| In the last few years the United States Department of Defense and the various branches of the military have started making sweeping changes to promote digital reading. There are now e-readers provided for many of the servicemen in the navy and air force and dedicated e-book portals are provided to read books for free. One of the companies who has made great in-roads with the armed forces is a company in Ohio called Findaway. They bid successfully on a number of contracts to provide the navy and air force with dedicated e-readers that do not have any kind of internet connection and are pre-loaded with hundreds of service guides and bestsellers from major publishers. The air force version is called the Aero and the Navy one is dubbed the Nerd. Thousands of these devices have been distributed to people in submarines and airmen stationed overseas. Overdrive is the largest digital content provider for the vast majority of US libraries. 10 libraries last year had over a million downloads, so its a testament to their market presence. The company has developed exclusive content solutions for the Navy and Army where thousands of e-books and audiobook titles can be downloaded for free. There are curated reading lists from US Chief of Staff and others such as; See The World, Relaxation & Stress Management and of course new and notable books. These two companies are basically providing most major army branches with digital content that serviceman can access for free. Of course, there are many government run bookstores that charge money and have selected reading lists and of course there are online destinations that include Amazon, Kobo and Google. The big problem with most people stationed overseas, on aircraft carriers or submarines is that there is little to no internet access due to security risks. This makes buying e-books unfeasible and it is really only possible to read content you can had purchased before you got to your post. Digital Reading is certainly not taking off in the military as fast as it had in the broader consumer segment. Print books continue to dominate and new titles have to be approved by a committee. A few times a year an advisory group representing the Naval Academy, Naval War College, Naval Postgraduate School, Senior Enlisted Academy and Naval History and Heritage Command select titles they think would be applicable in a ship library. The Navy then ships out 1,150 collections of the top 18 titles considered “essential reading,” and two bonus books. These books are also added into the digital Navy library called Knowledge Online, but it will require a program to be downloaded and cannot be used on Navy computers, you’ll need a personal computer. It seems as though the US Air Force and Navy have really started to focus on digital content, but the other branches do not have a viable solution at all, including the US Marines. How the US Military Promotes Digital Reading is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Saturday, June 13, 2015
How the US Military Promotes Digital Reading
Friday, June 12, 2015
List of Android Apps with Text-to-Speech Support
| A few days ago I posted about the various Kindle devices and apps that support text-to-speech. That got me thinking it would be a good idea to put together a list of Android ereading apps that also support text-to-speech (TTS for short). Having ebooks read aloud is a handy feature to have sometimes, especially now […] |
Who Needs a Publishing Slush Pile When There’s YouTube?
 Image courtesy of LinkedIn Once upon a time, the process of landing a book deal started with mailing sample pages of your manuscript to literary agents, hoping one of them liked your writing enough to be willing to represent you. When everything shifted to computers, that process didn’t change much (except now you email those pages). For clarification, perhaps it should be said that for most authors that process still hasn’t changed. Typically, the literary agent is the first gatekeeper you have to pass through on your way to being a published author. In an interesting transition from the days when self-publishing was the tactic of the unloved and unaccepted, there has been a shift in self-publishing–even non-sale self-publishing, such as through reader/writer communities like Wattpad–that has made it the “slush pile” of publishing. After all, agents and publishers no longer have to sift through mountains of submissions from desperate authors if they choose not to. They can simply click the mouse and see who’s popular with readers, then strike while the fan base iron is hot. A growing number of titles have been released through traditional publishing houses after achieving widespread success through self-publishing. Now, the publishing world is turning to YouTube stars to sift through the voices that are likely to sell. An article by Carolyn Kellogg for the LA Times outlines just how far the reach of some stars can go, and explains why publishers believe these internet sensations are a safe bet when it comes to investing in a book. “What these YouTube stars share is an ability to connect with fans, usually teens but also older readers, who often can prove elusive to traditional publishers. The robust YA market has shown that young readers can be extraordinarily devoted, once they connect to an author. Or, publishing hopes, to a YouTube star.” The publishing industry, often unbeknownst to authors who want to believe that a compelling story and great writing are enough, is a business; publishers can only publish books that they can sell. Having a built-in fan base of millions of YouTube or social media followers means an automatic audience of readers who are likely to purchase the book. Of course, it’s important to remember that the high-dollar sales of books like 50 Shades of Grey or anything written by a reality TV star (and “written” is used loosely here) bolster the publisher’s bottom line enough to be able to take a risk on unknown authors or books that are simply great but unheard of. So what does that mean for self-published authors? Are they to drop everything and devote their time to trying to become YouTube sensations? Of course not. But the same thinking that makes a publisher offer a book contract to an internet comedian does speak volumes about how indie authors can work to reach new readers and build an audience that will buy their books. Who Needs a Publishing Slush Pile When There’s YouTube? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
An interview with Diane Lang & Mike Buchanan, authors of The Fat Boy Chronicles
| As part of the OverDrive Summer Read program young readers at participating schools and libraries can read The Fat Boy Chronicles without waitlists or holds through July 9. Recently we spoke with the authors, Diane Lang and Mike Buchanan about their experiences writing this book. Where did the idea for the book come from? Diane: When Mike and I were at a book signing for another novel, a young teen approached us and asked if he could tell us his story. At the time, Doug Hennig was a sophomore in high school, and seemed very athletic and fit, yet when he was in junior high he was very obese and bullied by his classmates, similar to Jimmy Winterpock in 'The Fat Boy Chronicles.' Mike Buchanan and I decided to tell his story to help kids who are bullied because of their weight, or because they seem different from others, and to help kids understand how much their bullied peers suffer. We hoped the book would be a starting point for conversations about bullying, and we hoped the book would create empathy in teens for others.
Mike: Even though the story is fiction, there is still a lot of truth in it. Many of the scenes are borrowed from our own experiences as teachers and from our lives. When I would work on the more painful days of Jimmy's life, I would often reflect on my own school days. I would remember how it felt to left out because of being the smallest kid in class. And, regretfully, I would remember the days in which I was the bystander, the times in which I did nothing by watch the victim get bullied. Those days in particular haunt me still. But when I was writing about the entertaining part of being in school, there are many times I laughed out loud.
What do you hope readers take away from The Fat Boy Chronicles? Mike: I hope the reader will gain a new confidence in themselves and an appreciation of how they truly can change the life of someone else. And "changing" can have two meanings. One is that through your actions, or lack thereof, you have the capacity for destroy a person's self esteem, restrict their potential as a human and sometimes even cost them their lives. On the other hand, you have within you the opportunity to be a hero for someone, to make a difference in their life that they will remember forever. And all is costs you is a few moments of sitting with them at the lunch table, a simple phrase of "how about leaving them alone?" or being a real friend when someone needs you.
What do you remember about your local library growing up? Diane: As a child I loved browsing the library, and without the library, I would have never found such wondrous books as "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," "Girl of the Limberlost," and "Anne of Green Gables." Some of my other favorite books as a teen were "East of Eden," "The Pickwick Papers," and "Sister Carrie." My all time favorite novel is "All the Kings Men" by Robert Penn Warren. I think parents should take their children to the library as soon they are old enough to walk. My dad loved to read, and he was the one that took me to library before I was old enough to put sentences together. My dad turned me on to "Little Women" and "Ivanhoe," among many other well-known books.
Any Advice to young writers? Diane: My advice to young writers is to READ, READ, and READ. Almost through osmosis, a person who reads a lot of books learns the structure and the nuances of good writing. Mike: No matter what it is you write about-write! Even if you just write about your day at school, each time you put your words on paper, you get closer to learning your own voice.  |
Sandra Dallas on her book Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky
| Ed. Note: What follows is an essay by author Sandra Dallas about her book Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky which is part of the OverDrive Summer Read program. Students at participating school and public libraries can borrow this title through July 9th without any waitlists or holds. Learn more about the program here.
As a girl I learned western history from children’s novels. I read the Little House books, Smiling Hill Farm (my older sister’s favorite,) and the stories of Florence Crannell Means. They awakened my interest in the settlement of the West and its rich diversity. They led to my career as a writer of books set in the American West. When I decided to write middle-grade books, I remembered how the writers who came before me not only told stories but taught me about my country. I hoped to do that, too. I wanted to write books that would entertain but would teach readers about subjects I cared about. That’s why I wrote Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky.
The United States declared war against Japan in 1941, and just weeks later, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an order to round up 100,000 Japanese who were living on the West Coast and send them to camps in the interior of the U.S. The government feared they would aid the enemy. The internees were allowed to take with them only what they could fit into suitcases. Most sold their other possessions for less than they were worth or just walked away from them. Many of the people sent to the camps had been born in America and were U.S. citizens. They didn’t even speak Japanese. The order to relocate them violated their civil rights, but Americans were so afraid they were spies that they didn’t care. Only a few courageous Americans stood up for these Japanese-Americans. One was Colorado’s governor Ralph Carr, who welcomed them to the state. But Coloradoans didn’t agree with him, and they never again elected Carr to a public office. By the way, not a single instance of espionage was ever proven against a Japanese-American. We don’t like to admit what they’ve done wrong, so until recently, most Americans didn’t know about the relocation camps. The Japanese internees, too, wanted to move ahead and put that unpleasant time behind them. But today, many former internees believe that the stories of the camps should be told so that we would never again take away the liberty of loyal Americans and American immigrant, just because of their ancestry That was why I wrote Red Berries. I wanted readers to know about the camps, but more than that, I hoped they would learn that the Japanese who lived in them were no different from people living outside the camp, that the children went to school and played baseball, made dolls and built snowmen. As my main character, Tomi, says, they were loyal Americans.
Sandra Dallas is an award-winning author, dubbed as “the quintessential American voice" by Jane Smiley, in Vogue Magazine”  |
Announcing Picademy USA
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We’re piloting Picademy USA with 4 sessions starting in early 2016. Our goal is to give 100 US-based educators free, hands-on experience with Raspberry Pi and induct them into a growing group of Raspberry Pi Certified Educators worldwide. The first Picademy in the US will take place at The Computer History Museum. Exact dates and locations for the workshops are being confirmed. To express interest in an upcoming Picademy, please complete this form. It will help us get a sense of where in the US there’s demand for professional development and you’ll be signed up to receive updates when venues and dates are confirmed. We’re especially proud to announce this pilot in response to President Obama’s call to action to create a Nation of Makers. Since a major focus of this call to action is in the realm of STEM education, it was a natural fit for Picademy to be our commitment to supporting efforts to use computers in the classroom for tinkering, coding, and project-based learning. I’ll be with Computer History Museum’s Kate McGregor at the White House for a kick off event this morning. Keep an eye on @Raspberry_Pi for ongoing updates and check back here later in the day for photos from that event. Click here to express interest in Picademy USA and to find out more about the program. The post Announcing Picademy USA appeared first on Raspberry Pi. |
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Why do People Pirate e-books?
| The European Commission’s Vice-President has admitted that EU copyright law is “pushing people to steal,” because users end up seeking pirated copies of e-books that might not be able to legally purchase in their own country. Many people within the European Commission are publicly stating that one of the reasons why piracy is running rampant is because of Geoblocking. Actually, this has has nothing to do with copyright law – it’s a contractual issue concerning the markets that the publisher has purchased the right to distribute the material into and what ones they don’t. This is why the big events like the London Book Fair, Frankfurt Book Fair and Book Expo America are so important. They provide avenues for publishers to sell the distribution rights into other markets and have the works properly translated. Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Google operate digital bookstores where customers can purchase and read e-books. Sadly, these retailers do not provide service in every country in the world. This is primarily due to publishers rights in that specific region or the bookseller not having the proper infrastructure to provide proper service. All of the big companies have their own content delivery network (CDN) or have server farms in order to quickly send data. Does the lack of accessibility drive people to pirate? I don’t think its the lack of accessibility, but the cultural drive to consume things for free, without having to pay for it. Just because the digital title might not be available in your own country, you can still likely order the print edition online. DTI News recently did a report on e-book piracy in Vietnam. They stated "The problem here is the awareness of the copyright. In developed countries, where customers always believe that they have to pay for all products and services, thus facilitating the development of e-publication. Meanwhile, Vietnamese people have the habit of using products and services free of charge." China is the second largest e-book market in the world and their digital publishing industry has shown impressive growth. e-books, digital newspapers, and digital magazine grew by 52.6% in 2012. It is currently estimated that 200 million Chinese consumers read digitally on a daily basis. The big problem in China is not e-book piracy, but the need to replicate physical books and sell them cheaper or offer digital versions for free. The local publishing industry has not really tackled this problem in a meaningful way, because its considered a cultural norm. Some companies do speak out though, "It's unavoidable to have so many pirated books on the market. I think all local publishinghouses should cooperate to combat piracy and build a market with a more rational order." Said Wu Hong, vice editor-in-chief, Shanghai Translation Publishing House. That is certainly a tall order no doubt, given that cheap pirated editions crop up on a regular basis. In fact, a parallel industry thrives in China where they take pride in coming up with exact clones of the original, be it electronics or anything else. There have even been instances of an entire Apple store being replicated in China, which should be a clear indicator of how seriously they value their replicating skills. Meanwhile in Spain e-book piracy resulted in €350 million in lost revenue for the €3 billion Spanish publishing industry in 201 according to a new report from Spain's Federation of Publishers' Associations and Spain's ISBN Agency. How can we Combat Piracy? Hardly any countries have a clearly defined, unified anti-piracy standard, because publishing companies compete against each other. If they magically banded together to discuss the issue, it would be collusion. This is would be illegal in the US and would likely be considered to be forming a Cartel, which is illegal in the EU. France has stepped up their game to combat digital piracy. They ran national promotional campaigns that featured young actors and celebrities to build cultural awareness about this issue. Libraries and bookstores also got into the action, letting their customers know, this is bad behavior and has to be curtailed. Their efforts helped boost digital content sales by anywhere between 5% and 30%, depending on the content. The United Kingdom is set to unveil a brand new anti-piracy campaign aimed at educating people about copyright and legal ways to download digital content, but e-books are not even the focus. The goal is to send emails to UK internet users who pirate films and music, warning them that their actions are illegal. Those suspected of copyright infringement will be sent up to four warnings a year, but the campaign does not include any punitive action, reports the BBC. How will content providers be able to track who is downloading what from where? Well, four years ago the UK government brokered talks between media outlets and internet service providers. This resulted in the creation of the Voluntary Copyright Alert Program (Vcap) and is supported by the largest UK ISPs , the UK recorded music industry trade association BPI, and the Motion Picture Association. In a few months time, a massive new campaign will begin to get this thing rolling. Oh Well Many anti-piracy measures currently being employed worldwide are to protect the film and music industry. There simply hasn’t been any meaningful anti-ebook campaigns because as much as the publishers bemoan this is a problem, no one is really doing much to solve it. Why do People Pirate e-books? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Kobo Touch e-Reader Gets New Firmware Upgrade
| The one thing that Kobo has done better than any other e-reader company is support their older devices. The Kobo Touch first came out in 2011 and this model has just received a huge firmware update. The first thing that is evident when you install the 3.16.0 update is the overall design changes. It now maintains the same look and feel as modern Kobo devices, such as the brand new Kobo Glo HD. There has also been major enhancements with being able to search effectively. As well as the existing “Bookstore” and “Library” searches, you can also select to search from the five most recent books, all annotations and the dictionaries. The results list display the details of the match and can be view by tapping the item. The search also maintains a list of recent search strings that can be selected. Finally, there is a new “Quick WIFI” selection setting. There is now a new icon in the header that can be tapped to display a list of available networks. If connected to one, a tick will indicate this. The WiFi can be turned on and off by tapping the indicator at the top of the popup and there is a link to the main WiFi settings at the bottom. The main system drop down also shows the name of the connected network. Aside from these bigger changes, there also is a slew of minor ones that are available.
Kobo Touch e-Reader Gets New Firmware Upgrade is a post from: Good e-Reader |
First Look at New 9.7-inch Onyx Boox N96 eReader
| It looks like Onyx is getting set to release a new ebook reader or two, and maybe a new E Ink phone, soon. The folks at Onyx posted some pictures of the Onyx International booth at the Taipei Electronics Show for 2015. It looks like they have a number of different devices on display, and […] |
New Robert Galbraith Book CAREER OF EVIL Out Oct 22nd
| Author J.K. Rowling has taken to Twitter to announce that a new title by her alias Robert Galbraith that is due out October 22nd. The 3rd novel in the Cormoran Strike series Career of Evil deals with what happens to people after they leave the military. Here is the description of the book “Robin Ellacott is mailed a strange package—which just so happens to contain a woman's severed leg. Private detective Cormoran Strike, Robin's boss, is slightly less shocked by the contents, and has four possible suspects from his past in mind. As the police tread down a path Strike knows is wrong, he and Robin must investigate the remaining men, all of whom could be capable of such horrific brutality—before even more terrible acts occur.” Career of Evil follows The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm. New Robert Galbraith Book CAREER OF EVIL Out Oct 22nd is a post from: Good e-Reader |
EU: Amazon Publisher Contracts Stifle the Competition
| Every wonder how Amazon manages to sell e-books for less than their competition? So does the EU and they are investigating the contracts Amazon makes publishers sign. The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation into certain business practices by Amazon in the distribution of e-books. The Commission will in particular investigate certain clauses included in Amazon’s contracts with publishers. These clauses require publishers to inform Amazon about more favourable or alternative terms offered to Amazon's competitors and/or offer Amazon similarterms and conditions than to its competitors, or through other means ensure that Amazon is offered terms at least as good as those for its competitors. The Commission has concerns that such clauses may make it more difficult for other e-book distributors to compete with Amazon by developing new and innovative products and services. The Commission will investigate whether such clauses may limit competition between different e-book distributors and may reduce choice for consumers.If confirmed, such behaviour could violate EU antitrust rules that prohibit abuses of a dominant market position and restrictive business practices.The opening of proceedings does not prejudge in any way the outcome of the investigation. EU Commissioner in charge of competition policy Margrethe Vestager said: “Amazon has developed a successful business that offers consumers a comprehensive service, including for e-books. Our investigation does not call that into question. However, it is my duty to make sure that Amazon’s arrangements with publishers are not harmful to consumers, by preventing other e-book distributors from innovating and competing effectively with Amazon. Our investigation will show if such concerns are justified.” Scope of the investigation E-books have experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and are of increasing importance to online retail. Amazon is currently the largest distributor of e-books in Europe. Initially, the Commission’s investigation will focus on the largest markets for e-books in the European Economic Area, namely e-books in English and German. The Commission has concerns that certain clauses included in Amazon’s contracts with publishers concerning such e-books could constitute a breach of EU antitrust rules that prohibit the abuse of a dominant market position and restrictive business practices. In particular, the investigation is focused on clauses which seem to shield Amazon from competition from other e-book distributors, such as clauses granting it:
The Commission will now investigate further whether such clauses may hinder the level playing field and potentially decrease competition between different e-book distributors to the detriment of consumers. Background This is not the first time the European Commission is investigating the e-books sector under EU antitrust rules. In December 2011 the Commission opened proceedings in the sector because it had concerns that Apple and five international publishing houses (Penguin Random House, Hachette Livres, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins and Georg von Holtzbrinck Verlagsgruppe) may have colluded to limit retail price competition for e-books in the EEA, in breach of EU antitrust rules. In December 2012 and July 2013, respectively, the companies offered a number of commitments, which addressed the Commission’s concerns. Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) prohibit respectively anticompetitive agreements and the abuse of dominant market positions. The implementation of these provisions is defined in the EU’s Antitrust Regulation (Council Regulation No 1/2003), which is also applied by national competition authorities. The fact that the Commission has opened proceedings does not mean it has conclusive proof of antitrust violations. Article 11(6) of the Antitrust Regulation provides that the initiation of proceedings by the Commission relieves the competition authorities of the Member States of their competence to also apply EU competition rules to the practices concerned. Article 16(1) of the same Regulation provides that national courts must avoid giving decisions which would conflict with a decision contemplated by the Commission in proceedings it has initiated. The Commission has informed Amazon and the competition authorities of the Member States that it has opened proceedings in this case. There is no legal deadline to complete inquiries into anti-competitive conduct. The duration of an antitrust investigation depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of the case, the extent to which the undertaking concerned cooperates with the Commission and the exercise of the rights of defense. EU: Amazon Publisher Contracts Stifle the Competition is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Firmware Update 3.16 Released for Kobo Glo HD and Kobo Touch
| Kobo has started rolling out a new software update, version 3.16.0. Unlike most updates, this one is only being issued to a couple of models, the new Glo HD and the old Kobo Touch. Like usual, the update adds a couple of new features and fixes a few bugs (and hopefully doesn’t add new ones). […] |
Protected: Google Pi RCE Giveaway
| The post Protected: Google Pi RCE Giveaway appeared first on Raspberry Pi. |
A Smart Programming Language for a Smart Cities Hackathon
| Liz: Here’s a guest post from Bernat at Wolfram, who has been putting the Wolfram Language on the Pi to work at a Smart Cities Hackathon in Barcelona. If you haven’t used the Wolfram Language before, this is a nice little glimpse into what it’s capable of: enjoy!
Early on, hackathon participants were oriented to the various tools available to aid them with development. I showed the hackathon participants that the Wolfram Language knows about thousands of real-world entities, and that everything in the language is a symbolic expression.
Using CityBikes API to get real-time data, it was easy to track usage in a bike-sharing system in a smart city. Importing and visualizing this data with GeoGraphics was straightforward:
Then I explained how I used a Raspberry Pi to digest Friday’s bicycle data overnight. The microprocessor was set up to compute the total number of bicycles available in different cities every 10 minutes from 3:30–8:30am CET:
European cities showed a valley in the number of available bicycles at 8am when people cycled to work. Citizens from New York and Mexico City were found to head back home around 5am CET. Essential for this hackathon was the new Wolfram Data Drop, an open service that makes it easy to accumulate data of any kind, from anywhere, which works great on the Pi while connected to the Wolfram Cloud. The following is a dataset that I created for Barcelona’s bike-sharing system. Every 3 minutes the total number of parked bicycles is added to a Databin:
One of the cool features of Data Drop is that you can directly analyze this data through Wolfram|Alpha:
Another dataset that I created using a Raspberry Pi monitored the pedestrian flow happening at the front door of my apartment. If any movement was detected by a PIR motion sensor, the RaspiCam would take a photo, and a new entry would be added into a databin:
This appears in the Data Drop cloud like this:
The result was this DateListPlot of cumulative numbers of movements detected:
Then I showed how it could be set up to monitor my home hall’s activity in regular periods of time:
Certainly, this opens up a new world of possibilities. For example, you can use Data Drop to combine data from specific events from different devices. This was exactly what one of the teams did. They set up a Twitter account with ServiceConnect to inform people of the current air pollution in “La Diagonal,” Barcelona’s most important avenue. Every 20 minutes they checked the latest values of 10 gas sensors, and then generated and tweeted a ListLinePlot with a map of the sensors:
Other smart city projects involved the use of the new Machine Learning capabilities available in Mathematica 10, such as FindFaces to estimate the number of individuals in a bar, or BarcodeRecognize for a universal citizen ID card project. For most of the participants, this was their first encounter with the Wolfram Language, and yet they made useful, functional prototypes in just 48 hours. So I can’t wait to see what they are capable of with just a bit more practice. I wish all of them tons of happy, smart coding!
If you haven’t participated in a hackathon yet, check out the Smart City App Hack. Also feel free to contact us for future events, and don’t forget to have a look at Create, Code, Deploy: Workshop for Hackathons if you missed it. Finally, if you are looking for a three-week-long hackathon, apply now to the Wolfram Innovation Summer School or the Wolfram Science Summer School. Download this post as a Computable Document Format (CDF) file
The post A Smart Programming Language for a Smart Cities Hackathon appeared first on Raspberry Pi. |
e-Book Sales have Peaked
| The e-reader and e-book industry often run in parallel when it comes to consumer demand and broad acceptance of reading digitally. Since 2013 the sales of electronic books have been more or less flat, rising or falling by a percentage point or two. It looks like from all of the data currently available that e-book sales have peaked and it is very unlikely the format will ever account for more than 21% of global sales. There is no denying that the printed format is enjoying a resurgence and many booksellers are reporting accelerated sales in during the last calendar year. The CEO of the largest bookstore in the UK, Waterstone’s, went so far to say that Kindle sales have fallen off a cliff and nobody is buying them anymore. The Amazon Kindle came out in 2007 and a year later only ten million e-books were sold. This figure dramatically increased by over four thousand percent a few years later, but demand for the electronic format has waned. Now less than 4% of people now read e-books exclusively, print continues to enjoy a 4:1 ratio over the electronic form. The Association of American Publishes annual data that actually backs up the fact that e-books have peaked and are no longer enjoying double digital growth as they once did. Over the course of 2014 2.7 billion books were sold in the US, 510 million of which were e-books. It sounds like a large figure, but sales actually fell 6% over 2013. “We still see a steady transition in reading from to print to digital,” says Amazon vice president Russ Grandinetti. He attributes the smaller growth rate to “the law of large numbers. As e-books have grown from practically nothing, you can’t expect it to keep doubling every year.” The e-book industry has consolidated in the US from many different players to only two. Sony closed one of the longest lived e-book stores in the world and discontinued making e-readers. Kobo got the hell out of the US and is instead focusing on international markets and B&N continues to lose customers by the boatload, but somehow despite themselves still in business. In a few years Amazon will likely be the last one standing, as they already control 75% of the US market and 95% in the United Kingdom. If you read lots of statistics and reports on the e-book and e-reader industry like I do, you start to notice trends. e-reader and e-book sales peaked in 2012 and have been stagnant ever since. The people who made the decision to read digitally are already doing it and the folks who enjoy the print format will continue to buy it. There will likely never be another e-reading boom period for at least a generation. e-Book Sales have Peaked is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
When was the exact moment B&N Nook Started to Decline?
| Barnes and Noble has been releasing dedicated e-readers and tablets since 2009. The nations largest bookseller has released 11 different devices and has experienced a gradual decline in hardware sales and e-books. This did not happen overnight and today we look at the exact moments in time when Nook users started to abandon the brand. Barnes and Noble was one of the first big companies to capitalize on the emerging e-reader space in 2009 when they released the Nook e-reader that had 3G and wireless internet access. This was two years after the launch of the original Kindle and users flocked to the brand that was heavily promoted in the bookstores. One year later they released their first Android tablet, and it was a critical success. The Nook Tablet Debacle The first major disconnect between Barnes and Noble and their growing user base was December 21st 2011 when the company disabled the ability to sideload in apps from other Android markets. The 1.4.1 firmware update for the Nook Tablet closed a loophole that allowed people to install apps via the internet browser. Since it was around Christmas many people received this tablet as a gift and thousands of devices were returned, while the Nook Boards blew up with angry customers who said they would never do business with the company again. Lack of Memory Angers e-reader Loyalists In April 2012 Barnes and Noble unveiled their second generation Nook Simple Touch for $139. The prime selling point behind this model was the front-lit technology. Ironically B&N was a pioneer in this new lightning technology and the entire industry cloned their LED system later that year. People did not realize how much the Nook e-reader brand has changed until they started to read the fine print. For the first time ever Barnes and Noble edited the memory partition to only allow 500 MB of user loaded content, even though there was 4 GB of total on-device storage. This now prevented users from adding their entire e-book library to their e-reader, which drove many ballistic. Thousands of users returned their devices and the Nook Boards blew up once more in a feeble attempt to show the company their disdain and to try and get them to reverse the decision. As always, B&N did not listen to their users and begun to slowly lose the e-reader war to companies such as Amazon and Kobo. You Can No Longer Backup your e-books In early 2014 Barnes and Noble removed the ability to download eBooks that customers had purchased from the online Nook Store to their computer. They did this so users could not strip the encryption or read the Nook books on 3rd party e-reading apps. This was considered the last straw and many loyal Nook users and they began to openly mock the company for being out of touch. Wrap Up The latest statistics show that Barnes and Noble has lost over a billion dollars on Nook hardware, accessories and e-books since 2009. There are many reasons why the Nook business floundered, from the poor app store they had for many years before they switched to Google Play to taking the number two online bookstore, Fictionwise and literary doing nothing with their investment. Why did you abandon the Nook brand? Was there a specific catalyst that we did not cover today? We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below. When was the exact moment B&N Nook Started to Decline? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
New 50 Shades of Grey Manuscript Stolen
| The brand new 50 Shades of Grey title is due out in less than a week and and has skyrocketed to the number one position on Amazon. The book is focuses on Christian Grey and the tale is told from his prospective. But it turns out that one reader couldn't wait until 18 June to get their hands on it: the Daily Mail reports that a manuscript was found to be missing yesterday, and "it is feared thieves may be planning to release pirated versions of the novel, or sell extracts to media outlets". Penguin Random House has confirmed the manuscript has been stolen and that there is an ongoing police investigation to find the culprit. “‘We can confirm that the Kent police are investigating the theft of a finished copy of EL James’s new book Grey. We will not be issuing any further statement.” said the publisher. Any pirate or torrent website would likely experience millions of downloads within a day if they were to have the exclusive 50 Shades e-book. A major torrent service like the PirateBay would see revenues skyrocket from their advertising and affiliate service, earning them hundreds of thousands of dollars. Grey, is not the first mega bestseller to be stolen or leaked in the weeks leading up to the official publication. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – the last of the seven-part series – were leaked to the internet in 2007 days before the official release date, leading bloggers to write lists of all the characters who died in the epic. Stephenie Meyer begun writing a book called the Midnight Sun, that retold the Twilight Saga from the prospective of Edward Cullen, instead of Bella. The manuscript was stolen and leaked online in early 2008 and she was crestfallen and decided to cancel the project. “I have a good idea of how the leak happened as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique.” Stephanie Meyer said in a blog post. “Due to little changes I made to the manuscript at different times, I can tell when each left my possession and to whom it was given. The manuscript that was illegally distributed on the Internet was given to trusted individuals for a good purpose. I have no comment beyond that as I believe that there was no malicious intent with the initial distribution.” The new 50 Shades of Grey titled, Grey is still on course for the official June 18th launch. It remains to be seen if sales will be cannibalized due to the title leaking out early. New 50 Shades of Grey Manuscript Stolen is a post from: Good e-Reader |
The OverDrive Summer Read program for young readers is live
| Yesterday we launched the most recent edition of our Big Library Read program on public library OverDrive websites across the world. Today we are proud to announce that our OverDrive Summer Read program is live for our school partners around the globe as well as public libraries with eReading Rooms for young readers. Similar to the Big Library Read, this program enables users of participating schools and libraries to borrow two titles, The Fat Boy Chronicles and Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky without waitlists or holds until July 9th.
The idea behind the OverDrive Summer Read program is to provide students who don’t have access to their school’s physical library a digital reading option and to remind them that their OverDrive digital library is open all summer long. We support reading anytime, anywhere and providing engaging content can help prevent the dreaded Summer Slide.
To help spread the word we’ve created marketing materials for your reference and tomorrow we’ll have an interview with the authors of The Fat Boy Chronicles so be sure to check back on the blog and share their story. This program was made possible by Sleeping Bear Press and Cherry Lake Publishing.
About The Authors Sandra Dallas is an award-winning author, dubbed as the quintessential American voice" by Jane Smiley, in Vogue Magazine. She is the recipient of the Women Writing the West Willa Award and the two-time winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award. For 25 years, Dallas worked as a reporter covering the Rocky Mountain region for Business Week, and started writing fiction in 1990. She has written several novels some of which that have been optioned for films.
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Beer and Wine Fridge of Awesomeness
| Jamie Bailey from Initial State, the Internet of Things (IoT) data solutions company, recently posted this how-to for creating a Beer/Wine Fridge of Awesomeness:
I especially like this project’s inventiveness and use of a few different technologies. Along with the Raspberry Pi, door sensor, and temperature sensor, they’re using a Wii Balance Board to sense the weight of the refrigerator to get a count of the bottles inside. This tutorial is especially thorough and includes all the code, bill of materials, wiring diagrams, and a nice guide to connecting the Wii Balance Board to a Raspberry Pi over Bluetooth. So if you want to make your own version of this network-connected refrigerator, the trail is blazed. The post Beer and Wine Fridge of Awesomeness appeared first on Raspberry Pi. |
Kindle Basic 2014 Touch – Contest
| Every month we give away one of the e-readers sitting in our studio that we used for a past review. Today we would like to run a contest for the Amazon Kindle, which is their entry level basic model. It came out in late 2014 and is the first cheap Kindle to have a touchscreen. We really liked the Basic Kindle here at Good e-Reader. It only costs 75$ and is perfect for anyone who has never had a e-reader in the past, or has an older model. It is in perfect condition as it simply sat in our studio and was reviewed/compared against other popular devices. In order to be in the running to win this, its really quite easy! Simply subscribe to our YouTube channel and leave a comment on the Contest Giveaway and let us know you did it. If you have already subscribed, follow us on Twitter @goodereader
Kindle Basic 2014 Touch – Contest is a post from: Good e-Reader |
