MD and sales manager this week. We understand that its premises will soon be sold too, as the building is the only asset of value of the now defunct Manroland GB business.

Printed or plain cigarette packaging is a big question it would seem. Answers in UK have been put back to August 10th in order for further debate and input. Issues regarding job losses in print and packaging and a strong argument with regard to counterfeit products are countering the obvious focus on deaths by the Department of Health.

Plans are in place at Newsweek for the eventual transition to a digital only publication. The 79-year-old publication cites a key driving force as being production costs of a weekly magazine.

Religious too are seeing the invasion of the e-book. A new colour e-reader incorporates, it would seem, “special religious features”. The Android based tablet will cost you some $150  in Family Christian stores. An app is also available for both Android and iOS.

The book business, meanwhile, is celebrating the way that digital print has saved the industry. Frank Romano, as part of his Frankly Speaking tour, offers this summary of the wonders of digital production for publishers. From another angle, e-books just seem to be getting ever cheaper: is that a good thing? What about the author?

In the world of newspapers, doom and gloom appears to be everywhere. However, the UK-based Daily Mail & General Trust has reported a 3% revenue increase in its third quarter interim results. This reversed a 4% drop in revenue in the previous quarter according to our good friends at PrintWeek.

Regular readers might have noted that last week we mentioned quarterly earnings reports for both Microsoft ($18.6 billion) and Google ($12.2 billion) in PIND105. This week we can compare these numbers with Apple ($35 billion) in its Q3 announcement.

Our favourite 7-inch tablet, the Google Nexus 7, has received more plaudits this week, and also a new distribution point, with Carphone Warehouse now stocking the machine. Not too sure whether you really need a contract with it: £20 per month and a free device? (the 16Gb Nexus is only £199). Our own review of the product still glows: small enough to be portable, large enough to be readable; very handy and easy to pick up in the evening for couch surfing purposes too!

Commentators are convinced that Apple must deliver a product in this format. More news to come, we are quite sure.

Almost finally, UK readers rejoice. Our 4G network is now on its way! Just hang on until next year . . .

Finally, for an RSS feed of PIND, copy this link into your feed reader; and click here for the GenesisNews #Print Daily – you can even take out a free subscription for this daily update on print, publishing, packaging news and associated technology!

PIND106

Missed Issue 105, including Google Nexus 7 launch? Then simply click here!

Issue 104: Kodak bosses bonuses
Issue 103: Printed electronics latest
Issue 102: British banking



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Printing Industry News Digest No.95, April 7, 2012

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 95, 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.

Ryobi and Miyakoshi have been busy this week announcing details of the latest runner in the B2 digital stakes at the forthcoming Drupa. This one appears to have the rest stuffed into a cocked hat with regard to potential productivity, with an 8,000 sheets per hour throughput. UK Ryobi distributor Apex Digital Graphics adds its thoughts.

Matthew Parker examines the whole topic of B2 digital presses and what they will bring to the market, and specifically to the print buyer. Perhaps it is the personalisation opportunities above all else that provide the stand out potential, but print buyers will need the associated data to make this work for them of course.

Print Media Centr offered up this wonderful infographic on print: Print is Big might help to convince you or your customers that print still has a critical role to play in marketing and communications.

Whilst still in print, this interesting article from PrintWeek regarding technology patents caught our eye recently. Patents are very much in focus with Apple doing battle with just about everybody. Adam Hooker examines the value of such tactics in the print world and to the less well off.

In a Guardian article that is headed “The death of printing has been greatly exaggerated” you sadly won’t find too much good cheer with regard to our ink on paper variant. This feature is more focused on your desktop printer, and its workload. It does make you think though: we believe that our printers at PIND are certainly used a lot less than once was the case. It’s more often the case that we will send an article to “Read It Later” rather than to the printer these days.

Printer RR Donnelley is making waves in the tech world with the purchase of Real Value Corporation, makers of the iPad shopping app CoffeeTable. An interesting move for one so big in putting ink on paper.

Another newsstand anyone? A group of leading publishers think we need one, and have created Next Issue to provide a common format for their digital publications.

Meanwhile, publishers are preparing to sue as Boundless Learning shapes up for an open alternative to the textbook market. An interesting one!

The jury would still appear to be out as to whether Apple with drop down in size to the 7-inch tablet market. TechCrunch offers some possible clues and some very persuasive arguments as to why it will. Despite our initial objection to a 7-inch slate of any kind, this posting makes us think twice.

Need to send the occasional file that is a bit bigger that your e-mail account will allow? Sure, Dropbox might help, or the cavernous capabilities of Box, but maybe the easiest solution found to date is one that we were introduced to this week: DropSend. Free for up to five files per month, $5 will allow for 15 per month, whilst $19 offers unlimited sends. All options cater for files of up to 2Gb, with various storage options also available on the pay-for product.

For those who have never experimented, Lifehacker offers us this week an article dedicated to customising any folder or app icon in Windows. Take a look. It really can make finding key items so much easier. Also, don’t wait for Windows 8 we are told: this selection of Windows enhancements is available now!

For typography geeks only: a limited edition of Scrabble will be available from August of this year, at a price of $199; get your orders in now!

Almost finally, we do have to light the candles, as this is our second anniversary! Two years of PIND and we sail on briskly towards issue 100!

Finally, do keep checking back to see what will be featured in our next edition, PIND 96. For an RSS feed of PIND, copy this link into your feed reader; and click here for the GenesisNews #Print Daily – you can even take out a free subscription for this daily news update on print, publishing, packaging and associated technology!

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Missed Issue 94, including DM Screening and Morgana Charity Ride? Then simply click here!

Issue 93: Latest digital for Drupa
Issue 92: HP’s B2 digital press
Issue 91: print v. e-books debate



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Printing Industry News Digest No.88, February 18, 2012

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 88, 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. Do also take a look at our automated Twitter-based GenesisNews #Print Daily publication; why not take out a free subscription for a daily digital delivery!

The Sun on Sunday comes back into the headlines this week. We first recorded this suggestion way back in July 2011, just after the announcement of the closure of the News of the World. No actual date slated as yet, but it does at least give the business a focus for the immediate future. At the beginning of the week Brand Republic was asking if he should sell the title!

Elsewhere in the world of newspapers, InPublishing tells us that the FT's global audience has now risen to some 2.2 million with a mix of digital and hardcopy readers.

With reference to the lead story of the last two weeks, Tony Langley has this week appointed his own man, Alfred Rothlaender, a German, to head up his recently purchased Manroland Sheetfed business in Offenbach.

With an interesting view on digital print, What They Think? offers some thoughts on what it describes as new directions for digital print. A bit of forecasting to get you thinking for sure.

OK, we have been singing the praises re Apple's amazing success with its iOS devices for far too long, but you can't deny that they do get things so right! Surprisingly, in terms of numbers, the company sold more iOS devices in 2011 than it has sold Mac's in 28 years!

Rumour continues, in case you hadn't noticed, regarding the potential contents of iPad 3. Here is some of the latest conjecture.

Having said all of that, we find an interesting view of technology from the team at What They Think? Technology is not the answer, they tell us. It's worth a read.

We noted some extended thoughts re Apple's Siri in last weeks edition of PIND. This week we have learned that a robust equivalent of the voice control software is being developed for Android products. Utter, say the guys at TechCrunch, actually makes voice control on Android look better than Siri. A video dem is available, even if the app isn't just yet.

On the subject of Android, the Guardian offers us its thoughts re the top 50 Android tablet apps. Worth a stroll through if you have one such device at your disposal.

Now some logo's just come together in the designers mind and they work. Mostly they click with their public. Some are just plain unfortunate. Somebody just didn't check all of these logo’s with a good diverse focus group! I do hope that PIND readers are not involved in these organisations or their graphic design partners!


Even more quirky, we found this blog detailing a typographic enthusiasts attempts to bake his favourite fonts. We kid you not! Gill Sans, Comic Sans, and American Typewriter all get the culinary treatment. A long time fan of Gill Sans I just can't help but wonder what it might taste like?!

Finally, do keep checking back to see what will be featured in our next edition, PIND 89. For an RSS feed of PIND, copy this link into your feed reader; and click here for the GenesisNews #Print Daily – you can even take out a free subscription for this daily news update on print, publishing, packaging and associated technology!

PIND088

Missed Issue 87, including details on Manroland Sheetfed? Then simply click here!
Issue 86: Manroland Sheetfed sale
Issue 85: Kodak update; used presses; ultrabooks
Issue 84: Manroland break-up; Kodak Chapter 11



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Printing Industry News Digest No.87, February 11, 2012

Welcome to Printing Industry News Digest (PIND) issue 87, 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. Do also take a look at our automated Twitter-based GenesisNews Print Daily publication; why not take out a free subscription for a daily digital delivery!

Further to last week’s exciting news regarding Manroland Sheetfed, further thoughts have been provided on the move, though a number of big questions are probably still awaiting answers. The Australian angle offers further insight. More news as we have it!

Outrage has been the order of the day in the UK with regard to the news that a multi-million pounds Olympic ticket contract has gone to a provider in the USA. The green lobby might well be up in arms at shipping a few tonnes of paper from the US to the UK, but will they get just as irate when US athletes force the mass shipments of gold from the UK to the US later in the year?

Design is to the fore today as we look at this wonderful web link from Bored Panda offering 21 minimalist print ads to feast your eyes on.

In the world of publishing, an interesting post via the guys at InPublishing offering five areas of forecast for the year 2012. Might seem a bit late to still be on the crystal ball trail, but some interesting topics are raised here, and we especially like number 4, print is not dead!

Kindle Fire has caused many headlines during this last few months, but I for one have seen very few focused reviews of the product. We saw one this week. Here it is.

Whilst many users are still not 100% convinced to the power or usefulness of Apple’s Siri personal assistant, as currently available on the iPhone 4S, TechCrunch offers us details of where such software will be heading. OK, the piece is penned by co-founder and CEO of Siri, Dag Kittlaus, but this fact makes his vision surely all the more interesting.

Windows 8 is now on the horizon, and already the knives appear to be out, with a definite slant towards the fact that this won’t be viewed as a critical upgrade for the average Windows 7 desktop user. The Guardian takes a look at the arguments.

On the subject of Windows, you may well be able to pluck something interesting out of this little collection of Windows tools that will enhance the regular functionality of the current operating system. I certainly fancy the idea of “Bins”, providing similar functionality to OS X’s stacking for the taskbar. This means that you will also be able to pin files and folders to the taskbar as well as programs.

Meanwhile on the Android front Chrome has arrived. OK, only for ICS at the moment, but hopefully it will spread through other variants. Android still does need that ability to connect up to a browser in the Chrome league, allowing the simple and straightforward use of already stored bookmarks, as well as the speed improvements that the Google software could provide. Also for Android fans: Microsoft OneNote has arrived. If you are a fan of this note taking and list making product, this release completes the circle I guess. We run the software on PC, iPhone, and iPad already. We don’t see the Android variant as being quite so well presented on our Samsung tablet product.

On a broader tech issue, Engadget advises us that the “app economy” has created some 500,000 jobs since 2007 – which, by their very association with the app, just couldn’t have existing before.

Almost finally, and TechRadar posted a list this week of the 10 most hated bits of software. We were not sure prior to opening this page, but actually we were regularly nodding in agreement as we read through the offerings. Better ideas? Mail us at PIND.editor@gmail.com

Finally, do keep checking back to see what will be featured in our next edition, PIND 88. For an RSS feed of PIND, copy this link into your feed reader; and click here for the GenesisNews Print Daily – you can even take out a free subscription for this daily news update on print, publishing, packaging and associated technology!

PIND087

Missed Issue 86, including the Manroland Sheetfed announcement? Then simply click here!

Issue 85: Kodak update; used presses; ultrabooks
Issue 84: Manroland break-up; Kodak Chapter 11
Issue 83: tech snippets and software



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