Dec 17

Empire of the Word: The future of the book.

Here’s a link to a Canadian public television (TVO) program called The Agenda with Steve Paikin. I watched the episode last night, and felt it was worth passing the link along. The entire program is here for you to view, and there are posts to pick through.

A panel of experts wondered whether the eBook Revolution spelled the end for the book. I found it quite informative. (Even if I did disagree with the formula that digital content always drops in price to zero. I think that’s only true if you charge too much for digital goods in the first place.)

Dec 16

Is there enough to read on Kindle’s cross-platform connection?

A special thanks to Jorgen who stopped in to deliver this link to a story at The Telegraph.co.uk that questions, among other things, whether there are enough eBook titles available to justify joining the revolution. Writer Shane Richmond later relents suggesting that the future promises much more, and goes on to deliver an excellent review of the Kindle App for iPhone’s features including its ability to interface between your iPhone and your Kindle. This development leaves you understanding why Richmond wants a wider selection of titles to try on it.

That’s kind of the best case scenario for the adoption of tech where your machines connect and allow you cross-platform access to your eBook library anytime and anywhere. (Even though in this case, it means buying into Amazon’s sometimes controlling set up.)

Dec 15

Plastic Logic to unveil QUE proReader at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

On Thursday, January 7, 2010 Plastic Logic is unveiling QUE proReader at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. For anybody in the neighborhood you can find their eBook TechZone at booth 11840 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. They’re offering demos and hands-on ‘experience a QUE proReader for yourself’ sessions.

This is worth mentioning because the QUE proReader is slated to share shelf-space at Barnes and Noble alongside the Nook. The larger format QUE is designed for the office or professional environment. The Nook was developed for the mainstream eBook-reading market. This is part of B&N’s multi-pronged attack on the eBook and eReading Revolution–a combination meant to take on Kindle 2 and the larger format Kindle DX.

The competition is going to get NASTY in 2010, yah?

Dec 14

Kindle, Nook now Joo-Joo?

Jorgen pointed us to a CNET story where they’ve nabbed a journalist’s demo of the new JooJoo Web Slate for appraisal. They seem to like its lines and stylish profile. And functionality gets passing grades as well, but at $499, Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnans has his work cut out for him.

With one look at the JooJoo (formerly TechCrunch’s Crunchpad) you can see they’re stepping in with a device that offers the larger profile of the rumored Apple Tablet. (They even mark the iPhone as its touch-screen inspiration.) It arrives with some controversy too. The Guardian’s Technology Blog gives some background on the litigation surrounding the device.

It sure looks interesting, and the wide screen format says “newspaper/magazine” to me more than “eBooks.” Once you get over the price tag, you can watch videos between chapters yah?

Dec 13

12 DAYS to Enter Contest!

I’ve been reminded AGAIN to  remind you about a contest to win a free Sony eBook Reader Touch Edition at BentSteeple.com. It’s to celebrate the release of BENT STEEPLE a new Horror novel by author G. Wells Taylor. There are other prizes too. I’ve looked around the site(s) and he seems to be into everything.

The draw is Christmas day, so you’ve got 12 DAYS to enter, yah?

Dec 12

Kindle Accessibility Addressed…

Another contribution from Jorgen with a link to a story at the Examiner.com about an Amazon Kindle for the blind or seeing-impaired. A first version of this special Kindle was criticized because of its reliance on too many button controls with on screen text to manage feature commands. It also ran into lawsuits revolving around its text-to-speech functionality and resistance from authors and publishers who felt the features would diminish audio book sales.

Apparently they’ve worked out all or most of the bugs, with features that should answer  the criticisms. Read the background and specifics at the jump.

Dec 11

Traditional Market Manipulation by the Traditional Publishers

Many thanks to Jorgen who dropped off a couple of links, the first to a New York Times article that shows Simon & Schuster up to their old tricks delaying the release of eBook titles to force consumers to buy hard covers. The publisher makes the claim that eBook sales cannibalize hard cover sales. They are already trying this trick with Stephen King’s latest, Under the Dome. We commented on that here.

It’s a ridiculous claim since ‘cannibalism’ assumes that everyone who would want to purchase a hard cover also owns an eBook reader. All this market manipulation does is further erode consumer confidence and invigorate the black market in pirated eBook sales.

The second link takes us to some editorial content on the subject by Rick Aristotle Munarriz at the Motley Fool. An excellent piece that exposes the stupid underbelly of Simon and Schuster’s move, where Munarriz reiterates the perils of ignoring the eBook Revolution.

Dec 10

Amazon Facing a New Threat?

An article at The Register says that five prominent publishers are teaming up to form an alliance that can take on Amazon.com. Apparently heavyweights: Sports Illustrated, the Wall Street Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, Wired and Vanity Fair are planning to develop an online storefront capable of going toe-to-toe with Amazon.

Their aim is to build an eShop that would offer full-color, interactive digital versions of their newspapers and magazines. These documents would be readable by the next-generation of touch-screen devices. Sounds like a lot of cooperation will be required from these former competitors to make this work. There just might be enough pressure on them to force a truce, yah?

Dec 09

Amazon Stores in the U.K.?

Here’s a rumor from TimesOnline about Amazon.com’s secret plans to open actual stores in the United Kingdom. Apparently, realtors have been queried by the American company regarding available retail space.

Could this be a reaction to the well-received Nook being integrated into Barnes and Noble’s long-standing membership in the bricks and mortar club? Industry analysts have already stated that B&N’s chain of stores is the retail giant’s trump card in the eBook Revolution.

So that’s one good reason to open something on main street. The other is Amazon’s desire to capitalize on consumer impatience with a click and collect service. In such a case, customers buy online and retrieve their own purchases from a neighborhood store when it’s convenient for them. (Another drive-thru?)

Mix that notion with Kindle owners wandering around looking at paperbacks or displays and then wirelessly slurping up the bestsellers with their devices. Whatever the actual case, it is an interesting reversal at a time when other booksellers are closing up shop.

Dec 08

Another Christmas Possibility

We tend to focus on the front-runners Kindle, Sony and Nook. Well, here’s Foxit eSlick FE-01 eBook Reader reviewed at Zath Tech and Games. It’s a ‘slick’ looking piece of tech and priced comparably to the industry leaders. Have a look at the specifications by taking the jump. These guys have to be seeing green since Nook and Sony started running out of product.