Digital Age

From the outset of “This Book Is Overdue,’’ Marilyn Johnson introduces today’s librarians as cybrarians, a “new breed of tech-savvy librarians, part cyborg, part cat’s eye reading glasses.’’ As Johnson amply shows in her romp through the brave new world of the profession, these new librarians cum information scientists are building on the work of their pioneering predecessors as they branch out in sometimes surprising directions....

The Times-Picayune, one of the nation's oldest newspapers, will no longer offer print editions seven days a week and instead plans to offer three printed issues a week starting in the fall. The change means New Orleans would become the largest metro area in the nation without a daily newspaper in the digital age. The changes announced Thursday were combined with similar moves at three major Alabama daily newspapers also owned by the Newhouse family group's Advance Publications.

Sony Corp. President and Chief Executive Howard Stringer describes Steve Jobs as the "leading light" in the digital age. Few companies have felt Apple's rise more so than Japan's Sony, whose iconic Walkman transformed the music listening experience in the 1980s. But it was slow to embrace the shift to digital downloads. The Walkman was no match for Apple's iPod when it launched in 2001. But Jobs himself was deeply influenced by Sony and Japan. He counted Sony founder Akio Morita as one of his mentors and was said to have been inspired by the Walkman.

Solo showman Tomás Kubínek bills himself as many things. He's a magician, mime, and illusionist, a theatrical stuntman, a physical comedian, and an inventor of amusing contraptions. Most tellingly, though, Kubínek fancies himself an "arduous advocate of the commonplace miracle. " That's the essence of the job, says Kubínek, who brings his show "Tomas Kubínek: Certified Lunatic & Master of the Impossible" to the Paramount Center Mainstage for performances Thursday, Saturday, and April 1. Kubínek wants his audience to see the world from a...

Milly Esdale of Hyde Park was herding five grandchildren through the Dedham Toys "R" Us Saturday morning when they froze at the display of iPods, Apple Inc.'s popular pocket-size music and video player. Her 10-year-old grandson, Martin, pointed to a white one, but didn't like the color. "I said we could paint it," she said. At $299, an iPod might not end up under the family's tree on Christmas morning, Esdale said. But, she added, all Martin's friends seem to have them. It was probably just a matter of time before America's biggest toy chain added a touch of the Apple Store to its...

INDIANAPOLIS - The Saturday Evening Post, a centuries-old publication that helped make illustrator Norman Rockwell a household name and showcased some of America’s greatest writers, is returning to its roots to show readers the value of a quiet read in an increasingly frenetic digital age. A redesign launching with its July/August issue combines the Post’s hallmarks - art and fiction - with folksy commentary and health articles. The revamped Post promises a more relaxing option for people who are used to doing much of their reading online, or are...

Cary Memorial Library director Koren Stembridge will discuss how library services are expanding and changing in the digital age during a program at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the library. Organized by the League of Women Voters of Lexington as part of its "First Friday Forums" series, the free event will also feature Cynthia Johnson, head of reference at the library, discussing online resources, digitization of historic book collections, and e-books. Jeanne Krieger, president of the Cary Memorial Library Foundation and a former library trustee, will discuss library governance, and...

The author of "Captain Underpants" is joining the digital age and bringing back his million-selling series after a six-year hiatus. Scholastic Inc. announced Thursday that e-editions of two graphic novels by Dav Pilkey, "The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby" and "Super Diaper Baby 2," will come out at the end of January. The releases will include deleted scenes and material about the making of the books, spinoffs of the "Captain Underpants" stories. The proliferation of iPads, Nooks, Kindle Fires and other color devices have made publishers and authors increasingly willing to put...

In today's digital age, it's easy to send out an email by mistake — even for a company that's in the business of communication. The New York Times thought it was sending an email to a few hundred people who had recently canceled subscriptions, offering them a 50 percent discount for 16 weeks to lure them back. Instead, Wednesday's offer went to 8.6 million email addresses of people who had given them to the Times. That was the first mistake. The second came when the Times tweeted this: "If you received an email today about canceling your NYT subscription, ignore it. It's...

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Kodak's moment has come and gone. The glory days when Eastman Kodak Co. ruled the world of film photography lasted for more than a century. Then came a stunning reversal of fortune: cutthroat competition from Japanese firms in the 1980s and a seismic shift to the digital technology it pioneered but couldn't capitalize on. Now comes a wistful worry that this icon of American business is edging toward extinction. Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday, raising the specter that the 132-year-old trailblazer could become the most storied casualty of a digital...

Cary Memorial Library director Koren Stembridge will discuss how library services are expanding and changing in the digital age during a program at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the library. Organized by the League of Women Voters of Lexington as part of its "First Friday Forums" series, the free event will also feature Cynthia Johnson, head of reference at the library, discussing online resources, digitization of historic book collections, and e-books. Jeanne Krieger, president of the Cary Memorial Library Foundation and a former library trustee, will discuss library governance, and the private and public...

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Kodak's moment has come and gone. The glory days when Eastman Kodak Co. ruled the world of film photography lasted for more than a century. Then came a stunning reversal of fortune: cutthroat competition from Japanese firms in the 1980s and a seismic shift to the digital technology it pioneered but couldn't capitalize on. Now comes a wistful worry that this icon of American business is edging toward extinction. Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday, raising the specter that the 132-year-old trailblazer could become the most storied casualty of a digital...

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Is Kodak's moment past? The glory days when Eastman Kodak Co. ruled the world of film photography lasted for over a century. Then came a stunning reversal of fortune: cutthroat competition from Japanese firms in the 1980s and a seismic shift to the digital technology it pioneered but couldn't capitalize on. Now comes a wistful worry that this icon of American business is edging toward extinction. Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, raising the specter that the 132-year-old trailblazer could become the most storied casualty...

The author of "Captain Underpants" is joining the digital age and bringing back his million-selling series after a six-year hiatus. Scholastic Inc. announced Thursday that e-editions of two graphic novels by Dav Pilkey, "The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby" and "Super Diaper Baby 2," will come out at the end of January. The releases will include deleted scenes and material about the making of the books, spinoffs of the "Captain Underpants" stories. The proliferation of iPads, Nooks, Kindle Fires and other color devices have made publishers and authors increasingly...

In today's digital age, it's easy to send out an email by mistake — even for a company that's in the business of communication. The New York Times thought it was sending an email to a few hundred people who had recently canceled subscriptions, offering them a 50 percent discount for 16 weeks to lure them back. Instead, Wednesday's offer went to 8.6 million email addresses of people who had given them to the Times. That was the first mistake. The second came when the Times tweeted this: "If you received an email today about canceling your NYT subscription, ignore it. It's...

In the digital age, it is easy to generate and share photos and videos - and just as easy to manipulate them. Visual tweaks can range from small changes, such as cropping photos, to more substantial edits, such as erasing someone from an image or substantially, even unnaturally, enhancing a person's appearance. As it has become easier to trick the eyes, a field of forensic imaging has emerged, with scientists creating tools that will be able to test whether and how images have been altered, with plenty of potential real-world applications.

In the digital age, it is easy to generate and share photos and videos - and just as easy to manipulate them. Visual tweaks can range from small changes, such as cropping photos, to more substantial edits, such as erasing someone from an image or substantially, even unnaturally, enhancing a person's appearance. As it has become easier to trick the eyes, a field of forensic imaging has emerged, with scientists creating tools that will be able to test whether and how images have been altered, with plenty of potential real-world applications.

When the Occupy Wall Street protesters' People's Library at Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan was taken apart by police and sanitation workers before dawn last Tuesday - many of its more than 5,000 books chucked into dumpsters - the American Library Association did not take it sitting down. "The dissolution of a library is unacceptable," the ALA said in a statement of support. "Libraries serve as the cornerstone of our democracy and must be safeguarded. " At the Occupy Boston encampment in Dewey Square, residents and visitors are mindful that another cornerstone will need safeguarding if events...