Oct 12
A special thanks to Jorgen for this story at Gizmodo about Barnes and Noble’s much anticipated addition to the eBook marketplace.
Lots of interesting notions in the offered posting about B&N’s mysterious eReader. Looks like the rumors are starting to pile up.
Oh, and sorry about the delayed postings. This is the Canadian Thanksgiving so we’re encouraged to overeat and avoid work.
Back to business tomorrow, yah?
Oct 11
Smashwords is an online distribution service for independent eBook authors and publishers. And it’s FREE!
They offer a wide variety of eBooks for sale direct from the Smashwords.com bookstore, as well as distribute through various online channels. And many of the titles are very fairly priced, some starting as low as $1.99.
They’ve also inked deals to distribute through major online retailers like Barnes & Noble and Sony, and the catalogs of mobile e-reading apps (Stanza on the iPhone, eReader on the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile Smartphone, Palm Treo and Centro, Symbian Mobile Phones; Aldiko and Word-Player on Android phones).
This should shake up the eBook Revolution, yah?
Oct 10
Jorgen stopped by to direct us to this article at techdirt.com debunking some of the myths that surround digital content piracy and file sharing.
It’s an excellent piece that suggests eBook piracy might not be the bad thing publishers want us to believe it is.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Stop Piracy with Fair Prices and Easy Access.
Oct 09
Amazon has cut the price of its Kindle 2 to $259. This analysts say, to prime consumers for Christmas.
And, Amazon is announcing the release of the (Global) Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6″ Display, U.S. & International Wireless, Latest Generation). That device boasts global wireless connectivity and will cost you $279. Check the site to see if they ship to your country.
These developments have been a long time coming and with their arrival Kindle might be able to make up some of the ground it has lost to tetherless and cheaper rivals.
Oct 08
Hard to avoid being nostalgic about soldiers these days with so many military actions going on around the world. By now most of us know someone who has been over somewhere doing something to protect the free-speech and thought that is slowly migrating across the digital divide.
A link from Jorgen discloses a rather interesting phenomena. It turns out that soldiers are putting eBook Readers high on their Xmas wish-lists. A story at PCPro.co.uk says that the limited space in backpacks for old-fashioned books plus the added weight they represent, make eBook Readers and the large weightless digital collections they carry an easy adoption for soldiers on the move.
Makes sense that these high-tech devices would be a hit with people who are fast becoming the most tech-savvy among us. That fact married to the often tedious waiting periods associated with many months of deployment overseas make eBooks and eBook Readers a practical fashion accessory for every soldier with boots on the ground.
eBOOKS BOOST MORALE! Is there anything they can’t do?
Oct 07
This review of the Sony PRS-600 Touch eReader at Electronista – Gadgets for Geeks is by far the most comprehensive I’ve seen, probably because the devices are becoming more common and are dependable enough to warrant such scrutiny. There’s actually something to compare too, with the growing number of competitors on the market. It’s true, the eBook Revolution has been going long enough to give some of these devices a track record.
I found this review is most engaging because it puts a few of these technological innovations into historical context. Hard to believe there’s anything ‘historical’ about eBooks, yah? (Other than ‘bricks and mortar’ stores, paperbacks and hardcovers…)
Oct 06
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.
iLounge is offering a list of TEN NEW DETAILS on the Apple Tablet. Check them out HERE!
Oct 05
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
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
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?
