| Macmillan has announced that they intend on entering the e-Book subscription model business, in an attempt to broaden its distribution channels. CEO John Sargent mentioned that the primary reason they are engaging in the whole Netflix for eBooks concept is because Amazon accounts for 64% of all Macmillan digital sales, and this must change. Sargent outlined Macmillan’s plans for the future to his stable of authors, illustrators, and Agents “In our search for new routes to market, we have been considering alternative business models including the subscription model. Many of you know that we have long been opposed to subscription. We have always worried that it will erode the perceived value of your books. Though this significant long-term risk remains, we have decided to test subscription in the coming weeks. Several companies offer "pay per read" plans that offer favorable economic terms. We plan to try subscription with backlist books, and mostly with titles that are not well represented at bricks and mortar retail stores. Our job has always been to provide you with the broadest possible distribution, and given the current financial and strategic incentives being offered, we believe the time is right to try this test.” It is very likely in the next few weeks we will hear about Macmillan signing an e-Book distribution deal with Oyster and Scribd. These are two companies not affiliated with Amazon and engage in the pay per read model, which is what Macmillan is looking for. Macmillan Intends on Entering e-Book Subscription Market is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Macmillan Intends on Entering e-Book Subscription Market
Why Samsung’s NOOK Tablet is Perfect for Students
| Whether you're a student yourself or the parent of one, you know how aggravating it can be to trek back and forth from class with all your necessities. Textbooks, notebooks, even netbooks and laptops have become part of the list essentials to put in your backpack every day; particularly for college students. Tablets have made a difference to some degree, but the majority of them don't offer transition between apps that are smooth and quick enough to make note-taking and studying easy on a single device. And never mind battery life; if you didn't leave your tablet plugged in for at least 10 hours yesterday, it probably won't even turn on for class today. It's just how technology works—or is it? A Challenger Appears Luckily, Barnes & Noble and Samsung have embarked on a joint venture to change the game for lecture- and class-friendly mobile devices. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK offers a veritable panacea of handy features for students on the go, from junior high up to graduate school. What makes the Tab 4 NOOK such a great choice for students? It's one part form, one part function, and one part finance. The Galaxy eReader gives students access to the entire online Barnes & Noble library, including any and all textbooks available in digital form, while the same device can also run note-taking apps, capture video and audio and get online for research, email and chatting with friends and family back home. Most eReaders are designed to fulfill a singular purpose: a portable library. The Tab 4 NOOK is one of the first true hybrid devices, and that makes it different. The device is essentially a Samsung Galaxy 4 Tablet that's been sanded down to remove all the sharp edges and then polished to promise the best presentation possible. It's been stripped of the usual Samsung trappings and many pre-installed "junk" apps in favor of Barnes & Noble's NOOK apps and widgets, all of which are moveable and removable to your own preference. Unlike the standard Samsung Galaxy 4 Tab, the NOOK variant lacks Samsung's infamous My Magazine, which intrudes upon your screen with an irremovable widget that allegedly give access to multiple updates from a single location; PCWorld applauded the removal of the "feature" in the new Galaxy Note 4, so the fact that the Tab 4 NOOK lacks it altogether makes the entire experience much more pleasing from a UI perspective. Productivity and Multi-Tasking The smaller of Samsung's two NOOK tablets—the other clocks in at 10.1 inches, making it a bit cumbersome to carry around everywhere—offers some fantastic multi-tasking functions, allowing students to stay productive and follow along in class at the same time. Not the least of these features is Samsung's trademark Multi Window functionality. Reported as fully operational in the little NOOK hybrid by Engadget, this allows users to run two apps simultaneously, on the same screen. While this has become the standard in Samsung's tablets, being able to utilize such a feature in an eReader is a definite game-changer for the educational tech market. This feature allows students to have an eBook open at the same time as their favorite note-taking app; this way they can take notes, follow along, and not worry about missing out on key lecture information or discussion while they switch between the two apps to catch up with the reading or put down a note. And unlike other devices with this kind of function, most notably laptops, the Tab 4 NOOK is small enough to carry in a purse or even a winter coat's large inside pocket. Clocking in at less than 10 ounces in weight, users don't have to worry about anything getting dragged down when they pack up this device to get to class. Wrap Up While Gizmodo's launch review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK went so far as to ask "what's the point?" even they declared that the main demographic for the device would be users who wanted an eReader with other, more complex functions. The tablet hybrid also comes with about $200 in freebies, including episodes of hit TV shows, free books, and even a year-long "trial" subscription to multiple nationally acclaimed magazines. Since one of these options is National Geographic, it again proves its worth to students across the country—easy access to academically accepted content just for buying a device that works just as well and costs less than half the price of the industry standard iPad? That's more than worth it. There are other options, but considering the Tab 4 NOOK is the only one in the current round of next-gen eReaders to offer more than eight hours of battery life in a single charge, even with Wi-Fi on and screen brightness up, it's hard to justify getting anything else for the student in your life. Why Samsung’s NOOK Tablet is Perfect for Students is a post from: Good e-Reader |
On Holiday traditions and nostalgia
| Every year as Thanksgiving dinner finishes up I turn my attention to my favorite time of year: the holiday season. Christmas for me has long been a time of nostalgia and tradition. Being an old soul I take this time to reflect on where I've come from It's because of this urge to look back that I traditionally fall into a very specific pattern this time of year. On the night of Thanksgiving I watch the original version of Miracle on 34th Street because it was something I always did with my Pops when I was younger. My wife and I always wrap presents while watching The Muppet Christmas Carol and each December I reread the Dickens classic that Kermit and the gang so perfectly reproduced. For me, rediscovering the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future helps remind me of the true meaning of the season and gives me a reason to reflect on where I've been, where I am and where I hope to go. Another great tradition of our household is that every year my wife takes to the kitchen to bake thumb print cookies from her mother's recipe. This is the perfect time of year for goodies and so I'm planning on joining her in baking by checking out some of the cookbooks from our Pinterest page and adding some treats to our holiday menu. These digital cookbooks are great for the kitchen. Simply find the recipe you're looking for, prop your device up next to the cutting boards and rolling pins and you're good to go! For an added bonus we'll borrow some holiday music from the library to provide a musical background for our baking adventure. The holidays are a great time to look back on the things you're truly thankful for in your life. For me it's family, food, books and traditions. As you're reading this there's a decent chance I'm curled up next to our fireplace with my iPad reading about that tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge and his story of redemption while snacking on something sweet and listening to holiday classics. I'm thankful for these moments every year but I'm even more thankful that they're all provided for free from the library. Cheers and happy holidays.
Adam Sockel is a Marketing Communications Specialist at OverDrive. He thinks Michael Cane was the best Scrooge ever. |
Collection Highlights: Best of the Holiday Sales
| This month, we're pleased to present a very special Best of the Holiday Sales edition of OverDrive Collection Highlights. Click the Prezi above to hear about some of our personal picks from the over 50,000 titles on sale in OverDrive Marketplace this holiday season. Happy shopping! Note: For the best audio experience, we recommend watching this presentation in Chrome.
Carrie Smith is a technical writer at OverDrive. |
Christmas light sequencer
| Over at Instructables, Osprey22 (what’s your real name, 22? Let us know and I’ll add it to this post) is driving audio and eight strands of lights (plus a jolly twinkly star) from the same Raspberry Pi, so the two can be sequenced using some custom Python he’s written. Play to the end for a bit of Let it Go, if you’ve not heard it too many times this year already. Osprey22 has made full build instructions available, along with all the code you’ll need, and sequencer files for a few Christmas choons. We love it. |
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
The Rise of Digital Audio in the Public Library
| There was a time not too long ago that the only way to listen to audiobooks was to borrow a CD or tape from your local library. They degraded with use and most often were a victim of theft, due to its high value nature. In the last five years digital audio content has made things so much more accessible and is a rising force in US based libraries. Audiobook publishing is certainly starting to be big business for major publishers and companies involved in distributing the content. In 2007 a paltry 3,073 digital titles were available and rose exponentially to over 20,000 published titles in 2013. The entire industry is said to be worth over two billion dollars, which is a huge jump from $480 million selling tapes and cassette in 1997. There are a number of major players providing audio services to libraries, 3M Cloud Library, Baker & Taylor, Hoopla and Overdrive. For the most part, these are the exact same companies that provide the libraries e-Book portfolio. In the US, 95% of all libraries have a digital collection and audio content is starting to play a more central role. Audiobooks actually works fairly differently than e-Books do, on a business level. Many of the top distributors lean on 3rd parties for a full catalog of content. 3M and Baker and Taylor both get their audio editions from Findaway World, which is current market leader in production. Findaway has a catalog of over 50,000 titles and maintains production studios, narrators and crew in New York. Overdrive has their own internal solution, where they approach publishers directly and don’t do business with companies such as Audible or Findaway World. Tom Mercer, Marketing Manager of 3M Cloud Library said “we see a tremendous opportunity to grow in the Audio space in 2015. Right now we’re two weeks into the “real world” of Audio, but customers really seem to like our solution. Our initial Beta feedback from very positive.” Hoopla is an audiobook solution for libraries that floats under the radar, but are quickly making a name for themselves. The company has a catalog of 13,000 titles with 1,000 added each month. Hoopla deals with over 100 libraries in the US and charges no licensing fees with setting up the system, which is quite appealing to the average library. How does Hoopla make money? The company has employed the Pay Per Use model, which only charges the library when a specific title is checked out by a patron. Librarians can establish a weekly or monthly threshold, so they can ensure they will not go over budget. This financial model works for Hoopla because they can promote their entire catalog, while curating the bestsellers on the main page, so finding quality content is ridiculously easy. Audiobooks are certainly finding their grove in libraries, but one of the big challenges is that the audio editions are not released at the same time as the print or e-Book versions. Library staff and patrons need to be aware of this issue. In addition, digital audiobooks often have some fairly high costs, compared to digital books. The average price of a new audiobook is between $30 to $60. How well are the publishers doing in the audiobook sector? Cheryl Herman, marketing director for Penguin Random House's Books on Tape & Listening Library said. "Our library sales for digital audio are up nearly 30% over 2013, we're offering more and more titles on audio, and we're not alone in that. There are also more players entering the market, and more titles overall being published than ever before." When it comes down to audio in libraries, certainly audiobooks are not the only game in town. PressReader offers a vast catalog of over 4,000 newspapers and magazines with audio functionality. Using the companies app for Android or iOS every article can be read aloud, giving people the ability to stay current in local, regional and international news. This certainly appeals to people with vision problems or other disabilities. In the end, the biggest trend in libraries in 2014 has been the adoption of audiobooks in Canada, US and United Kingdom. Likely, in 2015 international expansion will be a pressing concern, as libraries based in Europe, Australia and New Zealand will want to get in a piece of the action. The Rise of Digital Audio in the Public Library is a post from: Good e-Reader |
The Ultimate e-Reader – Round Table Discussion
| e-Readers have come a long way since the original Kindle was unveiled in 2007. e-Books have drastically altered the way we read and many bookstores have went out of business because their once loyal customer bought a Kobo. There are hundreds of e-readers that have come out in the last few years, some have offered some very innovative features, but the vast majority have been “me too” products. We asked the question last week, what features should the ultimate e-reader have? Thousands of people listed to the podcast and commented on what their ideal device would comprise of. Today, Michael and Peter discuss their ideal e-reader. Jointly they have reviewed over 100 different models since 2008 and really have a sense on the types of features the public would want. In an epic 40 minute extravaganza you can get schooled on the history of e-readers and e-paper. The Ultimate e-Reader – Round Table Discussion is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Thalia Bookstores are in Serious Trouble
| Thalia is the largest bookstore chain in Germany with over 300 locations and is facing some serious problems. Sales are at record lows due to stiff competition from Amazon and for the last few months an investment bank has been exploring opportunities to sell the retail chain to another buyer. The parent company of Thalia, Douglas has commissioned investment bank Macquarie to explore options to sell the company. The price tag was apparently too high for anyone to outright purchase the bookstore chain and is now off the market. Thalia is going to undergo a restructuring and modernization program that will transform the retail experience. Most of their stores are dull and drab. Bookselling today is about bright lighting, friendly staff, cleverly designed bookcases that display new hardbacks, an espresso coffee machine behind the checkout counter and many unbookish things such as novelty items, jigsaws, games, children's toys, Paddington bears, greetings cards and upmarket stationery. Bookstores in the UK and US are not all about books anymore, but they have transformed into lifestyle stores. In order for Thalia to fend off e-Books and Amazon, they need to change. Thalia Bookstores are in Serious Trouble is a post from: Good e-Reader |
eBook Subscription Service Bookmate Launches in Asia
| Bookmate, the leading social ebook reading service, is available in Singapore. Boasting a comprehensive library of over 500,000 ebooks from 600 publishers, Bookmate empowers reading fans to search, discover, interact and read as much as they want, wherever they are. Available at a flat monthly fee of SGD 9.98, the service offers books from major publishers such as HarperCollins, Head of Zeus, Profile Books, Serpent's Tail and others. As part of its international expansion efforts, Bookmate is exclusively partnering Singapore's fully-integrated info-communications provider StarHub to introduce its book-streaming service to the local reading community and engage local publishers to offer their books on the platform. Simon Dunlop, Founder of Bookmate, said, "Our mission is to make reading easy, accessible and fun for everyone with a smart phone. By expanding into Singapore, we have made a significant first step in increasing Bookmate's footprint in Southeast Asia and thanks to our partnership with StarHub and their highly engaged customers we will be able to reach millions of new readers." Michael Sim, Lead Futurist–Entertainment of i3 (Innovation, Investment, Incubation), StarHub, said, "Singapore consumers are fast growing accustomed to getting easy access to an unfettered catalogue of premium online content, for instance, video and music streaming, across multiple devices for a flat monthly fee. This advancement is changing the way people consume content, and we believe the time is ripe to bring this same convenience to book fans, providing a timely boost to Singapore's ebook scene. Through our partnership with Bookmate, local readers can now enjoy unlimited access to Bookmate's vast collection of ebooks through its comprehensive association with leading publishers." Bookmate's move into Singapore follows its agreement with HarperCollins, announced earlier this year, which saw Bookmate add hundreds of new authors to the service. This announcement also marks Bookmate's first foray into Asia-Pacific. Bookmate currently has over 1.5 million active monthly users in countries including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, U.S. and Germany. The Bookmate app, available for free download on Apple App Store, Good e-Reader and Windows Store, includes a social feed that allows users to follow their friends, favorite authors and celebrities on Bookmate, while also sharing their favorite books and passages. The service is also available through a supported web browser eBook Subscription Service Bookmate Launches in Asia is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Another way to reach and engage new users
| If you visited overdrive.com over the weekend you may have noticed that the website got a makeover. Now users can engage with their libraries instantly. When new users go to the website now the first thing they'll come across is the ability to locate their library and its digital collection. When they click the "Find libraries near you" button the website will show a map of the closest libraries. Users can also choose to find libraries by zip code.
Manage your library information and add social links When users select their library, they will be shown a link to the digital collection. Libraries can add various social links as well to provide
On overdrive.com users can also check out the new Explore page to browse numerous collections and sample titles just like in the physical library. These updates are designed to drive new patrons to your digital collection and help you better engage with them. With all the new improvements at overdrive.com be sure to update your collection to accommodate the influx of new customers. Don't forget about our Holiday Spectacular Sale going on right now as well. This is the perfect time to add new titles to prepare for the holiday surge in traffic! Adam Sockel is a Marketing Communications Specialist with OverDrive
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Browser-based audiobooks coming soon!
| We’re excited to announce that in early 2015 OverDrive browser-based audiobooks will enable your users to instantly listen to audiobooks without needing to download the file or our app. These titles provide maximum ease of use for patrons as they can simply find the audiobook they want to listen to, borrow it and begin listening right away. Browser-based audiobooks will join OverDrive Read and streaming video as the easiest ways to enjoy digital media from the library, all on your OverDrive digital library website. All of your MP3 audiobooks will also be automatically available as browser-based audiobooks as an additional format option: Download using the app or listen instantly in your browser. So now is the best time to stock up on audiobooks, during the biggest content sale of the year! Shop now, and stock up on great audiobook titles from HarperCollins, Tantor Media, Books on Tape, Blackstone Audio and more. Here are some of the great sales lists you can find in Marketplace: Recent releases
**Title availability may vary by geographic location**
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XmasPiLights from Reading College
| Over in Reading, there’s a rather special Christmas tree. Reading College holds a week called “Go Further” every year, where students are encouraged to go beyond their curriculum to create ambitious projects. This year’s students decided to make a Christmas techno-tree from steel they milled themselves, a 3D-printed star they designed themselves, and string after string of LEDs, all hooked up to social media so people around the world could activate the star at the top. Here’s a time-lapse of the tree’s creation: And here’s the tree being built and tested. You can see a live stream of the tree at xmaspilights.com – and most importantly, you can make the 3D-printed star at the top twinkle by using the hashtag #XmasPiLights on Twitter, Instagram or Google+. Thanks to our friends at Energenie for sponsoring this project. We’re off to Twitter to make some stars twinkle. |
PressReader Now Offers 1,000 Digital Magazines
| A number of years ago when the iPad became popular, the digital magazine scene was bright and vibrant. A number of companies were leading the download charts and inclusive apps that gave you access to hundreds of publications became standard. When Apple unveiled their Newsstand, companies started developing their own apps to offer unique experiences. Instead of relying on companies like Zinio for distribution, they decided to do it themselves. One of the last magazine companies still standing is PressReader and they just hit a major milestone. PressReader has just announced that they have they have attained 1,000 magazines. Cond̩ Nast International France has joined PressReader, adding favorite titles Рincluding Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ and Glamour Рto their growing list of top publications like T3, Martha Stewart Living, Men's Health, Inside Golf, Elle Italia and many more. In terms of digital magazine distribution, PressReader does things a little bit differently than their competition. On the consumer level they sell a subscription package that gives customers access to over 3,500 newspapers and magazines from 100 countries in 80 different languages. Instead of paying per issue, you can basically read and download as much as you want for a low monthly price. The company also leverages their portfolio directly to libraries, airlines, cruise ships and hotels. Most of the digital players still in the game normally use proxy services when they market their treasure trove of content to libraries or other sectors. Zinio for example deals with Recorded Books to market their content to libraries, whereas Next Issue and Magzter simply focuses on consumers and not B2B. I think the one thing PressReader has done really well is establish a strong branding message, no matter what space they are selling magazines and newspapers in. They do everything themselves, without having to lean on 3rd parties to do the marketing for them. PressReader Now Offers 1,000 Digital Magazines is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
e-Readers – The Race to the Bottom
| When Sony and Amazon first got into the e-reader business, they were considered a new breed of luxury items. The first generation Kindle retailed for $399 and the PRS-500 was $349. Needless to say, only the most hardcore of readers were buying into the new way to consume digital books. In the last few years, you can pick up a ultra modern device for $79. Whats changed? Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo are in the race to the bottom. They are forgoing a number of critical features to be able to compete against each other in the lucrative US and UK market. Overall build quality is suffering, internet browsing has never improved and the lack of audio bucks the trend of technological convergence. In 2011, we started to see e-readers come down in price. The Kindle Keyboard was massively discounted from $189 to $99. Barnes and Noble discounted their Simple Touch Reader to $99 and Kobo did the same. This was the last year that we saw a new reader have speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack that was capable of playing audiobooks and music files. The lack of audio in modern e-readers prevent them from being rolled out into schools and institutions of learning. The chief reason is because visually disabled people cannot use the devices and feel excluded. The National Federation of the Blind have been overzealous in this regard and have prevented Amazon from starting pilot projects to get e-readers in schools. They went as far as organizing protests right outside Amazons Seattle headquarters, saying at the time “no student should be left behind.” The e-reader industry as a whole has lost most of its innovative spirit, the vast majority of companies that were around from 2007 to 2011 are not around anymore. There was some truly interesting e-paper technology that could have changed the game, such as Bridgestone e-paper, Liquavista, LG, Mirasol, Pixel QI, and Plastic Logic. The reason why most of these companies abandoned the e-reader space, was because all of the notable players were risk adverse. After bringing the entry level price from $399 to $99 for an e-reader, the price could never dramatically increase again, which limited their options of dealing with new companies, whose technology would be expensive to manufacture at first. The race to the bottom has not only limited consumer options, but it has effectively edged out smaller companies that offer alternative e-readers. Icarus, Onyx Boox, Pocketbook and Wexler aren’t exactly household names, but have been making e-readers in Eastern Europe, Russia and China for years. All of these guys initially focused on the western market, but they simply couldn’t produce enough units, in order to get big discounts at the factory, which effectively relegated them to markets where Amazon and Kobo haven’t entered yet. I have been following the e-reader industry since the first generation Sony and Kindle e-readers. I was at CES in 2010 when e-readers were everywhere, there were literary hundreds of companies wanting to enter the space, looking for strategic partner. In 2011, there were hardly any to be found, as the industry gravitated towards multi-purpose tablets. e-Readers were on the cusp of doing some really amazing things, but now we just have a selection of products that all look the same. Put a Kindle Paperwhite 1 side by side to a Paperwhite 2 and see if anyone could tell the difference. e-Readers – The Race to the Bottom is a post from: Good e-Reader |
France Approves Digital e-Book Lending in Libaries
| European libraries have been experimenting with the concept of digital in libraries. The United Kingdom has had the most success, and other countries are starting to make moves to offer similar services. France has just approved a new mandate to implement a digital lending platform, which means in the new future you will be able to borrow audiobooks, eBooks and digital newspapers. An innovative agreement was announced on December 8th in Paris to facilitate e-lending in French public libraries. The agreement was signed by the French Minister of Culture and associations of librarians, booksellers, authors and publishers, including IFRRO's member Syndicat National de l'Édition. Twelve recommendations are set out in the agreement in order to make available digital editorial output within and outside the public libraries' premises while ensuring fair remuneration for rightholders. Now that a blueprint has been established for digital lending in France, a number of companies will be eyeing this market with glee. The first major challenge is getting an ILS system in place, such as Polaris or Triple iii. This is critical because collection managers need tie in their print and digital collections in a singular platform to monitor everything. The next stage in facilitating the loaning of digital content will be up to Overdrive, 3M and Baker & Taylor to pitch libraries the virtues of their systems for e-Books, audiobooks and streaming video. Vancouver based PressReader would also be a valuable industry partner because they already carry all of the major French newspapers such as Le Monde, Le Figaro and L’Express. France Approves Digital e-Book Lending in Libaries is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Give the gift of Digipalooza this holiday season
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No matter what your role is at the library, this conference is for you. We are 100% focused on digital media. At Digipalooza, we share the latest news and innovations, bring together leaders in the industry to discuss trends and connect our partners to learn from each other and gain practical knowledge and real-world solutions. An attendee from our last conference told us, "I made more networking contacts at Digipalooza than I have at every other conference I have attended in the past 5 years combined!" Give the gift of Digipalooza to your staff and reap the benefits of the knowledge and experience that they will bring back to your library after the conference. Or treat yourself this holiday season with a professional development experience that you'll actually enjoy! Beat the rush and register today at the low price of $199. Registration cost covers all conference sessions, meals, networking activities and social events, including an exclusive party at the world famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dinner, dessert, drinks and dancing are on the menu! Plus, the entire museum will be open for Digipalooza attendees to explore. We are counting down the days to Digipalooza at http://digipalooza.com, where you can find more details about our discounted hotel room rate, aprogram overview, and some of our favorite moments from Digipalooza '13. Happy Holidays and hope to see you at Digipalooza '15! Melissa Marin is a Marketing Specialist at OverDrive. |
Kindle App for iOS Updated to Version 4.6, Adds Several New Features
| Last week Amazon updated their Kindle Android app to add some new features, and now they’ve just updated their iOS app for iPad and iPhone as well. The update adds a number of new features, most notably Goodreads integration and the addition of a Book Browser, with support for downloading ebooks through Kindle Unlimited. Ever […] |
B&N Updates Nook App for iPad and iPhone
| Barnes and Noble has finally updated their Nook App for iOS devices. It’s been almost a full year since the last update, so better late than never, I guess. The new software version 4.0.0 adds support for iOS 8, Apple’s latest mobile operating system. It was released 3 months ago so it’s about time B&N […] |
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
| As you may have heard if you follow us on Twitter, Facebook or G+, we are sponsoring this year’s Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. The lectures are part of British educational history: Michael Faraday started them in 1825 to introduce science to ordinary people – especially young people – and they’ve been running ever since, with only one break in 1939-42 during World War II.  Professor Danielle George, presenter of this year’s lectures. Photo credit: Paul Wilkinson We’re incredibly proud to be associated with the lectures. They’re a real educational jewel, and they provide some of the best television in the UK over the Christmas period. British readers can watch this year’s lectures on BBC4 on December 29, 30 and 31 – the theme (which, serendipitously, has a lot of relevance for Raspberry Pi users) is Sparks will fly: How to hack your home. International viewers will be able to watch later on on the Royal Institution’s website. Here’s a teaser the Royal Institution released on YouTube yesterday. If you’d like to read more about this year’s lectures, there’s a long interview with Professor Danielle George in the Guardian, where she explains why hacking is such a crucial skill for children. We hope you’ll be watching the lectures along with us! |
A geek’s guide to geeky holiday gifts (part 2)
And now, the thrilling conclusion of my geeky holiday gift guide. If you haven't guessed yet, I'm focusing mainly on devices that are particularly good at consuming media (like eBooks, audiobooks, videos, and music). Today, it's on to the strange new land of "phablets," to be followed by my top picks for less expensive devices. On the subject of phabletsLet me get this out of the way first: the term "phablet" drives me crazy for some reason, so from now on, I'll just call them "giant phones." We'll classify them as any phone with a screen larger than 5". Sound fair? To get on with it, there are actually several choices out there for giant phones, but for me, it really boils down to these: The Google Nexus 6I have a Nexus 6 sitting next to me right now, and I kind of love it. The screen is drop-dead gorgeous, and the way they packed 5.96" worth of screen onto a device that doesn't feel clunky makes me think they hired Doctor Who to help with the design. It's only a tiny bit bigger than the iPhone 6+ which has a 5.5" screen (there are a lot of comparison photos in the Forbes review if you're interested in checking it out). All that being said, the phone is pretty large, so it can take some getting used to. You've been warned. Me? I think it's worth it. The Nexus 6 isn't perfect, but I'm honestly having trouble coming up with complaints to share with you here. There are still a few bugs (to be expected with any brand new phone), but they're minor, and software updates are imminent. I'd like the back of the phone to be a little grippier, but it's easier to hold onto than the aluminum-encased competition like the HTC One or iPhone 6. Price-wise (at $649), I don't think there's a better deal out there for a "flagship" phone. It's cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the iPhone 6+ (off contract), and easily goes toe-to-toe with either for quality and features. Other notables (the iPhones 6+ and Galaxy Note 4)The other big players in the giant phone pond are the Apple iPhone 6+ and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. There are others out there, but these are the two most popular at the moment. They're both good phones, but both are more expensive than the Nexus 6. I'd say to go with the iPhone if you're already heavily entrenched within the Apple ecosystem. Go with the Galaxy Note if you prefer a slightly smaller device (compared to the Nexus 5 and iPhone 6+) that still sports a jumbo screen. It's like I said: either phone is a solid choice–I just like the Nexus 6 better. It gets software updates faster, has more screen to go around, and the price is pretty good for what you're getting. Looking for something less expensive?There are some really good options out there for gadgets on a budget, but I'll keep this limited to my favorite inexpensive tablet and eBook reader: The wrap-up |