The technology, from Cambridge, Mass.-based E Ink, will allow words and images to scroll across the front cover of its October issue. The back of the cover will feature a double-page ad for the Flex car from the cover's sponsor, Ford.

21st Century Starts Now

David Granger, the magazine's editor-in-chief, said the cover will demonstrate that "the 21st century begins this fall." The magazine, which is known for the quality of its writing, will be devoted to exploring "ideas, people and issues" in this century.

Representatives from the magazine and its parent company, Hearst, contracted with E Ink last summer to create a version of its electronic-paper technology, a form of which is already used for e-book/e-newspaper products like Amazon's Kindle and the Sony Reader.

Hearst's manufacturing division and E Ink worked to address the challenges of mass manufacturing a cover for the magazine. Ford was brought into the project after it was underway.

But the 21st century issue will have a limited reach. The special cover will only be available on 100,000 issues to be offered at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and selected newsstands.

Trying To Get into Mainstream

Andrew Frank, an analyst with industry research firm Gartner, said E Ink is "one of those technologies that has been struggling" to get into the mainstream for quite a while, and that it "probably still has a long road" before it becomes widespread.

But, he added, the Esquire cover could point toward "a vision" of publishing and technology that begins to merge Web, print and video/TV. Frank indicated that print magazines could be a key portal for E Ink, since the industry "still maintains an outsized proportion of advertising spend" and the technology could be attractive to sponsors.

Based on research first initiated at the MIT Media Lab, E Ink was founded in 1997 and describes itself as the leading supplier of electronic paper display technologies.

Its technology features letter quality, brightness and contrast that it calls "paper-like," very low power consumption, and a thin material that, for some products, has a certain amount of flexibility. The company targets consumer and industrial uses in handheld devices, watches, clocks and signs, as well as what could become a different magazine industry.

In addition to Amazon and Sony, the technology is currently being used in products made by Lexar, Motorola and others, and the company said it is working on new technology that will improve on display quality, thinness and durability.

Esquire is a legendary publication known for its salutes to "Women We Love" and its covers. It describes itself as "the most honored monthly magazine in America," with 19 awards, including the 2007 National Magazine Award for Reporting and the 2006 Award for General Excellence.