| Starting in January 2015 VAT prices on e-Books will be changing all over Europe. The big change that is occurring is the amount of VAT you will pay will be determinate on the country you live in, instead of the originating country where the content is sold. In the UK for example, the tax will increase from 3% on each Amazon title to 20%. Will this create a boom period of VPN services and will customers be engaging in this type of behavior in order to save a ton of money? Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo have been avoiding paying high amounts of VAT for years by selling from countries like Luxembourg. This change in EU law is designed to close that specific tax loophole, and provide a level playing-field for everyone. How much extra will customers be paying now for e-Books? Lets take a brief look at what is happening at Amazon. Each digital title from Amazon.co.uk will be priced for 20% VAT and sales in the Irish Republic will pay VAT at 23%. Sales from Amazon.de will be priced at the German 19% VAT, while sales in Luxembourg will be at 3% VAT. Amazon.es will be charging 21% VAT and Amazon.it will be charging 4% VAT. Digital readers on average will be paying 17% more for each e-Book they purchase and this has the average e-Book lover really riled up. There are alternatives, so do not fret. If you have never heard of it before, a virtual private network (VPN) allows users to make some small changes to their modem and router. It basically allows you to change your local internet address in your home country, to another. If you live in the UK for example, you can establish a VPN to Luxembourg, and only pay 3% VAT on all of your e-Books. People using VPN’s to access content not in their geographic area is really nothing new. People have been using it for over a decade in China to bypass the Great Firewall and access the internet. Thousands of Canadians use it on their televisions to access to expanded content from Netflix, Hulu+ or WWE Network. International users are also using VPN addresses in order to subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, Scribd and Oyster, which have a limited footprint outside the US. It is legal to use a VPN to order to save money on purchasing e-Books? Well, pretending to be based in another country is classed as tax avoidance, which is legal under European Law. So fundamentally, many users agree that using a VPN to save on VAT is something they intend on doing. Will readers be flocking to VPN services within the next few weeks to save money on VAT? That is the question. I know the main reason why people flocked to digital initially was to save money on buying books. The average hardcover new release normally costs $30, whereas the digital variant is often $9.99 to $12.99. Simply, your dollar stretches further when you buy the e-Book version, but in Europe this will all change. Will eBook Readers Use VPN Services in Europe to Save on VAT in 2015? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Friday, December 19, 2014
Will eBook Readers Use VPN Services in Europe to Save on VAT in 2015?
Oyster Signs e-Book Deal with Bloomsbury
| Oyster has just signed an e-Book deal with Bloomsbury that will see 1,000 titles added to the US only platform. Some interesting reads include Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. We're excited to partner with such an incredible publisher to make these titles available to our readers and make our library better than ever. There are over 500,000 e-Book titles in the Oyster catalog. Readers who pay the monthly subscription fee will not only be able to enjoy Bloomsbury titles but also great content from HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster. Oyster Signs e-Book Deal with Bloomsbury is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Pi HomeGuard: helping people stay independent longer
| Several people have mentioned the idea of using the Pi to help relatives and carers support older people in their own homes by monitoring aspects of their daily routine as well as things like the indoor temperature, but until now, we hadn’t seen anyone write up a system they’d implemented. So we were very interested when we received an email from Jamie Grant, telling us how he had used a Raspberry Pi-based home monitoring system to help him support his late mother in maintaining her independence. An early Pi adopter, one of Jamie’s first projects was home power monitoring. After installing a system to plot electricity usage in his own home using CurrentCost hardware and a Raspberry Pi, he was struck by the “kettle spike”, a power spike that shows clearly that someone is up and making tea. His mother was very elderly, was living alone and had a worsening serious illness, and it occurred to him that the kettle spike would provide a useful indication that she was OK. He decided to install the system at her house, adding some wireless PiR (passive infrared) motion and door sensors. Jamie called this first version HomeCare Guardian; power and sensor data were displayed in a simple webpage. Here’s another screenshot, showing the system in 2013, after about a year of development: From this single page, Jamie could see whether his mum was OK and going about her usual daily routine, and a sensor at the front door indicated when she took a taxi journey to visit her friends and when she returned. He says,
Jamie has continued working on the wireless sensors and their power requirements: his latest PiR motion sensor is powered by just two AA batteries and has a battery life of over a year, and his new door sensor has an estimated battery life of over three years. With sensors for motion, door opening, indoor temperature and water (to provide flood alerts) ready to go, he hopes to add a humidity sensor soon. The same system, he observes, could also be used for checking an unoccupied property for flood or frost risk as well as other aspects of security. Very recently he has been working with an Android app developer, and they’re hoping to add an alerts app facility soon. The system has been renamed as Pi HomeGuard, and you can see a working live site, all running off a Raspberry Pi, at www.pihomeguard.com. Jamie is interested in taking this prototype further and making it more widely available, and would be glad to make contact with people who’d like to become involved; if this describes you, say so in the comments, and we’ll put you in touch. |
Amazon Adds New Titles to FreeTime Unlimited
| Yesterday Amazon announced that they’ve added thousands of new titles to their kid-friendly FreeTime Unlimited subscription service just in time for the holidays. The new content from Disney, Nickelodeon, Toca Boca, Sesame Street and Oceanhouse Media is now available for download to subscribers. For those unfamiliar with Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, it’s a subscription service designed […] |
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Canadians Firmly Embrace Digital Magazines on Smartphones
| Canada is forecasted to be the 5th highest ranked market in 2015 for the adoption of new media technology. This is not only due to the increased ownership of smartphones, tablets and e-readers, but publishers making content that shines on these devices. The number of mobile phone internet users in Canada continues to increase, projected to reach 23.6 million in 2018. Smartphone adoption in Canada is among the highest in the world at 62% ,behind Spain (66%) and the UK (64%). If you look at tablet ownership, it has only increased from 9% to 21% over the course of 2013 to 2014. Publishers are starting to realize that if you are targeting English and French speaking Canadians, the smartphone is the primary goal. Among adults ages 18-34 a staggering 83% downloaded or purchased a digital magazine in 2013. Normally these sorts of downloads occur from the Apple Newsstand, Google Play Magazines, or 3rd party apps such as PressReader. What type of content do Canadians desire? Well for starters, companies that offer back issues tend to fare better. 45% of Canadians prefer to read only the latest magazine, but 55% said they read back issues too. In terms of Genre, the highest performers currently are Travel, Entertainment, Fashion and Cooking/Decorating. Canada has a population of 35 million people and although not everyone reads magazines tangibly or digitally, its hard to know how many people are actually doing it. The Print Measurement Bureau said in their Fall Report that 2.9 million Canadians are reading digitally on their smartphones and to a lesser degree tablets, which is an increase of over 57% from last year. If you are interested in lots of statistics, metrics and deep anylsis of the Candian magazine industry, I would recommend the 2014 Fact Book. It shows how digital magazine content has become even more accessible, available and timely, as well as globally inclusive. From email to display ads, audience engagement to retail, the Fact Book confirms that magazines have an impact wherever, whenever and however readers are consuming content. Canadians Firmly Embrace Digital Magazines on Smartphones is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Amazon Prime Now Program Delivers Books in 2 Hours
| Amazon Prime Now is a pilot project in Manhattan and it promises to deliver books and anything else the website sells within two hours. If two hours is too much time, you can pay an extra $7.99 to get it within one hour. In order to take advantage of the Prime Now program you must subscribe to the $99.99 per year Amazon Prime membership. Amazon has promised that more cities will receive this service in in 2015. Anyone who downloads the mobile app for iOS or Android can receive a notice when the service arrives in their area. When using the app to order products, Amazon is not reinventing the wheel. If you have ever used the Amazon Shopping app, Prime Now functions the exact same way. You can search for and browse items and then add them to your shopping cart. After you order your item, you can track its delivery. Amazon has confirmed that over 10,000 items are eligible for the Prime Now program. Amazon is facing increased competition from established players, who have launched new programs. Google has been experimenting with its own delivery service, which in October expanded beyond its early outposts in New York and California to Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C. For same-day service, users of Google Express must pay $95 per year, or $10 per month. Online auction site eBay, has also expressed interest about faster deliveries using their own in-house solution. Free two hour shipping on 10,000 items is very compelling if you are already an Amazon Prime member. Sadly, the only postal code its delivering to right now is 10001. Amazon Prime Now Program Delivers Books in 2 Hours is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Is Your Digital Library Ready for the Holiday Rush? (Part 2)
| Over the years, we here at OverDrive have noted some of the December best practices of our libraries as we creep up on the holiday rush. Here is what we've learned: The days between December 25 and January 5 are some of the busiest of the whole year for our libraries as people find new devices under their Christmas trees. It's important to be ready for this demand. This is your last chance to increase your circulation numbers for 2014. Are your checkouts up for the year? Are they going to be higher than last year? Or are you close to joining the Million Checkouts Club? Now is the time for a last minute push. Will you find extra money in your budget as POs are closed, or can you transfer a little left from here and there in various accounts? If so, instead of burying your Technical Services Department with a flood of print books just as they'd like to be taking vacation, consider spending that money on your digital collection. No mess, no fuss, and you'll begin to increase your circulation within a few hours without impacting another department. One guaranteed way to increase circulation is to fill your holds, which not only ensures immediate checkouts, but also will make it more likely that those with new devices won' Are you worried about your staff supporting all those new users? Contact your Collection Development Specialist to find out about the possibility of free Frontline Support supplied by OverDrive if you can hit certain spending targets. Wondering what to buy? The OverDrive Collection Development Librarians have created many carts to help you spend any last minute extra money quickly. You'll see a few of them linked below, or go to our Recommended Lists page to see many more. And remember, you can click any of the links, which will take you to Marketplace, and then filter by selecting "not in collection" to see only the titles you don't already own. Call or email us if you need help meeting deadlines. We are always happy to do anything we can for you, including building carts to your specifications. Email your Collection Development Specialist, or the collectionteam@overdrive.com. Or call 216 573-6886, ext. 762 to reach the Collection Development Department or your specialist. We're here and ready to help! Best Books of 2014 |
Macmillan Intends on Entering e-Book Subscription Market
| 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 |
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 |
