D Streitfeld reports in today’s NYT that Amazon will launch in time for holiday gift sales its own tablet computer, in direct competition with the Apple iPad. The new, not named (maybe this Wednesday at a news conference it will be) device will be a Kindle on steroids-avec color and touch operation; with e-mail, browsing, [...]
The BIG e-news this week is that, as long awaited, Amazon will now allow its Kindle devices to be compatible with public library loans. J Bosman reported in the 22.09.11 NYT that Kindle joins Sony, Nook, smartphones, et al in having appropriate software for this file sharing. It is anticipated that free library e-useage will [...]
W Gimes reported in yesterday’s NYT of the death of Michael Hart. He was the founder of Project Gutenberg, the origin of the the e-book revolution, and the originator of the “fifth information age”. While a student at the U of I, he was given access to Cham-bana’s mainframe [NB: ¿remember Hal in 2001: A [...]
The latest attempt at enhanced e-books is reported on in today’s NYT (Bells and Whistles for a Few E-Books: J Bosman). Booktrack, a start-up, in the next several weeks will release seven titles for iPad and iPhone which will have ancillary Big Screen movie scoreish soundtracks to complement the e-reading experience. Mostly about 9 hrs/book [...]
The NYT reports today that Amazon, concerned with a deluge of re-formatted e-books that are being sold under the aegis of “private label rights” (PLR) has begun to weed these out of the Kindle store. The concept behind these ‘books’ is that a writer can sell his work to someone who can then substitute his [...]
NYT’s Personal Tech maven N Bilton reports today on his experience reading a novel on multiple electronic platforms. Using dedicated e-readers, smartphones, a tablet, a PC, and the two iPad avatars, as well as a paperback copy of The Alienist, he discusses the high and low points of his investigation. His personal final take [the [...]
J Bosman writes in today’s NYT that publishers of trade paperbacks are accelerating the release dates of many books. Formerly, they would usually wait a year after hardcover release, capitalizing on first run pricier sales and hoping to get a second wave of robust action with the soft cover format. Now, as e-books are generally [...]
J Bosman reports in today’s NYT that Algonquin, a division of Workman Publishing, is experimenting this month with a throw-in plan aimed at slowing the decline of the traditional, physical bookstore. In conjunction with some Barnes and Noble sites, it is offering a list of 12 titles of trade paperbacks at retail, with the option [...]
JK Rowling, author of the extrordinarily popular Harry Potter series, announced yestreday that her books will be available for all major e-reader platforms this October. However, rather than being sold through traditional retailers, she will provide them only through her own interactive website, “Pottermore.com”. While her print publishers, Scholastic and Bloomsbury, will profit with her, [...]
Barnes and Noble launched its Simple Touch Reader on e-mail ads today, and it looks quite attractive. Competitively priced at $139, it is thin and trim (6″ screen, 8 oz wt), uses E-ink, has touchscreen keyboard and navigation, and a long battery charge life. It continues the Nook Lend Me book swapping, in-store free reading, [...]
