Are author web pages worth the effort?

A Digital Book World post that discusses whether author web sites are worth the effort to maintain has generated some interesting “pro and con” discussion in the thread that follows it.

Scribd to offer $8.99 per month eBook subscription service.

According to Gigaom, long-time online eBook and document sharing site Scribd has been quietly preparing to become the $8.99 per month eBook subscription service that launched today.

Women leading in Digital Publishing.

Digital Book World talks about the role of women in the burgeoning digital publishing industry.

Sony to ditch U.S. eReader market

GoodeReader reports that Sony has abandoned the U.S. eReader market deeming it unprofitable to compete against market leaders Amazon, Kobo and Barnes and Noble.

They plan to take their new PRS-T3 eReader and eBookStore to the Canada, Europe, and Japan while shifting focus in the states to the more profitable mobile and tablet market.

Digital Publishing News

CNET says that according to a patent filing Apple is developing a way for authors to sign eBooks.

Digital Book World presents five challenges facing publishers in the eBook Revolution.

IBN Live reports that the new Amazon Kindle Fire HDX improves on the tablet’s eBook readability.

PCMag.com reviews the new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite eBook reader.

Publishers and rights holders behind DRM and restrictions on eBook lending

ITProPortal has a story where Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos blames publishers and rights holders for making eBook lending difficult.

Hands-on new Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7

CNET has a hands-on review of the new $139 (starting at…) Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7. Specifics and video on the trio of devices that ship October 18th at the link.

FAA to allow eBook Readers during takeoff and landing!

Extreme Tech says the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) will permit the use of smartphones and eBook Readers during takeoff and landing.

(Can you say “adopted?” So much for those negative tech “gurus” who are constantly announcing the eBook Reader’s demise. It’s part of the mainstream!)

Enhanced Shakespeare coming to tablets.

GoodeReader says that classic literature is coming to tablets in the Wordplay Shakespeare series of enhanced classic plays.

GoodReads modifies reader feedback guidelines.

GoodeReader has a post on the reader feedback and book discovery web site GoodReads creating new “modified” guidelines for reviews.