Aug 31

Kobo eReader App now Supports ePub and PDF

I’m still waiting for sexier news than this  (like a  $119 Kobo eReader to replace its price-war starting $150 eReader…) but I’ll take what I can get.

Kobo eReader application for iPhone and iPad is now supporting ePub and PDF files. This gives the App abilities comparable to everybody’s chief rival the Amazon Kindle.

Read the full story at the Independent.

(Okay it’s slightly more exciting than Plugged In’s report on Oxford Dictionary abandoning a print version in favor of digital.)

…slightly!

Aug 30

New Kindles Selling like Reasonably Priced Hotcakes!

Ok. I know I used to have an axe to grind with Kindle, but that was because it debuted with a $379 price tag.  That was just a wicked cash grab that did more to hurt the eBook Revolution than help it.

Now that Amazon has released its third Kindle version I’m happy to promote the machine, its $139 to $189 price tag, and the vast interactive library it calls home: Amazon.com.

Having said that, the prices still need to come down, and will, once the rest of the market reacts to Amazon’s push for first place. I know Sony’s got two new eBook Readers coming soon, and we still haven’t heard anything more from upstart Kobo and the $150 eReader that started a price war.

Read GoodeReader’s story about Kindle’s smashing sales record.

Aug 29

Velocity Micro Launches Android eReaders

A story over at Liliputing has Velocity Micro announcing plans to ship two Android tablets within the next couple months.

Velocity Micro’s $200 Cruz Reader boasts a touch-screen display on a platform designed for easy eBook reading. Its Android OS gives the option of running apps, video and web surfing–among other actions.

The $300 Cruz Tablet is the Cruz Reader on steroids offering the user a more powerful array of capabilities and options.

iPad is not alone.

Aug 28

Skytex Gets into the eBook Revolution

An i-Newswire release announces netbook, tablet computer and media device developer, Skytex throwing its hat into the full-color multi-function ring dominated by iPad with its Primer 7-inch color eBook reader and portable media player that they’re selling for $99.

I know, it’s hard to imagine them offering a direct competitor to iPad when they’re only asking $99 at the checkout, but it’s interesting to see new machines on the market with the potential of redefining (and ultimately re-Pricing) a section of the market, much the way Kobo’s $150 E Ink eReader forced pricing down in Kindle’s neck of the woods.

Competition is a consumer’s best friend.

Aug 27

eBook Revolution Shifting into High Gear

PCWorld has a must-read story updating the explosive trends in the expanding eBook Revolution. While I think they fail to acknowledge the important role that Amazon’s E Ink competitors played in Kindle’s drastic price cut, the article is chock full of tech savvy observations.

Like: According to the article 40% of people polled say they read more on their Kindles and iPads than they did with traditional paper books.

And: They say that Forrester Research predicts 11 million US homes will have at least one eBook reading device by the end of September. (Imagine what Christmas is going to bring!)

Pop over to read the full story here.

Aug 26

Industry Leaders Kindle and Nook Battle it Out!

It’s not surprising that mammoth online bookseller Amazon and offline (bricks and mortar) book giant Barnes and Noble would battle for top spot in the eBook Revolution.

MarketWatch reports here that Amazon’s new generation (WiFi $139 or 3G $189) sleeker Kindle is outselling all its previous versions.

And FastCompany reports on Barnes and Noble’s foray into digital publishing being a qualified success in the face of much industry doubt, as indicators suggest the storefront goliath is holding its own with innovative answers to digital challenges.

This in a market that many predicted would start to shift toward the more expensive iPad full-color, multi-function territory. The battle between Kindle and Nook tells us that there is a huge market for single-purpose eBook Readers. And that is market direction dictated by consumers.

Aug 25

Is an App by any other name still a book?

Many thanks to Jorgen for dropping off this link to a thought-provoking story over at futureofthebook.org entitled: “the future of the app.”

It’s easy at first pass to see this discussion as mere semantics until you really open yourself to the developments that are piling up around and in front of us. We’re entering strange territory indeed as the eBook Revolution introduces a future where familiar things like books become unrecognizable.

Excellent piece of writing by Bob Stein and well worth the visit. Take the leap here.

Aug 24

A Worrisome Piece of eBook News…

Okay, I think this is something that will be more of a problem for iPad and Android tablet users (anything multi-function and full-color like smart phones, now that I think of it) but this article at MediaBuyerPlanner talks about the looming threat of advertisements in eBooks.

I’m more worried about the end user getting soaked for an ad-subsidized eBook. (Much the way they do buying cable subscriptions to advertisement-based television networks.) In terms of its impact on the reading experience, I can envision ad-free eBooks, software to remove ads and “plain text” Apps around the corner.

I guess the powers that be will look for methods of strip-mining the marketplace. Honestly, once an eBook is written and arrives in eBook stores for $9.99 what purpose would ad revenue serve other than maximizing profit? They’ll try it but it’s up to the consumers if we’ll buy it.

Aug 23

Is eBook Piracy the key to a Bestseller?

Many thanks to Jorgen for a link to a FUTUReBOOK story that highlights the continuing debate over online piracy. It seems that the laws aren’t working, and the powers that be are trying to ramp up the legal response to digital piracy and file sharing.

That eventuality can only slow the Internet and curb the freedoms of its honest users, despite the fact that there are many examples where piracy and file sharing are not just good for business, but are encouraged as a business model.

Read the article here.

Aug 22

Sylvania getting into the eBook act.

Engadget.com has a post about Sylvania prepping a $100 netbook and a $180 eReader for a pre-Christmas release through the CVS drugstore chain. The Look Book eBook Reader is rumored to have a 7-inch full-color screen, wireless connectivity and access to the Kobobook eBook sales platform.

Read the post and view the marketing materials at the link.