Technology has torn down the walls between different communications media. Magazines produce video clips, while television news stations post written articles online. The technologies that are driving this media convergence are network connections, powerful mobile devices, clever interfaces, and easy-to-use software.
One of the most visible manifestations of the new technology is the rise of "we media," or citizen journalism, which enables all kinds of people to post anything they want online (see "Mainstream News Taps Into Citizen Journalism"). Several companies, including TypePad, WordPress, and Vox, offer blog platforms that can be used as is or customized with plug-in software to support sophisticated media sites. Sites like YouTube and Blip.tv similarly make it easy to share video content.
Book publishers, meanwhile, are seeing a boom in electronic readers, thanks in large part to the display technology made by E Ink of Cambridge, MA (see "Companies to Watch"). Its electronic ink is used in all the major e-readers, including Amazon's Kindle and the Sony Reader. Though they are using similar display technologies, e-book makers are looking to distinguish their products by adding new features: support for audio books or other types of media, for example, or digital rights management that allows users to loan e-books to friends. These dedicated e-readers are expected to face more competition from new smart phones, which offer touch-screen interfaces and large catalogues of third-party applications.
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