| It is now finally the start of the Spring season and while many of us are looking forward to the fine weather and spring cleaning, others are looking forward to what popular shows this season has to offer! Today’s list will talk about the top 5 most anticipated and talked about animes that are currently airing! In no particular order, let’s get this list started! Food Wars: Shougeki No Soma Plot: A shonen series directed by Yoshitomo Yonetani, follows a young man with the drive to become a full time chef at his father’s restuarant as well as surpassing his father’s culinary skills. As soon as Sōma Yukihira graduates from middle school, his father decides to suddenly close down the restuarant to work in America for a friend. However Sōma has the fighting spirit and passion to join the most elite culinary school where only 10% of the students manage to graduate. Why it’s good: Everyone has those weird moments where all they do is watch cooking shows, so when cooking show and anime worlds collide, you get hilarity, good food as well as a very relate-able story. The animation is very nice, as you would imagine there are a lot of scenes that have to be smooth in order to make the chopping scenes not look, well choppy! Although I do have to warn viewers, it does have a lot of suggestive scenarios, and does very much cross the threshold of ecchi (perverted) scenes. But hey, if you don’t mind that and many laugh out loud moments, then there isn’t a better anime to watch! But oh, the downside: This show will make you seriously hungry! Seraph of the End Plot: In the year 2012, the world comes to a stop when a human made virus sweeps the nation, distinguishing the human populace leaving only children ages 13 and under untouched. It is at this time the old age horrors emerge and vampires begin subjugating the the remnants of humanity and leading them under the surface for protection. The price? Donating Blood to their captors. The story follows young Orphan Yūichirō witnessing the deaths of his close friends and escaping the imprisonment of the vampires. Having been saved by members of the moon demon company, Yū dedicates his life to exterminating all vampires and seeks revenge for the murder of his family. Why it’s good: For any fan of Attack on Titan, I guarantee you will love this! From the very first episode it had me on edge, animation is lovely, the atmosphere really captured the mood and the biggest thing for me was the character relationship that they managed to really hammer out within the first episode. If you want a good story that has it all, comedy, despair and extreme action scenes, I really suggest you guys check this one out! Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? Why it’s good: Upon watching the first episode, it honestly reminded me a little bit of Sword Art Online only in a not death game situation but in a light and fluffy, very fantasy setting. The character designs are very interesting and unique, Bell being the most adorable adventurer ever, and a very detailed environment. Within the first few frames of the bustling market, I was very drawn to the creative environment with very well done design and art aspects. I really look forward to more of this anime and hope that the plot advances a little more than merely boy falls in love with girl situations, but it’s definitely worth a watch to see how the story progress’! Nisekoi Plot: Ten years ago, Raku Ichijou made a promise to a girl. Promising that one day that they will get married when they reunite and since then has kept the pendant that she had given to him that day. Nowadays, Raku is an average high schol student that is the sole heir to the head of a Yakuza family called the Shuei-gumi. When one day, a beautiful new transfer student name Chitoge Kirisaki transfers to his class, a moment doesn’t go by when they aren’t fighting. During a strange turn of events, Raku agrees to become Chitoge’s fake lover though his heart yearns for his classmate. Why it’s good: Yes, it’s a harem anime, and to be honest, there wasn’t a single harem anime I could give my attention to. But there’s something about Nisekoi that seems very fresh though the very familiar tropes. With great animation as well as cute and simple character designs, there is a consistent and very well characterized staff, a very vivid and realistic depiction of the world and a good vocal cast, I have really high hopes for this anime! Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan Plot: In an alternate reality in where Haruhi Suzumiya never formed the SOS brigade, the story follows Nagato Yuki, a shy and tentative girl who is the president of the literature club. Yuki has never really been sure of herself or around other people, but when she’s with Kyon, in the tiny three person club, Yuki finds herself faltering more than usual. For Kyon and her precious club, she must find her confidence to let her true self shine. Why it’s good: Fans of the original Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya will be sure to enjoy this lovely spin off where in an alternate world, everyone are just normal people. The anime is a very light hearted slice of life anime and does make a few funny jokes at the original series that will have you laughing (Let’s be honest, there aren’t many people that haven’t seen the franchise!). All in all, a very cute anime with a cute premise and this one is definitely worth the watch. So there we have it, folks! I know with so many great titles and a slot for only five of them, it’s always had trying to pick which ones will make it on these lists! Please feel free to share what titles you’re watching right now or any you feel deserved to be on the list! Top 5 New Anime – April 2015 is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Top 5 New Anime – April 2015
Vampire Holmes Available on Viewster
| If you’ve been looking for a place to watch the anime Vampire Holmes, look no further. Video streaming site Viewster has announced they’ll be adding the anime to their list. Vampire Holmes is based off of a smartphone game of the same name. In the game you play as an assistant to the detective Holmes – no relation to Sherlock Holmes – who neither solves mysteries nor explains why. The two are pulled into the world of the supernatural after vampire kills start popping up across London, and Holmes is asked to investigate. The anime follows a very similar track to the game. Even the animation looks like the game. The short, four minute episodes do well to capture the atmosphere. The game is available on Android and iOS devices. The first chapter is free to download, but the second and onward must be purchased. The anime is free to watch, as Viewster doesn’t require any sign-ups. Have a look at Vampire Holmes here! Vampire Holmes Available on Viewster is a post from: Good e-Reader |
What is the Best e-reader? Amazon Kindle Voyage or Kobo Glo HD?
| The Amazon Kindle Voyage and upcoming Kobo Glo HD are very similar. They have the exact same resolution and PPI. The end result are two very distinctive e-readers that provide a tremendous e-book reading experience. The big question on most peoples mind is what one is better? The brand new Kobo Glo HD and Kindle Voyage both feature a six inch e-ink Carta screen with a resolution of 1448×1072 and 300 PPI. The Glo uses infrared touchscreen technology from Neonode. This is quite different from the Kindle Voyage which uses a capacitive touchscreen display. One of the big differences on a hardware level is that the Glo HD has a sunken screen. This is important because of the camera sensors on the sides of the bezel which monitor your interactions. Infrared touch will not only monitor your finger but will also allow you to use a stylus or pen to draw. The Voyage has the screen flush with the bezel, very much akin to the way your smartphone or tablet function. Over the course of the last few years e-readers have gravitated away from booklights and have adopted front-lit screen technology. The H2O and Voyage both have 5 LED lights on the bottom of the screen that project light upwards. This helps with even light distribution but from experience the Voyage a clearer screen when the lightning is activated. One neat thing about the Kobo Glo HD is that you do not have to necessary tap the light button to activate it. Instead, you can drag your finger down on the left hand side of the screen and it increases or lowers the brightness level. On the flip side the Voyage has an ambient light sensor which automatically adjusts the light, depending on your environment. Of course, both models have options to manually adjust the light based on your preference. On a hardware level both of these devices have the same processor, RAM and internal storage. It is important to note that the Kobo Glo HD does not have an SD Card. I think they really did it so people will not sideload books anymore and increases peoples dependency on buying books directly from Kobo. As always, the Voyage has no SD support either. The Amazon and Kobo digital bookstores are quite different. Amazon has a number of exclusive offerings such as their fan-fiction via Kindle Words, short stories with Kindle Singles and they also have the largest self-publishing system with Kindle Direct Publishing. Amazon also has GoodReads intergration on the Voyage, which gives people the ability to add their Kindle book purchases to their virtual bookshelves and interact with one of the largest social book communities in the world. Kobo on the other hand has more books in their system, but they tend to be royalty free editions. Their self-publishing system, Kobo Writing Life, pales in comparison to Amazon. The one advantage Kobo has is a larger international footprint, it is far easier to buy e-books in more markets than Amazon. Finally, Kobo also sells a number of graphic novels, comics, newspapers and magazines. The Kindle Voyage currently costs $199 US, which is quite pricey. This e-reader has been on the market since late last year, but the international visibility is poor. There are hundreds of countries where Amazon does not offer the Voyage for sale, including Canada. Kobo on the other hand is taking pre-orders on their website and will launch in Canada, US, UK, Australia and New Zealand at the beginning of May for $129 Canadian. What e-reader is better? If you are new to e-readers and have not bought any e-books from either company, the Kobo Glo would likely make the most sense. It has far greater options for customization, due to the fact you can load in your own fonts. Amazon controls 75% of the digital book market in the US and 95% in the UK, so something has to be said for the money bookstore they operate.
What is the Best e-reader? Amazon Kindle Voyage or Kobo Glo HD? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
GoodReads Testing Sponsored Books
| GoodReads started testing sponsored books in different areas on the site—you might have seen the sponsored book at the top of the recommendations page recently. In the near future these will be available to all users and there is no way to turn them off. The only option you will have is to flag a book as “not interested” and a new title will take its place. Many longtime users of GoodReads are not very keen about more advertising infiltrating the platform. Becky lamented “Because there’s just not enough advertising to us already. Banners, and sidebar ad, sponsored ads in the sidebar, bookpage ads, and mandatory sidebar “editorial” content, update feed “editorial” content, and probably more that I’ve forgotten, and now this. I’m starting to feel like nothing more than a wallet.” I think GoodReads is trying very hard to monetize the site and implement broad book campaigns to try and get people to buy the title. Whenever a user purchases a title from Amazon, GoodReads earns a commission. It is no small wonder they are trying to force books down our throats. GoodReads Testing Sponsored Books is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Reviewing Missoula by Jon Krakauer
| I am a Krakhead (self-diagnosed). I have read every book by Jon Krakauer, some more than once, some more than twice. The first road trip that my husband and I went on, we listened to Into the Wild, sometimes going hours without speaking, absorbed in what we were hearing. It is really not possible to describe how much I enjoy everything about Krakauer's books, from his research to his ability to keep humanity at the core of it all. When I heard about the announcement of Missoula, his newest book, I knew I would be reading it as soon as I could get my hands on it.
This is not an easy book to read, but it is important. Krakauer starts his book with a warning to readers that there are graphic descriptions of what has been done to these women, and it was difficult to read at times. By pulling straight from police, emergency, and court documents, along with interviews from the victims, we are shown a brutally honest picture of what happens to these women, both during and after their attacks. This book could not come out at a more auspicious time, given the controversy that is currently surrounding the Rolling Stone magazine article and retraction about campus rape at UVA. The point that Krakauer drives home again and again is that while false claims do happen, the vast majority of rapes that are reported by women are real. And the hurdles that one has to jump over after filing a report are so high that many women do not report at all, and if they do, they become the center of such scrutiny that it is difficult for many victims to handle. Unlike most other crimes, where no one blames the victim, acquaintance rape leads to scrutiny of the victim in a way that burglary, assault, identity theft, and others are not. Krakauer lays this out for the reader in his straightforward style, being careful to stay as impartial as possible throughout. This is one of the best books I have read this year. That being said, it was the hardest. I did have to put the book down and walk away on more than one occasion, but I kept coming back. As I was once a college coed, I know many women who were in similar situations; I drove friends to the hospital, sat holding their hands. Krakauer's book, while tough to read, is an important title for all, and hopefully can begin to bring about change that we need, both on and off of college campuses. Meghan Volchko is a Collection Development Specialist at OverDrive and she hopes to Take Back the Night.  |
Where in the World is the Pocketbook CAD e-Reader?
| The Pocketbook CAD is a 13.3 inch e-reader that is primarily aimed at business users and anyone involved in AutoCad design. Since early 2014 the device has been in limbo, with no definitive release date. Where in the world is the Pocketbook CAD? Without any fanfare the Pocketbook CAD was at an e Ink booth in January 2014 at CES. It featured a 13.3 inch screen and utilizes an e-paper called Fina. This is basically super lightweight glass and is easy to hold with one hand. The device was designed for construction business, designed to work on construction sites with dump & moisture proof body Underneath the hood was a 1GHz dual-core CPU with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. It has built-in Wi-Fi and an optional 3G module. You will be able to use this device for a few days with its large 8000 mAh battery. It also has full support for a Wacom digitizer which will allow for pin-point procession in editing documents. In December 2014 Pocketbook announced that they had developed a second e-reader called the Pocketbook CAD Flex. This model upgraded from a glass based Fina e-paper screen to a 13.3 inch Mobius panel. This is the exact same screen that the popular Sony Digital Paper employs. The processor was increased to a 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU, but the RAM was decreased to 512 MB and internal storage lowered to 8 GB. They also mentioned that the final price will be around $574.00. Flex is in the name, but does this mean the e-reader is truly flexible? Pocketbook clarified to Good e-Reader that “the e-Ink Mobius e-paper panel is actually flexible on its own and we have developed a low-temperature insert casting of the body with the use of rubber to provide relative flexibility of the Pocketbook Flex. But it is not totally flexible, as there are some inflexible components inside. So, although its somewhat flexible its not 100%, but our intention is to make the device more shockproof.” The switch to Fina to Mobius is a big deal. Mobius is more expensive, which promoted Pocketbook to lower the amount of RAM and internal storage to offset the increased cost for the consumer model. The Sony Digital Paper is currently the only commercially viable 13.3 inch e-reader on the market. At the beginning of April 2015 the price was decreased from $999 to $799. The one thing both of these devices have going for it, is that they run on a fairly modern version of Google Android. Last I heard it was running 4.04. This means not only does have it apps that 100% compatible with Autodesk apps but users can install their own e-reader, manga, magazines or newspaper apps. Heck, you could even install our optimized Good e-Reader App Store for e-Ink. There is no estimated date in which the Pocketbook CAD and Pocketbook CAD Flex will be released. Pocketbook would not comment on when it will hit the market, but I predict it will be in the six months.
Where in the World is the Pocketbook CAD e-Reader? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Droplet photography
| I get asked sometimes what my favourite projects from this blog are. Dave Hunt’s water droplet photography’s right up there: Dave rigged up a Pi to trigger a solenoid valve and a camera shutter at the same time, to take perfectly timed macro photos of water drops. You can see his original, beautiful pictures here in our archives. Over in Germany, Markus May has based his own rig on Dave’s, with a few alterations; he’s also put a lot of effort into lighting and colour effects, with spectacular results. Markus’ original blog post is in German, but Google Translate does a pretty bang-up job of making things understandable for idiots like me who promptly forgot all the German they knew moments after taking a GCSE exam in it. (I still remember that Zwiebel means onion, but that won’t get you far on holiday unless you really like onions.) We love this stuff: bringing the sort of thing you could only do with an expensive professional rig inside the budget an amateur with a DSLR might have gets us really excited. This rig is more involved than Dave’s original, with a couple of Mariotte’s bottles which produce an equal flow rate, however full the bottles are. Guar gum for thickening, milk for opacity and food colouring went into the liquid for extra gorgeousness. Markus has made a circuit diagram available, and Dave’s original post still contains everything you’ll need to make your own rig. There are more of these spectacular photographs at Markus’ Flickr, and you’ll find a great writeup of the original session, with behind-the-scenes pictures at his blog post. |
Goodreads Adds Audiobook Sampling
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“Now it's even easier to choose your next audiobook thanks to the new Goodreads ‘Listen’ feature, which will be rolled out in the coming days. We’ve added free audio samples for 180,000 Audible titles to the Goodreads website, where they’re available to all of our members.” This feature, which can only be accessed on a computer or laptop and isn’t yet available for those readers using the Goodreads mobile app, also allows readers to add a book to their Want To Read shelves on the book site, helping them to keep up with titles they’ve sampled and would like to remember for later. Goodreads has rolled out this feature in conjunction with Audible’s standard two free audiobooks with membership and thirty-day free trial of the service. Readers who continue their subscriptions to Audible will be billed based on which plan they choose: one book per month for $14.95, or two books per month for $22.95. Either plan is a significant savings over purchasing an audiobook, many of which easily cost upwards of $25 or more. The audiobook market has seen steady growth over the past five years; while that growth only equates to slightly less than 13%, the audiobook publishing market is still a $2 billion a year industry. The Goodreads good news for self-published authors who’ve opted to join in this booming audio industry is that this sample feature is automatically incorporated into their Goodreads listing in conjunction with the Amazon algorithm, and no additional steps are necessary.
Goodreads Adds Audiobook Sampling is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Create a staff of OverDrive experts with our new webinars
 We pride ourselves on constantly innovating and creating new ways for your users to stay connected with the library but we know that this means new products and services for you to learn as well. Instead of trying to tackle all aspects of your digital collection at once we think the best way to learn is to start with the basics. To that end we are offering a series of live webinars from April 27th through the 30th. Library staff members will learn the basics of purchasing titles in Marketplace, using OverDrive Read and see a live demonstration of the latest features with the OverDrive app. These quick presentations are perfect for the any type of librarian and will get everyone up to speed, making all your staff members an OverDrive expert. During these webinars we'll discuss the easiest ways to help your users get the most of out your digital collection. We'll also answer any questions you may have. We value your time and appreciate the hectic schedule a librarian has everyday which is why these webinars will be recorded for later use as well. That way staff members can watch them anytime. Sign up today and create a whole staff of OverDrive experts!  |
Library of Congress Releases Digital Audio of 75 Years of Recordings
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The digital audio, which includes recordings of poetry, speaking engagements at the LoC, and audio sessions in the LoC’s own Jefferson Building recording studio, often features the authors themselves in the recordings, reading from their own works. The archived content was originally captured on magnetic tape, but thanks to the digitization, the content is now being released from remote streaming access. Of the proposed 2,000 works that will undergo this preservation process, the first fifty are now available and an additional five recordings per month are planned. According to a post for Hyperallergic, “The material includes readings by former US Poet Laureates and Consultants Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Lowell, and Gwendolyn Brooks, as well as a 1971 lecture by Kurt Vonnegut, a 1984 talk by Ray Bradbury, a 1959 interview with Robert Frost, and readings by Audre Lorde and Nobel Laureate Czesław Miłosz.” Allison Meier of Hyperallergic spoke to Catalina Gomez, project manager for the process of putting the archive online, about the process of preserving these recordings and making them available for everyone to enjoy, regardless of their geographical location. "I love when, in some of these sessions, the poet or writer pauses or makes himself or herself start a poem or an excerpt all over again," Gomez said. "Those moments show how passionate authors and poets can be about the ways their work sounds." There has been a recent dramatic increase in the availability of audio literature and a renewed focus on this once-niche market of publishing. According to data from IBISWorld's Audiobook Publishing market research report, the audiobook market enjoyed steady growth of only 12.7% over the past five years, but that growth accounts for a $2 billion a year industry.
Library of Congress Releases Digital Audio of 75 Years of Recordings is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Taking Care of Your NOOK
| The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook is a tablet geared towards reading and it's the first time Barnes and Noble outsourced the hardware design to another company. The end result is a Samsung branded tablet coinciding with the Nook ecosystem. A new device comes with a host of potential problems and it's important to maintain it, in order to get a few years' worth of usage. Keep It Updated Barnes and Noble has been making e-readers since 2009 and tablets since late 2010. It is important to note that a tablet and e-ink based reader are fundamentally different. E-Readers are about as close as you can get to a print book and tablets tend to be multipurpose. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook is running Android 4.4 and updates come out once in a while when new features are introduced. The stock apps from Samsung and Nook need updated periodically, as you undoubtedly know. Updates to stock apps like these increase the functionality and often security of a device while also streamlining the experience and cutting down on processing requirements. It’s possible to set your NOOK to update apps automatically, but Android Central recommends leaving this function manual in order to allow you to review possible permissions changes to your downloaded apps as time goes on. It’s an added security measure that could make a huge difference in keeping you safe online. Not updating automatically is important, because sometimes they are pushed out too early and end up causing serious problems. Clean It Out Just like your computer needs to be defragmented and you need to run a disk cleanup periodically, so too does the Samsung Galaxy NOOK need periodic system maintenance. According to Spicy Tricks, using a simple app like Master Cleaner to clear out app caches, temp files and other vestiges in the system not only helps keep an Android device from slowing down over time, it can actually speed it up to above “out of the box” speed with the right settings. Keep in mind that getting over-standard processing speed will take some work, and may not be possible depending on the apps you have downloaded, but keeping the system clean is the first step to at least maintaining the speed your device shipped with. If you’re aiming to get your new NOOK running as quickly as possible, you’ll want to keep the majority of your apps stored on external memory, namely a 16 to 32 GB micro SD card, and make sure that all files are saved externally as well. This reserves your internal memory for operating system, stock apps and system files, instead of bogging it down with a thousand books and the entire first season of Orphan Black. Maintain the Battery The real conundrum for many NOOK users is optimizing battery life. Since this is a mobile device, the first priority is to make sure that it will work away from home and a plug outlet for as long as possible. According to CNET, the standard battery life of a Galaxy Tab 4 ranges between 8 and 10 hours, but a few simple tips can offer you even more.
Just this handful of simple tips could offer up to five extra hours of battery life for your NOOK. Keep in mind that the more complex the apps you run, the more battery life they’ll inevitably consume, so try to make sure that you don’t have too many power-hogs open at the same time. If possible, completely shut down apps as you finish with them instead of just switching to the next program in the lineup. Protect It Maintaining the system and operations of your NOOK may seem like the most important thing you can do to keep it running like new, but this doesn’t mean you can ignore physical care of your device. Keep it protected in a case or sleeve, use a screen protector as needed (anti-glare options work best), and try not to drop it. Like most tablets, this is a fairly sturdy piece of equipment, but that doesn’t mean it’s designed to survive a rough and tumble lifestyle. The rule of thumb is this: take good care of your Samsung NOOK, and it will provide hours of entertainment and convenience for years to come. Taking Care of Your NOOK is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Path Creator Embraces the Selfie with Kong Android App
| In this version of the brave new world, social media is king and the selfie is his queen. Love them or hate them, we are surrounded (and included). Path for Android developers understand, and want to be a part of the trend with the addition of a new app: Kong. Kong is a clear attempt at trying to design the next greatest thing in social media by building on a simple concept. Described as a group messaging platform and a meme machine, Kong offers a new approach: guiding users from pressing a button on the bottom of the screen (which records a short, animated selfie), through adding text or emojis to their image, then applying filters for cool effects, and finally sharing these creations with social network communities (starting with other Kong members and then reaching to SMS, email, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram). It’s a little like Snapchat on steroids, but the hope is it will make ‘going viral’ easier and give users the opportunity to be inspired and play off each other. Admittedly, Kong sounds fun… but it all adds up to another social network to participate in with another home feed to follow; hopefully for the developers responsible, it is seen to fill a niche and catches momentum. If you are intrigued, download Kong now and start snapping selfies to share. Path Creator Embraces the Selfie with Kong Android App is a post from: Good e-Reader |
