Oct 06

January 19 Launch for the Apple Tablet?

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.

* THIS JUST IN *

iLounge is offering a list of TEN NEW DETAILS on the Apple Tablet. Check them out HERE!

Oct 05

A slideshow’s worth a thousand words.

If you’ve never had an opportunity to actually handle an eBook Reader, regardless of brand, you might still be uncertain about adopting one. I used to swear I’d never read a book on a screen, until I actually met an eBook Reader and flipped a few pages with it. They’re remarkable devices.

Because they’re slowly making their way out into the public realm, you may not have had such a ‘hands on’ experience yet. Jorgen send us a fix for that, by including a link to this extremely detailed slideshow on the BeBook Mini.

Honestly, this is one of the best slideshows I’ve yet seen, and it truly gives you the ‘picture’ of how eBook Readers work.

Oct 04

What better place to develop an eBook Reader?

This article at Daniweb is well worth the read. Writer, Ron Miller sets out the logical premise that  post secondary institutions like colleges and universities should be the perfect proving ground for the eBook Reader or eReading Devices because of the high cost of text books, their frequent  need of updates and the tech-saavy nature of their users. It should be the perfect marriage.

However, the story goes on to explain that in a pilot program at Princeton, volunteers were unhappy with the Kindle DX’s functionality. It seems the hardware is in need development. This fact should stir the pot, since this logical niche would represent a sizable fortune in business for the device developer that can provide the machine of choice.  The article mentions a few of the functions that the students do want: among them a larger textbook sized screen and more flexible tools for note-taking.

The encouraging thing was that they preferred using an eBook Reader over reading from a laptop or netbook. So, while there is room for improvement, the exercise couldn’t be considered a failure. The demand is there, the developers just need to supply the right product.

Oct 03

Simon & Shuster & the VOOK.

We talked about the Vook before. Well, it’s back. Simon & Schuster has started an online video book (VOOK) service available in formats for iPhone and Web browsers.

Okay, to recap from an article at Internetnews.com, vooks “blend text and video into ‘a seamless reading experience to advance the plot and enhance the sense of place.'” You’ll have to read the rest to understand this thing. I tried to ‘get’ it until I read the following statement by Ellie Hirschhorn, vice president and chief digital officer at Simon & Schuster: “Vook is a game-changing model for reading in the age of digital multimedia, the first viable combination of text and video that is user-friendly and that addresses today’s multitasking audience and how it absorbs information and entertainment.”

?

I kind of get it, but in all honesty it sounds very much like a movie or a video, but with parts that haven’t been filmed yet. What’s the matter with good old-fashioned eBooks, yah?

Oct 02

eBooks and the Future of Publishing

Thanks again to Jorgen for digging up this excellent feature in The Globe and Mail’s Technology section.

It’s an in depth piece regarding the future of publishing as seen through a digital screen. Impossible to predict, the technological advances leave us in a wide field of speculation. Interestingly, the Globe leads the story with mention of the rumored Apple Tablet. In this case, they’re predicting that the ‘mythical’ multi-function device will redefine the eBook Revolution by introducing digital books to the mainstream. Those consumers are used to having music, video, the Internet and phone service at their fingertips and will want more from the eBook Reading experience.

It’s clear that the future will be written in E Ink, yah?

Oct 01

A List of EPUB-Friendly eBook Readers from Adobe

I have to share this information with all current and prospective owners of eBook Readers. I was just tracking down an article about Wattpad announcing its adoption of the EPUB format when I came across this chart from Adobe. The listed devices support the cross-platform open format and PDF. (I know PDF is not an eBook format… god people get testy about that, yah?)

We’ve got, what 16 Readers from 10 different companies. I guess the writing’s on the wall for proprietary format proponents. (This means you Kindle!)

Complete adoption of the format will streamline the process for publishers and Indie authors. If you haven’t checked out an EPUB formatted eBook, dig around the Adobe site and download one of their free examples. (You’ll have to install Digital Editions, but it’s a good looking program and easy to use.) I think you’ll see why EPUB is all the rage.

Sep 30

A Pivotal Moment for Sony and the eBook Revolution

I have to hand it to the people at Sony. (Read their press release.) They’re charging into the eBook Revolution with their eyes wide open and market dominance in mind. After a few stumbles with outmoded attempts at DRM and proprietary formatting that were corrected with their adoption of the ePub format, they’ve gone on to embrace the flexibility and availability of the new technology by opening up their eBook offerings to the widest range of content: traditional publishers, small publishers and now independent authors.

Their press release says it all so I’ll quote right from it: “Continuing to deliver on its promise to provide customers access to the widest selection of content available, Sony today announced relationships with Author Solutions and Smashwords. Together with Sony, these companies will give independent authors and small publishers the opportunity to offer content through The eBook Store from Sony.” Read the full press release here.

This is cause for celebration, yah? and a signal for established publishers that it’s time to adopt the new business model.

Sep 29

Know Your Mobile

KNOW YOUR MOBILE is a really cool web site that gives the lowdown on pretty much every mobile, cell or smart phone out there. All makes and models are linked to pages with specifications, reviews, themes and downloads. It’s certainly time to give the mobile it’s due as the unsung hero of the eBook Revolution since it’s been with us from the start as an alternative to the eBook Reader.

Take a look around this impressive site, especially if you’re a mobile or smart phone fan who prefers this handheld multi-function platform for reading. (Or if you’re interested in getting into the game…it’s a great place to start your research.)

Here’s a link to their review of an iPhone App we’ve mentioned before, Wattpad.

Sep 28

New Alliance Joins the Fray

Arbor Books dropped a press release about Best Buy and Verizon joining forces with the new iRex DR800SG wireless reading device to tackle the exploding eBook Marketplace.

Europe’s most popular e-reader, the iRex is pricy at $399 but a worthy adversary for Amazon’s Kindle and the Sony Reader Touch with its wireless 3G network access to Verizon, ATT&T and Sprint. Content suppliers Barnes & Noble and NewspaperDirect are offering a wide selection of newspapers to sweeten the pot.

Everyone knows the machines and the eBooks you read on them are still too expensive. But this article goes on to predict the promising price point somewhere out there in the near future: The $99 eBook Reader, yah? It will happen sooner than you think.

Sep 27

Astonishing Adventures Magazine – Issue 7 … Revisited

Forgive for the repeat, but tech issues kept us off the net for most of the day, so we’re running this article and interview about Astonishing Adventures Magazine again. It’s worth another view. Look around the issuu.com site, you’ll see the first six issues are available too… (J.C.)

I found an interesting online magazine while I was out cruising the web researching other ways of doing the publishing thing digitally–it can’t all be about the eBooks, can it? Anyway, this one impressed me.

Astonishing Adventures Magazine is an interactive ‘virtual’ publication uploaded to issuu.com. Issuu.com is an online clearinghouse for digital content from independent and corporate publishers. They’ve got a really bold display that utilizes Flash animation technology–very cool. (I checked and there’s a hard copy version of the magazine (Issue 7) for sale at Amazon too…) I was so impressed with the quality of the writing and artwork in this their Issue 7, that I tracked down the editor Katherine Tomlinson who kindly consented to answering a few of my questions.

1. When did Astonishing Adventures Magazine start publishing?

Our first issue came out in 2007. We’re a quarterly, so the winter issue (#8) of 2009 will be our second anniversary edition. (You won’t want to miss it. It will be a special double issue with work from novelists Brian Trent, Peter Mark May, Christine Pope and G. Wells Taylor included in the mix.) Continue reading