e-Paper. There are some fantastic new technologies coming up in the next couple of years.

Those who know me are fully aware that I’m a die-hard Macintosh user. I’ve never used any other computer, and have a deep love for all things Apple.

Tonight, I was looking at Apple “rumor” websites that discuss upcoming secret projects and concept devices. I read about a new technology Apple is attempting to patent, called Integrated Sensing Display. It’s pretty darn incredible. It takes the pixels that make up your computer screen, and builds into them the added ability to receive information. In other words, your computer monitor becomes a single, massive camera. Not only would the quality of video chats skyrocket, but there’d be no need to look away from the screen at some camera lens… you’d be looking directly in the face of the person you’re talking to — the monitor is the lens. Such a cool idea! Hopefully this can be put into use in the next few years, along with my other favorite, fantasy technology… e-paper.

While not an Apple technology per se, it’s the kind of thing that would nonetheless have a massive positive impact on the computer maker. e-Paper is a flexible, fabric-like material that has pixels impregnated into the fibers, making the material become a flexible, foldable, roll-able display. Imagine sitting on the train, reading your morning paper. As you’re holding it, it’s new headlines fade in at the top of the page, a stock ticker scrolls smoothly across the bottom, and you watch video clips instead of grainy black-and-white photos. It’s almost hard to imagine really existing, but it’ll be here before you know it.

I wrote an e-mail recently to the Chicago Tribune, and it was recently quoted in the paper, along with Preservation Chicago President Jonathan Fine. They printed part of my response to an article by architecture columnist Blair Kamin, regarding the efforts – by many in Chicago – to rebuild Pilgrim Baptist Church, which burned to the ground last month on Chicago’s south side.

“EVANSTON — Thank you for this article, I needed it. Kamin has an informed view of the situation, and I only hope the right people are listening. This rebuilding could have a positive impact on the neighborhood if regular lay people were to be able to participate as well.“

Nothing terribly intelligent, but it’s always neat to see one’s own opinions in print.

Today was one of the last few days I had to make sure that everything for Vegas was ordered, printed, designed, shipped or otherwise ready to jump on a plane with.

So over the past several hours, I’ve bought and printed labels for a last-minute postcard marketing blitz to 400 boutiques across the country (hoping they’ll visit booth K10-500) picked up our giant 4-foot wide 3D sign for our booth, ordered 7-foot tall banners with product photos, ordered halogen lighting to illuminate said banners, bought blank “grown up” t-shirts on which we’ll screenprint our logo (so we look the part,) designed and ordered business cards, bought two giant $30 rolling duffel bags at Target to carry as much of this stuff as possible….
and probably several other things I’ve already forgotten.

The only thing left to do is hope everything arrives before next Friday.