Sunday, February 2, 2014

eBook Review: Just One Night by Kyra Davis

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Verdict: 3 Stars

This book points out many of the things that are wrong with the romance genre. First, back up and understand that the popularity of a book such as this is the supposedly real-life scenario of a woman informally engaged to a man whom she’s been dating for six years (longer than many marriages last these days) who seizes the opportunity to have a wild one night stand with an insanely gorgeous wealthy (aren’t they all, these days?) man. The story line speaks to readers whose own lives are certainly no 50 Shades, but thrusts them into Kasie’s wild-but-temporary adventure.

Unfortunately, Kasie makes just about as many stupid decisions as she possibly can, and it almost felt like an insult that the readers are expected to identify with her and cheer for her. Not only does she stay with her fiance long after he begins emotionally and verbally abusing her for her (skanky) indiscretion, but she cannot bring herself to decide what it is she wants out of life.

While billed as sizzling compliment to one very famous work of erotica starring a billionaire control freak, hasn’t that story line been done to death? Even the fans of the genre have cooled in their pursuit of inexplicably wealthy, unattached, youngish men, mostly because the genre just keeps feeding them the same story lines.

What is actually interesting about the book is its long journey to publication. It was written originally as three digital-only stories that have been woven together and made available in print, displaying the power of readers to make a bestseller out of an e-series prior to the publisher investing in paper.

Just One Night was a perfectly pleasant, although tired, read, and is available now.

eBook Review: Just One Night by Kyra Davis is a post from: E-Reader News

Amazon Removes Self-Published Title Due to Offensive Content, Internet Reaction

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Following the backlash from both sides of the publishing industry last fall over the removal of so-called “offensive” content from ebook retail websites, booksellers have become more cautious about the titles they let slip through. Authors of erotica titles that were summarily removed without warning were obviously outraged, but consumers were equally upset by explicit content that found its way in front of unsuspecting consumers. The resulting crack down led to some titles being removed permanently.

Now, however, Amazon has removed a title from its virtual shelves amid internet outrage over what many have termed a book on how to rape women. It shouldn’t be shocking, despite Amazon’s generally liberal stance on what constitutes offensive, despite its history of removing titles such as the alleged pedophiles’ guide that it removed several years ago.

Despite the fact that most readers wouldn’t have a problem with removing a book on how to rape unwilling, non-consenting partners, some authors still see this as dangerous ground. After all, isn’t the point of self-publishing the ability to have control over one’s own work and make books available to larger audiences without having the approval of the “gatekeepers?”

Not so, say several ebook distributors. While self-publishing does afford authors the ability to write and publish any level of content they wish, the retailers are under no obligation to sell the material on their websites. Amazon removed Vincent Vinturi’s title, LMR Exposed: How to Overcome Her Last Minute Resistance to Sex, Turn No into Yes, and Get the Lay under the premise that it violates their terms of use, terms that many retailers have revisited since last fall.

Amazon Removes Self-Published Title Due to Offensive Content, Internet Reaction is a post from: E-Reader News

New $840M Claim Against Apple for eBook Price Fixing

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A US judge is still in the process of handling the DOJ lawsuit against Apple–along with five of the then-Big Six publishers–for conspiring to raise the price of ebooks in order to impact the market share that Amazon held over the industry. The outcome, which included settlements from most of the publishers seeking to avoid lengthy and costly court battles as well as a guilty verdict for Apple that is currently in appeals, has yet to be finalized, but Judge Denise Cote is expected to seek the maximum amount of damages against Apple for its violation of Section One of the Sherman Act.

Last week, a new lawsuit was filed on behalf of consumers in 33 states, and this one seeks the full amount allowable under the law, or triple the amount that consumers presumably lost due to the collusion to overcharge for ebooks. This amount, if approved by the judge, would be well in the range of $840 million dollars.

That is a big if, however. A number of class action suits have been filed on behalf of consumers in this case, and this latest suit may be too little too late to sway Cote in her ruling. If the attorney who filed the suit, Steve Berman, has his way, though, one of his chief witnesses is prepared to demonstrate how much the consumers were overcharged with metrics from an economist based on the 18% rise in ebook sales as a result of artificial price fluctuations.

New $840M Claim Against Apple for eBook Price Fixing is a post from: E-Reader News

Daily Deals & Freebies – February 2

Kindle Daily Deals Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson We were going out stealing horses. That was what he said, standing at the door to the cabin where I was spending the summer with my father. I was fifteen. It was 1948 and one of the first days of July. Trond's friend Jon often appeared […]

Visionect Launches New ePaper Devices and DIY Software Platform

Some interesting news crossed my desk this morning about a new way to design and develop epaper products. Visionect, a Slovenia based company, has launched a new do-it-yourself type of platform that lets anyone develop an epaper-based product, and not just ebook readers, but other types of devices such as restaurant menus. Then Visionect’s V-Platform […]

Google Preparing an Onslaught of Smart Devices

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With consumer focus shifting towards smart wearable devices, Google that has already made a head start in this segment with the Google Glass device is now keen to build up a sizeable presence in this segment. the above assertion stems from the search giant's recent decision to acquire Nest Labs in a deal worth $3.2 billion. Nest labs right now can boasts of just smart devices in the ir product portfolio, a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm device and a thermostat, which makes us wonder what direction Google is believed to be charting towards to fuel their 'smart' aspirations.

Worth mentioning here, Google had earlier acquired Deep Mind Technologies for $550 million. In contrast to Nest, Deep Mind deals with artificial intelligence and the development of general algorithm that would make it easier to imitate human intelligence and behavior. However, the generality of the company's area of expertise again makes us wonder what smart device can be expected from Google next. It can be anything from a smartwatch which happens to be the current craze among tech companies to showcase their futuristic ambitions or even the next gen version of Google Glass. A smart health monitoring system can't be ruled out either, another segment that is beginning to gain prominence off late as people become increasingly health conscious.

However, what seems certain is that smart device does seem to be the future with plenty more activity to be witnessed here in the coming days. Keep watching!

Google Preparing an Onslaught of Smart Devices is a post from: E-Reader News