| The Hearst empire is a legendary one in the | | | | is focused primarily on newspaper and magazine |
| history of USA media and publishing companies. | | | | content, versus other platforms that are designed |
| Now Hearst Media - the modern incarnation of this | | | | for downloading and reading ebooks and simple |
| giant publishing firm - is making inroads in the | | | | text. So the Skiff promises high-resolution |
| epublishing business with the launch of its new | | | | graphics, complex layouts and typography, and |
| Skiff ebook reader, an 11.5-inch touch screen | | | | other features to make the reading experience |
| device that flexes and bends. The reason is it able | | | | more akin to that of a glossy magazine or major |
| to bend is because it is only a quarter of an inch | | | | newspaper. That means that the Skiff should |
| thick - which is the same approximate thickness | | | | benefit from business from publishing companies |
| as four coins stacked on top of each other. | | | | like newspapers and consumer magazines that |
| The layout imitates that of a real newspaper | | | | rely upon a sophisticated layout and presentation |
| better than most other ebook readers, and that | | | | in order to sell advertising and encourage |
| should come as no surprise since Hearst Media | | | | subscriptions. |
| has long been involved in the newspaper publishing | | | | Skiff plans to help create enhancement |
| industry. The Hearst Newspaper company owns | | | | applications for major smartphone platforms, too, |
| 15 different daily papers, including the Houston | | | | to help publishers distribute their content across |
| Chronicle, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the | | | | lots of different devices - a feature that will |
| Albany Times Union among others, and its original | | | | appeal to consumers as well as advertisers. |
| founder - William Randolph Hearst - has long been | | | | Meanwhile Skiff has a multi-year contract to |
| a major figure in the newspaper business. | | | | partner with Sprint for 3G connectivity in the |
| But there is nothing old-fashioned about the | | | | USA, and Skiff readers should soon be available |
| high-tech Skiff, which uses 3G connectivity, a | | | | to buy at Sprint retail outlets. Once Skiff gets into |
| 1200 x 1600 resolution screen, and is constructed | | | | enough readers hands we will find out how flexible |
| from a skinny little sheet of ultra thin stainless | | | | it is not just in terms of physical bending, but also |
| steel foil to give it a distinguished and futuristic | | | | in terms of supporting downloads of various |
| aesthetic. The ereader is currently the thinnest | | | | ebooks and other non-newspaper and |
| and most flexible reader on the market and is | | | | non-magazine titles - like those in the archives of |
| being launched in the USA in partnership with | | | | major ebook databases like the one available to |
| Sprint - the telecom company. | | | | readers at Free-Ebooks.net - one of the largest |
| The Skiff - which was originally called FirstPaper - | | | | ebook libraries in North America. |