Esquire uses e-paper cover to celebrate 75th anniversary

Esquire magazine is turning 75 and is celebrating the momentous event by releasing the first magazine ever with an electronic-ink-display cover. Only 100,000 copies of the high-tech October issue are heading to newstands, since the technology is still new and expensive.

The flashy cover, which uses the same technology as the Amazon Kindle e-book reader, is powered by a special battery that will keep the display on for at least 90 days. David Granger, the magazine's editor-in-chief, told The New York Times that the magazine has been playing with the idea of using electronic paper since 2000 until it finally became possible and hired an engineer in China to develop a battery small enough to be inserted in the magazine cover.

In a nod to the digital age, Esquire's cover will flash the words “the 21st Century Begins Now,” and the issue will be dedicated to "exploring the ideas, people and issues that will be the foundation of the 21st century" according to Granger.

This little stunt will cost the magazine a pretty penny, which is why Ford will co-sponsor the issue by running a double-page e-ink advertisement on the back of the magazine featuring the new Ford Flex crossover vehicle.

Expect the magazine to hit newstands in mid-September and eBay shortly thereafter. Can't wait to see the bidding war on this one.

News Flash From the Cover of Esquire: Paper Magazines Can Be High Tech, Too(New York Times)