Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Racy Cover Lands Author in Court over Theft of Image

Gronking
It’s always a good thing when Gronkerotica makes national headlines since it serves to remind the rest of us that yes, there are steamy books available that offer fun word play on terms and phrases like “tight end” and “the receiver was wide open.” The fact that the title character (spoiler alert) doesn’t get to have sex in the erotica title he stars in is unimportant to this news.

Unfortunately, the national attention aimed at the erotica title A Gronking to Remember–yes, erotic short fiction starring the New England Patriots’ own Rob Gronkowski–isn’t such a great thing for its author, presumably pen named Lacey Noonan. As it turns out, the image of the adoring and quite photogenic couple on the cover isn’t The Gronk and his girlfriend–which would probably still not be legal since it was used without permission–but is instead an Ohio couple who’s positively mortified that their engagement photo (yes, the photo they shared with the world to announce their undying love) has been made into the laughing stock of the football/literary world.

This isn’t the first time Noonan or this book have been in trouble for the cover art. The NFL compelled the author to remove an unlicensed photo of Gronk from the original cover over copyright issues. The actual underlying cause may have been the photo that was chosen; in the picture, Gronk is wearing a uniform that prominently features a patch with the initials of the team owner’s recently deceased and widely beloved wife, a gesture the entire team took on in order to honor her memory.

Now that the book has garnered national media attention and has been the subject of widespread ridicule, the couple is suing the author for using their picture without permission. The author has replaced the cover once again with a different couple and an awkward drawing of the famous athlete’s face.

This serves as an important reminder to self-published authors about the fair use of photographs and other artwork. Ironically, the same authors who think nothing of grabbing a stock photo or a found image for the cover art would be the first in line to cry foul if their books were pirated. The real shame of the entire saga is that this is the kind of book that, despite the poor reviews that state it is poorly written and barely erotic, is exactly what self-published authors have benefited from in a big way. There is a market for every imaginable type of erotica, and it could have been smart money for Noonan if she’d continued the series in a more legally appropriate way.

Racy Cover Lands Author in Court over Theft of Image is a post from: Good e-Reader

Kobo Glo HD vs Kobo Aura H2O – Reading in the Dark

KOBO GLO HD VS KOBO H2O

The Kobo Glo HD and Kobo Aura H2O are two e-readers that are very modern. They are the latest devices issued by Kobo and have some fairly compelling features. The H2O is waterproof and features a 6.8 inch screen, whereas the Glo HD is out at the end of the month and has the highest resolution and PPI out of any Kobo e-reader to date. Today, we compare these two models and show you what its like to read in the dark.

Most modern e-readers have technology that allow you to read in the dark, without the need of an external book light. There are 5 small LED lights on the bottom of the bezel and project light upwards. This makes it easier to read than a tablet or smartphone.

Today, we take a look to see if Kobo has made any improvements from the H2O to the Glo HD. If you are in the market for either of these two e-readers you don’t want to miss this video.


Kobo Glo HD vs Kobo Aura H2O – Reading in the Dark is a post from: Good e-Reader

Sony Smartwatch 3 Unboxing Video

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The Sony Smartwatch 3 came out late 2014 and this model features Android Wear. This is the unified operating system that was designed exclusively for smartwatches. Today, we show you the retail packaging and take it out of the box for the first time.

The first and second generation Sony Smartwatches did not use Android Wear, and instead used the very lackluster Sony OS. The 3rd generation model should be a hit because Wear already has hundreds of apps that are optimized to work with it, letting you do things like manage notifications, call a car, follow recipes or navigation directions, and sure-why-the-hell-not, right or left-swipe in Tinder. It’s actually very intuitive and easy to use, and it’s frequently easier to give your wrist a glance than to pull out your phone and unlock it just to see why it’s been buzzing.

The watch itself uses a 1.6 inch TFT LCD touchscreen and can garner you 48 hours of battery life on a single charge.


Sony Smartwatch 3 Unboxing Video is a post from: Good e-Reader

Kobo H2O e-Reader Gets Pinch and Zoom Functionality

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The Kobo Aura H2O came out in October 2014 and it was the first waterproof e-reader to hit the market. Many people were attracted to this device because it featured a 6.8 inch screen and can be used to read anywhere. One of the drawbacks of the H2O was the inability to pinch and zoom when reading PDF files, comics and or when using the internet browser. I am proud to report that a new firmware update solved this issue.

The new firmware update for the Kobo H2O is available now and will slowly be pushed out via WIFI. Once the 3.15 update is installed you want to turn off the water droplet notification setting in order to gain the ability to pinch and zoom digital content.

There is a few other changes in this new update for the H2O, including Chess removed from beta features, No more Beyond the Book – except for related books and a revamped UI for the on-device store.

Kobo H2O e-Reader Gets Pinch and Zoom Functionality is a post from: Good e-Reader

Engaging your patrons with digital magazines and newspapers

A young professional wakes up and reads USA Today with her morning coffee. The newspaper isn't delivered to her apartment each morning – she enjoys it digitally on her iPhone while preparing for another busy day. At lunch, there isn't enough time to really dive into Brown Girl Dreaming, the biography she's borrowed from her library, so instead she flips through a few magazines to pass the time. First, she grabs the latest issue of Newsweek before discovering her next vacation locale in National Geographic and finally finding a great recipe to try for dinner in this month's edition of Fine Cooking. What do these reading experiences have in common? They were all on her smart phone, and they were all borrowed from her public library.

FotorCreatedReaders love discovering new eBooks and audiobooks in their favorite genres from the library, but that's not all they read. Magazines and newspapers are read by millions of users each day as a way to keep up with current events or their favorite sports teams, learn new things or as a guilty pleasure by skimming through the latest gossip. If you're offering your patrons digital periodicals through OverDrive, each time your users reach for their favorite magazine or newspaper it boosts your circulation.

It may take someone a week to finish one eBook from your library, but they can enjoy multiple digital magazines and newspapers in that time – which is why every library that has added OverDrive Periodicals has seen a spike in circulation. Periodicals are available for simultaneous use – which means no wait lists – and they're always up to date with the most current issues.

Libraries in Texas, New Hampshire, Michigan and all over the country have watched their circulation skyrocket since adding digital magazines and newspapers from OverDrive, and yours can do the same. We've made it easy and affordable to add OverDrive Periodicals by creating collections of the most popular titles starting at less than $.02 per copy! If this is your first time purchasing periodicals, click here for details on your access fee, and then check out these great collections:

Top 10 for $500
Top 20 for $1,000
Top 25 for $1,500
Top 30 for $3,000*
Top 40 for $3,000
Top 40 for $4,000*
Top 50 for $5,000*
Top 60 for $4,000
Top 70 for $5,000
Top 75 for $7,000*
Top 100+ for $10,000*

*Collection includes Wall Street Journal

Titles may vary by geographic location

Reviewing Days of Awe by Lauren Fox

Lauren Fox won me over a few years ago when I read Friends Like Us in one sitting. I was so excited to hear she had a new novel coming out and she did not disappoint! In fact, I think Days of Awe is her best novel yet and I'm betting this novel takes her from critical acclaim to household and bestseller fame.

{872A93BA-AC00-491B-897B-E152344AC0E9}Img400Days of Awe is an achingly funny novel about love, loss, family, friendship, and moving on. In less than a years' time, Isabel Moore went from being happily married to apathetically separated and her preteen daughter went from adoring her mother to being a moody insomniac. The catalyst that seemed to create this unraveling was the death of Josie, her flamboyant, wild, and unconventional best friend. She was killed in a single-car accident that left Isabel wondering if it truly was an accident or a suicide. As Isabel tries to make sense of this unbearable loss, she pieces together the years and months leading up the Josie's death and discovers that her life was not as it seemed.

Throughout the process, Isabel end up learning more about herself than Josie's death. But what struck me most was Fox's honest portrayal of love and loss. Anyone who has ever mourned the sudden death of a loved one or suffered the pains of a broken heart will connect with the characters on a deep level.

This book will appeal to a wide audience as it straddles the line between contemporary romance and literary fiction. Fans of Anne Tyler and Jane Smiley will love the rich family dynamic and fans of Maria Semple and Jennifer Close will appreciate the cleverness and humor. The candor and authentic portrayal of female friendship will be appreciated by all readers. A perfect book club pick, Days of Awe will leave readers breathless and anxious for the next Lauren Fox novel.

This title will be available to borrow from your library on August 4th but you can place a hold right now!

Rachel Kray is a Collection Development Analyst at OverDrive

How to Add Hyphen Support to Kindles for Better Readability

One thing that has always annoyed me about reading ebooks on Kindles is the lack of good font choices and the fact that hyphenation isn’t supported, which often results in awkward spacing between letters. Yesterday I posted an article about how to get Kindle books to display custom fonts. Today I’m going to show how […]

Want to Win an Election? Write an eBook

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When President Obama defeated Mitt Romney to win the 2012 election, ebook innovator Vook had two books standing at the ready. One was entitled Why Obama Lost, and the other was Why Romney Lost. Not very imaginative titles, to be sure, but that wasn’t the point. The purpose of the books was to have a product to distribute to readers the moment the election results were in. It was hailed as not only a striking move for political discourse, but also a highlight of exactly how effective digital publishing can be in terms of getting information in front of readers with little to no wait time.

A book series by UK publisher Politico is taking full advantage of this exact same technology and the identical reader interest to head off the elections. Rather than a commentary on what went wrong, Politico has a line up that includes titles such as Why Vote Conservative, Why Vote Labour, and 101 Ways to Win an Election. These short titles–which tend to run less than 200 pages and cost £3.99 for the ebook–are reaching out to voters with the parties’ platforms well ahead of election day.

And that’s where US politicians would be smart to enter the ebook realm ahead of November 2016, too. With several major figures already formally announcing their intentions to run for President (a year and a half ahead of the elections), there’s certainly time to write and/or ghostwrite everything from their personable childhood tales to their visions for the country. Moreover, the sales of the books could not only support their campaigns, but could also serve as an early indicator of how the public perceives them, especially where the reviews are concerned. It could also give politicians an uninterrupted forum for stating their cases, without having their dreaded and embarrassing out-of-context soundbites peppering the nightly news.

Everyone from sports franchises to public speakers have taken advantage of the ease and speed of digital publishing and self-publishing to produce an informative product, and politicians would be wise to follow their lead. With the increasing numbers of people–especially younger consumers–taking to reading on their smartphones and mobile devices, it’s a no-risk prospect that could stand to have a major sway over the outcome next fall.

Want to Win an Election? Write an eBook is a post from: Good e-Reader

Kobo Firmware Update 3.15 Released, Adds Pinch-Zooming to H2O

With the Kobo Glo HD set to be released in a couple of days, Kobo has issued an update to officially add support for the Glo HD to Kobo’s software. The new 3.15 software also applies to the original Kobo Glo, Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Aura, and Kobo Aura H2O. Like usual, you can wait […]

Welcome Philip!

The sharp-eyed among you will have noticed that a couple of months back, we were advertising for a new CEO of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.  

Today we're really excited to announce that Philip Colligan will be joining us in July as the new CEO of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.  Philip will be responsible for overseeing all of our charitable activities – that's everything from our outreach and learning resources to grant-giving and partnerships with government and other organisations.  He’ll be working closely with Eben, who continues as the CEO of Raspberry Pi Trading.  

We are concerned that Eben and Philip's very similar facial styling may cause identity problems in the office.

Philip joins us from Nesta, a charity that supports innovation, where he is the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Nesta's Innovation Lab. In his role at Nesta, he’s supported hundreds of innovators in public services, charities and social enterprises, and has also been an adviser to government.

One of Nesta’s areas of work is helping young people get involved in digital making and creativity, so with Philip on board, we’re hoping that there will be lots of opportunities to work together in future.

Before his time at Nesta, Philip had a career in national and local government, working at the Home Office and Camden Council.  Outside of work he’s a dad, school governor and craft cider maker; a skill we plan on making full use of. (We also hope that his experience in wrangling the Home Office will be helpful when he is called to deal with the weekly détente in the office when Gordon annexes the biscuit tin.)

Philip's perfectly qualified to come and drive the next phase of the Foundation's charitable work; we're delighted he's decided to come and join us. We want to see the Foundation grow in scope and ambition, and we think he's exactly the person to help us do that. Welcome aboard, Philip!