Film Futurist

When I travel, I always have a dilemma: I can never decide whether I’m in the mood for a classic book, a bestseller, a biography or a gossip magazine. I’m not sure if my habits are typical of an avid reader in this day and age or not. I read multiple books and periodicals simultaneously shifting as my brain latches onto some idea and wants to move in a totally nonlinear way – call it the web effect, but I can’t help myself. I shuttle between Dostoevsky and Freakonomics, US Magazine and Wired podcasts. And it can get heavy. Literally. I once had to remove a pair of awesome shoes from my luggage to accommodate an extra book. And there’s nothing I hate more than having to choose between shoes and books because I ADORE shoes but alas, I love books more.

So, as you can imagine, I am the perfect candidate for an electronic reading device. The subject of tactile interaction with technologies is one of endless fascination to me these days. How your finger moves around the screen, how the page turns, where your eye rests or where your arm positions itself when holding the device. I played with a Kindle and found I didn’t love it but became excited about its potential. Though I didn’t buy one, it made me curious enough to install Kindle for iPhone. And as small as that screen is, it makes me so happy to know I have twelve great books close at finger’s reach should I find myself stranded on a desert island or JFK in a blizzard.

I am interested in how our reading behavior and interaction with narrative and text will change as we adopt these devices in a more integral way. So when I saw this prototype for magazines, I thought it well worth sharing. The video is a tad long and a bit dry in spots and I was unable to rip it to edit. But do watch through the demo, and share your thoughts.

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.