| The Amazon Kindle Voyage is one of the most cutting edge e-readers we have ever seen. The screen is completely flush with the bezel, has amazing screen clarity and haptic enabled page turn buttons. Today, we take this little puppy out of the box, show you everything that comes inside and power it on for the first time.
Amazon Kindle Voyage Unboxing Video is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Monday, October 27, 2014
Amazon Kindle Voyage Unboxing Video
Say “Yes” to Yes Please
| “Before we begin, I want to let you know that I’m broadcasting from my own personal audio booth that I built at the base of Mount Rushmore 15 years ago. And I built it before I had even written one word and here I am now, reading my book to you. What a country.” – Amy Poehler, Yes Please Amy Poehler is well-known for her starring role as Leslie Knope on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” her years on “Saturday Night Live” and films like “Baby Mama” (and well-known in my heart as my imaginary best friend). In addition to her accomplishments in comedy, TV and film, she has now added author to her resume with her first book, Yes Please, out today from HarperCollins and Harper Audio. Part memoir, part words of wisdom, part essays – the book offers a variety of interesting and often hilarious stories from throughout Poehler’s life and career. For fans of Bossypants and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Yes Please will be a must-read. The digital audiobook is highly recommended, as it truly stands apart from the written text. As a performer, Amy Poehler is an engaging narrator and takes advantage of the audio format. In addition to the author, audiobook listeners will get to enjoy guest readers including Poehler’s former “Saturday Night Live” Weekend Update co-anchor Seth Meyers, “Parks and Recreation” creator Mike Schur, Patrick Stewart, Carol Burnett, Kathleen Turner, and even Amy’s parents. Another exciting feature of the audiobook is the element of live performance. The last chapter of the audiobook was recorded live on stage at the UCB Theater in Los Angeles. Check out the video below for a preview of Amy getting ready for that event and make sure to meet what is sure to be high demand from your patrons by visiting OverDrive Marketplace and adding Yes Please to your digital collection today!
*The audiobook format of this title is available to U.S. public and school libraries only. The eBook format of this title is available worldwide. Melissa Marin is a Marketing Specialist at OverDrive. Amy Poehler is her spirit animal.  |
Amazon Kindle Voyage Reading in the Dark Test
| The Amazon Kindle Voyage has just been released and is a refinement of two generations worth of Paperwhites. Today, we look at the illumination settings in a completely dark environment, chiefly to see if its completely viable to read when going to sleep. The Voyage has two different settings when it comes to controlling the brightness of the front-lit display. One is called “Auto brightness” which basically uses the ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the levels, based on your environment. You can also tap on the icon, on the main navigation bar to manually set it yourself. In this video, we check out the screen clarity in complete darkness and check out every single level of illumination.
Amazon Kindle Voyage Reading in the Dark Test is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Stunted iPad Sales Not Due to Apple’s App Store
| Following a swirl of Internet discussion that is trying desperately to suggest that the iPad is circling the drain (so to speak), Fast Company charted the growth of iOS and iPad apps between June 2010 and October 2014. The results of their research makes one thing clear: whether the iPad succeeds or not, the iOS app marketplace is growing steadily. So why is it that iPad year-over-year sales have declined during the last three quarters? \Apple CEO Tim Cook suggests that existing users are upgrading more slowly, and other products (such as the iPhone and Mac) are cannibalizing the iPad. Those reasons certainly seem more likely than the reason being offered up by anecdotal bloggers telling us that nearly 675,000 tablet-optimized apps are disappointing to would-be iPad owners (not to mention the overwhelming evidence to the contrary showing that people using tablets are doing so in very limited ways: games, social media, surfing the web, and streaming media). It is just as likely that the tablet market is becoming saturated, or that the larger 5.5″ iPhone 6 Plus (nicknamed the phablet) is blurring the lines between smartphones and tablets enough that users don’t want both… regardless of the reason, news that the app marketplace is thriving is good news. Oh, and as everybody tries to speculate that Apple is going to be in some kind of financial trouble because they are selling fewer tablets, should remember that the 30% they are making off each iOS app purchase is a much larger margin than they typically make on hardware.
Stunted iPad Sales Not Due to Apple’s App Store is a post from: Good e-Reader |
The Cost of eBooks to Dramatically Increase in 2015
| The cost of eBooks are poised to dramatically increase at the beginning of the new year, due to changes in VAT. Readers will end up having to pay anywhere from 17% to 25% more on each title, depending on the country they live in. The European Commission recently unveiled a new ruling where member states will be taxed in the European member state in which the consumer is located, as opposed to the country from which the product is sold. Starting in January 2015 the new tax rates will be in effect for eBooks. The new VAT laws will prevent Amazon, Nook and Kobo from getting away with charging a paltry 3% tax on eBooks, magazines, graphic novels and newspapers sold to European countries, because their headquarters are in Luxembourg. In a few months, UK customers will have to pay the 20% VAT on eBooks from Amazon, instead of the 3%. This will increase eBooks accross the board by 17%. The Luxembourg government stands to lose around €800 million a year from the ruling, while the UK and Germany stand to gain around €350 million each by the higher VAT rates. Patrons of Amazon and Barnes and Noble in Europe are obviously going to be disgruntled that they will be paying more money for books, but the evening out of the VAT will allow Waterstones, Thalia, Txtr, Ciando, and Virtualo to compete better on price and hopefully gain more traction in the industry going forward. In the United Kingdom Amazon accounts for 75% of all eBook sales. They have been able to capture the vast majority of readers due to the low prices and solid discovery experience. Will customers remain loyal if the prices increase dramatically? The Cost of eBooks to Dramatically Increase in 2015 is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Kindle Voyage Covers and Cases List
| After nearly one week of using the Kindle Voyage, I’ve come to the conclusion that a cover is pretty much required to get the best out of the PagePress sensors. And of course the whole providing protection thing… I mentioned in my Kindle Voyage first impressions review that I had a hard time holding the […] |
Digital Marvel Graphic Novels Now Available at Kobo
| Kobo has reached an agreement with Marvel to sell over 250 graphic novels on their global online bookstore. The new comics can be purchased using any of the official Kobo tablets, their main website or bought in one of their many apps for Android, Blackberry or Windows. The inclusion of Marvel graphic novels joins Archie, DC and Dark Horse on the Kobo ecosystem. With so many Marvel movies on the horizon like X-Men Apocalypse, Ant-Man and Avengers 2, and the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, readers will want to become familiar with the source properties. “For more than 75 years, Marvel has been transporting comic fans to exciting new galaxies," says Santiago Melo, Merchandiser, Kobo. "Tackling big issues with larger than life characters, these stories continue to be a constant source of enrichment in our popular culture and we couldn't be happier to welcome them to the Kobo family." "Marvel is excited about our partnership with Kobo and happy to have the opportunity to provide fans, new and existing, another great way to experience our legendary content," says David Gabriel, SVP Sales and Marketing for Marvel Entertainment. Digital Marvel Graphic Novels Now Available at Kobo is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Making a Unicorn HAT
| Our good friends at Pimoroni have made a very sparkly HAT. We thought you’d like to see where unicorns come from. The Unicorn HAT is available at Pimoroni for £24 – get them while they’re warm (but not hot)! Clive’s busy writing a graphics resource for learners featuring this particular HAT – watch this space for more details. |
Anatomy of a Misfit read-alikes
| If you loved the Big Library Read pick Anatomy of a Misfit as much as we did at OverDrive, it will be hard to move on. To make it easier on you, our staff librarians have curated a list of read-alikes. Check out the list highlights below.
Andrea Portes – Hick Unbridled Books Hick is Portes’ debut novel. It is a coming-of-age tale about 13-year-old Luli, who has had enough of small-town life and hits the road to Las Vegas. The film adaptation (from Phase 4 Films (USA), LLC) starring Blake Lively and Chole Mertz is also available in streaming video. Andrea Portes – Bury This Soft Skull Press In Bury This a 25-year-old cold case is reignited when a group of film students start making a documentary about the victim’s life. Can’t get enough of misfits like Anika? Pick up these titles: Stephen Chbosky – The Perks of Being a Wallflower MTV Books This cult favorite follows wallflower Charlie as he navigates freshman year, first dates, new friends, and family dramas. Leah Rae Miller – The Summer I Became a Nerd Entangled Teen Madelyne Summers is a typical blonde cheerleader on the outside and a comic-loving nerd on the inside. When Logan, an adorkable comic shop employee, discovers her secret Madelyn faces a difficult decision: keep denying who she really is or risk losing Logan forever. Lauren Oliver – Before I Fall HarperCollins e-books “Cupid Day” should be the best day of popular Samantha Kingston’s life, and it is… until she dies in an awful accident. However, she still wakes up the next morning.In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined. Courtney Summers – Some Girls Are St. Martin’s Griffin Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High… until vicious rumors about her and her best friend’s boyfriend start going around. Now Regina’s been “frozen out” and her ex-best friends are out for revenge.
*Some titles may have limited regional or platform availability. If you would like more suggestions, the Collection Development Team is available to help create recommended lists. Email collectionteam@overdrive.com for more information today!
Michelle Ross is a Collection Development Analyst at OverDrive. Michelle Ross is a Collection Development Analyst with OverDrive.  |
Brookstone Mistakenly Begins Pre-Order For Fitbit Surge Wearable
| Fitbit hasn’t even made their official announcement launching their upcoming wearable, but Brookstone went ahead and started offering pre-orders for the much-anticipated Surge watch… though the page is now unavailable. Often regarded as the king of the fitness-related wearables market, Fitbit’s updated entry in this category could be a meaningful contender. During the time Brookstone had their page active, we were able to get a glimpse into what this device is going to look like –inside, and out. While the main question answered indicates this is indeed a fitness device and not a true smartwatch, a touchscreen display (that tilts up slightly toward you, making it very easy to see) and additional functionality helps it to actually fall somewhere in the middle. A lot of technology is now built-in, like the 8-sensors (for steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, floors climbed, and active minutes) along with with a GPS to make those details more accurate without the need for a smartphone nearby. Athletes will love the automatic, continuous heart rate monitor and the ability to record workouts as they happen. Geeks will appreciate that a few smartwatch features are included, allowing for call and text notifications while also being able to control your music. Most importantly (and even better than being water resistant and lasting a full 7-days on a single charge), the device syncs wirelessly and is compatible with iOS, Android, Windows and Mac OS (plus with Aria Wi-Fi scale). With an anticipated price-tag of $249 USD, it’s on the expensive side of fitness trackers. It may be seen as worthwhile for those interested in a little more functionality than existing pedometer type trackers can offer, without making the more sizeable jump into a full Android wearable or the upcoming Apple Watch. Brookstone Mistakenly Begins Pre-Order For Fitbit Surge Wearable is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Amazon Kindle Scout Battles Horrendous Indie Authors
| Amazon has just taken the beta sticker off their new author and reading community, Kindle Scout. The essence of this program is to give authors a chance to pitch their upcoming books to the public and readers cast their vote on what ones get published. Amazon is throwing their marketing and financial efforts behind authors to publish their next book exclusively through them. They are giving an advance of $1,500 and a 50% eBook royalty rate to authors who successfully woo the crowd to get behind their next title. The book will then get hyped with Amazon, and likely the books in the early stages of the Scout lifetime will get a ton of media attention. "We're always looking for new ways to add meaningful connections between readers and authors," said Dina Hilal, General Manager of Kindle Scout. "We've been delighted by the submissions so far and are excited to give readers a say in which books they want to read. We also hope they'll have a lot of fun getting to know authors and their work." I think Scout is a really great idea and will assist in a huge problem in the publishing world, the dirge of indie author titles. Every week, thousands of horrendous books are released that pollute the digital ecosystem and hinder the eBook discovery process. In all honesty, indie authors are destroying literature as we know it. Scout attempts to vet out the wheat from the chafe, and hopefully we will only hear about the best of the best and not indie generic title number 19281210912. Amazon Kindle Scout Battles Horrendous Indie Authors is a post from: Good e-Reader |
New York Times Bets the Future of News is not Paywalls
| The New York Times is betting the future of newspapers is not paywalls or digital subscriptions, but charging on a per article basis. The Times recently invested in Netherlands based startup Blendle to usher in a new area. Blendle recently attained three million dollars from the NY Times and and German media giant Axel Springer. The company launched in 2013 and has been billing themselves as the iTunes of news. This has been a hot topic for quite a few years already, and this pay-for-what-you-read model is a huge step forward. The Blendle service has attracted over 130,000 registered users in just over a year. The essence of the service is to partner up with hundreds of Netherlands based news agencies and pay them a percentage of every article that is read. Each news item price is established by the publisher, so the pricing is not consistent, but everything is really cheap. The money that Blendle has raised will be used to establish a presence in other countries. They want to include more agencies and sources to be able to have a true European reach. New York Times Bets the Future of News is not Paywalls is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Sunday, October 26, 2014
e-Reading on Mobile Phones is on the Rise
| According to a new report from the United Kingdom, 50% of readers tend to use their mobile phones books. This research is quite telling because e-reader and tablet sales are quite robust and have a high rate of availability in the retail sector. Overall, 50% of UK mobile reading consumers used the Amazon Kindle app to read on their mobiles, followed by Apple iBooks with 31%. Reading platforms Kobo and Nook are in third and fourth places with 9% and 6% respectively. Among younger readers, iBooks is closing ground on Kindle. The study found that 41% of 18 – 24 year olds who use their mobile to read are using Kindle, versus 39% who are now using iBooks. So how many people are actually reading eBooks on their mobile phones, outside of this report? Deloitte UK's estimate that there are currently 35 million smartphone users in the UK. If we assume that 44% of these smartphone owners read just one eBook on their phone, that's equivalent to 15,400,000. Then, if Nielsen is correct when it says that 323 million books (print and digital) were sold in the UK in 2013, that means 4.7% of the total UK book market's total output was read on a smartphone. Despite the mobile phone's overall growth in appeal and popularity as a reading device, the survey discovered that readers, particularly those in the UK, tend to read on their handsets fairly infrequently and in much shorter bursts, compared to the amount of time they would spend reading printed books or eBooks on tablets and e-readers. e-Reading on Mobile Phones is on the Rise is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Apple Patents the Future of Newspapers
| Newspapers have two forms when it comes to digital reading, apps and replica editions. Apple is betting on the future of flexible displays with strong media enhancements for sharing the stories that matter the most. The device – first spotted by Patently Apple – could be used to try and replicate the experience of reading a printed newspaper or magazine but on a large flexible digital display that could be updated periodically and wirelessly. Apple indicates in the patent filing that its digital periodical is double-sided, so users can read both sides of a magazine. It’s also flexible, so it can be held like a newspaper. The filing shows that the screen can be rolled up for portability. Apple is betting that flexible screens are the future of news and but this technology can also be used for advertising in their retail stores. Instead of posters and cardboard cut outs, the digital paper can be employed to connect up to Apple servers and dynamically change the content on the fly. Apple Patents the Future of Newspapers is a post from: Good e-Reader |
eBooks vs Print – The Reasons Why Digital is Better
| Over the course of the last decade, eBooks have become second nature to savvy readers. Not only can you purchase them in your pajamas, but they are more economical viable than new releases that come out only in hardcover. One of the big questions that readers always ask, is what are the direct benefits of reading digitally? Is there a big difference between reading in print and an eBook? Today, we look the big reasons why buying an eBook makes a ton of sense. Table of Contents – One of the big benefits with an eBook is a clickable TOC. It makes it really easy when reading an academic or textbook to be able to quickly go to the exact page that you want, with minimal fuss. Cloud Syncing – If you have a smartphone, tablet or e-reader in the household and often read the same book on many different devices, cloud syncing makes things really easy. Amazon and other vendors have the ability to monitor the last page read. This insures that you will pick up exactly where you left off on a book you were reading when you were going to sleep on your e-reader and then pick up where you left off on the subway with your smartphone. Highlights and Annotations - Writing your own notes or making highlights is ridiculously simple with an e-reader or e-reading app. Anything you do with an eBook is also synced to the cloud, insuring any change will follow you, no matter what device you are on. This is especially beneficial with digital textbooks that you rent for a few weeks or a semester. The title may not be in your library anymore, after the loan period is up, but any note you make are yours to keep and is stored perpetually in the cloud. Some companies have really taken the note taking features on hardware to new and exciting levels. The Sony Digital Paper is a 13.3 inch reader, that is billed as a replacement for read paper. Instead of exclusively typing on touchscreen keyboard, like most smartphone, you use the pen to quickly draw your notes out save them as an independent file. The Galaxy Note line of phones is also super solid for note taking because of the accompanied Stylus. Dictionaries and Translations – When reading fiction or non-fiction title, inevitability you will be unsure on the exact meaning of a word. It might be something you never heard before, or may use idioms from another country. Many of the top e-readers by Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo all have dictionaries pre-loaded on their devices, with the options to download additional ones, for free. If you buy an English Kindle, but want to load in a German dictionary, no problem. I also really like some of the translation software on the new Kindle Voyage, you can click on a word or body of text and translate it from the language its in, to over 15 ones. Oh, you can also get diverted to Wikipedia and Google to look up a specific word too! Fonts - If you have a vision deficiency and love to read, going to your bookstores large print section used to be your only option. These large font titles are really expensive too, often costing two or three times that of a paperback and they are normally just available in hardcover. The benefits of eBooks is being able to adjust the font on a title to your own personal preference. If you don’t like the default font eBook comes with, you can switch that too. Most e-readers and e-reading apps often have six fonts you can switch to, but Kobo goes one step further by allowing users to load in any font they want, allowing for more flexibily and control. You can Loan an eBook out, and always get it back – I have six big book shelves full of books, but used to have more. I have loaned a ton of books over the years to friends who really dug what I was reading or wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I am also not ashamed to say, there were times I gave an awesome book to a girl I was sweet on, only to never get them back. Amazon and Barnes and Noble developed eBook lending programs that allow you to loan an eBook to a friend, one time, for up to two weeks. The only problem, is that your friend, also needs the same e-reader as you do. Many European companies sell digital books with watermarks, which makes it infinity easier to give out a copy of your book, while still preserving ownership of the original. Many people in their social circle of friends are the only one with an e-reader, such as a Kindle or Nook. This makes loaning out titles impossible and borrowing books super hard. A number of eBook loaning services have been developed over the years that connect readers with each other, who don’t know one another in real life. Lendle and eBook Fling are the two most popular. Buy eBooks in your Pajamas – The one aspect of eBooks that I really like is being able to buy a title at any time. There has been many cases where I complete an amazing book and want to see what else the author has written. In many cases at the end of the book, you can click on a series of links to bring you to whatever online bookstore the author recommends to find additional titles. If the book you just read was apart of a series, you can immediately buy the next one. eBook pre-orders are proving to be fairly popular on iBooks, Kindle, Nook, Kobo or Google. You can have a book immediately sent to your device at midnight, on the day of the release. Its like when new movies come out, and you can see it hours in advance if you checkout the midnight showing, its the exact same thing with digital books. Fan fiction – If you grew up loving My Little Pony, GI.Joe, Harry Potter or boy bands, there is fan-fiction for that. Millions of stories are available to read for free, on WattPad, Kindle Worlds or fanfiction.net. Some fanfic authors have transcended their humble beginnings, such as Anna Todd and landed publishing and movie deals. incidentally, her book about a One Direction signer has had billions of reads. Fan Fiction normally flies under the radar in the standard eBook conversation, but some of the websites like WattPad do gangbuster business. Readers spend two billion hours a day reading free books on their site and social media elements allow authors to converse directly with their fans to help them become better writers. Fans will frequently offer advice on serialized novels, on what they want to see, or to help in the direction of the plot. Its interactive, which is why so many people love it. Beyond the Book/X-Ray – If you are like me, sometimes I find myself juggling many books at once. I may begin a book and something I have been waiting for finally comes out, and I instantly switch and devour it. When I come back to the original book I started, sometimes I feel lost. Sometimes names of minor characters can blur together, and I think “how was he again, whats going on?” To solve this situation Amazon developed X-Ray, which gives you a comprehensive list of all the major and minor characters in any given book. It also tells you about the locations, objects and how many times they are referrences throughout the book. No longer will readers be confused on a book they are reading, because they can easily access a small biography. eBooks have less of a carbon footprint – There are higher environmental costs involved in manufacturing an e-reader unit, compared to a unit of paper, and there are also on-going operational effects. However, one e-reader can hold any number of eBooks, newspapers and magazines — which means that e-reader users purchase fewer printed publications. Producing a Kindle creates the same CO2 as 30 books. So you need to read that number or more to offset the carbon emissions it takes to make it. eBooks Allow you to be Anonymous – Our taste in books no longer have to be a guilty pleasure. The entire 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon showed us that many women were reading the eBook on their smartphone, tablet or e-reader on public transit and they weren’t advertising what they were reading like they would a print book. The social stigma of reading trashy romance, fantasy or erotica have been firmly removed with the advent of portable e-readers. Not advertising what you are reading may remove some of the public transportation flirting, but it allows you to immerse yourself in a book you love, without attracting too much attention. eBooks are Cheaper – Many readers cite the price of eBooks as one of the primarily aspects of why they choose to read digitally. A new report by Books and e-Books UK 2014 is trying to quantify the parallel between cheaper books and reading more. Their data suggests 26% of consumers who have bought an eBook in the last year are reading more than they used to, because eBooks cost less than paperbacks, a figure that rises to 38% of 16 to 24-year-olds. You don’t need reports to say that eBooks cost less than print. When a new book comes out, it is normally exclusively in a hardcover. The average cost is around $29.99, sometimes more, depending on the title and publisher. When it comes to eBooks, new titles are anywhere from $9.99 to $12.99, in rare cases they go all the way to $18.00. When people ask me what I do for a living, inevitably they ask me about the benefits of an e-reader or eBooks in general. I always cite, if you love to read, you can read more books, while spending less. eBooks vs Print – The Reasons Why Digital is Better is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Saturday, October 25, 2014
AT&T Locking Down Apple Interchangeable SIM
| Apple intended for their new interchangeable SIM to work between carriers in the US and UK (including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and EE), but it seems AT&T had other plans. While the idea was that you could switch carriers using your device settings instead of swapping SIM cards, if you choose to get your data service with AT&T this won’t be the case. According to an on-screen notification:
AT&T is quick to confirm that this news is true, but hasn’t yet announced why they have chosen to go against the nature of the new SIM card. This kind of move certainly isn’t going to win any popularity contests for AT&T, and may make them look like bullies in the long run –especially if they are the only carrier to lock users in to their service in this way. I doubt it is impressing Apple much either, and it is likely safe to assume that they will make it well known this wasn’t their decision or within their control. Are you less likely to choose AT&T after hearing this news? AT&T Locking Down Apple Interchangeable SIM is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Kindle Voyage vs Kobo Aura H2O Comparison Review (+Video)
| The Kindle Voyage and Kobo Aura H2O have set themselves up as the best two new ebook readers released this year, and a lot people have been asking how they compare, which is better and what to get. Both ereaders share a number of similarities as far as software features are concerned, and each offers […] |
New Cybook Muse and Cybook Ocean Get Released in November
| Bookeen, a French ebook reader company that has been making ereaders since 2003, announced a new lineup of devices for 2014 last week, with pre-orders starting in early November and shipments proceeding in mid-to-late November. The new devices include a 6-inch Cybook Muse, available with and without a frontlight, and the better-late-than-never Cybook Ocean, an […] |
PocketBook InkPad 840 Finally Released, an 8-inch E Ink eReader
| Earlier this year PocketBook announced a new lineup of ereaders, with the 8-inch PocketBook InkPad 840 among them. It was supposed to be released back in July, but there were some unexpected delays, and it’s just now getting released. PocketBook has making ebook readers for many years now, but they are pretty much never available […] |
Apple is Dominating The eBook Market iOS
| Apple is currently dominating eBook sales on iOS and has now bundled their iBookstore on all devices that run iOS 8. The Capturino company has relegated Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo to being ineffective players on the global stage, and its by design. July 2011 was a dark day for readers, as Amazon, Nook and Kobo eBook sales were suspended on iOS. The companies all updated their apps to remove the ability to purchase books, comics, newspapers and magazines. The booksellers all did this because Apple had implemented a policy for all in-app purchases to be done through them and not 3rd parties. This would not be so bad, but Apple also was taking a 30% commission out of every purchase. All of the major eBook players realized that they were losing critical user data and giving Apple a cut of millions of dollars worth of sales did not make financial sense. Online booksellers have to pay a percentage to the publisher whenever a book is sold and most companies like Amazon rely on razor thin margins. It was impossible to give Apple a 30% cut of every sale, they would likely lose money. Today, customers cannot install the Kindle or Nook app and buy books. They apps themselves have all turned into glorified e-reading apps. This Apple policy has also damaged comic book sellers, such as Comixology. They removed in-app purchases back in April 2014, a few weeks after it was acquired by Amazon. Comic lovers lambasted the company saying they removed the discovery and impulse purchase aspect of the app, thereby ruinning the experience. Honestly, who wants to visit a website to browse, buy and sync over new content to the app. Wouldn’t it be way easier just to deal with a company that had in-app purchases? This is how Apple is winning the eBook war on iOS. Apple has sold more than 550 million iPhones and more than 237 million iPads, and its impact on the eBook market is set to grow significantly. The new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, both have larger screens than their predecessors. This makes e-reading more enjoyable, and comics and graphic novels shine a bit more. Apple is now ramping up their efforts to reach casual readers with new discovery features in iBooks. The app now includes a solid selection of free eBooks and additional categories to help consumers find the books they want. The titles offered in the "Great Free Books" section represent a variety of genres and reading tastes. Among them are Private by James Patterson, Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard, How the GarcÃa Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez and Justice League, Vol. 1: Origin by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. One of the big new initiatives on the iBooks app is curation and editorial content. There is now more seasonal and topical lists that abide by cool themes. Oh, and one of the biggest cleanups was removing Breakout Books, which was sourced by Smashwords. Indie authors have been booted off from the platform, in order to help readers find more quality content. In the future, you will soon be able to get book recommendations before and after purchases with technology leveraged by Booklamp, a company Apple bought a few months ago. Apple is borrowing a page out of Barnes and Nobles playbook by advertising their online bookstore in the retail environment. There is a new promotion campaigns to advertise the social aspect of the store and to make it clear how easy it is to buy and read. Recently, Apple orchestrated a Meet the Author events at the SoHo store in Manhattan. It featured bestselling YA novelist John Green, comics artist Jim Lee, Batman writer Scott Snyder, and actress and author Gillian Anderson. There simply isn’t any major competition left on iOS that Apple has to compete with anymore. All newspaper, magazine, newspaper and audiobook sales are all sourced from the Newsstand or iTunes directly, so Apple gets a cut out of everything. Apple is Dominating The eBook Market iOS is a post from: Good e-Reader |
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