You've probably heard that Apple is rumored to unveil the iPhone 6 on Sept. 9. That's great and all, but what you should really be excited for is IKEA's Bookbook.
What's that? You haven't heard of the Bookbook? It's only the latest and greatest technological device to hit stores this fall. What's even better: We already know what it looks like.
Well, the Bookbook isn't so much a device as it is a catalog. And it doesn't come from Apple or another tech titan. It's from IKEA.
The Swedish furniture giant recently released a commercial advertising its 2015 catalog, which flips over in a very iPhone-like fashion against a light gray backdrop to reveal its cover of a comfy-looking bedroom. As "Chief Design Guru" Jorgen Eghammer explains in the spot, "It's not a digital book or an e-book. It's a Bookbook." You know, one of those things made out of paper whose pages need to be physically flipped? Remember those?
The Bookbook comes fully charged with infinite battery life and high-definition photos of IKEA furniture. There's no lag in loading photos no matter how fast you turn the page. And bookmarking a page is as easy as bookmarking a page.
OK, so you probably get the joke by now, but this spoof is actually pretty funny. Parodies can be difficult to execute, but IKEA really pulled this one off. Maybe it's because the Swedish furniture mega-store is actually way more high-tech than people think. For one thing, IKEA has a complex naming system for its products. While many of the item names sound like gibberish, they actually make perfect sense. It was also recently revealed that IKEA uses 3D rendering technology to create 75 percent of the product images found in its catalog.
So basically, IKEA is the store of the future. Maybe someday it actually will give Apple a run for its money.
