How things have changed, or maybe they've just evolved...or devolved. Hmm.
It struck me this morning that while the ritual is similar, the tools have changed. Today I found myself sitting with my tea and girlfriend--and thinking of a mimosa, ahem--but no newspapers. Instead, I was flipping around some unread sections of blogs and looking over the news on my Kindle 2, and when I found something of interest, quietly pushed it out to my friends on Facebook, or tweeted it, on my iPhone.
Interesting; has this civilized Sunday self enrichment ritual, involving newspapers, discussion, and reflection, devolved into looking for anything to FB update or tweet because I hadn't said anything in a while? Am I actually getting as much quality time and info as I used to?
Many might say, "I've been reading news online for years, I get it free, and I get more of what I want, because I can search and yada." Well ok, but do you and your wife/girlfriend/friends bring your laptops to Frank's Waterfront in Edgewater, break them out on the table, and engage in discussion while typing/searching and all that? I think not. A working lunch, or a solo nosh, sure, but with people or in any kind of upscale place...no.
This isn't to say that this sort of thing is universally unacceptable; there's places that cater to it. I hang out at some excellent spots in Brooklyn along Atlantic and down Clinton and Smith streets, get great food, and bring my laptop, and I'm sure every neighborhood has such a place, or at least, one close by.
Anyway...
...as I changed from the Sunday Times for a minute to scan some news via the integrated web browser on the Kindle, I actually found that Thomson Reuters had blogged a first disclosure of the Reuters Insider, an online news product that is an industrial strength example of "narrowcasting". I found it interesting, particularly because I'm managing a team of UI developers on the project, and am under strict NDA not to discuss the project other than saying "I'm working on it". I handed the Kindle to my girlfriend and showed her the article, and we discussed it (paranoid assurance: I only discussed the content of the article).
Note: If you're interested, google Reuters Insider, and look for the "Full Disclosure" blog link, it should be the first one.
This specific interaction prompted me to blog today. It was exactly as if I had handed over a newspaper and pointed out an article. Sure I could have done it on my iPhone, but there was something much more appealing about handing over the Kindle, and while she looked it over, I could discreetly refresh my tweets. We discussed a little, then she handed back the Kindle, and the cycle resumed.
As far as information and retention, I scanned my NYTimes, and CNN, and blogs, bookmarked and annotated some things on the Kindle for later review, and so on; I believe I got my fill of news updates and such, and additionally, saw some interesting comments and interactions from the threads I follow on Twitter and Facebook. Not to mention that a day without Sockington would be a tough one, and possibly KingPoo (who I'm giving a chance).
Regarding social appropriateness, nobody seems bothered by me using the paperback-sized, slim, subdued device (note, I have pre-ordered a Kindle DX, but probably won't bring it to a setting like this, it's a lot bigger). There have been curious looks and even a couple of "what's thats", but because the device emits no light or noise, lies slim and flat (unlike a laptop) on the table and holds like a book, and frankly looks quite nice in its leather cover, it seems that it passes social muster. Also, the iPhone, with all volume turned off (buzz enabled of course), is very subtle, since you can nav with one hand very quickly and discreetly, unlike many hold-in-front-of-your-face thumb typing phones with their audible thumb typing clicks. Naturally, excessive texting would compromise this, but that's getting back to the aforementioned Irish Pub thing.
End result; it was fun, interesting, integrating the social graph enhanced the experience, and the combination of Kindle and iPhone, used with restraint, didn't appear to irk anybody. A laptop wouldn't have enabled the same environment or interaction; the e-book reader, with the hyper-enhanced ability to scan, search, and mark up blogs and news, all of which will sync to my iPhone Kindle reader, and the discreet use of FB and Twitter when I felt like looking over popular topics, adds up to my new Sunday brunch gigbag.
Oh right, I still got the comics, both with the Kindle 2 and iPhone's Safari. I mean c'mon...you've gotta have the comics.
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