Communication and Technology in today’s society have been changing immensely with the various improvements and unveilings of innovations and discoveries. However, Books and Periodicals have continued to remain the leading sources of communication since their conceptions in previous centuries. With the practice of new techniques and usage of new technology, scientists have discovered a new device that could replace paper; it is electronic ink. Although it is revolutionary in concept, electronic ink is a direct fusion of chemistry, physics, and electronics. Much like the Chinese invention of paper in 105 A.D., scientists believe that this innovation will change the world for centuries to come (Bonsar).
Imagine having access to a complete library within the encasement of one book. Scientists believe that this is possible with the technology that electronic ink brings. What, you ask, makes electronic ink such a fascinating discovery? Well, it is all in how it functions and how it can change communication as we know it to be today.
A Company called EInk is leading the way in this new scientific discovery. EInk, a company developed out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is vigorously working to produce commercial models of their product by the year 2003 or 2004. Within this timeframe, EInk is optimistic that the company will be capable of making electronic paper. Electronic paper will look and feel just like real paper, printed with ink, which is soon to be outdated. The difference will be that the ink on the electronic paper will be able to change, much like the characters on a computer screen are able too (Holohan).
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Technological advances like e-learning, internet; educational cds, digital classrooms, etc. are being embraced by several educational institutions to provide the students with large amounts of relevant information. The institutions today can have classes with lecturers from across the world or even virtual classrooms where skills and learning can be put to practical use to the extent unimaginable ...
EInk’s goal is to be able to bind pages of e-paper coated with e-ink, and create what they call an electronic book (e-book).
It will look and read exactly like any book in the library. However, when one is finished reading it, one will be able to plug it into a telephone line or a wireless receiver and change the entire content of the book, by downloading a new book (Holohan).
Imagine the possibilities behind this technology opened by the inception of electronic books. Instead of waiting in line and shopping for books in a crowded bookstore, one can download thousands of books from the Internet or other various sources and plug them into his or her e-book. This, however, is not only limited to books but also can be linked to periodicals as well. As Bonsar has predicted, “It could very well bring an end to newspaper delivery as we know it. Instead of delivery people tossing the paper from their bike or out their car window, a new high-tech breed of paper deliverers would simply press a button on their computer that would simultaneously update thousands of electronic newspapers each morning (Bonsar).”
The basic idea behind electronic ink is its ability to rearrange upon command. The principal components of electronic ink are millions of tiny microcapsules, each with a diameter as small as 50 microns. Inside each capsule are thousands of much tinier white particles suspended in a dark fluid (EInk).
When an electrical charge is applied to the ink, the particles in the capsules either float to the top or sink to the bottom. If they are at the top, the ink looks white. If they are at the bottom, the eye sees the fluid, making the ink appear dark (EInk).
Another piece of the technology is the display that will hold and show the ink. For signs, the display itself is a thin, flexible plastic that feels much like the plastic packaging that encases batteries and toys on store shelves. The special sheet is laid out in cells – about five cells per inch, or the equivalent of five pixels per inch – in shapes designed so they can be combined to make letters or numbers (EInk).
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A computer chip is attached to every group of cells that will form a letter, and a wire runs from the chip to every cell in its group. The chip sends a charge to each cell, and the charge turns the ink in that cell white or dark. The pattern of white and dark cells forms letters and numbers on the display screen. The microcapsules contained inside these cells are suspended in a liquid “carrier medium,” allowing them to be printed using existing screen printing processes onto virtually any surface; including glass, plastic, fabric and even paper.
Ultimately, electronic ink’s processing ability will permit most any surface to become a display screen in which its patterns can be projected. This may not seem very extravagant, however, imagine having the ability to instantly modify your wallpaper in your home or office. This can be achieved by EInk’s technology. By sending a signal to the electronic ink painted on the walls, a user could change the patterns and colors on the wall (EInk).
With the technology that EInk is currently working on, it is conceivable that written ink on paper will become outdated within a couple of years. With the capability of one being able to download numerous amounts of books from the Internet and hold them in the equivalent of a memory pack, I believe this makes the conceivability closer to reality than imaginable. The people of EInk, however, supposedly have different plans for paper. The developers do not expect people to throw all paper out the instant these products hit the market. Instead, they propose that electronic ink will co-exist with traditional paper and other display technologies. However, as many people have theorized technology will continue to augment upon itself. This can lead to an occurrence in which EInk’s magnificent innovation of the early 21st century will soon be outdated, much like the ancient Chinese discovery of paper is on the verge of being outdated in the 21st century. In the end, if EInk is able to achieve their set goals, I believe they will have changed the existence of written communication for many centuries to come.
The Term Paper on Health Information Technology: Electronic Medical Records
Abstract For years the health care industry has explored methods to improve the way patient information is managed. Electronic medical records were developed to solve many, if not all, issues surrounding paper medical records and the management of patient information. Storage, legibility, accessibility and security of medical records are a few of the areas where electronic medical records excel ...
Works Cited
1. Bonsar, Kevin “Electronic Ink.” Marshall Brain’s How
Stuff Works. Electronics & Telecom. 12-11-01
<www.howstuffworks.com/e-ink.htm>
2. EInk “Electronic Ink.” Electronic Ink.
Technology. 12-11-01
<www.eink.com/technology>
3. Holohan, Meghan “Company hopes Electronic Ink…”
CNNews. Technology/Computing/Personal Technology.
12-11-01 <www.cnn.com>
