Monday, June 23, 2008

Tomorrow's World

Any idea what this bad boy is?


Could it be a cloning machine? That would be handy. I could send one of me out to work while the other gets on with the novel. Maybe a third me could do a spot of dusting. It's dog-hair hell over here.

Maybe it's a Star Trek/Dr Who style transporter? I could go back in time and tell my younger self to stop watching Dallas and start blithering well writing of an evening. At this rate, by the time I get published I'll be too decrepit to read what I've written.

Is it an Innovative laundry device? One that presses sheets, sorts socks into matching pairs and spits anything unfashionable into the bin. I hope not. We've no room for it.

An orthopaedic bed, with Futuristic side-table and, um, massaging device thingy?

Okay, I'm being silly. If you read the papers yesterday you'll know it's Blackwell's new Book Espresso, due to be launched this autumn. They'll be the first UK retailer to install the machine, which prints books on demand. It can access around one million titles, print, bind and trim paperback books with four-colour covers. In minutes.

I'm not sure what any of that means, but it sounds damn clever. Rather like Judith Hann years ago, on Tomorrow's World, smearing jam all over a compact disc to show how resistant new-fangled technology was.

Now I'm giving my age away.

16 comments:

Lane Mathias said...

Interesting machine. Looks like the kind of photo copier that is too scary to use! I'd still prefer a time transporter though.

Raymond Baxter. Aah the memories. Wasn't it on just before Top Of The Pops?

Sarah*G* said...

Looks like adult lego.

Paul Capewell said...

That's very cool. At the newsagent at St Pancras they have a machine which downloads and prints newspapers from around the world on demand. I thought that was pretty awesome too.

HelenMWalters said...

I was going to say, it's a Docutech photocopier. But I think that just shows how sad I am!

CL Taylor said...

That's cool. Now I just need to remember which of my favourite books from my childhood are out of print and get espressoed!

p.s. If you were a published author wouldn't you get a copy of your book printed out of the thing just for the hell of it? I know I would!

Jill Steeples said...

I rather like the sound of that laundry device. I think you could be on to something there.

Books, eh? It'll never catch on.

Jenny Beattie said...

OMG. (See I didn't read the paper yesterday...)

Yvonne said...

That's a brilliant idea! I love it, even though it is quite honestly ugly. A little late with the whole ebooks revolution though...but I reckon I will always love paperbacks.

Kat W said...

Oh I do love your blog :-)

I like your ideas better than what it actually is.

Clever invention and would like to see a demo. BUT would it have hurt them to make it prettier?

Kat :-)

Kath McGurl said...

Wow. I thought it was a photocopier too. I suppose it's really the 21st century big brother of photocopiers, in a way.

Cal - yes, I would, too!

DAB said...

Roll up, Roll up,
Openly
Yields
Giveaway
Books
Impromptu
Variety

Tommox

Liane Spicer said...

What a dreadful-looking machine. But then I'm a Luddite at heart, I think...

Milla said...

aargh, karen I've only just twigged that you're doing it all here - I've mooched across, gone to the other blog, seen teh supermarket one, tutted at no new ones and puggered off again, and now have massive catch up syndrome on the cards, because you're too good not to catch up on!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I was trying to figure out what it was and failed miserably. I obviously don't read the papers nearly enough. What a clever machine though.

I wouldn't mind one that did do the laundry here. I have a never ending mound of it to do, as do we all no doubt.

Kerry said...

So so excited about the thought of printing my own book like getting a chocolate bar from a vending machine....I've no idea why really maybe because name involves coffee my second love - very clever these marketers!

Karen please don't go near that machine without protective gear, am scared on your behalf /:

Karen said...

lane - I'd prefer a transporter too. It WAS on before TOTP - those were the days!

sarah*g* - Lego! You're right, it does :o)

paul - I didn't know that - that's really clever!

helenmh - Well, I wouldn't have had a clue at all :o)

calistro - I definitely would :o)

maddie - It would be more useful, but not as nice!

jj - It's rather "space-age" as my mum would say!

yvonne - It is an ugly blighter, but rather clever :o)

katw - Why thank you! It would look better with a frill round it or something :o)

womagwriter - I suppose it is a photocopier of sorts. But uglier.

tommo - For god's sake woman! I still can't come up with anything half as clever :o(

wordtryst - Maybe if it came in pink??

milla - Ah, welcome and thank you :o) I overstretched myself with t'other blog, plus it's a bit much to expect people to read both. Like they haven't got enough to do. Tut.

debs - I don't know if it'll catch on. Maybe it could be modified into a laundry device...

kerry - I was rather taken with the 'espresso' idea. Maybe it could throw out a chocolate bar as well...now that would be perfect!