Here was one that caught me a little by surprise:
- According to antivirus software maker AVG, 92% of U.S. children two and under have photos on the Internet. (Business Week December 20, 2010). Clearly these kids aren't putting themselves on the Internet. While kids nowadays seem to come out of the womb being able to type and navigate the Interweb, I'm fairly certain that they must develop some motor skills before this is actually true. So that means that some relative of millions of children are posting a picture on the web. Remember when it was scary to actually put your real name on the Internet, let alone a picture?
- Secondly, e-books overtook hardcover book sales this year for the first time in history. For every 100 books sold in hardcover, there were 143 sold in digital form (Business Week again). To me, that's just nuts. Or at least it would've been a year ago. Before I had a Kindle (which I got last year), I would've never dreamed of loving anything more than a hardback book. I love cracking the binding, the smell of the print, and the tactile floating from page to imaginary dream world. But I soon found that a Kindle will still take me away and for half the price. I also like seeing the percentage of a book that I've read. It's a nice perk that I had to guess at with hardbacks.
The Kindle thing kind of changes my dreams. Well, not changes, but alters the perception of what it's like in the end. I always dreamed of having my novel (which will eventually be finished) shipped to me and opening the box to see a wonderfully intriguing cover staring back at me. Having it delivered to my e-reader, isn't quite the same. However, if I end up getting my book published, I'm sure the euphoria would ease the disappointment.
