When you think about The New York Times, you probably imagine a traditional print newspaper based in one of those slightly retro Manhattan skyscrapers that look like something out of Batman. And you'd be right.
But with news migrating to different media, the NY Times is doing everything it can to future-proof its brand. Located on its 28th floor is the New York Times R&D Lab, where a team of geeks are constantly experimenting with new technology.
Last week (as some of my Facebook pals may have seen) the Lab unveiled what it called « the kitchen table of the future ». It looks like a giant iPad, with icons representing the newspaper's various sections. The idea is that the entire family can sit around the table reading the paper, sharing articles and discussing them.
Back in the UK, my family used behave in a similar way with the giant Sunday newspapers, passing each other the Travel, Arts or Fashion sections when we'd finished them. By the end of the afternoon there were bits of newspaper draped all over the furniture. My mother would appreciate the tidier electronic version.
Apparently there are various other gadgets on the 28th floor, including a device that uses a new form of e-ink. The team is also tracking how articles are shared across the internet. It just goes to show that the NY Times is still the home of some of the world's sharpest thinkers.
