Ideo considers three aspects of the digital book’s future. It’s a nicely done video and it takes some features I looked at in my Multi-Layered iPad talk to a whole new world (a dazzling place, for you and me). Below is the video and some interesting points about each of the interfaces.

Nelson

• It provides a view into what your friends and other important people think about the content you’re reading.
• I like how easy it is to scan through a book and find passages that are important. These would be a great research tool.
• Showing debates that started from a particular passage is interesting. It’d be nice if you could actually respond to the discussion inside the app. Bringing in outside content is a great start, but no one has built a reader that lets you discuss the media inside the app.

Coupland

• It’s designed to show you what your colleagues, or social network, are reading.
• In theory, you can have a discussion about something inside the app, but you’re not actually reading the app here (I think), so it’s still not a direct link between consuming and creating.

Alice

• It turns the written word into a game.
• For example, if you’re in the right location or if you tap on your device with a secret code. It sounds like Condé Naste and Activate’s Gourmet Live might be the first real app to attempt this.
• The idea of contributing to a story is pretty cool. I’d love to see my friend’s version of a particular passage or see a photo of my own house instead of a generic one when I’m reading a scary story.