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The News gets layered

Welcome to this issue of the Richmond News. It's one like none other - but the first of many.

Welcome to this issue of the Richmond News. It's one like none other - but the first of many. If you saw our front page (would have been hard to miss) you'll know we are launching a new app called Layar - think Harry Potter and the wizarding world's newspaper, the Daily Prophet where static photos jump off the page.

In an example of life imitating art, photos in this paper can be brought alive as video with a scan of a smart phone. The app also lets readers link to websites, twitter and facebook accounts - through the printed page.

The exciting thing about this technology is how it keeps newspapers in the new social media loop.

People have been sounding the death knell of the printed press since the advent of the telegraph - never mind radio, television and now, of course, the Internet. At every stage in it's history, the newspaper has taken a hit from one of these new devices, but at every stage it has found a way to regroup, adapt and maintain its unique role in the media world.

This is yet another example of that.

Those of us who work in print love it and know newspapers remain a critical staple in society's news diet. But they have to stay relevant - both in form and content.

We work hard to ensure our stories reflect and engage this community of Richmond. That won't change. What will change is our ability to connect with readers in a 2013 kind of way, in a way that takes advantage of an array of technologies to give you a fuller, richer experience.

So, go ahead. Download the Layar app on your smartphone and scan this page, then click on the options. It will take you to another dimension where you'll see and hear more. Welcome to another layer of the Richmond News.