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defrogITEM [via Textually]: Science fiction author Alexander Besher has released a new book called The Manga Man that will not only be available in free online and mobile phone versions, but can also be downloaded to mobile phones from t-shirts promoting the book.
The t-shirts come with a silkscreened QR code, which works like a barcode, only they’re designed to be scanned by mobile phones with cameras and the appropriate software. (My Nokia N95, for example, has this.) Scan that with the barcode reader on yr phone, and yr browser is automatically directed to the download link so you can download the book to yr handset.
Gimmicky, but it’s a cute idea: turning merch into a viral distribution mechanism for the item that the merch is promoting.
DISCLAIMER: I’ve never read Alexander Besher. Actually, I confess I hadn’t heard of him until I saw the story. But evidently he comes highly recommended by people like Warren Ellis, Rudy Rucker, China Mieville and Spider Robinson (although I’m only really a fan of one of those people, and his recommendations don’t always work for me, but whatever). So I’ll give him a try – starting with the free mobile e-book. Hey, it worked for John Scalzi, so why not?
No shirt no service,
This is dF
The t-shirts come with a silkscreened QR code, which works like a barcode, only they’re designed to be scanned by mobile phones with cameras and the appropriate software. (My Nokia N95, for example, has this.) Scan that with the barcode reader on yr phone, and yr browser is automatically directed to the download link so you can download the book to yr handset.
Gimmicky, but it’s a cute idea: turning merch into a viral distribution mechanism for the item that the merch is promoting.
DISCLAIMER: I’ve never read Alexander Besher. Actually, I confess I hadn’t heard of him until I saw the story. But evidently he comes highly recommended by people like Warren Ellis, Rudy Rucker, China Mieville and Spider Robinson (although I’m only really a fan of one of those people, and his recommendations don’t always work for me, but whatever). So I’ll give him a try – starting with the free mobile e-book. Hey, it worked for John Scalzi, so why not?
No shirt no service,
This is dF
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no subject
on 2008-11-17 12:01 pm (UTC)Well, I guess it's clear which of those authors you're a fan of from your icon...
I never found Mieville very interesting (althoug I've only read one much overhyped short story of his), but Spider Robinson has written some good stuff. Sort of proto-cyberpunk stuff with lots of sex, as I recall.
-- JF
no subject
on 2008-11-17 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-11-17 10:46 pm (UTC)I admit that I was probably 14 when I last read Spider Robinson's work...
no subject
on 2008-11-17 10:48 pm (UTC)I admit that I was probably 14 when I last read Spider Robinson's work...