Innovation: There's an app for that!!!

The world of writing is changing at lightening speed.  Half the time I'm not sure how I feel about that.  I've spent the last seven years researching how to get published but now all bets are off and the rules are being rewritten.  And who is rewriting the rules?  Technology and writers just like you and me.  Just yesterday my sister told me of a book you get in email form.  It's called "The Daughters of Freya".  You order the book for $3.99 and over the course of three weeks you get bits of the story sent to your inbox.  How ingenius is that?  Why didn't I think of it?  No seriously...why didn't I?  Then we have ebooks exploding into 2011 and we have to ask ourselves what the future really holds for us as writers and the publishing world.
I have to admit, I've been dragging my feet with the whole idea of e-readers and e-books.  I love books.  I love the way they smell, the way they feel, the way they can be signed.  My sister has dove right into the world of ebooks and hasn't looked back.  Even my mother, who is computer illiterate, got a nook for Christmas and my husband's 85 yr old grandmother has a Kindle!!  I, on the other hand, don't like the idea of spending $100+ on a reader, and refused when my husband asked if I wanted one for Christmas.  I'm just not too sure about them yet.  But then something happened.  I began perusing the different apps for my ipod (a first generation one I bought on Craigslist at a steal.)  Did you know there is a Kindle app for free, and a Border's e-books app?  Really?  I can get these for free on something I already own?  Then I read in the latest Deseret Book Flyer that they are coming out with an app as well in the beginning of 2011 featuring some of my favorite LDS Authors.  You mean I can get books at the touch of a button and still shop around?  Well, I can't complain about that right?  So I loaded my kindle app first.  Afterall, all the classics are free on Kindle, why don't I just try this out with some of my old favorites?  I down loaded "Pride and Predjudice" and enjoyed my old friends in a new way.  It wasn't too bad.  I mean, it was kind of nice to realize I had some time on my hands while riding in the car with my husband and be able to pull out my ipod and read a book.  The idea began to grow on me.  Then I decided to peruse more Kindle books and read the free samples from a couple of books.  Afterall, it's free.  (Are you sensing a trend with me?  I like free...ALOT!)  Then I read the sample of a book that was only $.99, I mean, really?  $.99?  I can afford that, right?  To my surprise, the book, "Switched" by Amanda Hocking, is pretty darn good!   I couldn't get over it.  I am reading a good book that I bought for $.99?  Then I got curious about this author.  Who is she published through?  Then I found out she self-publishes through Amazon's CreateSpace.  Suddenly I'm wondering about the future of self-publishing and e-publishing.  What could it mean for me?  Dave Farland is a fantasy writer that offers a free daily writing tip in your inbox.  He recently discussed the difference he found between traditional publishing and self-publishing and even e-publishing.  He recently self-published an LDS book called "In the Company of Angels".  He discussed the freedom he had with self-publishing.  Not to mention the higher profits, but he is an already established writer and I am still hesitant to take that kind of a leap, but I like having the many options out there.  As technology progresses I think we will find more innovative ways to get our writing out to the public.  We just need to be ready for change and able to adapt.  Praying wouldn't hurt either.  Maybe with the help of the spirit, one of us may discover the newest way to get our writings read!
So I'm curious, what do you think about the future of writing?  What new technology has affected your writing the most?  What technology do you foresee as a help to your goals?