Digital Book World reports that Barnes and Noble is currently having second thoughts about its approach to the eBook Revolution that may involve the separation of its Nook Media division from its bricks and mortar retail stores.
Feb 26
Penguin reports rise in revenue and drop in profits.
Digital Book World reports that revenues are up and profits are down at publisher Penguin in 2012. I’m sure Penguin and its publishing friends will use this as an excuse for high eBook prices… Not that profits may be down because of their high eBook prices.
(Or that Penguin’s participation in Apple’s eBook price-fixing scheme might have undermined consumer confidence.)
Feb 25
CBC reports Social Reading will add to eBook experience.
The CBC reports that the book club has come of age, or been digitized, with “Social Reading” rumored to be the next phase in eBook reading.
Feb 24
$169 Slate 7 tablet from HP coming in April.
According to CNET HP has unveiled its $169 Slate 7 tablet at the Mobile World Congress 2013. Read more about the 7-inch tablet running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at the link.
Feb 22
Digital Publishing Updates
CNet hints that Apple may be working on a new eBook feature after filing a patent for a “floating toolbar.”
The Bookseller says that the European Commission will take France and Luxembourg to task in the EU Court of Justice over its cut-rate VAT (Value Added Tax) on eBooks.
GoodeReader reports that Kobo has introduced pre-ordering to its Indie publishing platform Writing Life.
The Guardian posted that Ray Bradbury’s titles are now available as eBooks.
Feb 21
So, now the publishers are conspiring with Amazon?
This story at the Verge certainly rings a bell so soon after these same publishers Random House, Penguin, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins and Macmillan just settled with the US Department of Justice for their part in an eBook price-fixing conspiracy they had going with Apple.
The same six are now being listed in a class-action anti-trust lawsuit being brought against them by New York and South Carolina independent bookstores for colluding with Amazon in an attempt to monopolize the eBook marketplace. The story hinges on the use of DRM (Digital Rights Management) by the publishers and Amazon to determine what companies can sell their titles. (So, first they were working with Apple to stop Amazon from forming a Monopoly, but now we hear they were also working with Amazon to form a monopoly. (I guess a monopoly’s good if you’re a part of it…)
Do these publishers look bad, or what? God help them if they ever just competed fairly. I imagine that by now the eBook Revolution would have been adopted throughout the mainstream if the public didn’t have to constantly worry about being cheated by these greedy megalomaniacs…
Feb 20
Changing Kindle eBooks to different formats.
Amazon Kindle owners might want to take note. PCWorld offers up step-by-step instructions for converting your Kindle eBooks to different formats.
Feb 19
Lack of content not the only factor in slow Japan eBook growth.
GoodeReader says there’s more to the story on the slow adoption of eBook Readers in Japan than a simple lack of Japanese content.
Feb 18
New life for the short story.
The New York Times reports that eBook Readers, tablets, the Internet and digital publishing in general have given new (and longer) life to the short story.
Feb 17
Macmillan to refund customers.
The Day outlines how publisher Macmillan will refund its customers monies it illegally over-charged them for eBooks now that it has reached a settlement with the US Department of Justice. Macmillan was the last of 5 major publishers involved in the Apple price-fixing conspiracy.
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