| Print magazine sales are starting to incur some noticeable declines as customers flock to the digital realm. Newsstand sales of U.S. consumer magazines dropped 12% in the first half of 2014 from a year earlier, while paid subscriptions declined 1.8%. Newsstand, or single-copy, sales have been considered the best gauge of consumer demand because they can’t be propped up by deeply discounted subscriptions or free copies distributed in public places such as doctors’ offices. Digital editions continue to be a small but growing portion of magazines' total circulation mix. For the first half of 2014, magazines reported a total average of 11.6 million digital replica editions. This is some solid growth because in the first half of 2013 only 10.2 million digital editions were sold, or 3.3% of total circulation. Print Magazine Sales Decline 12% in 1st Half of 2014 is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Print Magazine Sales Decline 12% in 1st Half of 2014
Hachette CEO Fires Back at Amazon for Readers United Website
| Over the weekend Amazon launched a new propaganda website that dumbs down the contract dispute between Hachette and Amazon. It targets the readers and proclaims that Amazon just wants to keep book prices around the $9.99 mark and doesn’t think its fair that users pay beyond that. Amazon encouraged its readers to directly email Hachette CEO Michael Pietsch to end the dispute for good, here is what he said. “Thank you for writing to me in response to Amazon's email. I appreciate that you care enough about books to take the time to write. We usually don't comment publicly while negotiating,but I've received a lot of requests for Hachette's response to the issues raised by Amazon, and want to reply with a few facts. Hachette sets prices for our books entirely on our own, not in collusion with anyone. We set our ebook prices far below corresponding print book prices, reflecting savings in manufacturing and shipping. More than 80% of the ebooks we publish are priced at $9.99 or lower. Those few priced higher—most at $11.99 and $12.99—are less than half the price of their print versions. Those higher priced ebooks will have lower prices soon, when the paperback version is published. The invention of mass-market paperbacks was great for all because it was not intended to replace hardbacks but to create a new format available later, at a lower price. As a publisher, we work to bring a variety of great books to readers, in a variety of formats and prices. We know by experience that there is not one appropriate price for all ebooks, and that all ebooks do not belong in the same $9.99 box. Unlike retailers, publishers invest heavily in individual books, often for years, before we see any revenue. We invest in advances against royalties, editing, design, production, marketing, warehousing, shipping, piracy protection, and more. We recoup these costs from sales of all the versions of the book that we publish — hardcover, paperback, large print, audio, and ebook. While ebooks do not have the $2-$3 costs of manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping that print books have, their selling price carries share of all our investments in the book. This dispute started because Amazon is seeking a lot more profit and even more market share, at the expense of authors, bricks and mortar bookstores, and ourselves. Both Hachette and Amazon are big businesses and neither should claim a monopoly on enlightenment, but we do believe in a book industry where talent is respected and choice continues to be offered to the reading public. Once again, we call on Amazon to withdraw the sanctions against Hachette's authors that they have unilaterally imposed, and restore their books to normal levels of availability. We are negotiating in good faith. These punitive actions are not necessary, nor what we would expect from a trusted business partner. Thank you again and best wishes, Michael Pietsch Hachette CEO Fires Back at Amazon for Readers United Website is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Pollyanna is This Month’s Free Kindle eBook and Audiobook Duo
| Ever since Amazon updated their Android and iOS Kindle apps to add support for Immersion Reading, aka Whispersync for Voice, they’ve been promoting the service a lot more lately by giving away a free classic ebook and audiobook combo each month. This month’s free title is Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter. After you “purchase” the […] |
Collection Highlights: Trending Titles
| In this month's edition of collection highlights, Trending Titles, we share our favorite brand-new releases in top genres like young adult fiction, literary fiction, humor, thrillers, romance, cooking, and more. Watch now to get our take on hot digital titles that are garnering early praise and hitting the shelves this August and September. All of the titles in this presentation are either available for purchase now or will be coming soon to OverDrive Marketplace. Please note: Title availability may vary based on location.
Carrie Smith is a Technical Writer at OverDrive.  |
Slice – a media player using the Raspberry Pi Compute Module
| We revealed the Raspberry Pi Compute Module back in April, and released the Compute Module Development Kit in the middle of June. Since then we’ve had a lot of interest and will shortly start shipping the Compute Module in volume to a variety of manufacturers who have already designed it into their products. One of our goals with the Compute Module was to enable a generation of “Kickstarter consumer electronics” startups to develop commercial-quality products at relatively low volume. We’ve already we’ve seen the OTTO point-and-shoot camera, which was the first ever Kickstarter using the Compute module, and today marks the launch of another campaign which we hope will be even more successful.  Slice media player and remote Slice is an XBMC media player built around the Compute Module, with simple custom skin, a shiny milled-aluminium case, and a cute ring of 25 RGB LEDs for (and I quote) “visual feedback and wow factor”. It’s been developed by Mo Volans, our old friends Paul Beech and Jon Williamson from Pimoroni, and our very own Gordon Hollingworth and James Adams; they’ve been burning the candle at both ends to get Slice to where it is now, and the prototypes are looking pretty drool-worthy. Check out the video below, and then head on over to Kickstarter to see for yourself why we’re excited about Slice! |
Monday, August 11, 2014
Sony 13.3 Digital Paper Outdoor Reading Test
| Welcome back to another installment of the Good e-Reader Outdoor Reading Test! Today we look at the Sony DPT-S1 Digital Paper e-Reader and see how it performs underneath the sun. This will give you an indication on how the e-ink Mobius screen can handle PDF viewing and editing when you’re in the field and working. One of the surprising things about the Digital Paper is the fact you get very extreme viewing angles when reading outdoors. Direct sunlight seems to have a minimal effect on being able to utilize this device. Sony 13.3 Digital Paper Outdoor Reading Test is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Shop e-Readers has the Last Sony PRS-T3 Units in North America
| Sony has discontinued making the Sony PRS-T3 e-readers in North America and Europe. This is creating an atmosphere where many existing Sony users want to insure they have a backup available incase their primary unit bites the dust. Currently, the PRS-T3 is completely sold out in every Sony Style in Canada. There is only one retailer currently selling them in limited quantities, Shop e-Readers. Shop e-readers is our official sister site and in anticipation of the PRS-T3 getting totally discontinued we made sure to stock up. Right now we have the last 8 T3 e-readers in Canada and 6 T3S (the ones without the build in case). The Sony PRS-T3 is available for $179.99 US and will be shipped worldwide, including the US and Canada at discounted shipping rates. The best deal is for the Sony PRS-T3s for $159.99 and does not have a built in case. I think the Sony PRS-T3 has amazing build quality and the software is more stable and robust than Kobo readers. Speaking of Kobo, Sony recently abandoned running their own eBook store and piggybacks Kobo for all new purchases. Shop e-Readers has the Last Sony PRS-T3 Units in North America is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Survey – What is your favorite way to Read?
| Voracious readers have many different options available to peruse their favorite book. Tablets, e-Readers, smartphones and real books are all viable options. Over the course of the last month we have ran a poll on our website where 784 people weighed in on their reading habits. The vast majority of people (58%) prefer a dedicated e-reader, such as the Kindle, Nook or Kobo. 16% of the respondents proclaimed that they still primarily read paperback or trade books, while 15% read on their tablet. Smartphones (4.59%) , PC (1.15%) , Laptop (2.04%) and ultrabooks (.13%) were very negligible. I am not surprised that the Good e-Reader audience reads on their e-ink device, as it is easier on the eyes and has wicked battery life. Survey – What is your favorite way to Read? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
HarperCollins Assists Indie Bookstores with Marketing Funds
| HarperCollins Publishers today announced the HarperCollins Promotional Fund (HCPF), which will provide an additional fund of marketing dollars for Independent Retailers in the company's fiscal year 2015, which began on July 1, 2014. Qualifying accounts that promote HarperCollins titles throughout the year will have access to additional funds to support marketing efforts. The program is designed to simplify the co-op process and promote creative merchandizing of HarperCollins authors. "We highly value the growing channel of Independent booksellers and recognize them as trusted partners in helping us connect our authors with their readers," said Josh Marwell, President of Sales for HarperCollins. "We know that Indies play a huge but sometimes under-valued role in local communities, and we want to support their extraordinary efforts in building buzz around books." All co-op and new promotional funds will be paid out on a quarterly basis, eliminating the need to submit claim forms. For additional information stores should contact their HarperCollins Sales Rep or HarperCollins Customer Service Department at HarperCollins Assists Indie Bookstores with Marketing Funds is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Onyx Boox M96 Universe with 9.7″ E Ink Screen and Android 4.0 Now Available on Amazon
| The folks at Arta Tech have started selling the Onyx Boox M96 Universe from Amazon.com for $339, and they even sent me one to review. The device is also available from Onyx-Boox.com for 309 euros. That’s the same seller that distributes the Onyx Boox T68 Lynx, which I reviewed last month. The M96 Universe is […] |
Icarus Illumina HD with Android 4.2 Now Selling on Amazon
| The Onyx Boox T68 isn’t the only new ebook reader that runs open Android. A new version of the Icarus Illumina HD (E653 series) has just been released in the US and Europe. It sells from IcarusReader.com for 119 euros, or 135 euros bundled with a cover. In the US it sells from Amazon.com for […] |
Google TV Remote is Hideous
| I love my Apple TV. I hate my Apple TV remote. I have taken its’ name in vain on more than one occasion, usually about the time I’ve lost it yet again and I tear apart the couch trying to find that slippery silver sliver (say that three-times fast). As much as I hate that thing, the image shown by former Pixar employee, Randy Nelson, is believed to be the Google TV remote… and it is worse. At first glance I actually thought it was a label maker; it is overwhelming, large, and ugly. It isn’t the simplicity of the Apple TV remote that drives me crazy, it’s simply the size –the designers were right when they decided that only three buttons are necessary: stop, start and home. Sure it’s cool that the Google TV remote offers so many features and functions, but for day-to-day life, I don’t need to point something at my television that could launch a space shuttle. Not only that, how do I teach my kids to use it? Or worse yet, my mother (sorry mom!). If you ask me, I believe Jacob Siegal over at BGR said it right: “Google TV remote is an Apple TV remote designed by committee.” For those of us eagerly watching to see how great Google TV will be, let’s hope this isn’t actually what the remote looks like.
Google TV Remote is Hideous is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Young Rewired State – Festival of Code 2014
| So, you may have seen on our twitter or elsewhere that we were a host centre for Young Rewired State’s Festival of Code 2014. We had 6 young people join us at Pi Towers for a week: Ben, Rihanna, Amy, John, Finn and Dan. The aim of Festival of Code is to inspire and support young coders in creating something new – the only specification is that it must include an open data set. From Monday to Thursday the teams worked on their own projects, Ace Your Place and Moodzi, with mentors and members of the Raspberry Pi team. We even had Twilio and Code on the Road pop by. On Friday we all traveled down to Plymouth for the weekend to meet up with all the other centres. I will hand over to Ben and Finn (part of team Ace Your Place) to tell you more… Ben: From the moment I stepped through the doors of Pi Towers I loved it. It was an incredibly creative and friendly atmosphere and all our mentors for the festival were really inspirational. On the first day we came up with project ideas and split into groups; then worked on developing the project and preparing a presentation before we left on Friday. I worked in a group of 4 on a project called Ace Your Place, a service that helps people pick the right region to move to when they're relocating. The mentors were only there to help us when we needed it, and were brilliant at guiding us through the creative process. I learnt so much in general just from being around similarly minded young people, and of course from the mentors as well. On Friday we travelled to Plymouth, along with everyone else taking part in the competition. The sheer number of focused young people was amazing, and the atmosphere was so exciting. Everyone couldn't wait to share their projects and see everyone else's, and though it was a competition, everyone was extremely supportive. Through the various rounds of the competition we got to see a lot of the other projects, and I was amazed with the dedication of some of the other teams. It was a truly inspirational experience seeing the range and scope of all the ideas, with some of my favourites being "hook", a coat hook that interpreted the weather and told you what to wear (powered by a Raspberry Pi) and "QuickAid", a crowdsourced first aid service which informs and calls first aiders in the area when someone is in need of it. On the whole, the Festival of Code was an enlightening, motivating and stimulating experience. The first part of my week at Pi Towers couldn't have been a better learning environment, and the weekend was immensely good fun and extremely inspirational. I've made new friends and acquired new knowledge, and I can't wait for next year! Finn: I personally really liked CityRadar, Miles Per Pound and QuickAid – which I thought was a really good idea and very well thought out. When we had some free time it was mostly dominated by the photo booth… I found the music at the end interesting because I hadn’t really heard that kind of music before – I quite liked it! I definitely want to go to the Festival of Code again next year and would be delighted if I could do it with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Thanks Ben and Finn! Amy and Rihanna’s project Moodzi used the twitter API to tell you when was the best time to tweet particular keywords. Whilst waiting for the coach home I even caught our YRSers hacking their RFID wristbands to send people off to random websites. Also, in Plymouth Carrie caught up with her biggest littlest fan. I can't wait until next year either. |
Dropbox Adds Previews and Improves Search
| With Apple set to launch iCloud Drive in the next short while, it seems like a good time for Dropbox to do a few upgrades. Generally considered one of the leading cloud-based document storage solutions, Dropbox for Android has firmed up their footing at the head of the pack with improved search capabilities and proper document previews. Storing documents in the cloud makes a great deal of sense: they are available from any device you are near, no matter your location (not to mention how much easier it is to share documents). As people place their trust in this concept, services like Dropbox have the upper hand –being one of the first out of the gate means becoming nearly synonymous with the function itself (consider: Kleenex or Xerox). Of course, few development houses out there have the name recognition that Apple brings to the table… so Dropbox has to up the ante a little. To this end, Dropbox has upgraded their search functionality so that you can search individual folders for files instead of just looking across your entire account. This may seem trivial, but as we move more content to these services, the volume of files being searched could become immense. In addition, being able to narrow searches in this manner may improve context and give you much more meaningful results. A few other value-adds are now present in search: Dropbox tracks your recent searches (so you can easily repeat frequent searches), highlights filenames that match your search criteria, and will try to predict the keywords you are typing on the fly. The other major update was to add document preview capabilities. If you are storing Word Documents, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs, they can be previewed directly in Dropbox for Android instead of launching a separate app. An extra goody for non-Business users is that Dropbox now allows you to set view-only permissions on shared folders! If you are still shopping for a cloud-based document storage solution, give Dropbox a test-drive.
Dropbox Adds Previews and Improves Search is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Apple iPad Air VS Sony Digital Paper (DPT-S1)
| Welcome to another Good e-Reader Video Comparison. Today, we look at the two of the latest generation devices that do an amazing job at reading PDF files. The Apple iPad Air and the Sony Digital Paper both provide unique experiences. The purpose of this video is to give you an indication on how both of these devices handle a very complex document and the pros and cons. The Apple iPad Air has retina display, which provides deeper and richer colors. Whereas the Sony Digital Paper has an e-Ink display, which shows various gradients of black and white. The Air has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 and the DPT-S1 has 1600×1200. The Sony model is significantly lighter than the iPad and you should garner more battery life. The Digital Paper was designed to exclusively view and edit PDF documents. The accompanied stylus allows you to take notes, make annotations or draw without any latency. The physical document you are augmenting actually is preserved, so you can easily transfer it to another device and it reflects all of the changes you made. The iPad on the other hand does not really give you a deep and rich experience, instead relying on a small army of free and paid apps. The video below puts both of these devices head to head with the same PDF book, the Dungeons and Dragons Monsters Manual. Apple iPad Air VS Sony Digital Paper (DPT-S1) is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Overdrive Tries to Start their own Holiday
| When you are the most financially successful company in the digital library space, an inflated sense of ego generally occurs. Overdrive is trying to start a new holiday called “Read an eBook Day” and is giving away a number of free tablets and e-readers just by visiting their site. Read an eBook Day is a new program that Overdrive hopes to draw attention to their various verticals. Patrons can borrow a digital book from their local libraries (as long as its an Overdrive supported one) or they can buy eBooks (from a company using Overdrives WhiteLabel Bookstore system). Overdrive is trying to start a holiday that basically shills their own products and services and makes no mention of Amazon, Kobo, B&N or competitors such as Axis 360 or 3M Cloud Library. They should have called it “Read an Overdrive eBook day.” A corporate holiday centered around a specific company and not a movement is disingenuous. Trying to leverage readers and enveloping them into your own ecosystem is considered by many, to be a hostile act. What is next? A “Celebrate Life Day” with Aquafina? “Keep your Lawn Preety Week” with John Deere? Overdrive Tries to Start their own Holiday is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Kindle Paperwhite 2 Software Update 5.4.5.1
| Amazon has just released another software update for the second generation Kindle Paperwhite, version 5.4.5.1. The changelog remains the same as the 5.4.5 update that Amazon issued three weeks ago today. Even though it isn’t specifically mentioned anywhere, this 5.4.5.1 update presumably fixes the problem with footnotes that was inadvertently introduced with the original 5.4.5 […] |
Quick summer reads
| Sitting outside on a warm summer day reading a good book is one of my favorite thing to do. But, I have to admit that my attention span goes right out the window as soon as I open them up to let the nice weather in. Long books are out of the question – I save the Infinite Jest's and War and Peace's for the cold winter months. I love being able to start and finish the same book in one beach, porch, hammock, or even cozy air-conditioned sitting. So for me, right around 200 pages seems to be the perfect length for the perfect summer read. I compiled a list of some of my favorite and best reviewed short novels that are wonderful, quick summer reads.
As always, your Collection Development Specialist is always available to help create any recommended lists. Email collectionteam@overdrive.com for more information today! *Some titles are metered access and may have limited regional or platform availability. Check OverDrive Marketplace to find what is available for you.
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Looking Forward to iOS 8: Highlights
| The biggest news out of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference this year revolved around the next version of their mobile operating system: iOS 8. Much anticipated, iOS 8 favours function over form by focusing on features instead of upgrades to the look and feel. As a developer, I have had the chance to test drive the beta version of iOS 8 since early June… for the rest of you still waiting to give it a try, here are a few of the things you can most look forward to: ContactsDouble-tap the home button and you will be greeted with a scrolling list of the contacts you have most recently been in touch with –this is extremely handy when you want to call or message these folks quickly and easily (instead of scrolling through lists, or trying to find an existing message to reply to). MessagesWith a tap inside the Messages app, you can send voice content quickly and easily. No more pre-recording and then attaching after the fact! Of course, my favourite feature is the ability to ‘Share My Location’ and ‘Send My Current Location’ within an iMessage. No more trying to describe exactly where you are waiting, with a couple of taps you can send your contact an actual map! Keyboards, Keyboards, KeyboardsCustom keyboards. A crazy elaborate Emoji keyboard. A QuickType predictive text feature for your keyboards. Keyboards are the name of the game in iOS 8 –you can finally customize them good and proper, and you will be delighted. I promise. PhotosThere are a few interface changes when it comes to the way photos are stored on your iOS device, but the one I am most excited about is the addition of a ‘Recently Deleted’ album. While it may seem unnecessary and redundant at first, anybody who has regretted deleting a photo will rejoice. Think of it like the familiar trash can (or recycle bin for those of you who still use Microsoft Windows) –it’s a holding place for deleted photos. Any photos that find their way there will be removed automatically after 30 days, unless you empty it manually before then. Battery UsageI have heard more complaints about smartphone battery life than any other shortcoming. We expect our smartphones to do a whole lot, it stands to reason that will take power to accomplish those things. Thanks to the Battery Usage summary now found under Settings, we can evaluate the features we need the most vs. the battery power it takes to make them happen. It may surprise you to learn exactly which apps are drinking your battery; in my case, Messages is the biggest culprit. HealthKitBest thought of as a portal more so than an app, HealthKit gives you a single place to track anything and everything that pertains to your health and well being, including: body measurements, fitness, nutrition, sleep, and vitals. Most valuable is the ability to create a Medical ID that is accessible even when your phone is locked. How much information you provide is left entirely up to you, but I recommend taking good advantage. My Medical ID contains a list of allergies and reactions, current medications, my emergency contact person along with their relevant details, my full name and date of birth, confirmation that I would like to be an organ donor, and my blood type. While you may initially be concerned about sharing these kinds of details in front of your passcode, the first time it saves your life those worries will vanish. App Store – Family PurchasesIf you question whether the new Family Sharing feature in iOS 8 is worthwhile, you clearly do not have children with smartphones or tablets. Now, up to six people in your family can share purchases made through iTunes… but better than that, your kids can have their own accounts! When they want to make a purchases (using your credit card of course), you can approve their spending from your own device (and not have to log in to theirs). Other family-friendly features are present as well, including photo sharing and a family calendar –all things that show Apple understands how the modern family functions. ConclusionThere are so many odds and sods updated and added in iOS 8 that a comprehensive list would be nearly impossible –some are less significant: the Podcasts app is native now, the Weather app is powered by The Weather Channel instead of Yahoo, settings for Messages allows you to keep audio/video messages where previously they would be auto-deleted, Control Centre has a new look, a Tips app is installed by default and offers weekly tips on using the new operating system… and on and on. Excited? Wondering when you can get your hands on iOS 8 and actually see these things in action? A specific release date hasn’t been announced, but with an expected Apple event in early September, it seems safe to assume things will start rolling out officially later that month.
Looking Forward to iOS 8: Highlights is a post from: Good e-Reader |
