Internet reading habits

Research suggests that Internet readers view news stories in "bursts" following periodic periods of inactivity. This gives online articles a longer shelf-life (36 hours on avg.) than previously expected since readership is staggered.

What could this mean for publishers? My guess is that "burst" reading is not very conducive for books, hence the limited uptake the industry's seen for online e-books. It makes me think that the importance of developing new hardware for an e-book reader is going to be key for driving the widespread adoption of digital content.