Print media is in trouble. After firing over 500 staff just four years ago, leading newspaper The New York Times is attempting to further cut costs, passing risk onto distributors and limiting the amount of free content published on its website. It’s a story that’s remarkably common amongst newspaper publishers, and it’s one that many believe could spell the end of the daily publishing industry.

But a growing number of publishing industry insiders are telling quite a different story. Inspired by the potential impact of touchscreen devices such as Apple’s iPad, many publishers are reconsidering their decision to write the internet off as a zone outside the realm of profit. Aiming to replace the ‘free content’ online mantra with one a little more sustainable, many publishers believe that paid iPad and Amazon Kindle subscriptions could help newspapers monetize their online presence.

The Guardian

currently publishes content through its own iPad application, charging subscribers an affordable £16 monthly for the privilege. As content on the iPad is readable almost anywhere, the newspaper hopes to replace near-free online content with a more portable paid version.

Over five UK-based newspapers have their own iPad and iPhone applications, each available in a  range of monthly subscription or one-off pricing options. We suspect more will follow, aiming to capitalise on the device’s popularity and potential to introduce new income into a financially stagnant industry.

Touch-screen kiosks have truly found their place in the commercial world, bringing mass revenue and improved customer service to the retail, travel, and public sectors. A favourite of major chains and large international brands, kiosks are slowly being embraced by the independent business sector, gaining a presence in small shops and family businesses.

But that doesn’t mean that every kiosk installation will go as planned. Without the right combination of tactics and retail strategy, your kiosk installation could easily fail. These two tactics have helped other retailers successfully implement kiosks into their sales process, and now they can help you do the same.

1. Pick the right location

Location is everything. Place your kiosk in a dark, hidden corner and it will rarely be used. Place it in a high-traffic area and you’ll find it becoming an inconvenience, distracting shoppers and causing queues. The key to a successful kiosk deployment is placement; choose an area in which customers can search for information without standing in the way of others.

2. Offer the right information

Kiosks shouldn’t be your entire customer service strategy, nor should they make up the bulk of your store’s interaction with customers. Provide enough information to build interest in your products and services, but ensure that human interaction remains part of the sales process.

From Apple’s new iPad to the revolutionary Nintendo DSi, it’s hard to find a single piece of portable technology that’s not sporting a flashy new intuitive touchscreen. While the latest wave of tech may have ruled the tactile keyboard irrelevant, a growing number of technology purists believe that the touch-powered screen isn’t the perfect input and control interface.

Design studio dsLabs has put together what seems like the ultimate in bizarre touchscreen accessories: a portable knob for touchscreen device users. Strangely enough, it’s a welcome addition to many touch-powered devices, enabling users to control them similarly to a manual stereo control system or analogue rotating dial.

The device is useful for more than just turning dials, users claim. dsLabs believe that the prototype control knob can be used as a portable stylus, giving phone users a greater degree of control for mobile phone applications and portable gaming.

While it’s unlikely that touchscreen accessories will catch on with the general public, serious touchscreen gamers and dedicated phone users might consider the investment. If greater control, a scratch-less display, and unique input are important to you, adding a control knob into the mix could lead to some interesting results.

Beverage company PepsiCo Ltd. recently announced an innovative new strategy to fight pollution and encourage recycling. The multinational company will begin deploying intelligent recycling kiosks across the United States throughout 2010, aiming to encourage customers to recycle their cans and plastic bottles after use.

Kiosks have already boosted returns in other industries, increasing profits for video rental retailers and building new markets for food and beverage retailers. Pepsi’s new recycling kiosks aim to target the other end of the market – providing services for people to return cans rather than purchase them.

Just 34 percent of non-alcoholic cans are recycled in the United States, a figure that’s often attributed to the large amount of soft drinks consumed while out and about. By placing recycling kiosks in public areas and well-trafficked places, PepsiCo intend to reduce their carbon footprint and encourage users to take a sustainable approach to their consumption.

The kiosks will use a reward system to encourage frequent recycling. Users can swipe their Pepsi card against the machines to earn points, which can be spent on complimentary Pepsi products and promotional items. Up to 3,000 recycling kiosks will be deployed in 2010, with more to follow in the coming years.

When Melbourne’s Rising Sun Hotel installed a touch screen betting machine in their pub, the last thing they expected was a raid from the police. After less than six months of use, the prototype gaming machine was taken by regulators from the Gambling Regulation Commission and put through a series of rigorous tests to ensure its legitimacy.

Touch screen kiosks are a frequent sight in airports and ticketing offices, but until now haven’t appeared in pubs and entertainment venues. Melbourne’s betting offices have been experimenting with the kiosks for the last year, using prototype machines in preparation for a full-scale launch across the city.

The gaming systems are designed to provide access to a universal betting account, giving gamers access to their bets no matter which venue they happen to be at. Melbourne company Tabcorp, the current owner of the city’s betting contract, is believed to be concerned about the technology’s disruption to their business.

While the kiosk was eventually returned to the Rising Sun Hotel, its owners and manufacturers believe they were treated poorly throughout the affair. Lost revenues are estimated at approximately $4 million Australian dollars, a figure which could prompt a lawsuit against Melbourne’s city government.

<<< Back to Part One

6. Misa Digital Guitar

This linux-based digital guitar proves once and for all that nerds can rock. The cool device can be connected to a MIDI controller – a keyboard, control unit, or PC for example – and assigned a wide range of different sounds and playback options. Want your guitar to sound like a grand piano? Plug the Misa Digital into a MIDI rig and select the best option for it – complete with distortion, reverb, and delay effects.

While we can’t quite visualize Iron Maiden rocking out on stage with Misas, we can see Daft Punk, Justice, or Deadmau5 picking these up on their next tour.

7. Microsoft Zune HD

While Apple’s seemingly endless line of  iPods may control the MP3 player market, Microsoft’s Zune

has endured the competition and survived quite respectively. Given the device’s relatively limited research and development budget, lukewarm press reception, and limited fan base, the Zune HD has done surprisingly well on technology front.

Despite the device’s ‘HD’ name tag, the Zune is only capable of playing HD content when connected to a display or TV screen. The touchscreen interface and cool subscription options, however, make this a worthwhile competitor to the iPod.

8. Peter Green’s Custom Touch Mac Mini

When Peter Green first showed off his custom Mac Mini, nerds and Apple fans across the world salivated and asked when they could own one. Unfortunately, for those without electrical skills, the possibility of ever owning one of these slick devices seems relatively slim – Green doesn’t plan to produce them professional, and certainly isn’t interested in approaching Apple for support.

If you’re slightly let down by the iPad’s limited power, a custom touch device could be a worthwhile investment. Wading through technical documents, testing different pieces of kit, and suffering endless annoyances seem to be commonplace in the custom technology world, so we think this one is best left admired from afar.

9.

Nikon Coolpix S60

When Nikon showcased their new Coolpix models – complete with an Ashton Kutcher marketing campaign – photography enthusiasts rolled their eyes and shrugged their shoulders. The Coolpix S60 doesn’t offer a particularly impressive level of photo quality, nor does it feature the sharpest, clearest lens in the business.

However, it does provide the best possible experience for party photographers and those in need of a casual camera. From the cool touchscreen interface to the useful redeye removal features, this piece of kit is more than just a piece of flashy technology – it’s a truly useful device.

10.

Apple iPhone 3GS

“A widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and an internet communications device.” When Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, few could foresee the immense amount of change it would bring to the mobile phone world. Three years later and in its third revision, the iPhone 3GS remains one of the most popular mobile handsets on the market.

While this hot piece of technology remains sold out across the world, many of those looking to buy could be best off waiting for a couple of months. Apple plans to release the phone’s replacement – the iPhone 4 – at some point in 2010, making this revolutionary piece of tech slightly less desirable.

A decade ago, touch screens were a cool addition to sci-fi films and a dream for geeks across the world. Who could have imagined that just seven years later – with the release of the iPhone in 2007 – they’d become a commonplace feature in just about every

piece of technology released since?

From touchscreen kiosks to touch-driven mobile phones, we’ve scanned the entire commercial world for the most desirable, interesting, and pure cool touchscreen accessories on the market. If you’re after a slick new car, a cool new mobile phone, or

an interesting new gaming device, read on and choose from our ten coolest touchscreen gadgets.

1.

Apple iPad

Apple’s iPad is the ultra-popular touchscreen device of the moment – a content reader, web browsing tool, and portable computer all at once. Designed to offer an alternative for netbook and laptop users, the remarkable tool has truly taken off, selling out its entire shipment in less than a week’s worth of pre-orders.

Despite early criticism from the technology press, the iPad appears to be sticking. From 90-year-old grandmothers to young children, the device’s demographic is much wider than that of traditional PCs, making this flashy piece of technology a must-have for people all around the world.

2. Nintendo DSi

When released in 2004, the DS quickly became Nintendo’s hottest gaming console. The ultra-portable touchscreen device drew praise from the hardcore gaming press and the casual gaming crowd, giving it lasting appeal that its competitors just couldn’t match. With over 125 million units shipped, is appears Nintendo have conquered touchscreen gaming – blocking out competitors and inspiring their users at the same time.

The DSi – and DSi XL, a larger version of the device – are the latest on offer from Nintendo. Both include a range of features aiming to increase their appeal, including a high resolution camera, web browser, and remote chat interface.

3. Sony Dash

The Sony Dash may not be an iPad-killer, but it is

a very cool device on its own. Designed to offer touchscreen technology around the house, the Dash requires a wall socket to function and a relatively static location in order to perform best. Perfect for the kitchen counter, coffee table, or bedside desk, Dash users can quickly configure home video, movie rentals, or web browsing using the device’s touchscreen interface.

4.

The Tesla Model S Dashboard

It’s difficult to top American carmaker Tesla when it comes to innovation. The well-known Silicon Valley company has designed and built the world’s first electric sports car – the Tesla Roadster – and more recently the Model S sedan. Designed as a piece of technology first and a luxury sedan second, the car boasts a range of impressive features.

At the center of the Model S’s dashboard is its full-featured touchscreen options menu. Designed to simplify operation of the radio, vehicle controls, and heating options, the screen can adapt to different input menus or display modes with a quick press of the driver’s fingers.

5.

Attigo TT Touchscreen Turntables

Who said turntables were strictly analog? Dundee University graduate designed the Attigo TT – a full-featured touchscreen turntable system – as a final year project for his product design degree. The device attracted attention in the DJ world, and eventually moved into limited production for a small number of very lucky DJs.

Users can mix music by scratching simulated records, by manipulating sound waves, or by creating preset buttons on the device’s adaptable displays. While the Attigo TT currently operates alongside a standard mixer, it seems inevitable that DJ technology will turn entirely touch-based – competitors appear to be working on multi-channel touchscreen mixers and control units at the moment.

Head to Part Two >>>

While the world’s public transport systems vary in a lot of ways – particularly arrival and departure times – one technological addition is a common sight in global train stations, airports, and subway systems: touch-screen kiosks. Commonly used as ticketing machines or account credit systems, the touch screen units are almost impossible to miss in public transport systems.

London’s Underground system uses kiosks for ticketing, alongside several others throughout the UK. Experts believe that incorporating the system into ticketing has increased efficiency and dependence on public transport significantly, prompting many commuters to leave their cars at home and enjoy relatively crowd-free train stations.

Outside the UK, a large number of public and private transportation companies are embracing touch screens for efficiency and speed. Used to change currencies and purchase tickets at stations, the machines can result in considerable savings in operating costs. Compared to the cost of employing ticketing staff, the amount of capital required to maintain a touch screen kiosk is relatively small.

With large infrastructure projects underway throughout Asia, it appears that touch screen kiosks will grow even more popular. Feedback from system users is largely positive, with most noting the clear decrease in the amount of time required to purchase train and bus tickets.

Newspaper and magazine kiosks – in the sense of street corner stalls – have been around for over a century. But as tangible, printed consumer press moves ever closer to a thing of the past, let’s take a look at the all-new beast waiting to step in.

Touch-screen tablet computers are now one of the must-have gadgets of the new decade. Spearheaded by the Apple iPad, tablets can display and deliver emails, web browsing, music, videos, photos,

This demo was given at SXSW and shows one way in which we might purchase our favorite publications in the future.

It’s a given that over-the-air downloads would work just as well, but this could be a solution for those who choose Wi-Fi-only tablet computers or ebook readers.

Excuse us for name-dropping but it’s always nice to get a bit of national TV exposure, and it doesn’t come much better than a slot on BBC’s Working Lunch! 

The popular business, consumer and personal finance show that airs every lunchtime decided to feature our very own kiosks, focussing on how they are being used to help people get online. There are currently40 kiosks in Lisburn, N.Ireland, in public places such as colleges and supermarkets with plans to roll-out another 100 kiosks.