Mar 27

Apple in a bit of hot water

This will make Amazon’s day. Kindle is being accused by Discovery Communications of violating its development of a digital rights management scheme (their method of adding locks to digital books) and they feel they’re “entitled to fair compensation.” Read the story here.

Apple is being sued by an overseas communications company for a patent violation because they’re marketing their iPhone as an eBook reader–and the complainant says the iPhone ain’t such a device. Read the story here. Their lawsuit says: “the firm takes issue with Apple’s move to distribute digital book reading applications through the App Store, which it subsequently sees as an endorsement by the Cupertino-based company that its touchscreen handset can serve as a capable eBook reader.”

I love it. Any market that can support multiple lawsuits is a going concern, yah!



Mar 26

Samsung’s Papyrus

This article makes a good point about the media focus on the big names: Kindle, iPhone, Sony Reader and now Blackberry. The ‘front runners’ better have learned from Amazon’s blunder and keep their eyes open for upstarts like Samsung’s Papyrus eBook Reader. It’s supposed to retail for under $300 (hopefully lower) and feature all the basics needed to read an eBook. See it and read about it here at crave.cnet.co.uk.

The market is young enough that niches are still being created. One of those might be for adopters who want the basics in an eBook  reader who prefer good prices and practicality to all the bells and whistles.

Papyrus kind of looks like Sony Reader’s little brother, yah? (or little sister, sorry girls.)

Mar 25

HOO BOY! This is getting interesting…

I don’t think I have to say more than Fictionwise released an eBook Reader for Blackberry.

You can read the story at Mediabistro.com here. With the 50 millionth Blackberry sold in February, that’s one hell of a lot of potential eBook Readers… (and eyeglasses, says one IT wiseguy…) Get the Blackberry Reader here. It’s an early version without the extras, but they’re pushing it onto the market now, promising upgrades to follow.

I think this will soon be a writer’s world, yah?

Mar 24

I haven’t mentioned Kindle 2 in a while so…

CNNMoney.com has an excellent list called 10 Things We Love and Hate about Kindle 2. You can read it here.

Now that the dust has settled, rumor has it that Amazon is going all out to have an upgraded Kindle 3 on the market for the fall. Between iPod’s sudden inclusion in the eBook Reader war and the major eBook distribution deal struck between Sony and Google, Amazon knows it has got to get a new machine up and running before they lose any more ground. They’re probably kicking themselves for tying Kindle 1 & 2 to the continental United States market only.

Oh, and we can’t forget the flurry of other new eBook readers that jumped onto the market before Kindle 2 could even enjoy its victory lap.

Interesting times ahead, yah?


Mar 23

A Monday Grab Bag…

For the first time in a couple weeks, we’re not seeing the Monday morning release of some new device or big business merger of old world Publisher and eBook upstart…

So, the Digital Library of Islamic Manuscripts Online is offering 200 Islamic manuscripts for scholars to consult and study. Looks like straight scans, and I’m not sure if there’s a text or script equivalent. (Anybody in the know…please let me know…) But there are some very beautiful contributions here that are worth checking out.

Here‘s an article at seekingalpha.com that uses the word “ubiquity” in the title, and well, where do you get that any more? But it also involves a former naysayer joining the eBook Revolution, yah? I think he had an ‘epiphany.’

And here‘s a New York Times article about a bookstore being forced into extinction by the digital age. It’s sad, having grown up with books stores…but I also grew up with a functioning ozone layer, and I’ve learned to live without that. All kidding aside, it might be that technology holds the key to the future for operations like that. When the book printing kiosks become a ubiquitous (I used it…nice!) part of life, they’ll need a home. And there are rare editions, atmosphere and the human touch that shopping online can lack. I think it’s about evolution. I am sure some bookstores will find a way through. It’s too early to count them out.

Mar 22

We all knew this would happen…

I know I’ve been bitching about price. Now we’ve got Borders rethinking their approach to the eBook market. Their first attempt was based on the old adage: “There’s a sucker born every minute.” The full story is here at the Independent.

Ok. Rather than rant about it, I’ll just tell you that they’ve discovered consumers will not do everything they’re told. So linking the Borders’ book experience with an overpriced eBook Reader iLiad, was not that magic mix or “done deal” they anticipated.

That being said, they’re going to come out with a more affordable reader. iLiad sold for $599.99, almost twice the already pricey Sony eBook Reader.

This time I can say I told you so! Yah….that feels good.


Mar 21

Authonomy is an Intriguing Development

Authonomy

Authonomy

Ok. This is one of those things that I hope is true. I mean it almost looks too good to be true. I’ve written, and I know writers, and well, this is a fantastic development that could streamline the process of publishing and open the door for many, many aspiring authors.

If it is, and it looks like the real deal, then we’re starting to see the direct impact of the eBook Revolution on how the traditional publishing industry does business. And kudos to HarperCollins for showing the initiative.

It’s called Authonomy. Visit the site here. Read the break down on how it works here.

The long and short of it is writers are encouraged to use the Authonomy site to network and show off their manuscripts online. These manuscripts are then evaluated by peers and recommendations are made based on the reader reaction and popularity of titles. Then once a month the top books are sent to the Harper Collins Editor’s Desk where they’ll be considered for publication.

This is a fantastic development and perfect timing. HarperCollins has to realize that with the onset of the eBook Revolution, and the relative ease of releasing an eBook under their imprint, that they’ll be able to publish a much larger stable of authors and genres. Fantastic!

Writers and publishers. Check it out! This is incredible, yah?


Mar 20

And the deals continue, the battle is formed…

Can’t we all just get along? I love this stuff. Now Sony’s eBook Reader PRS-700 (a rumored new version is on the way too…) has joined forces with Google’s massive army of digitally scanned works, now converted to epub format. Read the story here or at Techtree.com.

It’s all to get in the face of Amazon’s Kindle 2 attempt at monopolizing the burgeoning eBook marketplace. And it’s going to hurt. Google is allowing Sony’s eBook Store to offer its 600,000 available titles, to compete with Amazon’s 250,000 titles.

It’s early in the game yet, and there’s some discussion over the legality of Google slapping a copyright on public domain works just because they scanned them. And it looks like anybody should be able to offer those works, including Amazon. But that’s something for the rich and getting richer lawyers to hash out many millions later, yah?

I’m still expecting this though. Any minute now, we’re going to hear something from Apple. What are they doing? Come on… their much larger army of iPhone and iPod Touch users are already drafted and tricked out for the battle, what’s the plan?


Mar 19

Fujitsu eBook Reader Raises the Bar…

FLEPia

FLEPia

Or does it? Now, I’m as impressed by Fujitstu’s FLEPia Color eBook Reader, as anybody. It’s a fantastic little machine. Read the story at cnet here. Honestly, it’s going to be as popular as Japan’s new robot girl.

But I think we’re at a crossroads. At $1,000 it’s starting to push the price of eBook reading outside the capabilities of the average family. The other thing is: did they invent a color eBook reader or re-invent the hand-held desktop? I just hope that all the bells and whistles do not create a demand for, well, bells and whistles.

True, we’re in the development stages of eBook Reader design, but must I be able to email or Twitter from every piece of furniture and appliance? In the end, I believe this machines will help drive the price down for practical mulitpurpose eBook Readers, and push the market toward affordable devices tailored to suit the consumer’s need. Yah?



Mar 18

“Bande Dessinée” at the Paris Book Fair

 

Click to Visit site...

Click to Visit site...

The Paris Book Fair  continues with a shift in focus to the companies Aquafada and MobiLire who have a different take on the eBook Reader. Read the full story at PCWorld here. They’re adapting smaller smartphones with software to display full-page comics and graphic novels on tiny screens.

MobiLire is using a paintstaking process based on methods in use for manga in the Japanese market. Companies there release their strips on phones before committing to publishing them. So far MobiLire has adapted 50 titles for use in trials.

One would think graphic novels and comic strips would be a perfect option for the commute where distractions might disturb the concentration required for reading other digital material like newspapers or novels.  Yah?

Aquafada’s AVE! Comics software runs on smartphones, the iPhone and the BlackBerry, with versions to run on Mac and PC (Windows or Linux). They sell their comics through Apple iTunes for about half the price as the printed versions. Very slick website and interface.