Esquire has stuck their neck out with their current issue by featuring the “world’s first E-ink cover.” A blinking microchip stuck in the cover flashes the headline, “The 21st Century Begins Now” and five graphics related to the issue’s features. I was scanning the news racks and the moving cover had me flabbergasted.

From the Esquire Web site: “To commemorate Esquire’s 75th Anniversary, we have published an experimental limited-edition of the October 2008 issue that features something called electronic ink, with moving words and flashing images, which you can see in the video above. It is available at some major bookstores and newsstands. To learn more about the E-Ink cover, as well as how to recycle and potentially even hack the issue, we invite you to visit the links below.” The links they offer include a bit about how the cover was made, how to troubleshoot if your copy isn’t flashing and also instructions on how to recycle the October issue. They also mention the potential for cover hacks, though if you’re into that kind of thing I’d suggest this blog.

If you haven’t found a store carrying Esquire’s latest issue you can find it on Amazon.com for $20. The price is due to its Collector’s Edition status and though I wouldn’t pay that much myself, I think Esquire is onto something with these E-ink panels. If this isn’t a reason to subscribe, what else would be? Bravo!


On MAKE