E-papers: The way forward?

A week or two ago, the lesson was on print media. And I'll be honest, I've been saving this strip for Professor Armstrong since I first read it in May, because I've always wanted to ask him what his thoughts on a scheme like this were.

Well, he replied that the idea didn't seem to consider the user, and that given the older skew it didn't really seem workable or cost effective. Well sir, I've been giving it some thought, and this here is how I think it could work.

First off, Professor Armstrong mentioned several times during the lecture how he hated getting newsprint ink on his hands when he was reading it. So wouldn't reading the news off a Kindle solve that problem straight off the bat?

Secondly, let's consider the older skew. It can't be denied that the vast majority of newspaper readers are people a generation above me, i.e. our parents and people in that age group. So the fact that the Kindle is an electronic device could pose a few problems, namely the technological generation gap (if there's such a term) and well... Older people don't really like to squint at a screen. Professor Armstrong also asked I'd rather use a Kindle or open a newspaper.

So going point by point there: The Kindle is basically an e-reader, with none of the complications a laptop might provide. The Kindle is also almost half screen, with a 6" screen on a device that's 8" by 5.3". Therefore, print is large and easy to see. Finally, Professor Armstrong mentioned that a broadsheet can be a pain to read on a bus or a train, simply because it's too darn big. If you could get a full newspaper on a 8"by 5.3" device, that's another problem solved straight off the bat.

So what do the rest of you think? Could the Kindle or a similar device be newspapers' saving grace? After all, getting the news online seems to be on the rise nowadays... Why not an e-version of your favourite newspaper?

Pop-culture references: A form of advertising?

Everyone's got a favourite movie line. "I am your father." from Star Wars. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." from Gone With The Wind. "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." from The Godfather. And Azhar's and my current favourite, "Bon-jern-oh." and "Arrivederci!" from Inglourious Basterds. Whether from a currently showing movie, or a classic cinema gem, you can always work a movie quote into a conversation if you really put your mind to it. Movie quotes are really just the tip of the iceberg, however. Popular culture draws inspiration from TV shows, books, video games, and news bites, especially the ones featuring celebrities.

It got me thinking, though. At the end of the day, pop culture references draw the mind and awareness to a particular show or book or whatever. Does that, then, constitute advertising? After all, advertising's first objective is to create awareness, isn't it? And word-of-mouth is just one of the ways viral marketing gets around nowadays. Now, some might argue that a couple of guys talking about what they saw on TV last night has limited reach (and possibly appeal), but what happens when something with a much wider reach on the internet begins to make such references?

The above two images are from two daily webcomics, PvP and Ctrl-Alt-Del, respectively. For those of you who didn't get it, both strips are punning on the TV series CSI: Miami. Specifically, the protagonist's long-running habit of starting an episode by putting on his signature sunglasses and making a witty remark related to the nature of the crime being investigated, followed by the series' theme song "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who (hence the "YEEEEEEEEEEEAH!").

It's clearly not paid advertising, but it does direct the attention of anybody who happens by to CSI: Miami. But when, then, does a reference cross the line and become advertising of a sort? It's free, to be sure, and somewhat esoteric in that you'll really only catch it if you already watch the show, but it's undeniably promotion of a sort. Is this part of viral marketing? Or do the companies whose products get mentioned luck out and get free air time?