Concept about a New Virtual Paper - Essay Example

Essay Based on Concept about a New Virtual Paper Introduction An innovative technology in the form of vPaper (virtual paper) has been developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization (CSIRO) in Australia. This technology enables low cost printing of audio and video content on sheets that look like paper. The software driving the innovation makes it possible for full colour video resolution that is comparable to television resolution. The videos in vPaper are silent when not in use, but sound activation and interaction occurs, when a user touches the vPaper. This essay attempts to portray an innovative use of vPaper to deliver interactive video and audio content to a user that is user friendly and saves on the use of paper Role of Innovation in the Digital Audio and Video Content Industries Personal computers, mobile phones, digital video recorders, credit cards, Xboxes and palm held digital devices are common examples of where innovation in the digital world has led to and its pervasive nature into human activity. Hardware innovations are the visible entity of innovations in the digital world, while the innovative and invisible and software engine drivers make dreams of today a reality tomorrow (Evans, Haigu & Schmalensee, 2006). Digital video and audio content are playing a significant role in the economies of all nations, with particular emphasis on the developed world, where technological advances first raise their head. The importance of digital video and audio content stems from their being the drivers of the digital economy around the world. Consumers have become more perceptive and demanding and customer demand has a strong impact on the direction of innovation in digital audio and video content industries. One of the key areas of innovation in digital and audio content is utilising new opportunities for the creation of digital and audio content that provide new means of expression and communication for other sectors of industry. This development in the field of digital video and audio content has seen the refiguring of the manner in which such content is made available for use. Educational content and music streaming on to iPhones demonstrate this refiguring in the manner ion which educational content in books and music on compact discs have been digitised for new modes of delivery (OECD, 2006). Digital video and audio content is received from different sources like digital radios, digital cable networks, wireless networks and satellite. This is because all digital and video content is in the form of bits through the transformation of text, graphics and audio content into this format. This feature makes it possible for innovations in the manner in which text, graphics and audio content are delivered at the user end (Andjelic, 2008). Sustainability is a keyword to many industrial activities, with the growing concern on depletion of resources and global warming. It is through innovative technologies that industry will be able to meet the challenge of sustainability that is thrown at them by society. Reducing paper usage is a current target in many industries. Usage of paper requires wood and impacts on the available forest resources. Reducing paper usage assists industries in meeting the challenge of sustainability. Business conferences and meetings consume a lot of paper through the text and video content that is communicated. At Microsoft there is an innovative development that targets this use of paper. This product is in the form of a digital video and audio take away package that replaces all the paper based information that was carried earlier including digital business cards, thereby significantly reducing the use of paper (Paxson, 2009). Computers have become a common mode of delivery of digital video and audio content. However, the targets of digital video and audio content are not computer science specialists. These end users are only responsible for what they can access through their computer abilities, but remain the stakeholders in innovations related to this field. Accessibility, usability and acceptability become key words in the innovations in relation to these stakeholders (Costabile et al, 2003). User friendliness means simplicity in use for the end user. A touch screen is a graphical interface user (GUI) that has become a part of many electronic devices. Touch screens are extremely user friendly that enables even the physically challenged to be able to use touch screens. The user friendliness of touch screens have seen it displayed as part of information, payment receipt kiosks and moving into mobile communication devices. The key to touch screens is the simple touch of the displayed icon to provide the user with what is relevant. No use of key board, command keys or mouse that go with a personal computer (Malaric, 2009). The Graphic Demonstration of the Video The video opens with the attempts of a user to get to access what he wants on a personal computer and print the information out on paper. Though the video is not clear on what the user wants to access the frustration in nit being to access it is clearly discernible. The frustration remains till the discovery of the vPaper. With trepid feeling the user approaches the vPaper. The fear disappears on finding a touch screen that enables the use of the vPaper. Still caution persists and the first touch screen icon is touched. The page opens with ease. This prompts the quick use of the next prompt icon, the display of which brings us to what the user was trying to access on the personal computer, but did not succeed. The user was exploring a visit to the Gold Coast and what he could expect to find there. The exploration becomes easy at the touch of the button. The beaches, the shopping malls, the exotic food and the fun and frolic are brought before the eyes of the beholder, just as would have been the case were the individual watching a documentary on television on Gold Coast. All this is more alluring with the audio stream that expands on the virtues of Gold Coast. The video stream is so much more attractive and alluring than a static and silent brochure on Gold Coast. Gold Coast Tourism would be startled to see what vPaper could do for them in the promotion of Gold Coast as a tourist destination to any potential tourist irrespective of the abilities to use a computer for accessing such information. The video streaming and the audio content make vPaper a definite innovation in replacing tourism brochures and tourism web sites on the Internet as the easy means to access information on tourism, which is reflected in the satisfaction displayed at the end of the interaction with what the vPaper has to offer. In addition to saving on paper through any print outs, vPaper demonstrates the ability to be of utility in different areas of information transfer ranging from health care to education. As the user puts asides the vPaper in the video, so are the concerns with ease of access of information and sustainability, the key drivers for innovation. Conclusion vPaper is an innovation in the delivery of digital video and audio information. The video stream through the demonstration on video and audio information portrayed clearly demonstrates the ability of this innovative technology in being very user friendly and saving on paper in the delivery of digital video and audio content to end users. Literary References Andjelic, A. 2008, ‘Transformation in the Media Industry: Customizing and Branding as Strategic Choices for Media Firms’, in Management and Innovation in the Media Industry, eds. Cinzia Dal Zotto & Hans van Kranenburg, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Cheltenham, UK, pp.109-130. Costabile, M. F. Fogli, D., Mussio, P. & Piccino, A. 2003, ‘Computer Environments for Improving End-User Accessibility’, in Universal Access: Theoretical Perspectives, Practice and Experience, eds. Carbonell Noelle & Constantine Stephanidis, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp.129-140. Evans, S. D., Haigu, A. & Schmalensee, R. 2006, Invisible Engines: How Software Platforms Drive Innovation and Transform Industries, MIT Press: Cambridge, Ma, pp.219. Malaric, K. 2009, EMI Protection for Communication Systems, Artech House: Norwood, MA, pp. OECD. 2006, OECD Information Technology Outlook, OECD Publishers, Paris, pp.184 Paxson, M. C. 2009, ‘Changing Trends in the American Meeting Industry’, in Event Management and Sustainability, eds. Razak Raj & James Musgrave, CABI, Oxfordshire, UK, pp.132-139 Read More