| Whoa. There’s an asteroid named after me! Amazing xkcd readers Lewis Hulbert and Jordan Zhu noticed that the International Astronomical Union—the organization in charge of official astronomical naming—was taking suggestions for what to name small Solar System objects. They submitted my name for asteroid (4942) 1987 DU6, and it was subsequently renamed 4942 Munroe. I’m really touched. I spent all weekend telling everyone who wanted to listen (and probably some who didn’t) about the asteroid. The first thing I did was try to figure out whether 4942 Munroe was big enough to pose a threat to Earth. I was excited to learn that, based on its albedo (brightness), it’s probably about 6-10 kilometers in diameter. That’s comparable in size to the one that killed the dinosaurs—definitely big enough to cause a mass extinction!
4942 Munroe (!!!) is large enough that it would have noticeable gravity, although not much. If you were walking on the surface and you tripped and fell, it’d take you a minute to hit the ground. You could get into orbit around it by traveling at jogging speed, and might even escape its gravity entirely with a good jump. Thank you so much. This is the coolest thing. |
Monday, September 30, 2013
Asteroid 4942 Munroe
BISG Annual Meeting Addresses Digital Challenges
| The Book Industry Study Group held its annual meeting last Friday in New York, and the focus of this year’s event was to address some of the many challenges still facing the publishing and bookselling industries now that digital publishing has taken hold. The BISG also introduced its new mission statement, which shifts more attention on digital publishing. "Book Industry Study Group's mission is to facilitate innovation and shared solutions for the benefit of all companies and practitioners that create, produce and distribute published content, and the organizations that support them." Among other topics that were highlighted during the meeting, Madeline McIntosh, COO of Penguin Random House, spoke on a panel and discussed some of the difficulties that PRH faces in moving forward with a strong digital platform, namely, fully removing themselves from the Pearson infrastructure. She also spoke about an oft-contested and controversial issue, Penguin’s self-publishing platform Author Solutions. The platform has been vehemently and publicly criticized for its business practices by many outspoken former clients, but McIntosh maintained that Author Solutions does a great job and helps authors reach markets that would have otherwise been unavailable to them. An additional panel focused on the headway being made in digital textbook publishing, with the concern still being raised that a significant amount of money that students spend on textbooks is still going to the used textbook market. Publishers questioned digital’s place in that market, as well as offered ways to make digital textbooks more valuable to students through more targeted, individualized learning methods. In the coming year, BISG will host several more conferences as part of its new strategies, some of which include focusing on new subgroups within the BISG to address different issues in publishing. BISG will also be hosting an event one day prior to the 2014 Digital Book World conference in New York, its “Making Information Pay for Higher Education” conference.
BISG Annual Meeting Addresses Digital Challenges is a post from: E-Reader News |
Kobo Patcher Removes Wasted Space with Extra Margin Settings for Kobo eReaders
| Kobo’s ebook readers have settings for customizing line spacing and margins, but there are annoying limitations at times, especially when it comes to all the wasted space Kobo insists on using at the top and bottom of the screen to display the title of the ebook and the page numbers. The title takes up about […] |
Publishers As Booksellers Extend their Sales Reach, Aid Book Discovery
| With the advent of digital reading and the popularity of social media interaction with bestselling authors, an interesting phenomenon is taking place. Reading consumers are developing not only a loyal following of their favorite authors, but also developing a measure of brand loyalty to certain publishers. For their part, publishers have responded with shopping websites where readers can purchase digital and print titles, as well as other potential perks like being selected to read content before it is officially released. Now, UK-based publisher Five Leaves Publications is opening an actual brick-and-mortar bookstore in response to the need for more independent book shops, as well as a way to further the discovery of its client list. This will be the first independent bookstore to open in the store’s area of Nottingham since 2000. According to a blog post announcing the venture by the publisher, Ross Bradshaw, "Nottinghamshire has a flourishing literature scene, with more professional writers than ever and a very active events programme including the longstanding Lowdham Book Festival which I’ve been involved with since the start. The bookshop will provide another focus and we will work with local and national writers to build the shop’s own programme. The premises became available suddenly and we are working hard to open by mid-November. Several of our own writers and other local publishers are pitching in to help." While Bradshaw gives credit to other nearby independent booksellers and made mention of ways they can work together to further area literature, no information was discussed as to whether Five Leaves will only stock certain titles. However, limiting access to titles would seem to defeat the purpose of Bradshaw’s new venture, especially considering his interest in furthering books in the community.
Publishers As Booksellers Extend their Sales Reach, Aid Book Discovery is a post from: E-Reader News |
Big W Enters eBook Business in Australia
| Big W, one of the biggest discount retail stores in Australia, has announced they are venturing into the electronic book business as well. They are starting off with a sizable volume of no less than 300,000 titles, and more titles will be added every month. Also, in tune with their overall business theme, Big W is working on low prices to drive their ebook business, with several of the titles to be made available each month at a discounted price of 99 cents or completely free. Big W has also stated they are banking on content pertaining to their region as a way to differentiate their business model. They hope this will help drive more business against the global retailers such as Apple or Amazon, which the Australian retailer claims is focused more for foreign users. Big W is also pushing more participation of native authors and publishers in its bid to emerge as a viable force when it is selling books focused more on Australian content. “The eBooks market in Australia is dominated by overseas based companies focused on overseas customers. BIG W eBooks is different – we are an Australian retailer with a focus on the books Australians love, with downloads at Australia’s lowest prices,” said Scott White who is heading the Books division at BIG W. “The attractiveness of some eBooks is likely to be down to a cringe factor, with more than one-in-ten people admitting they download books because they are more discreet to read than their printed equivalents. The books on offer comply with PDF and e-pub formats and can be downloaded on any ebook reading devices, be it a dedicated e-reader, a tablet or even a smartphone device. Big W has already been into offering the above mentioned devices which include the likes of iPad, Samsung tablets and such and its move to sell ebooks can be seen as a natural progression of their business strategy. “Many Australians could be forgiven for thinking they were locked into just one provider when downloading their ebook, but that’s not the case and they could be spending more than they have to. At BIG W we offer low cost downloads on almost any device and across a massive range of titles from romance to Australian fiction, autobiographies to thrillers,” said White.
Big W Enters eBook Business in Australia is a post from: E-Reader News |
Read-Alouds for Tweens and Teens
| Do we still embrace the Oral Tradition? Oral Tradition is the ancient practice of verbally sharing or "passing down" the cultural beliefs, folktales, stories, and songs of a group from one generation to the next. The passing of story and song while seemingly simple pointed to the intricate customs and conventions of the community, long before reading and writing were practiced societal skills. The storytelling ritual unified the group creating a fellowship among its members. While the oral tradition is a true ancient practice referring to its primitive origin, it is not archaic or obsolete. Like society itself, it has evolved into a custom more fitting of our print centered world, the modern read-aloud.
The popularity of audiobooks with adult listeners confirms the truth about reading aloud; it has merits for all ages. Something wonderful happens when we become engaged with a story. It drives us to emotionally respond without abandon and become a part of that world. The act of listening to a story develops vocabulary and motivates us to learn new facts and concepts. It also builds "a sense of belonging" between the listener and reader. Studies have documented the benefits of the physical closeness between reader and listener resulting in a positive experience for all involved, especially children. So take a moment to reflect on the last time you read aloud to your child in middle school or high school. Embrace this time with them and remember that we are never too old to hear and enjoy a story.
(2013) E.B. White Read-Aloud Medal and Honor Winners for Middle Grade Readers
The Last Dragonslayer (Jasper Fforde) eBook.
The One and Only Ivan: My Story (Katherine Applegate) eBook.
Same Sun Here (House & Vaswani) eBook.
Wonder (R.J. Palacio) eBook.
(2013) Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
Almost Perfect ( Brian Katcher) eBook and audiobook.
Crusher (Niall Leonard) eBook and audiobook.
The Diviners (Libba Bray) eBook and audiobook.
The Fire Chronicle: The Books of Beginning Series, Book 2 (John Stephens) eBook and audiobook.
Graffiti Moon (Cath Crowley) eBook and audiobook.
I Hunt Killers (Barry Lyga) eBook and audiobook.
Inheritance: Inheritance Cycle Series, Book 4 (Christopher Paolini) eBook and audiobook.
Monstrous Beauty (Elizabeth Fama) audiobook.
Son: The Giver Quartet, Book 4 (Lois Lowry) audiobook.
Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High (Melba Beals) eBook and audiobook.
Words in the Dust (Trent Reedy) audiobook.
Renee Lienhard is a Collection Development Analyst with OverDrive  |
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Worlds Largest e-Paper Sign Displayed at UN Headquarters
| e-Ink has set a worlds record for the latest e-Paper sign that is installed at the UN Headquarters in New York. The eWall is an intricate combination of architectural, display and network engineering. It stands about 6 meters wide with 231 tiled 7.4″ displays arranged in a grid of 33 displays across by 7 displays high. With an overall resolution of 26,400 x 3,360 pixels, it is perfect to read at long and short distances. The essence of the eWall is to provide delegates with scheduling, news and other information. One of the more interesting aspects is the design mode that will show giant high resolution images; or can fade seamlessly into an unobtrusive wall when turned off. “The eWall is a perfect example of E Ink enabling designers to deliver information where they never thought possible before,” said Harit Doshi, head of signage business and director of business development for E Ink Holdings. “This project further demonstrates E Ink’s diversification into different markets – specifically the digital signage market – as a key focus market segment.” E-ink is hoping for strong promotional value with the sign at UN Headquarters. Currently 70% of their total revenue stems from e-paper displays and signage only accounts for 5%. They are hoping to increase brand awareness in this new segment to offset the cumulative financial loses the last few quarters. Worlds Largest e-Paper Sign Displayed at UN Headquarters is a post from: E-Reader News |
Digital Comics Best-Sellers for September 29, 2013
| This is a very interesting week for digital comics best-sellers, for two reasons: It’s the first week without a new issue of the perennial best-seller Injustice: Gods Among Us, which has dominated the charts since we started compiling these lists, and three platforms (comiXology, Kindle, and Nook) had a 99-cent sale on Fables with varying effects on their lists. Let’s take a look at how this played out. 1. Saga #14 ComiXology looks pretty much like it does every week, with every comic on the Top Ten a new release for this week. There are two Image titles, which is a bit unusual; one is the top-selling Saga and the other is the first issue of Sex Criminals, which is a generous 39 pages for $2.99. Plus, as we all know, sex sells, and Sex Criminals promises plenty of it. Marvel and DC have four comics each in the top ten. No back issues of Injustice, and no 99-cent issues of Fables, make the list. In fact, the first issue of Fables to make the comiXology best-seller chart is at number 39. The readers of comiXology will not let low prices lure them away from this week’s new releases! 1. Injustice: Gods Among Us #36 Amazon customers are a different bunch, and the Fables sale does change the list somewhat. In fact, it’s a stark illustration of the comics maxim that each issue sells less than the one before, as issues #1, 2, and 3 fall down the list in numerical order. Injustice: Gods Among Us reverses that, perhaps because there are no more new issues so everyone is playing catch-up. That X-Men graphic novel is on sale at the moment, which may be why it’s doing so well; it’s not a new book. It’s tempting to conclude, from looking at this list, that Kindle customers are pretty price-sensitive; eight of the ten comics are 99 cents each, and another one is on steep markdown. 1. It’s a Dog’s Life, Snoopy The loss of Injustice: Gods Among Us doesn’t bode well for Nook. You can’t see it from this chart, because I strip out the free titles, but it looks like folks aren’t buying. The first non-free book to show up is at number 7 on the overall list, which means six free books were downloaded more often. The last book is at number 40, which means three times as many books were downloaded for free as were purchased. Also, with no more Injustice issues to download, the reading habits of Nook users are laid bare: Peanuts and other comic strips, and The Walking Dead. It’s an interesting mix. iBooks 1. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic #11 Meanwhile, in the iBookstore, time stands still, as folks continue to buy the early issues of Injustice: Gods Among Us alongside the two newest issues of My Little Pony. It’s sort of the exact opposite of comiXology, where people are only buying the freshest comic-shop comics. So there you have it. The Fables sale only made an impact on Kindle users, and now that Injustice is gone, Nook users have practically given up on paying for comics. With the exception of My Little Pony on iTunes, comiXology is the only place where people are queuing up to pay full price for this week’s new releases. And that’s why, despite yesterday’s article, they probably have little to fear from the competition, at least for now. Digital Comics Best-Sellers for September 29, 2013 is a post from: E-Reader News |
eBook Review: How Not to Be a D*ck by Meghan Doherty
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The dubiously inappropriate title aside, How Not to Be a D*ick: An Everyday Etiquette Guide (censorship mine) is like Emily Post for normal people, people who don’t go around presenting their calling cards to household butlers and waiting in the drawing room for their lady friends to descend the stairs. No, this book features actual daily life application social norms. It contains important chapters on topics like how to get along with peers and co-workers, how to cook your food in the office microwave so as not to offend people, even little reminders like get in the bathroom, do your business, and get out…don’t tweet while chatting to someone using the facility. And don’t forget to wash your hands. Doherty’s guide is a fun, tongue-in-cheek look at the manners that we all just assume everyone learned at home but in truth–if the comments section on YouTube or Yahoo! News is any indication–they didn’t. Part of the fun of the guide is the appearance of Dick, Jane, and Spot-era line drawings of the characters in these exact social scenarios, acting out the right and wrong way to behave for our reading pleasure. Published by Zest Books, whose titles are distributed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is known for publishing edgy-but-instructional non-fiction for teens. Doherty’s title definitely speaks to a broad age range, covering cliques and bullies at school and the appropriate way to ask someone to the dance, as well as how to behave on an airplane or little things to keep in mind if you’re using your local Starbucks as a temporary office. Perhaps most important of all are the many reminders of how to not get drunk at the office party and snatch your boss’s toupee before running around the room with it and declaring it to be a flying cat. If the worst should happen and you do, in fact, snatch the toupee, there is also information on how to recover from that little faux pas gracefully the next day, all while hoping you still have a job. How Not to Be a D*ck will be available on October 1st.
eBook Review: How Not to Be a D*ck by Meghan Doherty is a post from: E-Reader News |
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Send to Pocketbook seeks to deliver eBooks right to your e-Reader
| Sending eBooks to your e-Reader is becoming a fairly popular endeavor for people who have more then one device, or browse for free ones online while at work or school to read later. Amazon has had a number of successful Send to Kindle plugins written by indie developers, until the company made their own. Since then, hundreds of thousands of users are sending documents and eBooks right to their devices. Pocketbook is going to follow this trend by releasing a “Send to Pocketbook” firmware update this October. Send-to-PocketBook will support a multitude of formats, including: EPUB DRM, EPUB, PDF DRM, PDF, FB2, FB2.ZIP, TXT, DJVU, HTM, HTML, DOC, DOCX, RTF, CHM, TCR, PRC, JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF. The first e-reader to get this updated firmware will be the Pocketbook Touch Lux and Pocketbook Color Lux. Older devices should get the update in November, so there is hope for people with prior models. The service will also include security features such as "White List", which is a list of e-mail addresses from which the eReader will receive documents to avoid spam mails. Send to Pocketbook seeks to deliver eBooks right to your e-Reader is a post from: E-Reader News |
ComiXology Passes 200 Million Downloads
| Crains New York broke the news this week, in a profile of comiXology and its CEO David Steinberger, that the company has now passed the 200 million download mark. It was just about a year ago that they were at 100 million downloads, so that means they have downloaded 100 million comics in the past year or, if you do a bit of rounding, roughly 2 million comics per week. Now, those aren’t all comics sales—some of them are free downloads—but I’d guess that comiXology probably has a higher paid-to-free ratio than most digital comics distributors because they have managed to corner the market on comics-shop comics. As the Crains article points out, they have an exclusive on Marvel single-issue comics, so if you want this week’s issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and you want it digitally, you have to get it from comiXology. Several other publishers have signed exclusives with comiXology over the years, but that’s probably the most important one, given their customer base. (DC comics are also available on comiXology but they don’t have an exclusive contract). Two million downloads a month is a pretty impressive number, but it’s still far fewer than the number of print comics sold each month. Here’s another interesting statistic from that article: Image Comics expects to sell 300,000 print copies of The Walking Dead #115, which is their tenth-anniversary issue, and about 45,000 digital copies. That puts digital at 15%, which is a ratio that has seemed to hold true for about the past year. The Walking Dead is a phenomenally popular comic, but it’s also one you would expect to do a bit better in digital than in print, because the television show has a much larger audience than the comic, and most people who don’t read comics regularly don’t even know that comic shops exist, much less how to find one. Search on “The Walking Dead” in the iTunes store, though, and comiXology’s Walking Dead app shows up as one of the first results. So one would expect a lot of new readers to be coming to it through the TV show. At any rate, the article mentions Kindle as competition for comiXology, but the Kindle folks haven’t sent out any press releases bragging about the number of comics they have downloaded, so we can assume it’s not too impressive just yet. ComiXology Passes 200 Million Downloads is a post from: E-Reader News |
Author Bashing: Is It Good for Business?
| Good e-Reader has been closely following the recent events surrounding author bullying and reviewer bashing. While dozens of articles on the subject have been posted over the course of the last few weeks, there has yet to be any clear rationalization for the animosity between some authors and some book reviewers. Even as sites like Amazon and Goodreads take steps to try to control the furor, they are only capable of so much. In this week’s look at the so-called bullying, it’s important to reference a post on this subject from earlier this week. Katherine from BookPromotion.com posted a piece called, “Hate As A Marketing Tool,” which doesn’t actually tout the benefits of venomous reviews, but does offer authors who’ve received negative critiques at least a glimmer of hope as to why negative reviews actually benefit an author. In her piece, Katherine references (but does not link to in order to avoid helping the blogger with traffic to her site, as Good e-Reader likewise will not) an article that circulated almost virally last weekend, a piece that named thirty prominent, best-selling self-published authors; while specifically targeting author Melissa Foster, who is now pursuing legal action against the blogger, the post by someone who claims to have spent two years “working undercover” at Fiverr names authors Hugh Howey, Blake Crouch, Amanda Hocking, and several others as those who purchased bulk book reviews. Hugh Howey initially was not going to respond to the post, but reader outrage over the supposedly-outed authors prompted him to post on his blog and to state what many reader fans are now calling the “Jolie Pledge,” a statement Howey made asserting that he had never bought a book review and good-naturedly pledged it on his dog’s life. Interestingly, Howey’s post begins with an assertion that this kind of post would never be given any credence if authors had not actually been known to purchase book reviews. For the authors named in the post, outpouring of support has come from their longtime fans as well as from readers who had not picked up their books but who were incensed over the lack of proof offered in the post. Fiverr has reportedly responded as well, stating that no one had worked undercover in their offices and that they were sorry for the authors who had been hurt. While this form of abuse and threat against a writer’s career is actually quite serious, it can actually be beneficial for authors are, in fact, blameless and who take the high road in their responses.
Author Bashing: Is It Good for Business? is a post from: E-Reader News |
Apple Files Patent for eBook Autographs
| Apple has just filed a patent for an eBook autographing system. Their new system is designed to work with iCloud and in physical proximity. The technology will allow for the author and readers to be in the same room and have autographs transferred over via Bluetooth or WIFI. Important to any autograph is authenticity, both for a user and the person giving away their signature. Apple is seeking to develop a certificate to be sent along with the autograph that verifies the content as legitimate. This digital marker can be stored on the recipient’s device or remotely on a server like iCloud. When a user synchronizes their eBook library, the digital token is passed along, thereby securing the authenticity and uniqueness of the autograph. This really makes the entire autographing system fairly unique. One of the most interesting aspects of the new system is being able to not only interject a simple autograph into the an eBook, but also Video, Audio and Pictures. A reader can have their photo taken with the author and then have them autograph the picture within the eBook. Publishers will be able to have more advanced tools for eBooks using Apples iBooks Author. They will be able to do more mass market autographs embedded in the books and do more multimedia based things. The ability to digitally sign eBooks is nothing new and there are a number of companies that have pioneered digital autographing software, such as Authorgraph and Autography. For a number of years these two companies have allowed authors to sign peoples Kindle and EPUB books, by interjecting an extra page into a purchased book. Most of this takes place over the internet. Most of the autographing done is by indie authors on these platforms and the main allure is being hardware agnostic. Apple Files Patent for eBook Autographs is a post from: E-Reader News |
Friday, September 27, 2013
New Raspbian release, and NOOBS v1.3 goes gold
| Alex has produced a new Raspbian release, which integrates a number of recent improvements. Along with kernel and firmware updates, highlights include:
Due to the addition of Java, the standalone SD card image now requires at least a 4GB SD card, as with 2GB there’s not enough free space left to be useful. The image itself is sized at 3GB to reduce the time it takes to dd it. But that’s not all! Following last week’s successful beta test, NOOBS v1.3 has also been released. This is a major upgrade from v1.2, and realizes many of our ambitions for the system. Highlights include:
See the beta test announcement for an exhaustive feature breakdown. Thanks to Rob, Floris and Gordon for putting this release together, and to Liam and Pete at Mythic Beasts for the recent comprehensive overhaul of our image hosting infrastructure. |
Next Issue Expands Digital Magazines into Canada through Partnership with Rogers Media
| Consumers enjoyment of tablet-based magazine reading has grown over the last three years, and now one of the leading content providers is expanding its customer base to Canada. Next Issue, a subscription plan-based digital magazine distributor formed by several magazine publishers to provide unlimited access options to tablet users, signed an agreement today with Rogers Media, one of Canada’s leading platforms for this type of content. "We're thrilled to be partnering with Rogers Media to bring for the first time the Next Issue experience to customers outside of the U.S.," said Morgan Guenther, CEO of Next Issue Media, in a press release. "In addition to its industry leading magazine titles, the Rogers organization offers unparalleled reach to consumers throughout Canada via its cable, wireless, broadcast, sports and Internet properties. We look forward to working with Rogers to ensure a seamless delivery of world-class magazine brands to new and existing consumers." Like its US customers, Canadian readers will be able to choose from Next Issue’s Basic and Premium monthly memberships, which affords them access to unlimited reads from their plans’ selection of magazine titles. Basic members have access to all of the companies bi-weekly and monthly titles, while premium members can access all of those, as well as all weekly publications. Both memberships let customers read unlimited back issues of the catalog. "The Next Issue platform is the future of magazine content consumption. Our investment in Next Issue signals a collective commitment to our digital future," continued Ken Whyte, the new president of Next Issuu Canada. "Next Issue Canada delivers added value with an all-you-can-read experience. It retains the best of print while making the content come to life vividly, giving readers a more personalized, interactive experience. As a result, the magazine of today is even more powerful than the magazine of yesterday."
Next Issue Expands Digital Magazines into Canada through Partnership with Rogers Media is a post from: E-Reader News |
Microsoft Developing Reader for Windows 8 for eBooks and eTextbooks
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One of the most exciting elements about this new app is the intergration with the Surface Pro Pen. It will allow users to circle, underline, highlight, and make notes on any document. The notes are then stored and listed in a side panel in each document. Microsoft’s Office team has also partnered with Bing to augment document content with data from the search service. You can simply select a name or section of the document to then search and receive information in a right-hand sidebar. The results are displayed in a very similar way to Windows 8.1′s integrated Bing hero search. Extensive document support has been going on for years with Microsoft OneNote. It has not gained the traction the company would have liked, but it is starting to branch off and start to unify their apps. Not only is their a tablet version of the new Reader for Windows 8 but they are working on “Office Lens” for Windows Phone that lets you take a picture of a whiteboard and then automatically scan and convert it using optical character recognition. All of these new apps are looking to have a early 2014 release date. Microsoft Developing Reader for Windows 8 for eBooks and eTextbooks is a post from: E-Reader News |
Digital Comics Bargains for September 27, 2013
| This week brings an amazing digital deal on Kindle, Nook, and comiXology: The full run of Fables and its spinoffs Cinderella, Fairest and Jack of Fables, as well as the crossover The Literals, for 99 cents an issue. This series brings fairy tale characters into the real world, after they are driven out of their own realm by a dark antagonist. What’s great about Fables is that it takes familiar characters and puts them together in unexpected ways, keeping enough of the original story so that it all seems logical. Writer Bill Willingham has been constructing this complicated tale for over ten years, working with artist Mark Buckingham and a host of other creators, and there are also several spinoffs: Fairest focuses on the ladies of Fabletown, and Jack of Fables is the adventures of Jack Horner, who has grown up from a mischievous boy to an entertaining, if not always lovable, rogue. You can start with issue 1 or jump into any story arc. ComiXology’s sale ends Monday night at 11 p.m.; Amazon and Nook are vaguer. If you’re in more of a superhero mood, comiXology is also holding an X-Men: Inferno! sale, offering a variety of X-Men titles for 99 cents each, but act fast, as it ends Friday night at 11 p.m. And finally, comiXology has a good handful of Godzilla graphic novels on sale for $3.99 to $4.99 through Sunday night. Dark Horse Digital ushers in the weekend with a Crime Sale that features an eclectic array of comics and graphic novels, including Frank Miller’s Sin City, Bryan Talbot’s Grandville, and the Eisner Award winning Blacksad. Sherlock Holmes, the Green Hornet, and the Green River killer also make appearances, and for those who like plenty of action, dames, and two-fisted justice, there are two collected volumes of the Golden Age title Crime Does Not Pay No new sales at eManga, but their September Switch promotion, in which you can get a free digital manga if you start an account with them and can prove you bought a volume of manga from another digital provider, is going on through October 13. Digital Comics Bargains for September 27, 2013 is a post from: E-Reader News |
Kobo Aura’s Screen Has Visible Pattern, and is Darker than Aura HD
| The Kobo Aura is the latest 6-inch ebook reader from Kobo. It has a really cool edge-to-edge screen that isn’t recessed in the front frame like other ebook readers. This gives it a sleek tablet-like look. It’s also the first Kobo ereader to use a capacitive touchscreen, which adds some extra zooming options and other […] |
Digital Reading Hinders Children’s Literacy
| eReading was supposed to be a benefit that revolutionized reading, stripping away barriers such as access to books and bookstores, high prices of new titles, and the inconvenience of carrying books around. Some of the original critics of e-reading were parents of young readers who worried that device-based access to books would lead to opting for other digital activities besides reading, and now, a report by Nielsen Book has confirmed that those fears were somewhat grounded. According to an article for UK-based The Bookseller by Joshua Farrington, “‘Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer in the Digital Age,’ Nielsen Book’s latest research project, has found a significant fall in the number of children who read or are read to on a weekly basis, with the proportion of occasional and non-readers among children aged under 17 now at 28%, rising from 20% in 2012.” Farrington continued:”The research shows that children’s reading is being affected by alternative activities, such as playing games, watching videos on websites like YouTube, and texting. During the past year, children’s access to tablets more than doubled over the previous year. The devices are being used for a range of activities, but reading is considered one of its least important uses. Only 20% of children use tablets for reading e-books, while 6% use them to read magazines and comics. Jo Henry, director at Nielsen Book (pictured), said: ‘This dramatic drop in engagement with reading (seen in the context of an 8% drop in the number of books bought for those aged under 17) in the first half of 2013 will give pause for thought for anyone involved in children’s publishing, particularly at the older end of the market, which has seen the greatest decline.’” The paradox is that the number of children reading digitally has increased even while those who do not read in any format has also. In addition, a growing number of students in different age groups report that the only format they read in is digital. So is the device actually to blame? Among the students who opt to use tablets for something other than reading when given the chance, would those students really read a book if they were provided with a print edition, or would they simply shun the activity altogether in favor of something they found more entertaining? While it is easy to attempt to correlate that research findings with the availability of tablet-based activities, the link between entertainment and education cannot be attributed quite so simply.
Digital Reading Hinders Children’s Literacy is a post from: E-Reader News |
Video Review: Amazon X-Ray on the iPad
| For the first time ever, X-Ray for Books has transcended Amazon branded devices and has crossed over as an app update for the iPad and iPhone. This neat little feature gives you a list of all the terms, people, places and things in any given book. You can get a sense on the popular phrases and objects in a book, such as cars, yachts or even food. When juggling many books at once, you can be brought up to speed on the entire cast of characters and get biographies on them. Over the course of the video, we show you exactly how it performs. X-Ray for the iPad is just one of the new features found in the latest iOS7 Kindle update. You can now add the same book to multiple collections, adding more flexibility in managing your growing cadre of books. Video Review: Amazon X-Ray on the iPad is a post from: E-Reader News |
