| We are excited to announce a new listening option for audiobooks, called OverDrive Listen, is now available for your audiobook collection! Similar to OverDrive Read for eBooks, OverDrive Listen offers the same ease of use; simply browse, borrow, and listen right in your browser with a single click. There are no downloads or software required; all you need is a compatible web browser. Using OverDrive Listen, you can add bookmarks, take notes, or make highlights. This additional listening option has been automatically added to MP3 audiobooks in your digital collection (where publisher permits) at no additional cost. There is no action required on your part. We look forward to offering this new listening option for your users. If you have any questions, please contact your OverDrive Account Specialist.   |
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
OverDrive Listen is now live!
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Bill Gates Posts his Summer 2015 Reading List
| Microsoft founder Bill Gates has just posted his reading list for the summer. Every year he posts six novels that he wants to read or has read. This year he has a series of books that had made him laugh or were thought provoking. Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh. The book, based on Brosh's wildly popular website, consists of brief vignettes and comic drawings about her young life. The adventures she recounts are mostly inside her head, where we hear and see the kind of inner thoughts most of us are too timid to let out in public. You will rip through it in three hours, tops. But you'll wish it went on longer, because it's funny and smart as hell. I must have interrupted Melinda a dozen times to read to her passages that made me laugh out loud. The Magic of Reality, by Richard Dawkins. Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist at Oxford, has a gift for making science enjoyable. This book is as accessible as the TV series Cosmos is for younger audiences—and as relevant for older audiences. It's an engaging, well-illustrated science textbook offering compelling answers to big questions, like "how did the universe form?" and "what causes earthquakes?" It's also a plea for readers of all ages to approach mysteries with rigor and curiosity. Dawkins's antagonistic (and, to me, overzealous) view of religion has earned him a lot of angry critics, but I consider him to be one of the great scientific writer/explainers of all time. What If?, by Randall Munroe. The subtitle of the book is "Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions," and that's exactly what it is. People write Munroe with questions that range over all fields of science: physics, chemistry, biology. Questions like, "From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?" (The answer, it turns out, is "high enough that it would disintegrate before it hit the ground.") Munroe's explanations are funny, but the science underpinning his answers is very accurate. It's an entertaining read, and you'll also learn a bit about things like ballistics, DNA, the oceans, the atmosphere, and lightning along the way. XKCD, by Randall Munroe. A collection of posts from Munroe's blog XKCD, which is made up of cartoons he draws making fun of things—mostly scientists and computers, but lots of other things too. There's one about scientists holding a press conference to reveal their discovery that life is arsenic-based. They research press conferences and find out that sometimes it's good to serve food that's related to the subject of the conference. The last panel is all the reporters dead on the floor because they ate arsenic. It's that kind of humor, which not everybody loves, but I do. On Immunity, by Eula Biss. When I stumbled across this book on the Internet, I thought it might be a worthwhile read. I had no idea what a pleasure reading it would be. Biss, an essayist and university lecturer, examines what lies behind people's fears of vaccinating their children. Like many of us, she concludes that vaccines are safe, effective, and almost miraculous tools for protecting children against needless suffering. But she is not out to demonize anyone who holds opposing views. This is a thoughtful and beautifully written book about a very important topic. How to Lie With Statistics, by Darrell Huff. I picked up this short, easy-to-read book after seeing it on a Wall Street Journal list of good books for investors. I enjoyed it so much that it was one of a handful of books I recommended to everyone at TED this year. It was first published in 1954, but aside from a few anachronistic examples (it has been a long time since bread cost 5 cents a loaf in the United States), it doesn't feel dated. One chapter shows you how visuals can be used to exaggerate trends and give distorted comparisons—a timely reminder, given how often infographics show up in your Facebook and Twitter feeds these days. A useful introduction to the use of statistics, and a helpful refresher for anyone who is already well versed in it. Should We Eat Meat?, by Vaclav Smil. The richer the world gets, the more meat it eats. And the more meat it eats, the bigger the threat to the planet. How do we square this circle? Vaclav Smil takes his usual clear-eyed view of the whole landscape, from meat's role in human evolution to hard questions about animal cruelty. While it would be great if people wanted to eat less meat, I don't think we can expect large numbers of people to make drastic reductions. I'm betting on innovation, including higher agricultural productivity and the development of meat substitutes, to help the world meet its need for meat. A timely book, though probably the least beach-friendly one on this list.
Bill Gates Posts his Summer 2015 Reading List is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Introducing the OverDrive Summer Read program
| OverDrive is excited to introduce our inaugural OverDrive Summer Read program, designed to encourage your students to keep reading all year long. This program aims to help prevent the Summer Slide by providing exciting titles young readers that are simultaneously available during the summer weeks. The below titles will be automatically added to North American and European OverDrive-powered school library websites in eBook and OverDrive Read formats (and Kindle format where available) with unlimited access from June 9-July 9. Public libraries who offer eReading Rooms will also receive this content on their eReading Room pages. Similar to the Big Library Read this program will enable young readers to enjoy these titles without any wait lists or holds during the summer.
The Fat Boy Chronicles by Diane Lang & Michael Buchanan. It's bad enough being the new kid, but as a freshman, Jimmy finds school less enjoyable than many of his classmates. Standing 5'5″ and weighing 187 pounds, he's subjected to a daily barrage of taunts and torments. His only sources of comfort are his family, his youth group, and his favorite foods. When his English teacher assigns a journal as a writing project, Jimmy chronicles not only his struggles but also his aspirations – to lose weight and win the girl of his dreams. Inspired by a true story and told in first-person journal entries, The Fat Boy Chronicles brings to life the pain and isolation felt by many overweight teenagers as they try to find their way in a world obsessed with outward beauty.
Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky by Sandra Dallas. It's 1942: Tomi Itano, 12, is a second-generation Japanese American who lives in California with her family on their strawberry farm. Although her parents came from Japan and her grandparents still live there, Tomi considers herself an American. She doesn't speak Japanese and has never been to Japan. But after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, things change. No Japs Allowed signs hang in store windows and Tomi's family is ostracized.
Things get much worse. Suspected as a spy, Tomi's father is taken away. The rest of the Itano family is sent to an internment camp in Colorado. Many other Japanese American families face a similar fate. Tomi becomes bitter, wondering how her country could treat her and her family like the enemy. What does she need to do to prove she is an honorable American? Sandra Dallas shines a light on a dark period of American history in this story of a young Japanese American girl caught up in the prejudices and World War II. Digital libraries that only serve elementary students will feature Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky. All other school partners will feature both titles. Contact your Account Specialist if you have any questions.  |
‘Daisuki’ Anime Streaming Service Adding ‘God Eater’ To Summer Line Up
| This weekend at Anime Central convention, Daisuki, a new anime streaming service, has announced that God Eater will be added to it’s summer line up. It was earlier this year that the anime adaption of Bandai Namco’s popular PSP game would be getting it’s own tv series to be directed by Takayuki Hirao with character designs by Keita Shimizu (Tales of Phantasia) along with music by Gō Shiina (God Eater games) Daisuki describes the series as follows: The series will star Ryūichi Kijima as the protagonist Lenka Utsugi and returning to their roles from the game series include: Hiroaki Hirata as Rindou Amamiya Daisuki will begin streaming the new series starting on July 5th and the stream will be available worldwide except for China and Japan. In Japan, the series will air on Tokyo MX TV, BS11 and other stations. ‘Daisuki’ Anime Streaming Service Adding ‘God Eater’ To Summer Line Up is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Fairy Tail Getting Second Movie
| This past weekend, the staff of Fairy Tail held a fan event called the Dragon King Festival. Named after an event in the manga, this gathering included fan merchandise, guest appearances by voice actors and series creator Hiro Mashima himself, and a few very exciting announcements for Fairy Tail fans. It has been confirmed that Fairy Tail is getting another movie. This will be the second movie, after 2012's 'Phoenix Priestess.' A teaser image for the movie was released, featuring the dragon slayer Natsu Dragneel half-formed into a dragon. This set fans ablaze with excitement and theories, as it was revealed as a plot point some time ago that dragon slayers, if their magic is used too excessively, can turn into dragons themselves. While most anime movies do not contain anything important to the series' plot, this movie will clearly have some relevance, even in the smallest of ways, to Fairy Tail's main plotline. We will also be blessed with another OVA – original video animation. This is the seventh OVA for Fairy Tail, and the third to be based on actual material. This OVA will be adapting the bonus chapter "Penalty Game," which takes place after the Grand Magic Games, chronologically. Mashima also spoke a bit about the next anime arc. The Tartarus arc was popular along readers, albeit a bit dark and depressing. A sneak peek at some of the animation was revealed, along with some information. Anime staff are always looking for extra bits to pad the story and make it longer, but this time they'll be taking bits and pieces that were supposed to happen in the manga, but time and space ran out and they had to be cut. Mashima mentioned three extra villains and a mini storyline that pertained to character favourite Laxus Dreyar, so it's very possible the anime will have more Laxus – not that anyone will ever complain about more Laxus. The manga also received several stunning revelations in the latest two chapters. For the last five weeks, two chapters have been released at a time. All this has been to culminate an incredible ending for the most recent mini-arc, capping it off with some major plot twists. No spoilers, but it involves some unexpected family relations and a…reintroduction to a character, of sorts. It's been an amazing few weeks for Fairy Tail fans, and though next week we'll be back to the usual chapter-a-week pace, things will only be getting crazier from here on out. Fairy Tail Getting Second Movie is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Hoopla Adds eBooks and Comics to Library Lending Service
| Hoopla Digital offers a service much like OverDrive that provides free access to digital content from public libraries across North America. Hoopla gives library patrons access to over 300,000 movies, TV shows, full music albums, audiobooks, and now they’ve just added ebooks and comics to their selections as well. All you need is a library […] |
The Yotaphone 2 has a Unviable Business Model
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The smartphone’s creator has launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund the handset’s entry into the US market, with American backers able to pre-order the YotaPhone 2 for as little as $500. The campaign goal was a cool $50,000 and less than a day remaining they have reached over $80,000. It is important to note that these phones are pre-orders and the entire concept of the crowd funding campaign was to gauge demand. Yota also made it very clear that the majority of this money would be used to pay the necessary licensing fees to have it certified by the FCC and other regulatory bodies. In reality, due to Indiegogo Flexible Campaign policies Yota Devices keeps all of the money they raised, regardless if they launch it in the US or not. Yota Devices is a Russian company and they sold their first generation phone primarily in Europe. Their second generation model made it to the UK, where it was met with trepidation due to the high cost and unknown brand. Many carriers would not carry the device, which increased the cost further. I think the entire YotaPhone concept is flawed. Relying on a notoriously shady website to generate funds just to see if there is a demand and the phone isn’t even certified in the market its trying to break into. Will Yota use the $80k they raised to certify it for the US market, or will they use the money to work on a 3rd generation model? Will they actually ship the phones to the users that ordered them without the FCC certification? There are too many questions swirling around this companies business model for the US market. I know many serious digital readers might think this phone is amazing, due to the 4.8 inch E INK screen and 5 inch AMOLED display. Regardless, I would recommend to not invest in it until its commercially available from a legit website. The Yotaphone 2 has a Unviable Business Model is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Yotaphone 2 Dual Screen E Ink Phone Arrives in August
| The Yotaphone 2 is offically headed to North America in a few months after being released in parts of Europe and Asia in December. Yota is running an Indiegogo campaign to bring the Yotaphone to wider markets. For those that make a contribution in the first 48 hours of the campaign, by May 21st, you […] |
Two factor authentication safe deposit box
| A skilled hacker attempts to crack 2FA Securing your digital life with two-factor authentication (2FA) is pretty common nowadays. A password alone just doesn't hack it. (Or does it?) Typically, 2FA on the web requires a one-time code, sent to your phone, as well as your password to log in. Other systems may use factors such as biometrics (e.g. fingerprints) or hardware dongles. (My own bank requires me to use a silly little (very losable) card reader every time I want to transfer a fiver.) Safety deposit box with two-factor authentication Thinking inside the boxPablo Carranza Vélez decided to apply the principle of 2FA to a physical object, a Raspberry Pi controlled safe deposit box. To get into the box you need both your personal entry code and the code sent to your phone. This then triggers a solenoid to unlock the box. Lots of cool stuff going onThe box uses resin.io and Authy API. Full details, schematics and code can be found on Pablo's hackster.io page. It's a simple concept but there's lots going on in terms of hardware and software—Authy, resin.io, MongoDB, node.js, Bootstrap, breadboard circuits, solenoids—to make a great project and an interesting proof of concept. It's also an excellent introduction to the contemporary technologies used and there's even some computer science with a nod to state machines. Opening the resin safebox from Pablo Carranza Vélez on Vimeo. A pre-emptive note thing"Just hold on this minute!" shouts a completely imaginary concerned reader. "You could (literally) brute force it with a sledge hammer/ hack it with a giant Wile E. Coyote magnet/ steal the building it was attached to / drill a hole in it and send in a tiny monkey to feebly tug at the solenoid." Well yes, you could. To all of them. Our advice is: do not make one of these to store your ultra-rare U2 Panini stickers in as they might get nicked (my brother swears to this day that it wasn’t him who drew NHS specs on Bono in red biro). The 2FA safe box is a thought provoking Raspberry Pi / IoT project, not the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, lawks! (I've always wanted to write that, it's a cracking name :)) Solenoid control breadboard prototype The post Two factor authentication safe deposit box appeared first on Raspberry Pi. |
Google Announces New e-Book Font – Literata
| Google has announced a new font that they have developed that will replace Droid Serif for all of its e-Books. Literata has been in the works since April 2014 and is "perfect for long reads on all devices". Google worked on the new font in conjunction with the TypeTogether design team. In a recent blog post they said “A new book typeface was needed that would provide an outstanding reading experience on a whole range of devices and high resolution screens running different rendering technologies. Additionally, the new Play Books type is meant to establish a recognizable visual identity for Google's native eBook App and stylistically distinguish itself from other eReader competitors.” The competitors that TypeTogether refers to is Amazon, who developed their own hybrid version of Caecilia, that was optimized for e-ink screens. It was first shown off in the first generation Kindle Paperwhite and has been the font of choice for subsequent models. Why did Google even bother developing a new font? Well, when Droid Serif was first developed it was for low resolution smartphone screens. People these days are reading books on super large phones, like the Galaxy Note and 10.1 inch tablets. Obviously an outdated font is not going to cut it anymore and Google had to modernize in order to keep reading e-books on their own platform more viable. Not much is known about the new font right now, but there are 1,100 characters per font, and it supports PanEuropean languages. I can find no license from Google that applies to this font, except the “All Rights Reserved” embedded in the font itself. So we must assume that Google does not want the font distributed outside the Play Books app at present. If you want to check out the new font for yourself, it can be found in Google Books version 3.4.6. Google Announces New e-Book Font – Literata is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Upcoming ‘Dragon Ball Super’ Anime to get Manga Adaption
| Just last month it was announced that the Dragon Ball Super anime will be hitting the Japanese airwaves in July after it’s last series ending almost 18 years ago. The July issue of Shuiesha’s V Jump magazine is revealing on Thursday that Toyotarō will be launching the manga version of the upcoming anime series, crediting creator Akira Toriyama with the original story. The new manga will launch in the extra-large August issue of V Jump. The announcement notes that while the story of the new anime and manga still remain a mystery, it will in "no doubt exceed everyone’s expectations." Toyotarō previously drew the three chapter manga adaption of the recently released Dragon Ball Z: Fukkatsu no F (Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection’F’) film. Dragon Ball Super will premiere on Fuji TV and other channels in July on Sundays at 9:00 AM, so be sure to set those alarms! This will be the first new television series since Dragon Ball GT which ended back in 1997. The story of the new anime series sis set a few years after the defeat of Majin Buu, when Earth has become peaceful once again. It’s been only a month since the initial announcement of Dragon Ball Super and yet it feels like it’s coming so fast! Like so many other anime fans, the Dragon Ball series is what paved the way for me into the anime-loving life style and I’m counting off the days till the new series begins! Upcoming ‘Dragon Ball Super’ Anime to get Manga Adaption is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Monday, May 18, 2015
Google Play Books is a Cesspool of Piracy
| Google Play Books is quickly becoming a den of iniquity and a veritable cesspool of piracy. It is ridiculously easy for someone to start a publishing company and upload thousands of pirated books and piggyback on the success of established authors. Google won’t do anything about the pirated copies and has even told authors inquiring about their illegitimate books that they have to contact the publisher. It is a vicious cycle and so far Google Play Books is firmly endorsing piracy. If you casually browse the Google Play Books section, it is fairly easy to find all of the modern bestsellers, at a fraction of the price. This includes pirated copies of the entire 50 Shades trilogy by E.L. James, all seven Harry Potter books, or even George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series – all bundled together and sold alongside legitimate content offerings. So how exactly are pirated books being uploaded to Google Play Books? There are a few commonality factors that are currently being employed. Fake authors such as Flamanca Hollanda are posting a ton of books and racking up thousands of dollars in sales, which Google gets a cut. Upon closer inspection these books were really written by legitimate authors such as Sylvia Day, Orson Scott Card or Tom Clancy. Fake publishing companies are also taking advantage of the Google Play Books Partner Program. This allows anyone to call themselves a publishing company and sell books on behalf of the authors. One dastardly company particular is called Bestsellers – Books USA Press and they sold hundreds of pirated e-books for a number of years. Books USA Press is officially shut down, but it took a number of news outlets to petition Google in order to bring it to their attention. What is not known, is how much the pirate publisher made in the last few years selling bestsellers for only a few dollars. Likely the publisher is already back on Google Play Books under a new name. Currently Amazon controls 75% of the digital book market in the US and 95% in the UK. Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Google fight over the rest of the users. It is no small wonder why pirates are turning to Play Books, after all it comes installed on most modern Android smartphones and tablets, similar to how iBooks is bundled on the iPhone and iPads. Google made the following statement to Good e-Reader when asked about the rampant piracy issue on Play. “Google Play takes copyright seriously. We take swift action when we receive a DMCA complaint, which the copyright holder can complete here. Additionally, we're constantly improving our systems to provide a better experience.” It honestly does not seem like Google is taking piracy seriously at all. They do not have cover art algorithms that cross-reference newly published content with an original author. Not does it employ any methods to scan for ISBN numbers and reference it against the Open Library or any other mainstream database. Googles indifference to piracy may change as the Dutch Publishers Association has been made aware of the issue, due to Netherlands based authors complaining that their books are being pirated. Authors closer to come are start to bring it to the attention of Penguin Random House and HarperCollins. They said they are aware of the issue are doing their due diligence to see how wide spread the issue is. A HarperCollins spokesperson said: “Piracy threatens the creativity and intellectual rights of authors; as publishers we seek to protect both our authors and their work. We are aware that there is currently an issue with pirated titles being uploaded onto Google Play. We have highlighted this to Google and are working closely with them to resolve the issue.” Will it take a lawsuit by a major publisher in order for Google to see the error of their ways? After all, lawsuits have spurned innovation that has reverberating effects on the entire industry. After all, it took a lawsuit against YouTube to implement ContentID. This results in videos uploaded to YouTube are scanned against a database of files that have been submitted to them by content owners. Copyright owners get to decide what happens when content in a video on YouTube matches a work they own. When this happens, the video gets a Content ID claim. Will we get a similar system for Google Play Books? Likely not without a major lawsuit. Google Play Books is a Cesspool of Piracy is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Baker & Taylor Developing Unified Android App for Libraries
| Baker and Taylor’s Axis 360 platform is embraced by hundreds of libraries in the US and their Android offerings are tremendously woeful. They rely on Acoustik, Blio and axisReader and Axis 360 to deliver e-books and audiobooks to schools and library patrons. Needless to say with so many apps in their arsenal it is creating massive fragmentation, users simply don’t know what apps to use and many of them receive little to no updates. This will all change this July when Baker and Taylor announced they are creating a unified Android app. In a note to libraries, Baker and Taylor sent out an email early this afternoon that said “eBooks will download and open within the Axis 360 mobile app for an enhanced reading experience. In most cases, you can begin reading instantly! The Axis 360 mobile app is all you need! Our mobile app provides a single user experience for both eBooks and eAudiobooks! With hundreds of thousands of titles available from major publishers, as well as independent authors, Axis 360 is your single source for the eBook and eAudiobook titles your users will be looking for. In the coming weeks, the Axis 360 team will provide all the resources necessary to navigate this change. Resources will include FAQs, online webinars, app training, legacy app retirement schedules and more to make the transition seamless. As part of our transition resources, we will offer colorful Web ads, posters, shelf-talkers and more to enable awareness for your patrons via our Axis 360 Marketing Support portal. You can simply download and use the assets as needed.” Honestly, why didn’t B&T do this sooner? Leaning on 5 different apps for different segments of the library industry is totally crazy. I guess we will have to wait until early July to see if the new Axis 360 Mobile App is viable. Baker & Taylor Developing Unified Android App for Libraries is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Top 10 Instant Messaging and SMS Apps for Android
| Many people are going beyond the instant messaging app bundled on your smartphone and installing custom solutions. One of the advantages of Android is the sheer amount of instant messaging apps that are available. Some of them have a massive amount of 3rd party content, such as games and apps. Others specialize in giving you an experience similar to iMessage for iOS. Today, we look at the top 10 instant messaging and SMS apps for Android. WhatsApp Messenger – This app lets you text for free with other users of the app, regardless of platform. Neat customization tools, group chat features, and easy location adding are all cool additions. Though you only get a few extra useful features, WhatsApp Messenger is an excellent choice for sending free texts across platforms, even internationally. Chomp SMS – The first thing to notice when beginning to use ChompSMS is its smooth performance. Scrolling through conversation lists and messages is a pleasant experience with the speed and fluidity this app delivers. It's also a breeze to open and reply to messages and the app never had a lag as I was using it for this review. Even long messages that took a while to open with other SMS apps, ChompSMS had no problem pulling up in a fraction of a second. Handcent SMS – This app is another popular free option which brings full SMS and MMS support powered by the Handcent network. It features an integrated spell-checker, optional quick-reply, and advanced security options. You get full support of over 20 different language and can improve/export vCards straight through the app. Similar to Chomp, Handcent is highly customizable and there is a variety of pre-made templates to choose from. Google Hangouts – This app gives you quick access to chat with or place video calls with individuals or groups across platforms. The interface is easy to navigate, and the app performs well. If you use Google Hangouts or you used to use Google Talk frequently, then you should enjoy the convenience of a chat and video-calling app. Its important to note that the Hangouts app isn’t all about video calling. As the replacement to Google Talk, Hangouts is now the go-to app for chatting with your Google contacts. Hike Messenger – A cross platform messenger app, Hike is similar to WhatsApp but is better in the sense that it also allows users to communicate over SMS, which is certainly a big advantage for those who do not have access to mobile Internet or data on the-go and for communicating with your friends without Hike app from within the same app. Google Messenger – Google Messenger is a stripped back text messaging app that can only send and receive SMS and MMS, and can't send messages over the internet like rivals WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or even Google's Hangouts app. It updates the basic text messaging app that comes pre-installed on almost every Android smartphone, and is part of Google's strategy to uncouple its apps from its Android operating system. Textra – This app is great if you like a lot of customization options in your apps. For each of your contacts, or just a few, you get to pick the notification icon color and alert tone that plays when you get a new message. That means you can tell, at a glance, the difference between a text from mom and your best friend. LINE: Free Calls & Messages – LINE reshapes communication around the globe, bringing you closer to your family, friends, and loved ones—for free. With voice and video calls, messages, and a limitless variety of exciting stickers, you'll be able to express yourself in ways that you’ve never thought possible. This app also has a slew of 3rd party games from companies like Disney. Facebook Messenger – Facebook recently made the decision to take all instant messaging off of its platform and create a dedicated app. If you want to privately message your friends and are on a mobile device, you basically need to install this app. Not everyone uses Facebook, but if you do and want to remain in contact with people on a phone or tablet, you need this app. Viber – Send free messages and make free calls to any device that has Viber, on any network, from your Android. Viber lets you make free phone calls and send text, sticker, photo, voice and video messages for free to anyone who also has the application installed. Viber integrates with the Android OS to give you the best experience and performance. It syncs with your contacts, detecting which ones already have Viber. Simply select a contact and talk for free. Top 10 Instant Messaging and SMS Apps for Android is a post from: Good e-Reader |
The Atlantic and Buzzfeed Now Publish Directly on Facebook
| Facebook has grown to be a middle man of news We post, share, read, and discuss stories in our News Feeds every day. When someone you know posts an item from the New York Times or Buzzfeed the destination link is the publishers original site. Sometimes they aren’t mobile friendly or the content lurks behind a paywall. This all changes today. Facebook has announced that starting this Wednesday big name publishers will have their stories exist solely on the Facebook platform and not link to independent websites. When you click, the story will open more like a friend's profile page rather than an outside post. Facebook says that this process will save you 8-12 seconds to view the content and will include GIFS, audio and video elements. The new program is called “Instant Articles” and there are a number of publishers participating. Inaugural partners include NBC, National Geographic, The Atlantic, The Guardian, BBC News, Spiegel, Bild, Buzzfeed and the New York Times. One of the problems with Facebook Instant Articles is that it will only be available on the iPhone, which might be a fairly limited audience. In addition publishers rely on internet traffic coming to their main or mobile website in order to garner revenue from advertising or affiliates. Since the stories will only existing on Facebook it might be difficult to monetize the platform. I think that users will ultimately be the ones benefiting from this program. You can read all of the news without having to actually leave Facebook and load external sites. The Atlantic and Buzzfeed Now Publish Directly on Facebook is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Reviewing Armada by Ernest Cline
| Being a Librarian is awesome. It really, really is. One of the many reasons I love my chosen profession is Advanced Review Copies. I've been not-so patiently awaiting the arrival of the new Ernest Cline book, Armada, for months now and I was ecstatic when it arrived last week. Ready Player One blew my mind when I read it a few years ago so Armada had big shoes to fill. Well, I read it in one sitting this past weekend and I'm elated to report that it did not disappoint. Armada is by far the most entertaining, thrilling, and provocative book I've read in ages.
Filled with Cline's signature pop-culture references, this book is a must-read for anyone who has ever proudly labeled themselves a Nerd, Geek, or Gamer. Cline's fast-paced and engrossing writing will appeal to anyone who loves an adventure. Armada also has immense YA/Adult crossover appeal. This is a perfect summer reading book for high school-aged boys (everyone's favorite reluctant readers!) and I see an endless opportunity for library programming tie-ins. With the movie version of Ready Player One coming soon, there will be a huge amount of author interest and I don't think anyone will disagree with my prediction that this will be an immediate bestseller. Wil Wheaton will be teaming up with Cline again to narrate the Audiobook so be sure to check that out as well! Ernest Cline, I salute you. And I can't thank you enough for this phenomenal book. This title will be available to borrow from your library on July 14th but you can place a hold right now! Rachel Kray is a Collection Development Analyst at OverDrive and is anxiously awaiting for the Earth Defense Alliance to recruit her…  |
B&N Galaxy Tab 4 Nook Trade In Promotion
| Barnes and Noble has started running a new trade-in promotion to entice people to trade an old ebook reader or tablet for credit toward the purchase of a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook tablet. B&N is accepting select Nook, Kindle, iPad, and Nexus devices for trade in. The credit ranges from $25-$200 toward the purchase […] |
Siswoon R9 Darkmoon, a Dual Screen E Ink Smartphone
| The Siswoon R9 Darkmoon is a new dual screen smartphone with an E Ink screen on one side and an LCD screen on the other. Smartphones that incorporate E Ink screens are starting to become more popular. Some like the InkCase are secondary E Ink displays often added to covers to pair with a phone […] |
Is Digital Making Us Dumber?
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While those arguments can be disputed all day long, a recent study by Microsoft has found that tech and gadgets may be causing us to lose our focus. The study polled 2,000 Canadians via an online survey, as well as conducted more in-depth physiological response tests, but seems to have been aimed at reassuring the marketing and advertising sector that investing in advertising wasn’t a higher risk than in the past. That’s a small comfort when you look at the data from the study which showed the average attention span (for focusing on an ad, presumably) was 12 seconds, and is now only 8 seconds. As the study’s report indicated, that’s one second shorter than the attention span of the average goldfish. Instead of determining that the digital landscape is making us lose our focus, the flipside to this information could also be that we’re becoming far more discerning and more capable of determining that an ad is not worth our time and focus. With the bombardment of online advertisements, we may have simply adapted to that reality and become better at returning our focus to the information we were seeking in the first place, rather than on a flashy advertisement. While the report was quick to point out that 140-character tweets and “conversations whittled down to emojis” may be the culprit, it’s interesting to note that the option to download the full report from Microsoft came with two choices: download the entire report as a PDF or simply view this “whittled down” infographic of the data. Further, an article announcing the study and its results contained four separate online advertisements in the sidebar, three sponsored links from outside websites, seven hyperlinked headlines for featured articles published elsewhere on the site, and six click-bait articles from other websites. Even our news contains “distractions,” and rather than spout the inability to focus caused by digital, we might learn an even more valuable lesson: discerning tech users are better able to focus on the content they want than ever before, and have learned to tune out the fluff.
Is Digital Making Us Dumber? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Snapping Stills with the Red TED Letters
| I’m a bit of a TED talk fiend, so I was delighted to find out that a few Raspberry Pis had a hand in letting TEDsters capture their photo along with the iconic red TED letters at TED2015 in Vancouver. To explain:
We see a lot of people implementing great photo booths with Raspberry Pi, but what I especially like about this one is that it’s activated when a group scans their NFC badges. After the photo is taken, it automatically emails it to the group that badged in. Of course, the whole operation comes together with a lot of different off-the-shelf technologies working in concert. Along with the Raspberry Pis, there’s a tablet interface, Adafruit NFC reader, a camera, and a BlinkStick LED module to indicate the camera’s position and status. Luckily for us, Joshua posted all the details about how he pulled this off, including the code. Thanks, Joshua! The post Snapping Stills with the Red TED Letters appeared first on Raspberry Pi. |