e-books
New age page turners
As the printed word merges with the cyber world, electronic reading devices have become personal portable libraries
Mukesh Khosla

For a generation that thrives on instant gratifications, it is a trend that was waiting to arrive. What started as a niche fad is fast becoming a global phenomenon. With one of the world’s largest book distributors Barnes & Noble launching its electronic books domain, the era of the virtual books is upon us.

This is not the first — and certainly not the last company — to retail virtual books that can be downloaded on a computer. The field is already crowded with internet retail giants like Amazon, Google, Mininova and others vying for the rapidly expanding pie.

Barnes & Noble is retailing an e-reader called the Nook which connects wirelessly to download books from its online e-book store. According to a computer geek, the digital reader “marries innovative technology with sleek minimalist design.” Besides books, Nook also offers virtual copies of magazines and newspapers from around the world. Interestingly, it is the only e-reading device that comes with a built-in glow light to facilitate reading in low light conditions.

Nook is directly competing with Amazon’s reading device called Kindle, Sony’s Reader and Samsung’s E6. There are several other digital readers flooding the market that include names like Icarus, Kobo, Pocketbook, Hanovan and many more.

Print to digital format

Amazon and Barnes & Noble have digitised more than a million titles each that can be loaded in the digital device. Leading companies are also offering electronic-ink screens to give readers the feel of a real book.

Google is going beyond the digital reader. It has scanned millions of books and will market these through its own search engine itself and pay a royalty to the publishers. The search engine’s software will enable people to read books on any device, including laptops and mobile phones. It makes business sense for Google as it can retail e-books directly. So far, readers would browse available digital book titles on Google and then switch to Amazon or Barnes & Noble or any other online book retailer’s website for the purchase. However, the real advantage of digital books is going to go to writers who cannot find a publisher for their work. The new digital technology has the potential of eliminating the publisher and empower new and independent authors, who no longer have to find a publishing house.

Digital book publishing

Interestingly, the digital book publishing budgets are so small that almost anyone with a little money can take a creative risk and write a book. Experts predict that in the years to come, the technology will shift power from publishers to writers, who no longer need their permission or approval.

With digital devices becoming commonplace, the era of the e-books has truly arrived. American writer Ralph Lonbregla says, “The most compelling reason is that a book in digital form will be available to readers immediately, and that it need not ever go out of print — because it was never in print in the first place!”

So, are electronic reading devices the beginning of the end of the printed book? Not really, say industry experts. Soon every book will be offered both in print and digital format. Digital readers are revolutionising the way people read books. These combine the flexibility of the virtual world and the comfort of carrying books in your pocket.

 

NOOK SIMPLE TOUCH WITH GLOWLIGHT One of the smartest e-readers, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight is the only device that comes with an inbuilt glow light which has quite literally brightened the world of virtual publishing. The backlight which is more like a soft glow eliminates the need to have external light while reading in low light conditions. It is particularly useful late in the night as you can read without fear of disturbing the spouse sleeping alongside. It is also very handy in the wee hours while travelling on a train or a plane. The 600-by-800-pixel, 6-inch e-Ink display gets evenly lit though if you want you can slide your finger to customise the brightness. Weighing just around 200 grams the Nook Simple Touch is a delight to use and the screen is extremely sensitive and user-friendly. Price $139 (Rs 6,950)

PANDIGITAL NOVEL

Pandigital which has made its name in photo-frames and scanners has now made a foray in the e-Reader segment. The Pandigital Novel is an attractive device and has a 7-inch full colour multipurpose LCD touchscreen display with 800×600 pixel resolution which clearly scores over other e-Readers. It has Wi-Fi, an Android 2.1 powered operating system and 2GB on-board memory with an integrated card reader that accepts up to 32GB memory cards as well as a mini-USB port and headphone jack. Best of all it has access to Barnes & Noble’s store for e-Books, magazines and newspapers. However, there are some glitches in this otherwise excellent e-Reader. It sometimes has patchy touchscreen responsiveness and sluggish browsing. If you can bear with that this is a great platform for reading e-Books which has all multimedia functions including HD video playback. 

Price $180 (Rs 9,000)

KINDLE TOUCH Launched in 2007 by one of the world’s largest book e-tailers Amazon, the e-book reader Kindle is now in its fourth generation and is as popular today as when it was launched. The latest Kindle Touch measures 6.8 by 4.7 and weighs around 210 grams.  It‘s no-glare screen is ideal for a broad variety of reading material, including books graphic-rich texts, newspapers, magazines and other PDFs. It has a capacity to store 3,500 books and does not require a computer for downloading. It has a built-in Qwerty keyboard and an X-Ray feature that lets you look up characters, historical figures, and interesting phrases with the help of descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari, Amazon’s community-powered encyclopedia. It has a capacity of 4-Gigabytes and a battery life of two months. With such versatility and reasonable pricing it is little wonder that it is one of the most popular e-Readers. Price: Kindle Touch—$99 (Rs 5,000) and Kindle Touch with 3G that allows Internet access—$149 (Rs 7,500)

SAMSUNG E6

Somewhat like the mobiles of an earlier era the Samsung E6 e-Reader is a slider that features a 6-inch e-ink display with a resolution of 600X800 pixels. Though it can be compared to any standard device its strong features are its Internet connectivity with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 that makes downloading of books and newspapers very easy as also sharing of content with other devices. It has a text-to-speech feature which enables a book to be listened to when one is not in the mood of reading and there is a pair of built-in speakers with a headphone jack for the purpose. Its 2GB internal memory can store up to 1,500 books - or 24,000 pages of handwritten memos. There is also provision to add an extra 16GB of memory.  It comes with an electromagnetic resonance (EMR) stylus pen which facilitates writing on the e-Book screen making it a very efficient e-reader.

Price $299 (Rs 15,000)

KOBO TOUCH

A very smart e-Reader, Kobo Touch is thin, light and has a good e-Ink screen. It comes in an assortment of new designer colours with a textured back. Weighing a light 185 grams it has a 6-inch high contrast e-Ink display and a freescale 508 processor. It has a storage space of 2GB and can store up to 30,000 e-Books with a 32 GB SD Memory Card it also has the ability to change fonts. For the content you have to have a Kobo account to sync the device. The good news is that its library of titles is as big as that of Kindle. Sockets are provided to transfer files and charge the battery and a microSD slot to expand the 2GB internal memory. The Kobo Touch has a dedicated fan following with many preferring it over other popular e-Readers.

Price $130 (Rs 6,500)

 

ICARUS GO E-READER The Icarus Go E-Reader is the emerging choice of an increasing number of digital aficionados. This Dutch e-Reader is one of the most convenient entries to the world of virtual books. It has the standard 6-inch e-Ink screen, a resolution of 600X800 pixels and 2GB of memory that is expandable by means of a Micro-card. At 169 grams it is one of the lightest e-Readers. However, there are two drawbacks. One its memory is restricted to 6,000 pages and secondly it does not have Wi-Fi which means you won’t be able to add new books while on the move unless they have access to a computer for USB transfers. Though the screen is crystal clear, buyers can also go in for the Icarus Lux LED light —at some extra cost—that can be clipped to the top of the reader to help read books in the dark. The light is compatible with any e-book reader. Overall a simple, no-frills entry level e-Reader. Price $129 (Rs 6,450)

SONY PRS 650 READER TOUCH Sony launched the PRS e-Reader in 2006 and there have been four versions with the Sony PRS 650 being the latest. The excellent 6-inch touchscreen device offers font adjustments, bookmarking of paragraphs and a virtual keyboard for notes. It supports Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word and other text file formats and it lets you access over two million titles. With 2GB internal memory with SD card and Pro Duo slots for cards up to 32GB and two-week battery life it is an attractive e-ink reader. With a screen size of 6.62 inches by 4.75 inches it has a 6-inch display and a resolution of 600X800 pixels and weighs 215 grams. There is also a headphone socket for audio-books and a stylus to take notes. A great e-Reader though the only drawback is its lack of wireless connectivity and its somewhat steep price. Price $230 (Rs 11,500)

Pop jewellery
Enjoy accessories that don’t cost the earth and can light up any outfit with their sheer variety, range of colours and materials
Surekha Kadapa-Bose

As a collegian way back in the 1980s, especially growing up in a conservative South Indian Brahmin family, one always wished one could do away with the omnipresent gold chain with a simple pendant, earrings and bangles. One wore the set with bell bottoms — kurti, salwar kameez, ghagara choli, and also with a saree.

If it was a special occasion, then the chain reaching below the chest was replaced by a neck-hugging equally traditional gold necklace with jhumkas. Cursingly boring but then there was no choice. The only alternate was glass bangles. Even these had to be interspersed with gold bangles. And every girl was attired in the same style. It was monotonous. Thankfully, the end of the 20th century and early 21st century brought in a huge change in the jewellery style.

Today one can wear personalised jewellery, and if one is creative enough, one can make an accessory with whatever material is available — flowers, shells, beads, feathers, silken thread, coloured stones, leather pieces, fabric, clay pieces, paintings — just about anything and everything under the sky can be used to suit the mood of the day and the occasion without any one frowning with disapproval. There is no need to use precious metal to string these items. One can string them in nylon wires, silken thread, wool, jute thread, copper or steel wire or anything else that is handy at home.

As Jacqueline Kapur, managing director of Ayesha Accessories from Puducherry says, “Jewellery should be something that expresses one’s personal feelings of that moment. It can be a petite neckpiece with may be just a little heart on it and it could also be a big pendant in bright neon colours. I don’t think this is age-bound as personal expression isn’t linked to any particular age group. Ayesha (my partner), my mom and me love to experiment with our accessories.”

Accessory in the present-day world is a fun, imaginative item — a pop accessory. It needn’t be serious at all. Even if it is made of rich elements, it still can be fun but at the same time graceful to suit the event.

“There is absolutely no occasion on which accessories cannot be worn. We make sure we a have a range of products that can be perfect for all occasions, whether it’s the wedding season, Diwali, New Year’s or just a party mood. Also the range is very accessible — from Rs 200 a piece to Rs10,000,” maintain Mumbai-based Sohel and Sonali Lalvani, director and designer of ToniQ accessories.

That is the advantage of these fun or smart pieces of jewellery. From high school children to collegians to office-goers to socialites, all can afford these pieces. And many of these items at any given time can be detached, rearranged and made into a new creation. A beautiful pendant if worn twined under a scarf, can give a young and hep look where as if it is worn as a centre-piece with pearl, coral or some other semi-precious or gemstones, it can double up as formal wear.

Manisha Mehta, business head, Bracialeto, a range of international jewellery with products of charms and Murano glass beads, says, “We give our customers the freedom to chose any beads from more than 1500 differently designed Murano beads we have in our collection. We also have around 250 varieties of charms — shoe, chappals, cross, horse heads etc. If they want to, then they can select a piece of only beads or they can intersperse it with charms. We string them in sterling silver wire with a patent locking system.  And believe it or not, the age group range of customers who love to buy such fun pieces is from 20 to 45 years.”

The trend is to offer youthful lifestyle accessories that offer affordable fashion options. More than the material used, emphasis is on the design and the price. Also change and newness is the mantra of these accessories. So every week there is something new in the market.

Designers and makers of this pop jewellery try their best to keep up with the international trends. As today’s youth wants to follow global trends, so do the manufacturers of this jewellery. As Kapur says, “We try to keep up with the international trends but the problem is that trends change very fast in these items of funky jewellery. The latest trend is the use of feathers of every hue. We try to design for Indian girls with an international look. A lot of people design with recycling in mind and I personally own a necklace from South Africa which is made out of old rubber chappals!”

Several international brands too, like FCUK, Lanvin, Chan Luu, Yves Saint Laurent, Erickson Beamon and several jewellery designers and brands are designing fun or fashion jewellery for women young at heart who want to make a statement while retaining their femininity. And as this is a trend which has caught the fancy of our women also, these brands are retailing at their outlets even in India. The only problem is they are slightly heavy on our purse. But then, we have several Indian designers and outlets to compete in design and prices with international brands. So why not enjoy jewellery instead of hoarding it.

 

Buddha necklace There was a time when every other pendant was either made of a cross or Om. It is time to wear something different. This elongated necklace has a Buddha pendant in blue colour. There is a ruby attached with the dangling bunch of pearls. The green semi-precious stones finish the look very well. Material: Semi-precious stones Price Rs 9,152

 

Maiden pink cuff The brass cuff has been enhanced by flowers made of different textured fabric. With so many coloured flowers you can flaunt it at any time of the day or night and especially during summer time. Material: Brass and cloth Price Rs 2,600

 

Set of seven bangles, metal and wood  Stack them up or wear them individually, this set of wood and metal bangles is a classic. Featuring various textures and widths, wear them with your neutrals and blend in with nature. Material: Metal and wood Price Rs 449

Set of six turquoise bangles

A set of six bangles in aqua theme, can be the highlight with your neutral dressing. Featuring ceramic, beaded and enamel coated and antique silver.

Material: Metal Price Rs 399

 

Snowcap rockcress hairband The little sequins, silver thin gota attached to the tip of the petals of the flowers made of beautifully textured colourful fabric will add a different glamour to your hair dress. Wear the hairband on a short floral dress. Material: Metal and cloth Price Rs 2,200

Vintage picture frame ring

We love your love for vintage. The oxidised silver and the framed picture have an old-world charm that no modernity can overshadow. Featuring an oval-shaped oversized ring with a glass top.

Material: Metal Price Rs 199

Bracelet with charms

Featuring double loop belcher chain bracelet with multiple charms such as a metal heart, rossette, small chain tassles, a key and coloured stone. Interesting heart and loop fastening adds detailing to a high-on-style piece.

Material: Metal and coloured stone Price Rs 599

Leather necklace with a pendant with metal charms

Earthy leather meets metal charms in this composition. Smartly put together, this piece has a metal ring that carries many interesting charms in antique copper that you can keep adding on to. Here’s your DIY idea. Collect some more and you can have your own customised collection.

Material: Leather and metal Price Rs 399

Burgundy glow necklace The burgundy horse gives a unique touch to the line of dangling bells, flower, metal balls and cluster of brass chains to this naval touching chain. Wear it on a dress or a trouser top. Material: Brass and metal Price Rs 2,250

Scarf necklace

This trendy neck piece is perfect for the beach, resort or evening party look. This emerald-studded cold-plated piece can gather a lot of attention for its uniqueness. Engraved on it is the Buddha which adds to the design. The scarf can be changed to suit the colour of your attire.

Material: Semi-precious stones Price Rs 10,712

Blue stone necklace This necklace with turquoise blue stones with metallic work on them is a statement piece that is sure to complement your simple outfit. Flaunt it when you go for a luncheon date with your boss or your boyfriend. The blue-and-gold motif will go with any mono-colour or floral printed dress. Material: Metal and stones Price Rs 6,760

Bling it on
DESK OF WAR

The Munich Pact was signed on it and World War ll was planned on it. The brass desk-set used by Adolph Hitler, which has “AH” inscribed on it, was recently put under the hammer in America. Collectors of war memorabilia have been in hot pursuit of this ceremonial desk set with ink wells that has the Nazi crest of an eagle and swastika and goes up on auction from time to time. Unconfirmed reports say that the desk set was designed by the Fuehrer himself in one of his rare artistic moods. This is not the last one has heard of the desk set. Experts say it will soon come up for auction again. Interested? Go loaded with a few millions.

Auction price $4,23,000 (Rs 2.12 crore)

 

VILLA FOR THE POOCH Is your beloved dog too precious for an ordinary dog house? Why not try a dream villa which comes with the comforts that your pooch could ever ask or bark for. The villa made by German company Best Friend’s Home provide endless comfort for your dog. The dog houses are a must for wealthy pet owners, who do not want to leave any stone unturned to make their furry friends feel special. Price Starting at $6,000 (Rs 3 lakh)

MUSIC LOVERS WEAR PRADA

When you plug them to your ears, the Prada triangle says volumes about your class. Though Prada is not known for electronics but their foray into headphones is sweet music to those who enjoy pitch-perfect sound and do not look at the price tag. The oversized earmuffs are a throwback to the 1970s when aficionados were first introduced to high-end earphones. These can make the geekiest nerd look chic because like other Prada products, these headphones should be worn as an expensive accessory.

Price $595 (Rs 29,750)

ONE FOR THE ROAD Guess what you get free when you purchase three bottles of Russo-Baltique vodka? The world’s most powerful SUV — the Russian-built Dartz Prombron! Yes, you read that correct. To mark its 100th anniversary, Russian car Russo Baltique is giving away the $2,25,000 Dartz Prombron SUV free with three bottles of the vodka it produces. Considered by many as the ultimate powerhouse, the Dartz is bullet-proof and goes to a top speed of 180 kmph. But then, the Russo-Baltique is no ordinary vodka either. Made exclusively for Russian royalty, oil tycoons and the uber rich, it comes in a stunning decanter made by melting Russian gold coins minted between 1908 and 1912. The flask has a gold cap with a diamond-encrusted replica of the Russian Imperial Eagle. Both the vodka and the SUV promise a “high” unlike none other. Price: $1.4 million per bottle of vodka (Rs 7 crore)

GOLDEN APPLE

Though many techies say that Apple’s iPad is worth its value in gold, this particular one proves it. A London-based company Gold & Co. has launched a 64-gigabyte iPad 3 dipped in 24-carat gold. Aimed at the rich sheikhs of the Gulf region, the gold-plated iPad is retailing only at the 300 outlets of Damas Jewellery in the United Arab Emirates. The company hopes to sell a part of its stock in a matter of weeks and auction the rest for charity. Since it is in a limited edition of 250 pieces, you’ll have to take a quick trip to Dubai to grab one.

Price $4,599 (Rs 2.3 lakh)

 

EYE COOLERS Go ahead, buy a pair of sunglasses. It’s what every hip person is sporting —from beauty queens to cool dudes and from teenagers to 30-plus housewives. Sunglasses are the newest and trendiest way to make a personal statement. And the best way to do that is by wearing Swiss luxury house Chopard’s eye-coolers. These will not just set you apart but give you an instant star appeal as these are embellished with 51 full-cut diamonds and trimmed in the temples with 60 gm of 24-carat gold. Chances are you may require bodyguards to protect the shades that protect you from the sun. Price $40,84,967 (Rs 20.43 crore)

MASTERPIECE RE-LAUNCHED

Back in 1945, it created a sensation and only the high rollers could flaunt it. Now Swiss haute watch company has recreated the retro magic and re-launched the Vintage 1945 Tourbillon in a limited edition of 50 timepieces with three gold bridges. Crafted in pink gold, the watch is powered by a self-winding calibre with a platinum micro-rotor. It has 72 moving parts which have been painstakingly assembled in a diameter of 12 millimetres making it a work of exquisite art that marries modern watch-making technology with the retro magic of yore.

Price $2,15,000 (Rs 1.075 crore)

MONEY MAKES THE BEAR

Though in the financial circles, one of the world’s richest men Warren Buffet is known as the dollar bear, for kids, it has an altogether different meaning. This 12-inch tall bear created by American artist Johnny Swing is made of real dollar bills. The bear has neither eyes nor mouth but just dollars. Such has been the success of this toy that its creator is now venturing into airplanes and choppers made of real currency notes. Money sure has wings as far as this artist is concerned.

Price $1,250 (Rs 62,500)

PACESETTER CHEENA Kaul 
Your child’s online scrapbook
Vasudha Gupta

The website opens with the image of a small child and drawing sheets with doodles on them. A grey background and a small car at the right hand corner is an explanation enough that it is child’s play. Created in 2011, www.littlesketchers.com is Cheena Kaul’s brainchild.

At 37, when most women her age are forcing their kids into math classes and understanding how the body functions, Cheena is busy giving children a platform to go wild with doodling. www.littlesketchers.com is how she does it and paints it with an overwhelming thought of love. Creative Director of a software firm, Intelligaia Technologies Pvt Ltd, with husband Rajiv Kaul, this passout from Government College of Art, Chandigarh, has sought inspiration from her favourite book How To Think Like Leonardo.

She is a rare example who has woven her expertise in the field of art and as a software developer and has experience as a mother to create something that’s attracting children, and their mothers. It was the routine of watching her two-and-a-half year old son draw, which led to the germination of thought. Today, the website is a favourite of all mothers who wish to showcase their little one’s creative talent.

“It’s not only meant to share art works or basic doodles of children but also any stories the mothers wish to share,” Cheena says.

The concept is based on the fact that one tends to learn better visually. For her, art is not just for the sake of art but also retaining information for the child. Cheena shares, “An adult can retain 29 per cent more information through drawings and doodling. Also, 1/3 rd of the population is that of visual learners.” Cheena has come up with a line of journals and sketchbooks called Curiosita. The attempt has led parents to document their child’s creativity and preserve it forever.  The overwhelming response has brought excited mothers from all over the world together on the same platform. “The free online studios give the opportunity to create an online scrapbook for the child and it tends to encourage children to express more,” says Cheena.

Basic education tends to begin at home and more on the dining table. Looking at this aspect, Cheena has come up with the concept of educational placemats. Made in vernacular languages, write on and wipe off, the mats are also open to customisation. 

Explaining how art today is looked as therapy as well, Cheena elaborates, “Several medical practitioners are using art to figure out what the child is undergoing on the basis of how he may draw a person.” According to Cheena, too much priority is given to mainstream education. Never without a sketch pen in her purse, she can never prevent a child from expressing with colours. “There are so many hyper active children who tend to calm down in a colourful environment,” she says. Currently, at the age of six, Tejjas, her son is on his way to express himself where ever he wants and however he wants, after all, colours are a part of his genetic inheritance.