Feb 12

Saturday eBook Revolution Reading

PRWeb has an update from BooksForNooks.com announcing the successful launch of their BooksForMyKindle site. (All to take advantage of the devices’ eBook lending features.)

BusinessInsider asks 10 HUGE Questions about the Apple iPad 2.

PCWorld provides some insight into the pitfalls of buying eBooks in the early days of the eBook Revolution. (The Growing Pains might hurt later.)

And here’s a bookish post from StateNews.com about some of the obstacles that stand in the way of eText adopting students, and their need to cite texts for scholarly works… It ain’t like the old days.

Feb 11

Valentine’s Day and the eBook Revolution

TechShout says Barnes and Noble announced that the Nook is in stock and ready to ship for Valentine’s Day.

Suite101 posted on retailers putting a romantic spin on eBook Readers.

And the Daily Mail is saying authors are giving themselves a Valentine’s gift by publishing independently to bypass agents and publishers.

Feb 10

eBook Revolution Goes Mainstream Across the Pond

InternetRetailing reports on the arrival of the £52 View Quest Mediabox 5in Media Tablet at the Asda Direct website. That £52(US $84) price tag is intended to entice the British ‘mid-market’ consumer to join the eBook Revolution. At half the price of the least expensive Kindle, it’s likely to prove a winner.

Our friend Jorgen dropped by with a link to a Daily Record story that suggests a price war is on the horizon.

eBookanoid reviews the ViewQuest Mediabox here.

Feb 08

Apple App story continued…

We mentioned a change to Apple Apps that apparently signaled either the end to Kindle for iPad, or a much diminished profit for Amazon.

AppleInsider has Apple’s response to these charges. Apparently, they have made changes to their App policy that got Sony’s Reader App rejected (to start the whole story), but are insisting on an either/or scenario for third-party apps.

Indeed, shoppers on iPad can use Amazon’s Kindle App for iPad to purchase at Amazon, but Apple now requires that there be an option given for the same shopper to purchase through iTunes. (They want the opportunity to make the sale so an “in App” option is required but not exclusive.)

Not nearly as terrifying as the story first sounded. (That’s probably why the news outlets that first picked it up spun it the way they did.) Of course, Apple doesn’t help when these changes are made without giving the marketplace due notice and/or an explanation.

Feb 07

New Apple iPad Apps Eat Third Party Profits

PCWorld reports on Apple’s recent changes to its Apps policy that saw the rejection of  the Sony Reader App, and now might imperil Amazon’s Kindle presence on the iPad. The changes will only allow eReader Apps that support in-App purchases that amount to 30% of the cover price going to Apple. Since the agency model recently adopted by eBook retailers only allows 30% of the book price for the seller, then it appears that Apple wants all of the profits on the sale.

This is an unsustainable business model, so the eBook industry waits and watches as the story develops.

Feb 05

More eBook Revolution News

BBC offers a news story and video that give five arguments for and against libraries in a digital age.

ABC.net.au talks relevance and adaptation for comic books in an interview with David Steinberger – CEO of digital comic site, comiXology.

CultofMac posts on iPad’s impact in Japan where space is a premium so tablets and digital books fit right in.

Feb 04

eBook Revolution Headlines

BetaNews reports Apple’s recent changes to the way they allow third-party eBook Apps to operate on the iPad is creating an unfair business environment for publishers that will stifle the burgeoning eBook market.

BusinessWeek says Indie authors might be held liable if eBook distributors go bankrupt and delete their customers’ accounts. (Tempest in a teapot worth checking out.)

Read more about the Nook eReader at ReviewsofElectronics.com. They’ve declared it a winner.

And MyDigitalFC.com (Financial Chronicle) posts on the alarming levels of eBook Piracy in India with some suggesting the India market is dominated by illegal copies.

Feb 03

10 Reasons eBooks are Better than Books. (According to Shadowlocked.com)

Shadowlocked.com offers a somewhat tongue-in-cheek list of reasons why eBooks are better than their paper equivalents. While I may not agree with all the points, the list does contain some amusing truths about books.

Feb 02

eBook Unit Sales to hit $2.7 Billion in 2013

Online Media Daily at Media Post News reports US eBook unit sales will leap from the estimated $313 million tallied in 2009 to an whopping $2.7-billion in 2013. This Yankee Group prediction also suggest eBook downloads will surpass paid mobile Apps for the same period.

And why do they suggest this change is coming? Lower prices for both eBooks and eBook Readers and a shift away from outmoded business models. Seems pretty simple, right?

I think eBook sales will push past the $2.7-billion mark before 2013. We still haven’t seen the $50 eBook Reader yet. You think the market’s growing now?

Feb 01

Calibre eBook Management Software

Ghacks.net (how do you like that name?) has a post on the FREE Calibre eBook Management Software. The post includes an extensive breakdown of Calibre’s abilities, and should help you streamline your approach to eBook management. Calibre provides lots of flexibility for enjoying your digital library between platforms.

I’ve used this software myself, and found it a snap for eBook conversion to just about any format.