| The World Cup in Brazil is upon us and likely you won’t be able to buy doctors notes for the entire event. Keep informed on the latest goals, follow your favorite team and watch videos in real time. We have compiled the best apps from our App Store to install on your Android device, Blackberry 10 or the Blackberry Playbook. Fifa – Android | Blackberry - Download the Official App of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, unlocking all the exclusive coverage from the planet’s biggest single-sporting event. With the official FIFA World Cup App, you can take the World Cup with you everywhere you go. Eurosport.com- Android | Blackberry - Keep up with all the latest sports action with Eurosport’s faster, smoother, new-look app. CBC 2014 Fifa World Cup – Android - Welcome to CBC's FIFA World Cup app (brought to you by Bell). Experience FIFA World Cup soccer anywhere you are on your Android phone or tablet. Watch replays of the most exciting moments with our new multi-angle camera feature. Stay connected to the news and information you need including up-to-the-minute game time stats and instant highlights. SofaScore Livescore – Android | Blackberry – SofaScore LiveScore is an one-for-all live score app. With our mobile app you can track sport results and scores in all major leagues, tournaments and events. You can also create a list of favorite teams and games which will enable your phone to receive notifications. With SofaScore you'll never miss an important match again. Javasco World Cup – Android | Blackberry - This application lets you follow games of football World Cup in Brazil. It is easy to use and you can quickly access the most needed data by defining contents of tabs. Goal.com – Android | Blackberry - The Goal app brings you the latest news direct from our worldwide network of reporters, with exclusive content, interviews, transfer gossip, live scores and much more from the world of football. New Star Soccer – Android | Blackberry - New Star Soccer is a unique football career game that lets you live the life of an up-and-coming superstar. Start out in the lower leagues and work your way to the top by training hard, scoring goals and keeping your boss, team mates and fans happy Adidas 2014 Fifa World Cup Live Wallpaper – Android – Celebrate the spirit of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and get ready for its Brazuca kick-off with the official adidas 2014 FIFA World Cup Live Wallpaper and Clock Widget app! Fantasy Manager Football – Android | Blackberry – The total football Manager! Be the Chairman, the Sport Director, the talent scout, the personal trainer and, of course, the Manager with Fantasy Manager Football, the most complete experience that allows you to lead in first person all the aspects of a real Club. FTBpro – The Soccer News App – Android | Blackberry – Do you eat, drink and sleep soccer? The FTBpro news app is a must have for every soccer fan and sport lover! FTBpro is the largest fan generated media platform in soccer for all the latest breaking soccer news,transfer rumors, fixtures, results, tables, schedules, live scores, and more – straight to your phone or tablet. Top 10 World Cup Apps for Blackberry and Android is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Top 10 World Cup Apps for Blackberry and Android
Book Review: 1001 Tips for Writers by William A Gordon
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Any fans of either quotations or writing will want to keep this reference on hand. This fun volume has compiled over one thousand quotes from major players in the writing and publishing industries and, while fun to peruse, actually contains cited words of wisdom from names that many would-be authors will recognize. According to a press release from publisher North Ridge Books, Gordon’s title “offers some of the best advice about writing and getting published today. The book features not only the collective wisdom of many literary greats (Twain, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Lebowitz), but also many working writers, editors, and publishers.” While some of the book is dedicated to information and funny quips on getting published–such as, “There is only way to make money at writing, and that is to marry a publisher’s daughter,” told to George Orwell –much of the book contains insightful and interesting quotes about the craft and process as well. This title is not yet available as an ebook, a fact which almost cost it one star in the review. This type of book would make a great reference for those who wish to include quotations on a number of related topics, and the search capabilities of an ebook would be ideal for a referencable work like this one. Let’s hope that the publisher sees the need for digitization soon. The physical book is available now from major retailers and booksellers.
Book Review: 1001 Tips for Writers by William A Gordon is a post from: Good e-Reader |
iPad Air 2 to have 8 MP Camera, Fingerprint Sensor and A8 Processor
| The iPad Air 2 is poised to hit production next month and a number of manufacturers have chimed in on what will be different on the next iteration of the Apple tablet. The overall design should remain consistent with the first generation Air, but the internal components and hardware will be upgraded. The iPad Air will maintain the same LG display screen with a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels. This will insure that magazines and comics will continue to be delivered in the HD format, making content look more vibrant than Android. Many industry analysts agree that the rear facing camera will be enhanced from the current 5 MP version to an updated 8 MP edition, which will also include a larger sensor for improved low-light performance. iOS 8 will also bring photography updates to both Apple’s existing and next-generation iPad Airs, in the form of new panoramic and time-lapse modes. Finally, the iPad Air 2 will have a new A8 processor which will speed things up, but also draw less power, so battery life will be increased. It will also include the same Fingerprint Sensor/Touch ID that was included in the iPhone 5S. iPad Air 2 to have 8 MP Camera, Fingerprint Sensor and A8 Processor is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Pay by the Month for Amazon Fire TV
| Amazon has been running an installment program for the last six months for their e-readers and Fire tablets. It allows customers to pay monthly for the device instead of all at once. In order to drive more sales to the new Fire TV the company has quietly unveiled a new installment plan starting at $19.20 US. The Fire TV is only available in the US and features a 1.7 GHZ quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It comes with a remote control that has voice functionality and X-Ray for Movies. It retails for $99.99 straight up and likely Amazon is offering this installment plan in order to surpass Apple TV and Roku in the valuable Electronics category. Reviews of the Fire TV have been largely positive, and Amazon has been on a rampage to promote its new device. Earlier this week, the company released an advertisement for the box featuring 15 minutes of Gary Busey talking to things in his house in order to promote the Fire TV's voice search function. Pay by the Month for Amazon Fire TV is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Google Voice Update Gives Transparency For International Calls
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Unfortunately, while Google Voice will allow you to make phone calls to Canada, the service is not yet available here (though if the rumors are to be believed, 2014 will see this detail changed). Google Voice Update Gives Transparency For International Calls is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Train Your Brain With Lumosity: Now Available For Android
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When was the last time you were able to say that your smartphone or tablet was doing something positive for your health and well-being? The premise is simple: sign up and identify your goals (would you like to concentrate better? improve your productivity?) and begin your daily training regime. Without a subscription, you will get access to 3 games per day on your mobile device –but for a low monthly ($16.48) or yearly ($88.15) fee you get access to much more, including 5 games per day for your workout. Your subscription is also universal, unlocking over 45 games on your PC as well if you would like to take your training to a higher level. Download Lumosity for Android quickly… before you forget! Train Your Brain With Lumosity: Now Available For Android is a post from: Good e-Reader |
SwiftKey Changes Predictive Keyboard App From Paid to Freemium
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Branding itself as the “fastest and easiest way to type,” SwiftKey offers personalized predictions (trying to read your mind, learning your patterns over time in an effort to become more accurate), smarter autocorrect (like properly inserting missed spaces between words), customized layouts, emoji predictions and more! In an interview with TechCrunch, SwiftKey co-founder and CTO Ben Medlock indicated that a key reason for the change is the ability to reach a much wider user base (not to mention being able to make deals with device makers), but he also noted that the growing trend of freemium apps was also a trigger (with many studies indicating the best monetization opportunities come from this model). It likely goes without saying that the ability to add third-party keyboards into iOS 8 was also very motivating: millions of iOS users will soon be eager to try out any other keyboard they can get their hands on, particularly one that doesn’t cost them anything up front. For those that have already paid for SwiftKey, the consolation is that the company assures their users that they will not have to pay again for any functionality that they already have –plus they are offering a loyalty bonus featuring a free pack of premium themes to download. SwiftKey Changes Predictive Keyboard App From Paid to Freemium is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Roundtable – Samsung Galaxy 4 Nook Specs Revealed
| A few weeks ago Barnes and Noble announced that they were initiating a collaboration with Samsung for the next generation Nook tablets. Samsung will be selling one million Samsung Galaxy Tab 4th generation 7 and 10 inch tablets to Barnes and Noble and will also be helping in promotion. Today, Michael and Peter give you the full specs on the new tablets and if its a step in the right direction from the Nook HD and Nook HD+ The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 is currently being sold for $199 for the 7 inch and $349 for the 10 inch versions. This is the model that Barnes and Noble has agreed to purchase, because Samsung is giving the Nations largest bookseller a large discount. The tablets have lower resolution than the Nook HD and HD+, which may make magazines, kids books and graphic novels quite lackluster. The processors have been upgraded to a quadcore 1.2 GHZ processor from the dual core found on the prior models. One thing we are really excited about is the front facing and rear facing cameras. Nook has never included a camera in any of their tablets, and this has prevented popular apps such as Vine, Snapchat and Camera360 from running. Now, Nook owners will be able to shoot videos, take selfies and snap a pic for their profiles. Lets take a look at the final hardware for the Samsung Galaxy 4 Nook. The seven inch model will have a resolution of 1280 x 800, 1.2 GHz Quad-Core processor and 1.5 GB of RAM. It has 8GB of memory and can be expanded further via the SD Card. The front facing camera will have 1.3 MP and the rear facing one will be 3.0 MP. The prior Nook tablets had Android 4.0 and these models will ship with 4.4 Kitkat. Google Play will also be available on launch day, so customer scan download a ton of content. The 10 inch model has similar specs to the 7 inch, except it has 16GB of internal storage In the Good e-Reader Roundtable Discussion, Michael and Peter talk about the full specs and how Barnes and Noble can get the most value from this collaboration. Also, can Barnes and Noble possibly market these devices to other markets?
Roundtable – Samsung Galaxy 4 Nook Specs Revealed is a post from: Good e-Reader |
How to Find Prime Eligible Kindle eBooks to Borrow from Kindle Lending Library
| One of unique features available to Kindle owners that subscribe to Amazon Prime is the ability to borrow up to one ebook per month from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. The Lending Library consists of over 500,000 Prime eligible Kindle ebooks, and includes some New York Times bestsellers. Once you select an ebook to borrow, […] |
Mosio Adds a Layer of Relevance to Libraries
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"Mosio helps librarians increase their discoverability, accessibility, and availability," said Noel Chandler, Mosio co-founder and CEO, in a press release. "Patrons have millions of choices when it comes to finding information online, and that information may or may not be authoritative. By helping librarians embed themselves in multiple online locations, we ensure that patrons have real-time access to the support they need to make better information decisions and achieve greater outcomes." Mosio's beta customers have already embedded the customizable OmniWidget in more than 10,000 places including the ProQuest, OverDrive, EBSCO, OCLC and Exlibris platforms. A number of libraries have indicated more patrons reach out to them via the widget than their current Contact Us pages. "Since customizing Mosio's widget with our library branding and integrating it with our website and databases, we have seen more patron engagement and higher usage of our electronic resources," said Linda Jones, Education Librarian, Dixie State University. "Working with Mosio means we can provide a higher level of service while collecting the data we need to prove ROI to key stakeholders." This instant access to libraries and their support administrators in the places that patrons naturally look–like Facebook–can help the public perception of what purpose libraries serve, all while allowing librarians to connect with the people their institutions serve. This increased engagement is important for demonstrating traffic to the powers who create budgets, as library traffic is no longer limited to bodies who walk through the doors. To try the service and join more than 2,000 member libraries who currently use Mosio’s features for patron connection, librarians are encouraged to visit Mosio’s trial link HERE.
Mosio Adds a Layer of Relevance to Libraries is a post from: Good e-Reader |
How The Washington Post Can Bring Down Its Owner’s Company
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Some companies have even tried it, which led to a pretty ugly Department of Justice investigation and resulting lawsuit, one whose damages are reportedly going to be well into the one billion dollar mark before it’s over. Of course, even within the bounds of the law publishers have been trying to find ways to cut their dependence on Amazon by launching direct-to-consumer initiatives and consumer campaigns like the “I Didn’t Buy It on Amazon” stickers that readers can proudly affix to the front of their books. But all of that may be unnecessary, as the perfect foil for Amazon is happening as we speak. George Will, outspokenly moronic columnist for The Washington Post, may have finally published one piece too far, this time claiming that women basically like to be raped because it gives them certain privileges. Yes, he called sexual assault survivorship a “coveted status” that comes with little perks in a scathing piece that blames women on college campuses for their own harm. In an interesting aside, the paper has already published an arguing viewpoint that (of course) doesn’t finger point at George Will, but attempts to sooth the hurt feelings of women across the country. We could argue the merits or the baseless jerkhood of Will’s article at length, and believe me, the social media sphere is doing just that. What I’d really like to know is where Will’s new employer stands on the issue. Jeff Bezos, recent owner of The Washington Post, doesn’t mind making a little money off the women who write and publish what is arguably one of the most profitable genres out there, romance. So, apparently sex is a good thing when it’s selling books, but it’s pretty much a non-issue when it’s being forced on women? Of course, Amazon did take a stand against erotica that was marketed to children in its Kindle store, so the company obviously does have some kind of conscience towards inappropriate or suggestive material when it’s aimed at the wrong audience. And while it’s unlikely that Bezos sat down with Will and crafted this ridiculous opinion piece over a couple of drinks, rubbing their hands maniacally and laughing their evil villain laughs, Bezos does have a corporate responsibility for what gets printed in his company’s newspaper. Which is it, Amazon? Are we little sluts who deserve what we get, or are we a major source of income for your company? Perhaps you’d do well to avoid a boycott from the authors who helped put you where you are. You can argue that Amazon can withstand a lot of things, but you won’t survive a walkout of the most prolific and fan-centric writers you sell on a daily basis. It’s time to ditch the dead weight before George Will brings down an empire, because there are a lot of people rooting for your demise.
How The Washington Post Can Bring Down Its Owner’s Company is a post from: Good e-Reader |
E Ink Launches New 32″ ePaper Displays
| This past week E Ink unveiled their largest single epaper display module yet. The new screens measure 32-inches diagonally, and are almost 25 times the size of a standard ebook reader display. The overall dimensions are 27.75-inches by 15.75-inches. Next to a Kindle the new screens look absolutely gigantic. The new screens are available in […] |
What you missed in the Hot Topic webinars
 Last month, more than 450 OverDrive school and library partners from around the world joined the Training Team's May Hot Topic Webinar series about boosting digital circulation and maximizing the value of your OverDrive service. We also heard from many of you who shared your library's success stories for growing your own user community. And the ideas are just too great to not share! Here are just a few of our favorite ideas: Kelsi Murphy, from Fayetteville-Lincoln County Public Library in Kentucky, wrote: "In our Teen section, we have put up posters of what titles we do and do not yet have in our digital collection. We ask teens to circle what titles they would like us to add to our digital collection, then post when we have purchased it." Julie Raynor, from the High Point Public Library in North Carolina, shared: "During the Aida Mollenkamp Big Library Read, I posted a recipe a day from her book on our Facebook page. It was fun and got some good response!" Richard Naylor, from William K Sanford Town Library in New York, shared the following idea: "We worked with OverDrive to develop a special collection: “Best of the Small Press,” created by OverDrive specialists once a month. All books have good reviews, so we know they have a good chance of being liked. We have an icon for it on site." Kelly Murray, from Bibliotheque Allard Regional Library in Manitoba, Canada, said: "On the back of our due date slips we have a spot for the patron to learn about their eLibraries and get a user name and password." Many more great ideas were chatted in and discussed, ranging from how to launch a successful social media campaign to clever, cost-effective ways to increase the visibility of your digital collection, and much more. These sessions helped to connect all of us as a community who share in the mission to reach more readers and help them discover great books. When we work together toward this goal, we know that we have the power to expand our reader communities around the world. If you were unable to attend the OverDrive Training Team's recent May Hot Topic webinar series, don’t worry: there is still a chance for you to join in this community of idea sharing and learn new ways to boost digital circulation and maximize your OverDrive service. Recordings of the following sessions have been archived and are available for you to view at your convenience from the Learning Center:
Questions or comments? Contact us at training@overdrive.com with feedback as well as your own ideas and success stories. You can also reach out to us for a customized training for your library on these or any other topics. Katie Blachman is a Training Specialist at OverDrive.
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Dedicated Audiobooks App for Romance Fans Coming to iOS
| Audiobooks.com, the streaming and downloading audiobook service for fans of the format, announced its new dedicated romance app that will put bestselling steamy titles in one easily found location. This app, available currently only for iOS, will contain thousands of new titles and best sellers, and a large and growing selection of audiobooks to choose from. Authors like Nicholas Sparks, E. L. James, and Maya Banks, just to name a few, are already in their catalog. "We wanted to create an app that's tailored to specific tastes so we can really personalize the user experience," says Sanjay Singhal, CEO of Audiobooks.com, in a press release. "We've seen a strong and growing popularity of romance audiobooks through our service and have had great success connecting to readers through romance book bloggers and communities. When we decided to start developing genre-specific extensions of the Audiobooks.com app, it just made sense to start there." This app, which will let users stream romance titles over both wifi and 3G connections, will offer the fastest connection times and a streamlined experience for iOS users. While Audiobooks.com does offer an Android app through the Google Play store, the romance-specific app is only available through Apple’s App Store. “The Romance Audiobooks app is Audiobooks.com's fastest, most responsive app yet and allows users to stream books anytime, anywhere over Wi-Fi and 3G networks. Specifically designed for iOS devices, the app features an intuitive, user-friendly interface for easy browsing and listening. Listeners can use their accounts to access books on both the Romance Audiobooks app and the original Audiobooks.com app for increased variety and selection. Both apps are available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad in the Apple App Store.”
Dedicated Audiobooks App for Romance Fans Coming to iOS is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Save the Date for Digipalooza 2015
| It’s June, and many of us already find our schedules jam packed until September. Camping trip this week, plans for holidays already in place, road trip to a festival another week, friends coming to town for a few days, one wedding, two weddings, three weddings or more… We want to secure a spot in your busy schedule next year for Digipalooza 2015. Last August, Digipalooza 2013 rocked Cleveland, Ohio, USA with more than 500 public and school librarians, publishers and industry partners. Digipalooza is a unique event, with opportunities for networking, education and, of course, fun! It wouldn't be an OverDrive event without a great party, and last year, we enjoyed a rockin' party at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Getting excited for next year's Digipalooza? Save the date: August 5-7, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. During the conference, librarians will share tips and tricks for eBook lending, attendees will partake in small roundtable discussions with OverDrive staff and you'll hear insights from industry experts. Plus, since it was such a success last year, we are hosting our party at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum again! We are introducing some new aspects to next year's Digipalooza to keep things exciting. The conference falls on weekday dates based on past attendee feedback (Wednesday evening through Friday afternoon), we are moving to a new conference and hotel location (both featuring state of the art technology) and we are hosting a kickoff event at OverDrive's Blue Sky Campus. All this for the same low rate as last year's conference ($199). Visit the Digipalooza website for more information and check back in the fall when registration opens. While you're counting down the days until August 2015, check out our highlights video and sample program from Digipalooza 2013. We hope to see you next year! Stay tuned to hear about when registration will open. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our team at digipalooza2015@overdrive.com.
Cassie Renner is a Marketing Specialist at OverDrive.  |
Raspberry Pi at Buckingham Palace, 3 million sold
| Apart from the bit where someone who shall not be named yanked a power cable early, corrupting our Minecraft demo SD card, and apart from the bit where we nearly got shot by an angry close protection officer when we read the map wrong and tried to use the wrong gate, we had a very smooth time of it on Monday, when Craig, Eben and I rocked up at Buckingham Palace at 2pm to set up a demo stand for that evening’s UK Tech Reception. We were told by frowning courtiers that we were not allowed to take any pictures inside – but happily the Palace photographer was there to catch the very surreal moment when I found myself explaining to the Queen what a Raspberry Pi is.  L-R: Craig Richardson, Eben (peeping over my shoulder), me, the Queen, Prince Andrew Sadly, there was no photographer there for the bit where Prince William waved at us and shouted “Ha! It’s Raspberry Pi!”, but I can tell you now that I don’t expect anything weirder to happen to me all year. You may remember that Prince Andrew came to visit us here at Pi Towers last year. We gave him a Raspberry Pi when he left, and were really chuffed to discover on Monday that he’s been using it; he’s also very well-versed in our charitable mission and our work with teachers and kids. It was very strange, and rather brilliant, to hear him introducing what we do to the Queen, and to talk to him about industrial applications for the Raspberry Pi. We had some more news to tell people at the reception too: back in October, when Prince Andrew visited, we were celebrating the sale of our 2 millionth Raspberry Pi. We were able to announce the sale of the 3 millionth Raspberry Pi (which actually sold over a month ago – the way we work with manufacturing partners RS Components and Premier Farnell means that our receipt of sales figures lags behind the actual sales by several weeks). Eben also has a new anecdote, which he fully intends on dining out on until the end of all time: once I had finished blithering at the Duke of Edinburgh about the Computing Curriculum, he approached Eben. DoE: “Your company is doing well?” To be fair, ties were not specified in the invitation, and we heard the Duke of Edinburgh saying something very similar to every man in the room who wasn’t wearing one – but Eben says it’s the very nicest insult he’s ever had. Craig says: “That went remarkably well, considering that some parts of my suit were held together by Sellotape.” You can read more about the reception in the Guardian. |