Is the future of Magazines a Netflix-like service?

This is a very interesting idea, and one that had not occurred to me. Interested to see what a newspaper/magazine industry veteran like Sean thinks of this.

Imagine if you could pay $10-$15 per month to have access to the daily editions of hundreds of newspapers, or the latest issue of any magazine that crosses your mind. Yes, publishers would need to get used to running with lower profit margins than they'd like. But those margins are going to get thinner every year unless the industry finds some way to meet the digital age head on.

TV Execs hate Hulu

It is no secret that Hulu exists for one reason only - television companies are more afraid of an Apple iTunes monopoly than anything else. But it is still disconcerting to see comments like these from a Dish TV executive which disparage the service as "destroying the industry".

...broadcasters should instead reserve catchup episodes for authenticated TV Everywhere services, and only make them available freely after 30 days. “If people decide that they don’t have to pay for pay TV, then one of the pillars (of the TV industry) starts crumbling,” he said.

The reality is that Hulu isn't destroying the old TV industry, history is. It is now possible to deliver video directly via the internet, on-demand, and that will eventually allow us all to bypass cable and broadcast television. The question isn't how to stop the process, it is how to profit from it.

Just ask NetFlix. Build a better mousetrap and the world STILL will beat a path to your door.

The Oxford English Dictionary will be online-only

The OED (Oxford English Dictionary) has been THE standard for the English Language. The 3rd edition has been in progress for 21 years, and is almost ready to ship in its normal paper form. But its owner has now announced that this will be the last paper edition of the hallowed dictionary which from now on will be produced only in electronic formats.

He said: “Until six months ago I was clinging to the idea that printed books would likely last for ever. Since the arrival of the iPad I am now wholly convinced otherwise.
“The printed book is about to vanish at extraordinary speed. I have two complete OEDs, but never consult them – I use the online OED five or six times daily. The same with many of my reference books – and soon with most.
“Books are about to vanish; reading is about to expand as a pastime; these are inescapable realities.”

This perhaps the most stunning prediction made by someone who doesn't sell iPad, Kindles, Nooks, or other eReaders. What do Mod-Bloggers think? Will paper books always have a place, or are we on the verge of a time where they are regarded as antiques fit only for display?

Are dental drills a thing of the past?

There is no sound more full of memories than the dentist's drill. The noise is unique and linked in our memories to at least discomfort, and in many cases actual pain. But new technology may finally make that noise a thing of the past, replacing it with "cold plasma".

The benefits are huge. The drill is not only loud, but it’s extremely invasive and damaging, and can actually cause more problems then it solves. Researchers have discovered a way to make something called “cold plasma” which will actually sterilize a tooth instead of grinding out the damaged tissue. To be honest, researchers aren’t entirely sure exactly how the plasma works to destroy the bacteria, but they are able to determine that a burst of about 12-18 seconds will completely eliminate the problem.

Someday is coming...

From Townhall.Com.

Is "Evangelicalism" dying?

Hat Tip to Mod-Blog friend Nick for pointing out a very interesting commentary from the Christian Science Monitor about the Evangelical movement. The basic thesis is that "Evangelicalism" is dying and will see a collapse in terms of numbers, influence, and money in the next decade. This is blamed on an increasingly secular society and the failure of "evangelical" Christians to engage the larger culture.

WHY IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN?

1. Evangelicals have identified their movement with the culture war and with political conservatism. This will prove to be a very costly mistake. Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress. Public leaders will consider us bad for America, bad for education, bad for children, and bad for society...

2. We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it...

Now, I am what most would call an "Evangelical." I am a bible-believing, born-again Christian who attends a church that believes the same and I take part in the larger "Christian culture" of music, movies, etc. I am not sure if the article writer is correct so much as I wonder if he is irrelevant. While I may be an "Evangelical," I have no particular love for any "Evangelical" culture. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If that is preached by "Evangelicals" or "Orthodox" or "Charasmatic" or "House Church" people, I am satisfied. I will admittedly be uncomfortable with the worship styles of some others (I don't even raise my hands during singing). But "uncomfortable" doesn't bother me in looking at the future, so long as the Cross of Christ is preached.

What do you think?

Today is Bill Gate's last day at Microsoft

Apparently, today is "Gold Watch Day" for the King of Windows. After this, he moves onto full-time work at his charitable foundation, and the sidelines to watch and see how Microsoft survives without his guiding hand. Windows Vista does not bode well for a Steve Balmer-directed MS, but then again a power vacuum at the top gives new geniuses a chance to jump in and get their ideas heard.

Between this and the recent speculation over Steve Jobs's health, it is time to start wondering what the "Next Generation" of technology CEOs will look like. Will they be in new companies like Facebook and Digg, or will be see second-generation "princes and princesses" stepping into the shoes of these giants? It is due to be a bumpy ride on Wall Street as we jump into this unknown territory.

The Future

The Problem with Conservatism?

A lot has been made about whether John McCain is a "true" Conservative, and most of the Republican debates so far have been largely about who was most devoted to Ronald Reagan. And yet, all of this jockeying for "true Conservative credentials" has not produced any real excitement from the base, who largely is trying to decide whether to compromise their beliefs by voting for McCain or to compromise their power by sitting out the election. A new commentary by Cal Thomas suggests the real problem is a movement which has stopped looking ahead, and is obsessed with the past in the form of Reagan.

Reagan engaged in an arms-for-hostages deal with Iran. As president, Reagan seldom went to church, unlike his evangelical base. If conservatives knew in advance these things about Reagan, would they have voted for him in such numbers?

Contemporary conservatism has mostly been about saying "no" to the liberal agenda. Suppose conservatives instead begin to circumvent liberals by applying better ideas to achieve ends liberals and conservatives claim to seek?

I tend to think that Thomas is right, and much of the problem in the air now is that Conservatives have allowed GWB and the War in Iraq to eat up all of their creative energies. Where are the people who lead the Contact With America which promised bold new ideas? Where are the people who championed school choice, true reform for Medicare, and voluntary term limits for Congressmen? It is not enough to say you are "optimistic" and stand for "change." You have to present ideas which show a forward-looking vision. Obama, at least, can always fall back on the fact that his very election is forward-looking, by apparently realizing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream.

Honestly, I was just ready for ANYTHING but politics

I'm all for "hope" and ready for "change", but I'd rather get started today than wait another year to get started. Let's start making the changes we can today. Don't forget, we don't always need to wait for our leaders.