Monday, March 11, 2013

Netflix Now Available for the Blackberry Z10

If you are a Blackberry Playbook or Z10 owner, the most sought after video streaming apps everyone wants is Netflix. It has not been possible until this point to even stream videos from the website because Netflix put a physical block on accessing the content. Today, Good e-Reader is proud to bring the only working copy of Netlfix, exclusively for the Blackberry Z10.

This working version of Netflix will only work on BB10 devices. One of the only drawback is because this is an Android port, it tends to take a longtime to load up and tends to lag. If you can get past all of this, you can install the BAR file on your Z10 today by clicking HERE. If you have no experience loading in your own apps on the Playbook or the Z10, you need to download the proper software HERE.

Netflix Now Available for the Blackberry Z10 is a post from: E-Reader News

Marvel’s Project Gamma Brings Adaptive Music to Digital Comics

Project Gamma adds sound to the comics experience—but it’s not a single soundtrack, nor is it simple sound effects. It is “a unique, immersive experience that brings fully adaptive music and sound together with digital comics to create an entirely new audio-visual event,” according to the Marvel website.

Unlike your standard audio comic, where a single soundtrack plays when the comic is opened or the reader taps a button, Project Gamma will tailor the sound not only to the action in the comic but also to the reader’s behavior. Here’s Peter Phillips, senior vice president and general manager of Marvel’s Digital Media Group said "The music will not speed up as you flip the page," he explains. "Its modulated in such a way that whether you're a fast reader or a slow reader, it will stick with you, it'll be by your side. This is embedded music to enhance the experience of what you're already enjoying. And it paces itself to how you're reading. So that's really the key.

"If there's a piano expected to be on there for 30 seconds and plays music for 30 seconds, after that time is over it's going to randomize in a way that's completely intuitive. As you're flipping back and forth throughout pages, it's not going to be buffering; the audio will enhance that experience and take you back to where you were. You're not going to hear any break in the music."

In addition, there will be similarities in the music across different comics that feature the same character.

Marvel will roll out Project Gamma later this year and will pair up the new system with comics that have “Big events, big characters—honestly, ones that really lend themselves to music,” according to editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, who also managed to articulate why, exactly, anyone would want this: "It's not unlike being in a video game, to be honest."

Marvel’s Project Gamma Brings Adaptive Music to Digital Comics is a post from: E-Reader News

Comixology Experiencing Massive Problems with Free Marvel Comics

Comixology announced that it would be giving away almost 700 free issues at the South by Southwest conference in Austin. In the last 48 hours since the comics have been available, the company’s systems have been crashing and many customers are unable to even log into the system. This normally wouldn’t be a big problem, but the free #1 issues are only available until March 12th 2013, which means the vast majority of comic lovers won’t be able to download anything at all.

The main idea behind the free first issues will be to encourage people to buy second issues. Most of the comics available are older, but you can find some great things if you can get to them. We have found through our own experiences that the app suffers the most on iOS and Android. The best solution is to directly access the webpage, get the goods from there, and it will then be automatically synced to your account. Unfortunately, due to the demand the company has paused the ability to download all the free issues, with no word on when they will reinstate it again.

David Steinberge, the CEO and co-founder of ComiXology, released the following statement just now: “It’s been a whirlwind weekend and comiXology is fresh from SXSW, where we talked about some exciting things. We had believed ourselves prepared—but unfortunately we became overwhelmed by the immense response. We’re still struggling to keep our systems up. The result is that you aren’t getting your comics when and where you want. We don’t like letting you down. Our teams are working around the clock to resolve these issues so that you can have the experience you’ve come to expect. We’ll be communicating with you as often as we can and deeply appreciate the outpouring of support we’ve seen from our customers while we right the ship.”

Comixology Experiencing Massive Problems with Free Marvel Comics is a post from: E-Reader News

Toronto Public Library Strikes Affiliate Deal with Indigo

The Toronto Public Library has implemented the ability for customers to buy eBooks via their website with a new affiliate program with Indigo Books. Users will be able to purchase the eBook that have borrowed from the library or if the book has a long wait list, they can just straight up purchase it. The Toronto Library will earn a paltry 5% commission on every digital variant they sell.

This new program marks the broader push to open TPL up to new revenue sources. In the near future the library will begin printing advertisements on the backs of its due-date slips, for a six-month trial period. The library is also investigating the possibility of running ads through its public wi-fi service.

Libraries are building more synergy with selling eBooks, rather then just lending them out for free. In essence, libraries don’t make any money from loaning out eBooks and the investment for a solid catalog often run upwards to $20,000. This is also the first time Indigo has partnered with a library and makes sense they selected the one they did, because Indigo has their headquarters in Toronto.

Toronto Public Library Strikes Affiliate Deal with Indigo is a post from: E-Reader News

Floating mouse helps prevent injury

A team of European designers has a plan to help save your wrists from injury when using the computer. It's a floating mouse that reduces the chance of repetitive stress injury

See more at:

http://www.komando.com/coolsites/index.aspx?id=14172&utm_medium=nl&utm_source=notd&utm_content=2013-03-11-article_6-img

10 Ways to Make a School Librarian’s Job Easier

It's not easy being the school librarian. Tasked with fostering learning, encouraging library use, and instilling a love of reading among students, school librarians are often in high demand and short on time. We asked some of OverDrive's school library partners to share tips for making the most of your digital collection while balancing an ever-expanding to-do list.

Train students using hands-on demonstrations
Respondents agreed: there's no better way to teach students how to use a digital collection than by having them do it themselves. Try hosting one class at a time and supervising students as they access your school's digital collection, borrow a book, and—if they're using devices—install OverDrive's mobile app and authorize it with an Adobe ID. Once students try it out for themselves, our librarians reported, they'll continue to use the digital collection on their own.
Kids and teens love technology—harness that interest!
Show students how eBooks and audiobooks from your school library work with the devices they already know and love.
Train parents of young students
If you're catering to students in the lower elementary grades, focus training efforts on the parents, who are often in charge of devices at home.
Take advantage of time-saving tools in Content Reserve
Content Reserve offers features to help you save time and ensure that you never miss titles that fit your needs. Try saving your popular searches (basic or advanced) in the Content Reserve marketplace, or check out the automated collection development tools located under the Select Express tab.
Designate in-house experts to help with collection development
Consider designating one or two "collection experts" per grade from your school's library or teaching staff. These experts can help pinpoint the wants and needs of their designated age group and bounce ideas off one another to arrive at the best possible collection for your school.
Partner with teachers
Demonstrate how to use your digital collection to teachers—or better yet, supervise as they do it themselves—so they can promote the service to their students and make use of it in their classrooms.
Implement fun incentives to encourage use of your digital collection
Prizes are popular, but incentives can be cheap or free, too. As one of our contributing librarians shared, "I had a contest this year—if students increased the use of the e-library by a certain percent, they got to 'pie' me in face during the pep rally! Also, I had our counselors dress up as superheroes if this percentage was raised."
Use holidays to promote your titles
Create promotions centered around holidays, celebrations and commemorations. In March alone, Women's History Month, March Madness, and the first day of spring (to name a few) provide opportunities to showcase related titles from your digital collection.
Get ahead of the technology game
As digital learning tools become more and more popular, say the librarians we surveyed, it pays to be proactive and anticipate the needs of your school. Cultivating a digital collection now lays a good foundation for future endeavors.
Enjoy the perks of your OverDrive collection
With your OverDrive collection, there's no need to deal with overdue fines or lost or damaged books. We hope you can take a second to sit back, relax and enjoy!

Thanks to Paige Jaeger (Washingon-Saratoga Board of Cooperative Educational Services, N.Y.), Tana Penn (Taylor County School District, Ky.), Ann Terry (Frisco Independent School District, Texas) and other OverDrive school library partners for sharing ideas. For additional outreach ideas, take a look at these printable bookmark templates, sticker and shelf-talker templates, and more on our digital library blog.

If your school is interested in OverDrive, but hasn't signed up yet, check out our free school trial.

Carrie Smith is a Technical Writer at OverDrive.

Marvel Giving Away 700 #1 Issue Digital Comics for Free

Yesterday Marvel Comics announced that they are running a temporary promotion where they are giving away 700 first-issue digital comics for free to anyone who can get through the download process using the Marvel Comics apps or Marvel Comics Digital Comics Shop. Unfortunately they are having trouble sustaining the massive download attempts, and neither are [...]

How to print from Android

http://www.techhive.com/article/2027751/answer-line-how-to-print-from-android.html

REPORT: Apple's Thinner, Lighter iPad 5 Could Be Here In April

RUMOR CONTROL TO EARTHLINGS:Here We Go Again...iPad 5 "Possibly" ApriliPhone 5S "Maybe" August

Publishers and eBook Stores File Complaints Against Amazon’s New Domains

Amazon has petitioned ICANN for some new top-level domain names such as .book, .author, and .read. These are the new breed of internet extensions that will go live this April and will replace the standard .com and .net we all know and love. Amazon’s plans to dominate the book portion of the new domain names have incurred the wrath of the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers.

In a letter to Icann, Scott Turow, the novelist and president of the Authors Guild, wrote: “We strongly object to ICANN’s plans to sell the exclusive top-level domain rights for generic book-industry terms, such as .book, .author, and .read. Placing such generic domains in private hands is plainly anti-competitive, allowing already dominant, well-capitalized companies to expand and entrench their market power. The potential for abuse seems limitless.”

Barnes & Noble also filed its own protest in the last few days that said “Amazon would use control of these TLDs to stifle competition in the bookselling and publishing industries.”

The Digital publishing industry is seeing unparalleled revenue growth in the last few years and major publishers, such as Penguin, see 22% of their global book sales stem from digital. Amazon is thought to control at least 60% of the global ebook market and controlling popular brand extensions would be a savvy move. It is thought that the company has spent well over 10 million dollars in filing applications for different top-level domain names in the last year.

Publishers and eBook Stores File Complaints Against Amazon’s New Domains is a post from: E-Reader News

3D parametric plotter

This video from Benedek93 is a little slow to get going, but it’s well worth watching all the way through for a really tight demonstration of what you can achieve with OpenGL ES on the Pi.

Benedek says:

Recently I’ve started going through a tutorial for modern OpenGL programming again (I can recommend it:http://arcsynthesis.org/gltut/ ), and on the way I decided to re-do that function plotter program I have showed off in one of my videos (“OpenGL Shaders and Shadow Maps”).

First I wrote it using the old, fixed-pipeline OpenGL specification so that I could run it on my laptop which didn’t support the newer versions. You can download it here and play with it on a PC: https://bitbucket.org/benedek/simple-…

At the same time I was also messing around with OpenGL on the Raspberry Pi and I was impressed seeing how smoothly you could make it draw simple but pretty 3D graphics. So I started porting that program to the RPi, adding the boilerplate code necessary to set up a GL context on it and changing the graphics code to use modern OpenGL ES.

In the end, the results were just as pretty as in my old shadow-mapping plotter program (except for the shadows), and the RPi was able to draw models smoothly at the same triangle counts as my laptop.

Here’s the download link: https://bitbucket.org/benedek/rpi-sim…

Finally, a Tablet Built Exclusively for Women

Eurostar Group, a Dubai based tech firm has designed what it is proudly calling the world's first tablet device that has been built entirely for women. Named the ePad Femme, the tablet looks exactly like any other currently available device, except for its branding and the choice of apps the device comes pre-loaded with. Some sources pointed out the ePad Femme is also available in a pink color scheme, though none seem to be available online. Anyway, the tablet does sport a light pink wallpaper.

Coming to specs, the ePad Femme sports an 8 inch display and is built around a 1.5 GHz chip. The tablet runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and offers 16 GB of internal memory. There is also an SD card slot should one need more storage. What makes it even more attractive is its price tag of $190, making the ePad Femme even more affordable than the Nexus 7.

The manufacturer is attempting to increase the tablet’s appeal to women through a chauvinistic selection of pre-loaded apps. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the ePad Femme comes pre-installed with the predictable and stereotypical apps for cooking, yoga, weight loss, shopping, clothing size conversions, and such.

However, while Eurostar probably meant well by building a tablet marketed to women, it remains to be seen if this device will have any appeal among its targeted demographic. It’s not like women were holding off on buying a tablet, impatiently waiting for something like the ePad Femme. Maybe it will have some success in the middle east and other such markets where women are forced to have a separate, secondary identity.

Finally, a Tablet Built Exclusively for Women is a post from: E-Reader News

Sunday, March 10, 2013

eBook Review: The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI by Charles A. Coulombe

Verdict: 4 Stars

As the world watches to see where the position of leader of the Catholic church is headed and who will be tapped to fill the role, to those on the outside of the issue there may be some confusion about the election of a new Pope and the status of the previous one. After Pope Benedict XVI announced he was stepping down to health concerns, rumors began swirling about his true motivations, the pending leadership of the Church in his absence, and the way history will remember this one-time conscripted Hitler Youth member.

Coulombe’s title, The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI (Diversion Books), may only be a digital short that contains less than 25,000 words, but the well-known author of titles the chronicle the Catholic church packs an astounding amount of history and cardinal regulation into that brief title. While at times the book seems to veer off course into issues facing the Church that have no bearing on the outgoing Pope, the simple fact that it is a work of long-form journalism lends itself to this level of historical data. An almost-distracting number of hyperlinks embedded constantly throughout the text may make the work unappealing to some, but could also provide constant valuable clarification to readers who are not already familiar with the workings of the papacy.

It is important to state that ebooks such as Couloumbe’s aren’t intended to become timeless works of non-fiction, but are rather almost rushed through to digital publication in order to reach readers in a timely way. One of the benefits to the format of the digital short or e-novella is that ability to bring even more in-depth information to readers as the events in the text continue to rage.

The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI is available now from Diversion Books and Kobo.

eBook Review: The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI by Charles A. Coulombe is a post from: E-Reader News

Authors Warned Away from eBook-Only Imprints

A number of blogs and news sites posted uncharacteristically wary responses to this week’s announcements coming out in the world of self-publishing and ebook-only imprints. On the first front, a press release stated that self-publishing solutions provider Lulu has teamed up with vanity press Author Solutions (ASI) to promote high-priced packages to would-be authors; at the same time, several outspoken critics of the recent acquisitions or launches of some ebook-only imprints from well-known traditional publishers have brought to light some of the concerns facing authors who sign publishing deals for ebooks.

An article by Mick Rooney from The Independent Publishing Magazine explained some of the concern for naive authors who sign with the oft-criticized Author Solutions, namely that the company is actually facing litigation for accusations surrounding some of its recent practices. Those practices include allegations that authors’ royalties were not paid out, advertised packages were not as promised, and more. Several writers expressed concern that the ordinarily well-received site Lulu would align itself with the company.

At the same time, an in-depth article for Forbes by Suw Charman-Anderson explained some of the issues surrounding the rise in ebook-only publishing imprints–many of which are owned by Big Six publishers and operate as a way to bring books to market without the investment risk in print editions–and the things authors need to be aware of before signing a contract.

When digital-first or ebook-only imprints were first conceived of, they were criticized for changing the long-held dynamic of a traditional publishing deal. Most under attack was the lack of an advance against sales, a factor that reliable imprints like Harlequin’s Carina Press can afford to operate under by offering authors an unheard of high royalty percentage. Where royalties are concerned, critics argue that the imprints are not actually offering authors standard royalties.

In the case of Hydra, a science fiction ebook-only imprint owned by Random House, the theory is that authors will not receive royalties, but will instead receive payment on what is closer to a profit-sharing system of the net profits. There is also the matter of signing the rights away for the term of the copyright, as well as terms which include charging the authors for the initial setup costs associated with publishing the ebook.

While the publishing industry has evolved more in the last handful of years than ever before, it’s easy to get swept up and believe that this is just where the business is heading. It is important to remember that the publishers have a stake in ensuring the most profitable outcome for their catalogs, but that doesn’t always mean it will be profitable for the authors.

Authors Warned Away from eBook-Only Imprints is a post from: E-Reader News

SxSW: Marvel Announces Weekly Infinite Comics, Free #1s

Marvel Comics had some big announcements at its panel Sunday at South by Southwest. The list starts with weekly digital Infinite Comics, featuring four 13-issue story arcs over the course of the next year; the release of 700 free first issues for a short time; Project Gamma, technology that will enhance comics with sound; online videos about the company, including documentaries on their history; and the previously announced Marvel Unlimited iOS app.

Let’s start with the freebies. Between now and March 12, Marvel is offering 700 issue #1′s for free via comiXology. That’s the good news; the bad news is that the flood of traffic immediately after the announcement apparently crashed the site. Hopefully they will fix the problem quickly so everyone can get their free comics before the deadline.

The Infinite Comics are something Marvel introduced last year at SxSW. These are comics specifically made for digital media (I reviewed one just last week) that eschew the traditional page turns. Instead, a swipe may bring in new word balloons, a new panel, or a change in focus. (Marvel has a demo video on their site.) Up until now, they have been one-offs tied in to print storylines, but now Marvel plans four 13-issue story arcs, starting with Wolverine: Japan’s Most Wanted, which will debut on July 9th. Marvel CEO Axel Alonso told CBR,

What we’re trying to do is deliver a comic book that first counts for the long term fan and they’ll understand how it’s woven into the continuity, and secondarily is exciting to the new or lapsed reader. We want to make sure we use all the bells and whistles and props available on this new canvass to excite people… At the end of the day, you’re left with a very cinematic comics experience. There’s a sense of motion that the new technology allows for that makes for a completely different experience, but the reader still controls the pace of that experience.

The fact that there’s a Wolverine movie in the works is, of course, no coincidence at all. On the Marvel site, Alonso remarks that the writers of the monthly comics will also be working on the Infinite Comics, because they are all part of the same continuity. Marvel is keeping mum for now on the other three story arcs.

Project Gamma will provide audio enhancements to Marvel comics in the form of a soundtrack or other audio cues and will only be available for select comics; in the CBR interview, Alonso allows that he was skeptical at first but added, “Who out there hasn’t had that moment when you’ve been reading a comic book with your iPod on or the radio on, and you found that the music has changed your reading experience?” He called it an “adaptive experience” that will vary depending not only on the story but also the reader’s pace and other factors. There’s a video showing how it works on the Marvel site.

Finally, Marvel plans a series of in-house videos, to be hosted by Blair Butler (Attack of the Show) that will take a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s history.

SxSW: Marvel Announces Weekly Infinite Comics, Free #1s is a post from: E-Reader News

5 ways to find free Wi-Fi wherever you go

Saturday, March 9, 2013

The Future of Digital Publishing – The Synergy between HTML5 and EPUB 3

The Future of Digital Publishing question has been one of the most popular discussions at major conferences in the last few years. Publishers and ebook stores cannot come to a definitive conclusion on a singular delivery method that would appeal to everyone.

Over the course of the last few weeks we have spoke with major publishers, ebook companies, app developers, and thought-leaders to chronicle the future of publishing. This article is the last one in a three part series, you can check out Part 1 and Part 2.

You don’t have to follow the publishing industry closely to know that books these days tend to be packaged in dedicated apps or have interactive elements. Readers now have more choice than ever before when it comes to the process of reading ebooks. You can read them directly on the web with a new generation of Cloud Readers, such as the ones offered by Amazon, Kobo, and Overdrive. You can also download enhanced ebooks in the form of apps from Apple, Google Play, Sony, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble. These enhanced editions provide a myriad of interactive features, such as audio, video, maps, narration, and gaming elements. Finally, many e-reading companies deliver ebooks the way people have always purchased them, but the rise of tablet use has all the standard multimedia elements delivered right in the book itself.

Whether you are reading books on the web or reading enhanced ebooks on a tablet, smartphone, or computer, you are often reading them in a HTML5 or EPUB 3. Many people think these are singular entities with nothing in common. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as EPUB3′s backbone is actually powered by HTML5.

EPUB 3, which is the latest revision of the industry-standard XML ebook format, is firmly embracing HTML5 and CSS3. It retains its focus on XML-driven toolkits by requiring XHTML serialization and adding supplementary XML vocabularies, such as MathML and SVG. MathML is fairly interesting because it actually allows complex mathematical formulas to be displayed in a book, which is very useful for e-textbooks. EPUB 3 offers a variety of options for developing advanced, digital-native publications. The main positives about the blending of the two formats in a singular ebook format is the ability for publishers to display video, audio, interactivity, global language support, multi-column layout, embedded fonts, and the backwards compatibility with EPUB 2.

So you can say that HTML5 and EPUB 3 have a ton of synergy with each other. Right now, major e-reading companies like Kobo, Apple, and Sony have all introduced updates to their Android or iOS reading apps to display EPUB 3 books. The main factor is that most publishers seem to be bundling their content in dedicated apps or delivering it via HTML5 and still relying on the EPUB2 format. Amazon is doing its own thing with Kindle Format 8, which is basically just EPUB3 re-packaged to suit its line of Kindle Fire e-Readers.

What are your views on maintaining dedicated Reading Apps for iOS and Android as a method to view ebooks?

Marilyn Siderwicz, the Marketing and Communications Manager of W3C, whose company The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web. She told me that “Digital publishing already is web-based. If you think about today's ebooks, they're really 'frozen' web sites packaged in a container. Readers today, however, are demanding more flexibility in how they access and use content. They want rich media and the ability to interact with more and different kinds of content. They want to choose how, when, and where to access stories or information. And they want to use media to engage others much like they share physical books with others to expand a conversation.

HTML5 is part of a larger set of technologies—which we call the Open Web Platform—that helps publishers do all these things while reducing the costs and complexities of cross-platform development. Many people don't realize that EPUB3 is heavily HTML5-based. So what we're seeing is a continued evolution of the user's online experience both within and outside of the browser. W3C invites everyone in the digital publishing community to join the conversation as the industry continues to evolve Web technologies. Change will surely accelerate.”

Tom Waters, the CEO of Autography, runs a company that allows authors to autograph ebooks. He has his hands in many different cookie jars, delivering content to a myriad of platforms. He mentioned that “The basic hardware will mainly see changes in performance/size/resolution, but I think we’ll see a wider variety of applications that will be customized for very specific groups of readers. Not just in the accepted genres like romance or thrillers, but also very specific slice of demographics based on location, age group, and cross interests (18-22 year old women, residing on the West Coast, who like romances AND thrillers, etc). Book clubs could customize apps, event managers could customize apps, it goes on and on. They’ve got to embrace cross-functionality, easy upgrades, clean interfaces, and ease of library movement if they want to be successful long term.”

ThisNext originally rolled out Glossi in December, which is a platform that allows people to DIY publish digital magazines. There is no shortage of online ebook creation programs, but magazines really haven’t been done before. We spoke with Glossi CEO Matt Edelman, who knows what he is talking about. Before taking over the reigns of Glossi, he was in charge of Marvel's Entertainment division. He weighed in on the question and answered “Apps are popular because they provide enhanced value. That isn’t going to change. Even though HTML5 remains a viable alternative, native apps will continue to raise the bar because app-based operating systems will continue to advance. It’s hard to envision a future in which HTML5 closes the gap entirely. That said, a publisher cannot rely upon one or the other to reach their target readers or maximize the size of their audience. Content wants to be wherever it can be consumed. That philosophy has guided the development of Glossi. We believe in hyper-distribution and are designing our platform to enable creators to publish content within whichever user experiences their audience prefers.”

David Burleigh is the chief marketing officer at Overdrive, whose company has recently revised its entire online experience to center on HTML5. This allows ebooks to be read on the web, tablet, fridge, or car screen. He simply said “We see a continuation of development for both apps and other methods, such as HTML5. We believe there's more dynamic growth in HTML5-based ebooks.”

Finally Jim Ambach, Senior VP of Product Management at e-textbook company Coursesmart said, “At least for the next couple of years, we feel it will remain necessary to provide dedicated apps on iOS and Android mobile devices in order to offer the best possible reading experience both online and offline. Although mobile browsing is becoming more and more important (in some months, CourseSmart sees just as many user sessions from mobile browsers as it does from its native apps) due to the limitations of the browsers on mobile devices, there are things you can’t do without a dedicated app. For example, offline caching and significant data storage. Right now, we think that the optimal solution is to provide both native apps as well as a mobile-optimized browser experience, so we are currently providing both.”

There is a lot of talk about HTML5, EPUB3 and KF8 as future formats that allow for multimedia based books, what are the potential barriers stopping wider adoption and how could publishers adjust to the new formats and get them in something other than EPUB2?

Marilyn from W3C said, “W3C members are discussing a variety of new technology standard enhancements, including those for web typography, layout, metadata, video, and audio. But technology is only one piece of the puzzle. Industry business models will need to reassessed, too, including review of existing and new value chains, competitors, and monetization opportunities. An additional W3C member benefit is learning how other industry players are preparing for change—technologically, but also in the broader business sense.” She continued, “Many publishers are switching to ‘XML First’ content workflows to capture fluid, reusable high-quality content directly from authors. This change reflects a new way of thinking about primary assets, rather than just a technical switch. These publishers ultimately will have a competitive advantage by generating Web technology alongside, or in place of, print products.”

Jim Ambach of CourseSmart weighed in on the prospective barriers on adopting EPUB 3. “Barriers to widespread adoption of these formats include issues such as support for readers with disabilities; for example, the more types of media that are included, the more steps necessary to make sure the content is universally accessible. Also, proprietary standards for particular platforms such as Kindle or iBooks, might hinder widespread adoption as content producers debate about what formats they want to produce to. Lack of tools and design know-how are also considerations, although they seem to be less of an issue now that more and more authoring environments are being created.” She continued “As large publishers work these new standards and capabilities into their existing workflows, they can buy time today by working with third-party experts to convert existing titles and add interactive components to published work. Smaller publishers can take advantage of newer authoring environments and start generating new content right away. The trick will be learning what kind of media and interactivity can contribute to a more engaging reading experience. One of the things that we are starting to do at CourseSmart is provide publishers with analytics that describe how and what content is being used to help them determine what is effective and what isn’t.”

Tom Waters commented, “I think education is the biggest hurdle – people don’t know these formats, don’t know the pros and cons of them, and don’t like having to ask someone for help. They are already behind, and as a result, the changing technology is moving ahead of them even faster because they’re not learning and adapting quickly enough to keep up. It’s something publishers are accused of quite often, but I think as readers we are just as guilty.” What can publishers to to overcome these new technical challenges? “The toolsets for creating and maintaining content are usually the challenge. Currently, creating a feature-rich ebook for multiple platforms means you've got to maintain one toolset and document version for KF8, another for EPUB3, another for Apple's iBook ePub format, and yet another for HTML5. Maintaining the toolsets and personnel qualified to use them is a burden.”

Matt Edelman from Glossi elaborated “The barriers will be based on what enables publishers to best distribute and monetize their publications. Amazon’s dedication to its own format, KF8, makes KF8 a requirement for book publishers. KF8 will only go away if Amazon moves to another format. At the same time, no one else is rushing to adopt KF8; they see Amazon as dominant enough already. HTML5 and EPUB3 have advantages for multi-media publishing and distribution, although they are not exactly analogous. You can have an HTML5 experience within an EPUB3 ‘container.’ HTML5 cannot offer everything in terms of ebook creation that EPUB3 offers… yet. However, EPUB3 faces two key barriers: lack of backwards compatibility with all EPUB2 readers and less support across platforms and devices. Any restriction on distribution threatens wider adoption.”

What do you think the industry needs to do to decide on a future unified platform, such as EPUB3, Apps, or HTML5?

Marilyn from W3C said “The question implies that EPUB3, apps, and HTML5 are in direct competition. Instead, it's more helpful to recognize that the technologies already have a lot in common. EPUB3 is really a packaged HML5 Web site. And app development will be very similar whether someone is using the app inside or outside the browser. The approach is the same; differentiation is really a matter of the user interface design and overall experience. Digital publishing companies increasingly are getting involved with building Web standards, but more involvement is needed. Organizations like IPDF and W3C are reaching out. We welcome everyone in the industry to participate.”

Tom Waters was fairly negative about any consensus happening with wider adoption of a single ebook format. “I don’t expect to see a unified platform. We don’t see it elsewhere and I wouldn’t expect ebooks to be any different. There are multiple sizes, shapes, fonts, and layouts of physical books. There are DVD’s, Blue Rays, and various streaming video formats for movies. We don’t want or need just ONE format for content delivery because our needs are different at different times. Flexibility is key. The content and the container, regardless of how much we might complain about it, are inextricably linked.”

Jim Ambach from CourseSmart mentioned, “I think the industry needs to watch and understand how the majority of users will want to access that content, and then find the easiest most effective way to reach them. At CourseSmart, we strongly believe that the fewer impediments between a user and the content they need, the more willing they will be to use the services you provide. We are committed to working with publishers to provide access to their content using the most straightforward means possible. Whatever technology lends itself to that cause is likely to become that unified platform.”

Eric Hellman the President of Gluejar, maker of Unglueit contributed “There’s a vital, need to have a standard for distributing self-contained book-like websites. EPUB3 goes a good way toward towards that. Let me rephrase that. I think that our civilization will descend into darkness without a standardized distribution format for book-like things. I don’t want our civilization to descend into darkness. Apps, KF8, MOBI, EPUB3 are all attempts to make something like that. The process behind EPUB has the best chance, I think to get there. Maybe it will be EPUB5 before it reaches some level of maturity.

I fear that the “Book in Browser” approach (Kindle CloUd, Safari Online, etc Zola, too) will hook publishers on the narcotics of intrusive data collection and revision. No doubt it’s the best format for a cookbook or a travel guide. But it can’t work for a dangerous book, and the great books are dangerous. Ironically, the BiB approach is the best near-term solution for implementation skew, which is today’s biggest headache for EPUB publishing. So I see that as a key step along the way. I talk to a lot of librarians, and their deepest concern is for the future. What will happen to ebooks when the platforms go away? Companies will fail, governments will fall, and censorship is an ever-present and growing danger. Too much of the publishing world is focused on next year’s bottom line, to the detriment of the entire ecosystem.”

Finally, Matt from Glossi summed it up by saying, “I don’t think there is anything driving the various members of the digital publishing ecosystem to proactively choose a unified platform. Not even consumers would benefit from that. Just as some people prefer hard cover books over ANY digital alternative, so too will segments of consumers continue to gravitate towards publications that offer unique value specifically because of the platform on which they are published. And as long as there is a market for more than one alternative, there will be suppliers for that market.

What does seem clear though is that the web itself is becoming the publishing platform of choice as it matures. That suggests HTML5 may become the most dominant platform, largely because it would be the most economical one.”

The Future of Digital Publishing – The Synergy between HTML5 and EPUB 3 is a post from: E-Reader News

Hacking contest takes down all your favorite programs

Don't fret too much, though. In the old days of Pwn2Own, this would mean these hacks would later be sold to deviant hackers. Now, since Pwn2Own is sponsored by Google and HP, the makers of these programs are the first to know how the hack happened.
That means you should see patches for them in the coming days. Some programs will be updated automatically, but make sure you're always running the most recent version of your favorite program.

See more at: http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=14163&utm_medium=nl&utm_source=notd&utm_content=2013-03-08-article_1-cta&page=3#sthash.rVryw2f7.dpuf

Apple Only Remaining Defendant in Anti-Trust Suit, CEO Might Testify

It took long enough, but the key players in the US Department of Justice lawsuit involving Apple and five of the original Big Six publishers have dwindled down to one. While Penguin, Simon&Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillan have all settled out of court in the original anti-trust lawsuit that alleged the publishers and Apple conspired to fix prices on ebooks in order to exert influence over Amazon, Apple is the lone holdout in the DOJ case.

According to a report in Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook might testify in the case in accordance with an order put forth by the judge presiding over the suit, Denise Cote, for a March 13th conference call that will help her make a determination on the matter. This order came after the US requested assistance in a discovery issue involving the CEO’s testimony outside of court.

The allegations in the case stemmed from the creation of the “agency model,” as opposed to the previous wholesale model that Amazon had originally instituted with the publishers. Amazon’s original terms allowed the online retailer to sell ebooks at undetermined prices, even taking a loss on some major bestselling titles, in order to encourage sales of its Kindle e-readers. Under the agency model, Amazon was forced to sell ebooks at a price set by the publishers; this outcome was seen as collusion on the parts of the publishers named in the lawsuit and Apple. With the settlements in the case agreed to by the publishers, Amazon has been allowed to return to some level of discounting on upcoming and recently released titles.

According to a report on the issue by Reuters, the DOJ is not seeking monetary damages against Apple, but is looking for a ruling that the corporation violated anti-trust laws and that measures will be enacted to prevent further collusion.

Apple Only Remaining Defendant in Anti-Trust Suit, CEO Might Testify is a post from: E-Reader News

Apple and Amazon File Patents to Sell Used eBooks

When you purchase a digital book from Amazon or Apple, you don’t technically own it. You are merely licensing the electronic version for an indeterminate amount of time and there have been many cases where users’ entire libraries get deleted. The question of ebook ownership has been a hot button issue, because when you buy the physical book, it’s yours. You can sell it to a used bookstore or loan it out to friends. Last month Amazon filed a patent that had something to do with establishing a new digital system that would allow the reselling of content you purchased from them. In the last 48 hours, Apple has also filed a patent to sell used digital content, adding credence to the rumor that both companies will be unveiling a new way to buy and sell used ebooks.

One of the biggest concerns the games, music, and publishing industries have with digital content is the transfer of ownership without the original owner still having access to their copy. Amazon and Apple both have elaborate systems that deliver content to your specific used account. When you buy a Kindle book, it is transferred to your main account and you’re able to read it on any e-reader, tablet, or app on a smartphone. The same thing occurs when you buy a book from iBooks; it is easily tracked that you bought the book. These new patents could allow for the removal of paid books from your account when the ownership is transferred.

The removal of content from your account is something Amazon and Barnes and Noble have developed with their lending ebook programs. Kindle Lending allows publishers and authors opt into a program that allows book buyers to loan a book out to a friend, over the period of two weeks and only once in the lifetime of the book. While the book is loaned out the original owner cannot read the book, and after two weeks it is automatically returned to the owner. When you borrow books from Overdrive on the Kindle, the books are also temporarily available for you to read and then returned when you are done. You can say that Amazon has extensive experience with removing and adding content to customers’ accounts. It would make sense the company is laying down the groundwork for a used market for e-textbooks and ebooks.

The Apple and Amazon patents for used digital content could be the makings of a huge shift in the marketplace. Both companies sell books directly to the users and have full control over the master account. Not to mention that both of these companies are juggernauts and Amazon is thought to control over 60% of the global ebook market. I could see both of these behemoths take a cut out of each used book sold, to double dip in the profits. They would remove the initial cut from the publisher from selling the book, and then get another fee from reselling it to another user.

Apple and Amazon File Patents to Sell Used eBooks is a post from: E-Reader News

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