Oct 15
ZDNet’s got the scoop and apparently pictures of the rumored Barnes and Noble eBook Reader designed and set to launch through a partnership with IREX and Plastic Logic.
Read the story and see the pictures here.
So this is going to heat things up, with Barnes and Noble’s long track record as book seller and distributor, the addition of this eBook Reader will make them a direct and powerful competitor to Amazon’s Kindle.
Now let’s just hope they don’t screw things up by over-pricing it, yah?
Oct 14
Hey, since everyone on the web’s been chattering about eBooks and eBook Readers for years now, isn’t Time kind of imitating us? Anyway, there is a good story at Time about the upcoming eBook Revolution. (Notice how they waited until things got into full swing before commenting…but I digress.) Read the article, it starts out lamenting how poor industry leader Amazon Kindle’s being imitated by all those awful lower-priced, non-proprietary competitors. I still think Amazon only has itself to blame…
And even better the article serves up a sidebar link to a slideshow of nine different eReaders either on or entering the market. (A sweet little showroom…) Check that out here.
It’s getting exciting, yah?
Oct 13
Ok. This device (not sure it has a name yet…) from LG should make a big impact on the eBook Revolution. Let’s face it, like most hand-held devices, power is a concern for eBook Readers. So here’s LG to the rescue with a solar-powered eBook Reader that harnesses light energy to streamline your eBook reading. Check out the article at the guardian.co.uk here.
This is perfect, yah? Once eBook reading devices like this are omnipresent, I can imagine them being configured to display book covers so family members can tell one device from the other. COOL!
Oct 12
A special thanks to Jorgen for this story at Gizmodo about Barnes and Noble’s much anticipated addition to the eBook marketplace.
Lots of interesting notions in the offered posting about B&N’s mysterious eReader. Looks like the rumors are starting to pile up.
Oh, and sorry about the delayed postings. This is the Canadian Thanksgiving so we’re encouraged to overeat and avoid work.
Back to business tomorrow, yah?
Oct 11
Smashwords is an online distribution service for independent eBook authors and publishers. And it’s FREE!
They offer a wide variety of eBooks for sale direct from the Smashwords.com bookstore, as well as distribute through various online channels. And many of the titles are very fairly priced, some starting as low as $1.99.
They’ve also inked deals to distribute through major online retailers like Barnes & Noble and Sony, and the catalogs of mobile e-reading apps (Stanza on the iPhone, eReader on the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile Smartphone, Palm Treo and Centro, Symbian Mobile Phones; Aldiko and Word-Player on Android phones).
This should shake up the eBook Revolution, yah?
Oct 10
Jorgen stopped by to direct us to this article at techdirt.com debunking some of the myths that surround digital content piracy and file sharing.
It’s an excellent piece that suggests eBook piracy might not be the bad thing publishers want us to believe it is.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Stop Piracy with Fair Prices and Easy Access.
Oct 09
Amazon has cut the price of its Kindle 2 to $259. This analysts say, to prime consumers for Christmas.
And, Amazon is announcing the release of the (Global) Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6″ Display, U.S. & International Wireless, Latest Generation). That device boasts global wireless connectivity and will cost you $279. Check the site to see if they ship to your country.
These developments have been a long time coming and with their arrival Kindle might be able to make up some of the ground it has lost to tetherless and cheaper rivals.
Oct 08
Hard to avoid being nostalgic about soldiers these days with so many military actions going on around the world. By now most of us know someone who has been over somewhere doing something to protect the free-speech and thought that is slowly migrating across the digital divide.
A link from Jorgen discloses a rather interesting phenomena. It turns out that soldiers are putting eBook Readers high on their Xmas wish-lists. A story at PCPro.co.uk says that the limited space in backpacks for old-fashioned books plus the added weight they represent, make eBook Readers and the large weightless digital collections they carry an easy adoption for soldiers on the move.
Makes sense that these high-tech devices would be a hit with people who are fast becoming the most tech-savvy among us. That fact married to the often tedious waiting periods associated with many months of deployment overseas make eBooks and eBook Readers a practical fashion accessory for every soldier with boots on the ground.
eBOOKS BOOST MORALE! Is there anything they can’t do?
Oct 07
This review of the Sony PRS-600 Touch eReader at Electronista – Gadgets for Geeks is by far the most comprehensive I’ve seen, probably because the devices are becoming more common and are dependable enough to warrant such scrutiny. There’s actually something to compare too, with the growing number of competitors on the market. It’s true, the eBook Revolution has been going long enough to give some of these devices a track record.
I found this review is most engaging because it puts a few of these technological innovations into historical context. Hard to believe there’s anything ‘historical’ about eBooks, yah? (Other than ‘bricks and mortar’ stores, paperbacks and hardcovers…)
Oct 06
I’ll have to start my work day earlier if I want to beat Jorgen to the punch. Thanks for the link!
Here we’ve got a story at The Telegraph where more specifics are given on Apple’s elusive eBook Reading beast. The article quotes Jeremy Horowitz, editor-in-chief of the Apple rumor site iLounge quoting a ‘”reliable” unnamed source’ that said Apple had built three versions of its Mac Tablet, with the first 7-inch screen being rejected for the latest version’s 10.7-inch screen.
The quote within a quote within a quote has to be taken with a grain of salt and reminds me of Shakespeare class. But I’ve got a feeling we’ll soon see if there’s any truth to all this intrigue, or if the Apple Tablet has no more substance than King Hamlet’s Ghost.
iLounge is offering a list of TEN NEW DETAILS on the Apple Tablet. Check them out HERE!
