Sunday, May 25, 2014

Le Monde Digital Newspaper Strategy Flounders

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Le Monde, the largest newspaper in France is resisting modernizing their digital presence and has driven away editor Natalie Nougayrède. She had been working for the paper for over 14 months and her staff basically revolted over her mandate to redesign the newspaper and their line of apps. The deciding factor that contributed to her demise was the transferring of more than 50 staff members from the print newspaper to the digital operation.

In order to be elected to an Editor at Le Monde, there is a general vote by the newsroom. All of the journalists cast their ballot on who would do the best job at editor of the entire paper. The prevailing sentiment at Le Monde was that of a true democracy and Natalie’s heavy handed approach lost the support of the average journalist. She was mandating approaches instead of consulting with her editorial staff. Needless to say the editors did not like being told what to do and eight of them wrote a letter to the owners saying that they would all resign.

Newspaper journalists in France see themselves having more prestidge over their stories being included in the print edition. Moving seasoned veterans into the digital arena was seen as a downgrade. They do not want to be put on the same level as blogger, when they break exclusive worldwide stories.

Le Monde was one of the early adopters of Digital, but their overall strategy and apps are hopelessly out of date. The New York Times is a solid innovator with numerous free apps that give you quality journalistic content from the papers, curated for specific audiences. There are over 8 apps from the Times listed on Google Play, including short form, long form and exclusive videos. All of these niche products widens their reach and can turn a casual audience into paid subscribers.

Natalie Nougayrède left the paper because most of the staff did not want to write for the digital platform. "It is a crisis linked to the growth of digital in a traditional company of the written press," said Alain Frachon, a former senior editor of Le Monde. "And on top of that, there is strong discontent."

Le Monde Digital Newspaper Strategy Flounders is a post from: Good e-Reader

Simpsons Tapped Out Review

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Electronic Arts released the Simpsons Tapped Out game a few years ago. This game has spawned a number of city building clones, such as Family Guy – Quest for Stuff. The premise of the game is Homer inadvertently destroying Springfield in a nuclear disaster. Your job is to rebuild the city in any image you see fit.

Simpsons is the longest running cartoon in history and has a copious amount of characters, storylines and witty humor to draw upon. Characters you get from leveling up will allow you to do quests to earn money and experience. You may use the cash to buy buildings and season specific vanity items.

The virtual currency Simpsons Tapped Out uses is called Donuts. You earn donuts by leveling up or completing big story arc quests. If spending money is more your style there are tiers of them you can buy to get one of a kind buildings or characters.

One of the reasons why this game is so compelling is the amount of time you need to invest. Whenever there is a major holiday, like Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day or a major event on the television show you have quests and speciality buildings you can unlock. If you miss an event, there is no way you can buy this building again, ever. This promotes playing often to be able to get every single building or speciality character in the game.

In the end, Tapped Out will appeal to people who love the Simpsons as source material. You don’t need to pay to win either, you can get 90% of all buildings, characters or vanity items by just grinding it out.


Simpsons Tapped Out Review is a post from: Good e-Reader

Family Guy – Quest for Stuff Review

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Family Guy – Quest for Stuff is the latest city building game based on Simpsons Tapped Out. The gameplay consists of rebuilding Quahog in any way you deem fit. You’ll be laying down roads, rebuilding houses and businesses from the show, and sending your favorite characters off to do various tasks in an attempt to earn currency to build up Quahog bigger and better than it was before. If you don’t want to wait for Peter to play Pirate, you can use real-world cash to buy premium currency or "clams" to make everyone almost instantaneously finish what they’re doing.

There is a strong social component to the game that allows you to connect up to Facebook and invite your friends to be apart of your virtual community. You can then check out their city designs and earn cash by clicking on their buildings. Check out the full game review by watching the video below.


Family Guy – Quest for Stuff Review is a post from: Good e-Reader

Unlock Your Phone Just By Picking It Up Using NFC

Android NFCWe’ve all heard a thing or two about NFC (near-field communication) –but Adafruit has come up with one of the most clever and convenient uses for the technology: unlocking your device just by picking it up! When you think about how many times a day you swipe or tap in your password, the appeal is impossible to ignore.

The way it works is simple: keep an NFC tag close by (the tutorial recommends embedding it into a ring or secured to a fingernail under your nail polish) and your device will be able to sense that you are trusted and you are near. Previously reserved for security-conscious features like processing mobile payments, NFC could also be used for convenience features.

Before you get too excited, the bad news is that making this happen today isn’t for the average person.  It requires you to jailbreak your NFC-supported device (so the technology required is enabled when the phone is powered-on and not just after it is unlocked) and you need to get your hands on an NFC tag –but the point is to consider the potential… perhaps it is the means for your other wearables (like a smart-watch) to communicate with your phone or perhaps it means your morning alarms will all be set the moment you set your phone down on the nightstand.

Unlock Your Phone Just By Picking It Up Using NFC is a post from: Good e-Reader

Google Now Allows Reminders Set Entirely By Voice

Google Now RemindersIf you aren’t using Google Now on your Android device, you should start immediately (after you finish reading this post, of course). Boasting itself as the service that offers you ‘the right information at just the right time’, Google Now is the personal assistant most of us do not have the luxury of employing. With the latest update, you can do even more with your voice, including setting reminders –as long as you are using an Android device (this functionality has not been implemented for iOS just yet).

Eliminating the need to ‘click to confirm’ means your Android device just became that much more hands free –just finish by saying “yes” or “set” and you are good to go! The best part is that the change appears to be entirely on Google’s side, which means you won’t even need an update to take advantage of this new feature!

This change combined with the recent feature-add allowing us to set a timer from our Android devices is proving Google Now to be an indispensable companion.

Google Now Allows Reminders Set Entirely By Voice is a post from: Good e-Reader

Comparison Review: Kindle Fire HDX vs Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 (Video)

Recently I posted a review of the new 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, and while I was at it I wanted to post a comparison review between it and the 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX to detail some of the differences between them. Both are among the top brands for Android tablets, and both are very […]

Tweaked Modded ROM for Nook Touch and Nook Touch GlowLight

Awhile ago I noticed over at XDA a new Tweaked Modded ROM for the Nook Touch and Nook Touch with GlowLight. I haven’t tried installing it yet, and was wondering what the usability differences are between it and the regular Nooter rooting package. The Tweaked Modded ROM is based off the Nook’s official 1.2.1 firmware, […]

eBook Review: Basil Instinct by Shelley Costa

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Verdict: 5 Stars

As far as the genre known as “cozy mysteries” goes–dead guy, yes, psychopathic serial killer, no–there are a host of authors out there crafting really fun story lines and developing settings and characters that speak to a broad audience of whodunnit fans. These books typically run in a series so that fans can get a real feel for the backstory involved in the plot, and because fans of these titles enjoy finding out new aspects to their beloved characters’ lives.

Shelley Costa, author of the brilliant You Cannoli Die Once (Pocket Books, 2013) has done it again with the next book in the Miracolo series, Basil Instinct. This title once again follows Eve Angelotta, head chef of her family’s four-generation Italian restaurant, along with her cousin sidekicks, as they have to sort out a mystery while whipping up a to-die-for eggplant parmesan.

In Cannoli, Eve’s grandmother, Maria Pia, was accused of murdering her octogenarian boyfriend with the kitchen mortar and it was up to them to clear her good name. Now, Maria Pia has been invited to join a secret society of great female culinary experts, one that has a seedy reputation for its almost Mafia-like intensity where cooking is concerned.

Murder and antics ensue for Eve, Landon, and the rest of the familiar cast of characters, but what really will grab readers’ attention is Costa’s undeniable comedic style. These may not be people you know, but you will certainly wish your circle of friends was this colorful and amusing. Family dynamics, relationships, love interests, and murder combine artfully in this cooking-themed series, and…never mind, I’ll spare you the recipe analogy.

Basil Instinct will be available on May 27th.

eBook Review: Basil Instinct by Shelley Costa is a post from: Good e-Reader