Aug 22
Bigthink has an interesting post on the publishing industry. The traditional publishers are watching with trepidation as Amazon begins releasing titles under its own imprint.
They are wary of Amazon’s power, and fear a monopoly if the Internet bookseller moves onto their turf. After all, it was a game they’d always enjoyed keeping to themselves.
Aug 21
The Globe and Mail explores the impact of the eBook Revolution on the traditional library system, and while there is great change in store, it isn’t the end of the world.
The post also walks you through the basics for borrowing an eBook from a library. While the process is bound to have different quirks from library to library, it’s a must-read for the uninitiated.
Aug 19
A rumor at GoodeReader suggests that Sony is about to re-establish itself in the eBook marketplace by releasing a pair of new eReaders that will come with the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling bundled and installed. The post also suggests an ongoing relationship between Sony and the author’s new Harry Potter website Pottermore.
If there’s any truth to the ‘strategic relationship’ mentioned in the story, it is guaranteed to boost Sony’s lagging position in the device-crazy competition that drives the eBook Revolution.
Aug 18
Now here’s a company I wish I’d invested in.
A VentureBeat post says E Ink Holdings, the creators of the E Ink display used in eBook Readers, reported $650-million in sales in 2010 with expectations of surpassing $1-billion in revenue in 2011. Since 2006, eBook Reader sales have tripled annually.
With the 2010 release of a color E Ink display, the future is looking bright for the roughly 15-year-old company. More about E Ink and the eBook Revolution at the link.
Aug 17
GoodeReader has a story about the growing number of fake eBooks out there, and Amazon’s attempts to take them out of their Kindle store.
Aug 16
I thought I’d mention this because I’m going to miss the Microsoft Reader software and .LIT format. I read some of my first eBooks in .LIT on my PC and always found it a supreme experience: diamond-sharp display and easy-to-read fonts, text-to-speech function, etc.
Mobiputing says the software is going to be retired.
I’d always hoped they’d find a compatible eBook Reading device and give the rest of the market a run for the money.
Aug 15
TheStar offers a post on the impact of video trailers on book and eBook sales. Digital video is a perfect fit for the eBook Revolution.
Aug 13
InformationWeek has a hands-on review of the Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader. I’ve downloaded it for a test drive and can see how this App is an excellent offering for the swelling tablet and hand-held market.
It’s still early, and the Kindle Cloud Reader only supports Google Chrome browser, the Apple Safari desktop browser, and the iOS Safari browser for iPhones and iPads. Amazon has promised support for a wider selection of browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox, etc. but has not set a timetable.
If you’ve got the supported browser then search out read.amazon.com.
Aug 12
The Financial Post reports on a lawsuit against Simon & Schuster Inc., HarperCollins Publishers, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan Publishers and Penguin Group Inc. as parties to a price fixing scheme cloaked in the adoption of the Agency Pricing model.
The Agency Pricing model leaves the pricing of eBooks in the hands of the publisher rather than the retailer. The suit by Seattle-based firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro says Apple Inc. conspired with the publishers to push eBook prices up (sometimes higher than their hard cover versions) in an attempt to take the wind from eBook retail leader Amazon.com’s sails.
The publishers jumped on board to fix higher prices because the profits were vast, and it cooled off the eBook market to prop up sales of paper and hard cover titles.
Aug 10
Indeed, Amazon has inked a deal with its enemy Barnes and Noble to allow titles published under the Amazon Publishing imprint to be available for sale and compatible with the B&N Nook. GoodeReader has the story where Amazon gets its footing in the biggest remaining bricks and mortar bookstore chain in the U.S.
