I had already blogged about ZBD and their ePaper retail solutions. They have now also applied the same technique in Spanish Pharmacies.

Read more here :

Spanish pharmacies install ZBD’s epaper solution to ensure compliance with labelling legislation

30 Mars : Sparkling Point : Quel avenir pour l'ePaper ?

Le prochain rendez-vous [SparklingPoint] du mardi 30 mars 2010 de 18h45 à 20h30 accueillera, pour sa quarante-neuvième édition, Jean-François Declercq, AppePaper.com, autour du thème :

"Quel avenir pour l'ePaper ?" 

Cette année (2010) le marché des eReaders connaît une évolution importante :

• On voit les premiers lecteurs ePaper en vente à la FNAC
• Le Kindle d'Amazon atteint une certaine vitesse (3 millions d'exemplaires)
• l'iPad pourra être pré-commandé le 3 avril
• Google s'apprête à lancer Google Editions
• Les solutions de lecture sur téléphone se développent à toute vitesse (ex: Issuu.com sur Android)

Ceci crée un marché technologique complexe pour les lecteurs, les éditeurs, les écrivains.

Dans cette jungle, on peut se poser deux questions :

1. Y a-t-il encore un avenir pour le papier électronique ?

En effet, la plupart des liseuses utilisent des technologies écrans plats (LED, OLED) combinées à un écran "touch" (iPad, Google Tablet, téléphones...), ce qui permet une meilleure ergonomie grâce à une meilleure réactivité de l'écran et le support de la couleur. Cependant, l'encre électronique évolue et a quelques atouts. Quelques cas d'utilisation seront décrits. (plus de 30 cas d'utilisation du papier électronique identifiés).

2. Quel livre électronique choisir ?

Que je sois lecteur, écrivain, éditeur, face aux poids lourds que sont Apple, Google, Amazon, lequel choisir ? iPad, Kindle, Sony Reader, Bookeen ? Existe-t-il une alternative ? Comment faire du livre "durable" ?
Une approche "architecturale" permet de découper le problème et faire des choix stratégiques. Quelques scénarios seront présentés pour illustrer :

• Pourquoi Amazon écrit des applications pour l'iPad ?
• Quelle est l'importance des standards comme ePUB ?
• Quelle est l'importance des DRM ?

prochain rendez-vous sparklingPoint

mardi 30 mars 2010

18h45, Paris Centre

thème :

Quel avenir pour l'ePaper ?

invité : Jean-François Declercq

inscription

And if Microsoft Courier was the best for eReader applications ?

It has been more than 2 months now that I'have been looking at eReaders. After the iPad, it's now the turn of Microsoft to show off a model called the Courier.
if we want to maximize the usefulness of an eReader like a Tablet, it needs to support the largest number of applications. Let's have a look at the major options :

• The iPAD can reuse all the iPhone/iPod applications. If there are a lot of those applications, let's note that they need to be developer specifically to run on Apple's products.
  
• The Google Tablet will support any web development (web sites) thanks to ChromeOS which has a strong web focus. If one wants to work offline, those web applications will probably have to be ported to ChromeOS, for using its asynchronous services. There is also the possibility for Google to leverage the Android market and allow those (Java) applications to run on ChromeOS.
  
• The Kindle has its own (Java based) Software Development Kit (SDK). Again, one needs to develop specifically for the Kindle.
• Some Other readers, mainly those with ePaper screens, use Linux as Operating System. You than need to make sure your application will run with the distribution and ePaper screen (GTK+?) constraints.
  

Now let's look at a "Windows based" eReader as -I suppose- Microsoft Courier. From an application point of view, such a device might well be one of the best platform for the "applications of ePaper":

• It could run everything that runs under windows, and that's a lot
  
• It could than also run a browser (google chrome for instance)
• It could leverage Microsoft Office, which I believe still has a large market share

Would a windows based Tablet have the lowest barrier on entry for eReader applications ? Probably yes.
On the same line, there would be Linux based Tablets, but they don't have so many ready to go applications. For instance OpenOffice is still lagging a bit behind MS Office (personal opinion, of course).

MS Windows based tablets would nevertheless still to face some challenges:

• Boot time : You don't want to wait 30 seconds for you ebook to 'boot' before reading
  
• Security Management : You don't want your eReader to freeze while working because some Anti-Virus needs to start now...

Links:

• ZDNet : Microsoft's Courier 'digital journal': The 'second coming' of all student tech
  

DRM : Readers/Writers * With/Without = 4 scenarios

Last week, for eBouquin.fr there was a debate on eBooks and DRMs. I wrote a text in French called : Scénarios de Stratégies DRM. I have now translated it in English.

The principle is the following :  If writers can choose to publish their eBooks with or without DRMs and if readers can accept or refuse DRMs, there are 4 possible combinations ::

1. Power to eBook distribution platforms
2. Hack Zone
3. Impossible Love
4. Blind Trust

Can an hybrid solution be designed for a true Win-Win ?
Read it here : http://bit.ly/92zUlx

Mon analyse des DRMs pour eBouqin.fr

[For those who don't read french, don't worry I'll translate this ASAP.]

Sur eBouquin.fr se tient actuellement un débat sur les DRMs, j'ai posté aujourd'hui mon analyse et vision sur les DRMs. Voici ce que j'ai posté:


Bonjour,
J’étais justement en train d’élaborer ma petite théorie/analyse sur les DRMs…


Si on considère les deux extrèmes de la chaine : l’écrivain et le lecteur, et si chacun peut dire oui ou non aux DRMs, on a quatre possibilités :
1. Donner le pouvoir aux plateformes de la distribution
2. Bidouillages
3. Amour Impossible
4. Confiance Aveugle
Je pense que comme lecteurs nous devrons nous accomoder des DRMs au début mais je crois dans une évolution ou les DRMs sont progressivement supprimés.


Pour ne pas copier une tartine ici, j’ai fait un document à downloader:
http://bit.ly/92zUlx
Bien à vous


J-F

ePaper Retail Solutions : Marisense and ZBD

ePaper has more application than eBooks for the publishing industry.  ePaper also offers solutions for the Retail Industry.

ePaper can be used to show product prices and promotions in the store and on the shelves.


Here are two suppliers who provide added value in the Retail Industry using "ePaper" : MariSense and ZBD.

Marisense

Marisense's solution is called the Ella Retail Solution. "We [Marisense] believe that Ella Retail Solution introduces a brand new way to make your store operations more efficient and productive, and simultaneously improve customer satisfaction."

Marisense makes Large and Shelf labels using eInk:



Images Source : http://www.marisense.com/

ZBD
ZBD uses a technolgy called Zenithal Bistable Display (ZBD®). "ZBD  is the first commercially available LCD that uses surface bistability ZBD's". It's a  "Completely new solution enabled by true electronic paper display technology that is flexible and thin, non-reflective, has excellent reading angle of over 170° and also optical characteristics similar to paper."
"ZBD’s electronic shelf labelling solution empowers retailers with the ability to manage pricing, promotions and product information at the point of purchase, dynamically. We offer a total store solution that is simple to deploy, and cost-effective store-wide.

Replacing paper labels with ZBD’s electronic shelf labelling solution makes commercial sense, because updating paper labels is time-consuming, labour-intensive, and often error-prone. But that is only part of the story. The real benefit from ZBD’s solution is the control that retailers gain from the system."


Image Source : ZBDSolutions.com

Will eBook Readers seduce companies ?

This question was raised on a French blog I'm following.

To summarize this article says it's "Urgent to Wait" for companies before deciding to invest in ePaper ereaders.The functionality and price has ti be considered carefully.

I believe there are at least 2 viable cases for ePaper readers in a professional context.

1. for those who spend a lot of time reading or proof reading (Research&Development,  Business Managers who need to review offers before they are sent out, publishers who want to read before printing...)

2. for those who want to print less and would accept an eReader as a company bonus


In any way, I recommend a large model with a screen size allowing to read A4 or letter documents (for example, the IREX DR1000S or equivalent)


In French:

.... l'utilisation d'un eReader doit être bien ciblée en entreprise. Entre un PDA, un Tablet PC, un Netbook, le cas d'utilisation devrait être bien étudié avant d'investir dans du ePaper.

Cependant, je pense qu'il y a au moins deux modèles viables:
- ceux qui passent beaucoup de temps a lire ou relire des documents (chercheurs, chefs d'entreprises qui doivent revoir les offres avant de les approuver, personnes travaillant dans l'édition...)
- ceux qui désirent imprimer moins et considèrent un lecteur ePaper comme un cadeau ou un Bonus que leur entreprise leur fait.

http://www.actualitte.com/actualite/17170-lecteurs-ebook-seduire-entreprises-mesure.htm