Hewlett-Packard Labs has some very innovative projects that impact our industry in the pipeline.

A recent article in Computerworld spells out some of the new technologies the company is perfecting. Two have special meaning for the publishing/imaging market:

* BookPrep — A project that can convert an out-of-print book into a newly printed book without the need to have it typeset again. The process of scanning a book, cleaning it up as needed, and printing from one to hundreds of copies takes 24 hours. HP is working with publishers to revive their backlists of out-of-print books. For individual users who might want to reprint, for example, a family memoir, the cost is about $20 per book.

* MagCloud — A service that allows publishers to create magazines using page layout software, upload it to a Web site (magcloud.com) and sell subscriptions, then have them printed and mailed from the site. The idea is that publishers can create highly focused magazines for specialized audiences, get high-quality print, but print only just enough copies for direct delivery (no excess inventory). Current titles using the system include such niche magazines as Mormon Artist, Film & Festivals, and American Aerospace Archives. Other cool items in various stages of development are flexible computer display (that can be rolled up and carried in a briefcase), photonic data transmission (using beams of light), and a project for radically reducing energy consumption in the data centers.

Tags: BookPrep, Hewlett-Packard, MagCloud, upcoming technologies