| We’ve seen all manner of Android wearables, though almost all of them pretty much look like watches. Sure there are a few you can wear around your neck, but MOTO is offering you an alternative device in the form of a ring. The MOTA SmartRing claims that it will provide mobile app notifications directly on your… finger. Announcing the SmartRing, MOTA describes the alerts that can be configured to work with their device:
In addition to working with Android devices, the SmartRing will also have an iPhone app that allows the device to pair with iOS devices as well. Whether you’d like alerts for text messages, calls, or calendar events, this may be an attractive alternative to the wearables competition. Of course, we have no idea how much this SmartRing will cost (or how it will be sized –those of us women with small fingers may find it entirely too bulky, not to mention it doesn’t look terribly forgiving in case adjustments are required). The timing of this announcement is not likely a coincidence –with Apple’s big event happening next week, I suspect we will see more than a few ‘first to market’ style launches as manufacturers try not to be seen as a copycat of whatever is coming our way.
MOTA SmartRing Provides Android Wearable Watch Alternative is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
MOTA SmartRing Provides Android Wearable Watch Alternative
Firefox for Android Now Supports Language Switching, History Clearing
| In case you weren’t convinced that Firefox was a good alternative browser to use on your Android device, a new version has introduced a number of new features that make it even more competitive. The latest update lets you switch quickly between the browser’s 55 supported languages as well as being even easier to clear the app’s browsing history. Being able to quickly switch between different languages may seem trivial to most of you, but in many areas of the world where multiple languages are used regularly, this is significant. This comes in addition to even more languages now being supported, including: enian, Basque, Fulah, Icelandic, Scottish Gaelic, and Welsh. Equally exciting news bundled in this new version is the ability to customize your home screens. Mozilla describes this update by noting, “We have created home screen pages that allow you to access content directly from a variety of websites, feeds and services, such as Instagram, Pocket, Vimeo and Wikipedia.” The last major change now available is the addition of Firefox Sync, allowing users to align their saved passwords across different versions of the browser. If you haven’t given Firefox for Android a try, download it for free now.
Firefox for Android Now Supports Language Switching, History Clearing is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Amazon Ready to Stream in 4K This October
| We’ve been hearing from Amazon that they plan to shoot their 2014 original series lineup in 4K (which you can enjoy if you happen to own a Samsung Ultra HD TV). Until now, we just didn’t know when. Samsung has now revealed that this will be happening in October of this year, stating that they plan to support Amazon’s Prime Instant Video UHD streaming on their 4K TVs. This is great news for those of you with the fancy televisions that support 4K content, with very little available in that enhanced resolution. Samsung has more in store, with a CES announcement this year sharing that in addition to Amazon, the company has established major partnerships with Netflix, Comcast, and DirecTV. It hasn’t been announced yet whether Amazon’s 4K service too extend to additional manufacturers, but it seems probable once any kinks have been worked out.
Amazon Ready to Stream in 4K This October is a post from: Good e-Reader |
What Should We Expect From Apple at Next Week’s Event?
| These days it seems like America’s favourite passtime isn’t baseball, but rather it revolves around speculating as to what Apple will be releasing at their next big event. Generating hype is certainly something that Apple knows how to do, and their event next week is no exception. We will all be tuned in closely on September 9, 2014 –but in the meantime, there are a few decent guesses as to what Apple has in store for us. iPhone 6 Every fall there is a new iPhone. Even if it’s a lesser ‘S’ upgrade, we’ve always enjoyed a new device around this time of year. With the 5S coming to us in the fall of 2013, a more significant move to an iPhone 6 is all that makes sense –and quite frankly, I am not sure consumers would accept anything less. So what’s it going to look like? Probably about the same as it already does, but with a 4.7″ screen. It’s possible Apple will have a variety of sizes available: 4″, 4.7″ and a super-sized 5.5″ option –but this array doesn’t make sense with Apple’s existing support structure and design philosophy. Having something a little larger makes sense and would allow them to compete with the bigger devices being offered by the likes of Samsung, LG, HTC, and Sony (but if there are more than 2 size options available, I’ll be losing more than a few betting pools I’m participating in). Other than the size difference, we’re going to see the usual cast of characters as far as updates are concerned: faster processor, better camera, possibly lighter, maybe a battery with more juice… but those aren’t things people tend to really care much about. It is probably a good bet that there will be a 128GB storage option, bringing into question whether they will still bother with a 16GB model or if the low end will start at 32GB. iWatch There are two schools of thought when it comes to the iWatch: (1) Apple can’t afford to stay out of the fitness wearables market and (2) Apple shouldn’t bother trying to compete, and rather they should work with major fitness wearable manufacturers to turn the iPhone into a functional portal for all of the available options. If Apple doesn’t have something for this market at the event next week, it would likely be in their best interests to say they have no intention of competing in that arena; rather than stating that they aren’t ready yet. There are a lot of important people out there that would say that having a credible iWatch style device from Apple is the most important tech product due out this year. The problem is, what would it look like? Apple values function equally with form, and they have a history of releasing a minimum number of design options for a device (a few colours, perhaps). What this means is that whatever they come out with has to appeal equally to the teenage masses as it does to the Rolex-wearing businessmen. It needs to look as good on a professional woman as it does on the athlete or low-budget university student. So will they release an iWatch? I hope not. Will they release some kind of wearable sensor that can be mounted in any number of holsters (be them rings, watch-bands, necklaces, belt clips, or whathaveyou)? This seems more likely and appealing. But I digress. The point is, especially with the new HealthKit app, Apple is trying to become the go-to place for all of your health information. Whatever makes it easier to record and collate this information, is exactly what Apple needs to make… this means it has to be more than just a step-counter. What about having a heart-rate monitor? Blood pressure monitor? Glucose monitor? It just doesn’t make good sense for Apple to release yet another rubber band when there are dozens of credible and sensible options for sale already. Software At the WWDC this past June, Apple told us about iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Both operating systems have been actively in beta since that point and it stands to reason the are nearing a full release. If there is new hardware, shipping a device with anything other than the latest operating system wouldn’t make sense at this point. Odds and Sods There’s more we want of course. We want updated iPads (with fingerprint sensors), we want new Mac Minis (with updated specs)… there were recent improvements to the MacBook line-up, but heck, we’d like updated models of those too! All of these things are pretty unlikely at this event –not only are they going to be short on time to discuss them, they won’t want to put the new iPhone in the shadow of another device. It may be we’re seeing this sized event in September to keep room for an October launch of these ‘lesser’ updates just prior to the holiday shopping season… but that’s just a shot in the dark. Obviously, it’s all about making educated guesses at this point… so until then, try to stay balanced on the edge of your seat.
What Should We Expect From Apple at Next Week’s Event? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Barnes and Noble Trials Espresso Book Machine
| The largest bookseller in the United States, Barnes and Noble is implementing a pilot project to put the Espresso Book Machine at three locations. The Espresso Book Machine is a print on demand machine that prints, collates, covers, and binds a single book in a few minutes. Each machine retails for $80,000, which is a significant investment. What is the entire point of Print on Demand? Well, indie authors often take advantage of it to have their physical books printed when someone orders it online. Barnes and Noble will also be able to print bestselling and back list titles from Ingram Lightning Source. If you are would like to check out the book machine for yourself it is currently available at the flagship Union Square store in New York and also Paramus, N.J, and Willow Grove, Pa. Barnes and Noble Trials Espresso Book Machine is a post from: Good e-Reader |
How to load eBooks on the Samsung Galaxy 4 Nook
| Barnes and Noble has only released one new device in 2014 and it is called the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook. This device allows you to load in your own PDF files, newspapers, magazines and eBooks. In this video tutorial I will show you how to load in your own content using Calibre and Windows Explorer. You will get a sense on the internal directory structure of the Nook and where you should be copying the files. How to load eBooks on the Samsung Galaxy 4 Nook is a post from: Good e-Reader |
New and popular content for schools
| For many of us, September brings a new school year. Though for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, many of you are currently in session, or have a few more weeks until the start of the new term. But no matter where you are, we have some great titles made available in the past month. Below are lists of the most popular new titles released in the month of August. Clicking each link will take you to each list in Marketplace. The titles appear as search results would, so you can easily refine results or add them to a cart. New Adult – High School Appropriate  And as always, your Collection Development Specialist is happy to assist you with recommendation lists customized specifically for your school or library. Email us at collectionteam@overdrive.com for more information! *Please note: some titles may have limited regional or platform availability. Liz Tousey is a Collection Development Analyst at OverDrive.  |
Scribd Celebrates an Amazing 2014
| Scribd has already posted their year in review infographic that gives as a sense of their most popular reading categories. Over the course 2014 they have had 1 billion pages read, 160 billion words read and readers have spent 17.6 million hours of reading eBooks. Scribd Celebrates an Amazing 2014 is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Reading Eggs eBooks Now Available on Kobo
| Kobo has ironed out an agreement with Blake eLearning to make more than 120 of their award-winning Reading Eggs eBooks available in the Kobo Kids Store. This marks the first occasion the books are digitized outside of the Reading Eggs program and are available exclusively on Kobo. Developed by a highly experienced team of educational teachers, writers and developers, the Reading Eggs program focuses on a core reading curriculum of phonics and word memorization so that kids learn skills and strategies essential for sustained reading success. It directly supports what children learn at school and will help to improve a child's results at school. If you want to see what all of the fuss is about and you have a Kobo Tablet or their official app, Reading Eggs is offering a bundle of 4 free educational eBooks. Reading Eggs eBooks Now Available on Kobo is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Final Call for September Picademy Applicants
| Are you a teacher? Have you got back-to-school blues after yesterday’s return to the staffroom? Are your classroom displays distinctly lacking in interaction or automation? Are you bored of taking the register the old fashioned way? Well we think that we have the perfect remedy for you!  Have you packed your Raspberry Pi yet? We’re offering another two days of FREE training from the Education Team in our HQ home town of Cambridge, UK. You don’t need any experience with Raspberry Pi. We will teach you, inspire you, feed you, and give you free resources. All you need to do is get here! We are confident that you will have such a good time that you’ll shake those back-to school-blues and be excited about getting hands on with technology in your classroom, like Raspberry Certified Educators Dan Aldred and Sue Gray, who created a dancing and singing glove over the two days of training: We can help you create lots of classroom projects from scratch, like a ‘Make-an-entrance’ Doorbell for your classroom or an RIFD tag register for your desk! Apply now for September Picademy (29th & 30th September 2014). The deadline for applications for this event is on Friday 5th September, so you’ve only got a few more days. We will email all successful candidates on Monday 8th September. Applications for October Picademy (27th & 28th October 2014) will remain open until Friday 3rd October. We accept applications from practicing teachers from all over the world who teach any subject area. We’ve had art teachers, history teachers, science teachers and Primary non-subject specialists as well as ICT and Computing teachers visit Picademy; the course is appropriate for any teacher, no matter what their subject. Here is what some of our Raspberry Pi Certified Educators have to say about their experience at a Picademy:
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Monday, September 1, 2014
Beamdog Studios RPG Icewind Dale Headed to Android
| If you joined me in my love for the classic PC Dungeons and Dragons RPG Baldur’s Gate that came to Android devices thanks to Beamdog Studios, you will be excited to hear they are at it again with D&D-based game, Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition. Filled with new content and game improvements set in the Forgotten Realms, Beamdog Studios has a lot planned for Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition. Too excited to wait? You can expect to see: six expanded quests with content from the original game, 60 new items, Heart of Winter and Trials of the Luremaster expansions, 31 new class and kit combinations from Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition, 122 new spells carried over from Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition, cross-platform multiplayer capability for up to six players, and story mode –allowing players access to the entire story without game over screens. An exact launch date isn’t yet known, but we are expecting to play Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition later in 2014 (for a price yet to be determined, though the PC version will be $19.99).
Beamdog Studios RPG Icewind Dale Headed to Android is a post from: Good e-Reader |
What new e-Reader does Kobo have planned for 2015?
| The Kobo H20 is shipping this October and is the first time the Canadian based company has marketed a waterproof device. Many people are asking the question, is this all they have coming out in 2014, and should I wait until 2015 to buy a new e-reader? Kobo has confirmed that the H20 is the only device they have to be released in 2014. In an interview CEO Michael Tamblyn, he said that their tablet lineup is still very competitive with everything else available on the market, there was no need to give it a refresh. Most hardware companies who are heavily invested in selling eBooks have mostly all unveiled their lineup for 2014. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook was the sole hardware upgrade this year from Barnes and Noble and is actually a very solid device. Kobo has their H20 and Amazon is the only X factor. My sources at Lab126, the R&D division responsible all Amazon hardware have said that two new e-readers and three tablets are all ready to go. The tablets will have more synergy with the Fire TV and the Fire Phone, and give people a reason to go all Amazon, like people go all-in with Apple. What does Kobo have planned for 2015? They rarely tell media people in advance because it gives a competitive edge to Onyx, Pocketbook, Ectaco, and Icarus. I do have a bit of insider information that points to what they are planning though. Kobo outsources all of their hardware design and manufacturing to Nettronix Inc. They are based in Taiwan and have involved in the e-reader space since the very beginning. Last month they demoed a new e-reader that used the same shell and internal components of the Kobo Aura HD. The main difference is that it was utilizing technology from Wacom, which made it compatible with an official stylus. This allows you to have the ability to take notes, make highlights and annotations with pinpoint precision. Will the next iteration of the 6.8 inch Aura finally be a viable note taking e-reader? Sony made note taking fashionable with all of their e-readers in the past four years. A large segment of readers found a stylus to be a bit more intuitive, instead of relying exclusively with the touchscreen. Sony recently abandoned making consumer e-readers and closed down their Reader Store all over the world. This leaves a void in the marketplace for a company to market an affordable e-reader that comes with a stylus and has modern internal components. Everyone involved in the e-reader sector is paying close attention to the ravenous demand for the Sony Digital Paper (DPT-S1). This is a device aimed at the business crowd and has a hefty pricetag of $1,100. Netronix is hoping to convince Kobo that a more affordable 6.8 version would sell to your average customer. Kobo has always invested heavily in their consumer division with selling eBooks and making low cost e-readers. A Wacom enabled e-reader could potentially expand their base further into the education market and into making it a viable business tool. What new e-Reader does Kobo have planned for 2015? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
HarperCollins UK Launches New eBookStore
| HarperCollins is in the midst of a total rebranding effort when it comes to selling books. In July they relaunched their United States website and started to market eBooks directly to customers. This has been a deemed a success by the top executives and they have now expanded into the UK. The New HarperCollins UK site has been relaunched with the express purpose of selling eBooks directly. The publisher prompts users to download and install their HC Reader app, which is used to read any purchases on iOS and Android. HC derives 24% of their revenue from eBooks, so there is still a viable market for print. You can order tangible books from the UK website, but instead of buying them from HC directly you are redirected to Amazon, Waterstones and W H Smith. The publisher hopes to make physical books available directly through the site in December. One of the most compelling aspect of the HC UK website is author profiles. You can read their biography, check out their social media profiles, get put on a mailing list for book tours and events or look at their upcoming titles. HarperCollins is no stranger to selling eBooks in the UK, having prior experience with CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and their Narnia website. These niche microsites did not generate many sales, but it did establish an in-house division for the future of selling eBooks directly. Publishers reliance on Amazon, as a primarily vechie to sell eBooks, is forcing them to embrace alternative sales channels. Amazon currently has too much power in mandating terms during contract renewals, as we see from the current Hachette dispute. Whether customers buy directly from the publisher, instead of Amazon, Kobo, iBooks or Nook remains to be seen. HarperCollins UK Launches New eBookStore is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Kobo Aura H20 Now Available for Pre-Order
| The Kobo Aura H20 is drawing praise in our extensive reviews and comparisons. It is the first waterproof e-reader to be issued by a mainstream company and is now finally available for pre-order starting today. For the next four weeks, you can order the Kobo Aura H20 directly from the Kobo website in Canada and the US for $179.99. Since Kobo is based in Toronto Canada, Best Buy and Chapters are also offering pre-orders in their stores. Meanwhile, in the UK you place yourself in a virtual queue for £139.99 and the rest of Europe for €179.00. If you live outside of these countries, you can order it from our sister site Shop e-Readers. The Kobo Aura H20 features a 6.8 inch display and is rocking an e-Ink Carta screen. This will insure you are getting the fastest page turns possible with minimal full page refreshing. The H20 is the only new device Kobo has planned for 2014 and is worth it to order if you are looking for a new e-reader. Kobo Aura H20 Now Available for Pre-Order is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Kobo Aura H2O Pre-Orders Start Today
| Last week Kobo announced the upcoming release of their latest device, the Kobo Aura H2O, a waterproof and dustproof E Ink ebook reader. Today Kobo started accepting pre-orders for the new ereader online from Kobo.com. The Aura H2O costs $179, and comes with free standard shipping (oddly there is no express shipping upgrade). Kobo notes […] |
Web browser released!
| Back in December 2013, we discussed our plans to develop an improved web browser for Raspberry Pi. The browser is based on Epiphany (aka GNOME Web), as a replacement for the rather venerable version of Midori in Raspbian Wheezy. Eight months and a lot of hard work later, we’re finally ready. As you can see from the video below, Epiphany on Pi is now a plausible alternative to a desktop browser for all but the most JavaScript-heavy sites. Epiphany brings a host of neat features to Raspberry Pi, including:
Future releases of Raspbian and NOOBS will include Epiphany as the default browser, but the necessary packages are already in our repository. To install, type: sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get dist-upgrade sudo apt-get install epiphany-browser Epiphany for Raspberry Pi was produced by our friends at Collabora. ARM assembly language optimisations were provided (as always) by Ben Avison. |
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Microsoft Surface PRO 3 vs Apple iPad Air
| The Microsoft Surface PRO 3 and the Apple iPad Air are two of the most successful tablets in the world. Today we look at the overall e-reading experience plays out on both devices. You will get a sense on how the eBook, PDF and digital comic experience plays out. The Surface Pro 3 has a 12 inch screen,which allows image based content, such as magazines and comic books really shine. The one advantage the iPad has is the seamless pinch and zooming to isolate particular regions. The Surface tends to be a little bit more sluggish when it comes to non-native apps, like Adobe PDF Reader. The video below we look at how both of these handle the same book, same comic and PDF file. We tend to look at these devices from an e-reading prospective, because we know you inevitably read the news or read a comic digitally.
Microsoft Surface PRO 3 vs Apple iPad Air is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Should eBooks Only Cost a Penny?
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Germaine was reflecting on the entire Hachette eBook dispute and was in favor of Amazon. "Amazon wants to sell e-books at less, so they should. They should cost less because they don’t have to be put together, stitched, printed, designed, blah, blah, blah. If you skip all that and all you have got is a ribbon of text on a Kindle then it should cost you pennies frankly." Printing a physical book obviously costs more due to the industrial-age process involving paper mills and printing presses manufacturing the title and then its distributed by ships,trains and trucks delivering them your local bookstore. Should eBooks only cost a few pennies? It costs Amazon almost nothing to make and distribute 100 copies of an ebook file to sell to 100 different customers. Credit cart fees are probably the largest per-ebook cost for each incremental sale. Distributing an eBook has no industrial-era components and no industrial-era advantages for Big Publishing.
Should eBooks Only Cost a Penny? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Australian author Germaine Greer proclaimed on a recent US University Opens Up the First All eBook Library
| Florida Polytechnic University has just opened their doors and instead of dusty bookshelves full of books, they are embracing digital. This marks the first time diligent young scholars can borrow eBooks on their Kindles, Nooks or iPads and there is not a tangible book in sight. The inaugural class of 500 students will have access to over 135,000 eBooks and digital textbooks for the upcoming September semester. “Our on-campus library is entirely digital,” said director of libraries Kathryn Miller. “We have access to print books through the state university system’s interlibrary loan program. However, we strongly encourage our students to read and work with information digitally.” The new university is primarily focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students are better prepared for lives in the technology sector by being able to read, absorb, manage and search digital documents and conduct digital research. Florida is not the only intuition to embrace eBooks at the expense of physical books. Bexar County opened up the first all digital library a few months ago. Patrons can easily access over 10,000 eBooks and residents will be able read them on one of the 600 E-readers, 9 laptops or 40 tablets that are available for loan. US University Opens Up the First All eBook Library is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2 vs. Kobo Aura H2O
| In this video comparison we look at the flagship Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2 and the Kobo Aura H20. This two e-readers have fairly similar technology, as they are both rocking e Ink Carta, which result in faster page turns. The Kindle Paperwhite 2 is certainly one of the most popular e-readers in the world, and Amazon currently controls 70% of the global eBook market. Now that Sony is out of the picture, it is a two horse race with Amazon and Kobo. The Purpose of today’s comparison is to give you a sense on how these two devices fare head to head. We look at Beyond the Book and Amazon X-Ray, GoodReads, PDF files, eBooks, menus, settings and the how the online bookstores perform.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2 vs. Kobo Aura H2O is a post from: Good e-Reader |
