| A couple of days ago we speculated that Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man might be coming to an end, and with it the career of the current wearer of the Spidey suit, Miles Morales. Well, yes and no. It turns out that Marvel is rebooting the whole Ultimate Comics line, but Miles Morales stays—in fact, he gets his own title, Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man. There’s a lot more to the Ultimate Comics reboot than that, though. Marvel created the Ultimates line back in 2000 as a way to push the limits of superhero stories and experiment with new storylines. It’s a newer universe with less tangled continuity so it’s friendly to new readers, and when someone dies in the Ultimates comics, they stay dead. They have already had a couple of relaunches, in 2009 and 2011. The current event in the Ultimates universe is Cataclysm, a crossover event in which the villain Galactus comes over from the standard Marvel universe, and Miles Morales and the Ultimate Reed Richards cross over to the other side to try to stop him. Marvel editors have indicated that the Cataclysm story will leave the Ultimate universe changed forever. This week, Marvel announced that once Cataclysm ends, there will be three new Ultimate titles. All-New Ultimates, by Michel Fiffe and Amilcar Pinna, will debut in April with a new crime-fighting team composed of Spider-Man, Black Widow (the former Spider-Woman), Kitty Pryde, Bombshell, and Cloak & Dagger. Next up is Ultimate FF, where the FF stands for Future Foundation, not the Fantastic Four; the lead characters will be Sue Storm, Tony Stark, Machine Man and Sam Wilson, and the series will be written by Fialkov and illustrated by Mario Guevara. Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man completes the set, and while we are assured that the Cataclysm events have left Miles a changed man, the creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Dave Marquez remains intact. “We look at the opportunity ‘Cataclysm’ gave us to reset the board,” writer Joshua Hale Fialkov told ABC News, “and do some really cool stuff with the characters.” Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso was blunter: “The Ultimate (universe) benefits from a good, old kick in the butt.” Marvel Ultimates Getting a Reboot is a post from: E-Reader News |
Friday, January 10, 2014
Marvel Ultimates Getting a Reboot
Developers Confirm Blackberry World will Soon be Accepting Android Apps
| Major game and app development companies are being approached by Blackberry to submit their apps to a new section on Blackberry World. In the past, Blackberry only accepted apps done using their own proprietary format. In the near future Blackberry will be releasing a new firmware update that will allow users to install Android apps (apk) files directly on their phone. To gear up for this transition, Blackberry will be offering Android apps for direct download in their online app store. At least four different game development companies at Pepcom and CES confirmed to Good e-Reader that they have been approached by Blackberry to include their productivity and gaming apps into Blackberry World. This basically requires no work on the developers part who have an existing Android app that is compatible on 4-6 inch smartphones. All the studios/developers have to do is make a new profile and submit icons/screenshots and app descriptions. Blackberry owners will be able to download and install them the same way they have been downloading apps since Blackberry 10 was released. Blackberry is betting big on the 10.3 firmware update that will allow native android apps to work on the Q5, Q10, Z10 and Z30. This will allow your average user to install whatever they want and not be limited. The Good e-Reader labs tested an early build of this update on the Z10 and installed our own Good e-Reader App Store. I was able to install and run every app we had. This is going to be a serious boon for people who have been let down by the dirge of apps until this point on Blackberry World. There is no estimated date when the new firmware update will be pushed out. Some companies have confirmed that its basically all done, but Blackberry is waiting to have at least 10,000 Android apps in their library before they start a marketing campaign. Developers Confirm Blackberry World will Soon be Accepting Android Apps is a post from: E-Reader News |
Podcast: CES Wrapup & Barnes and Noble Holiday Sales and Executive Shakeup
| Welcome back to another installment of the Good e-Reader Radio Show! Today, Editor in Chief Michael Kozlowski talks to Digital Book Worlds Jeremy Greenfield. Today the two lads talk about the Barnes and Noble holiday sales news on how eBooks and devices did, they weren’t great. There is also new executives in charge of the Nook division, Michael and Jeremy discuss on what it all means. CES has come and gone, curved 4k tv’s and smart watches were the two big trends, did anything impress? The Digital Book World conference is happening Monday/Tues/Wed of next week, you will want to check this out if you have a vested interest in digital publishing, eBooks, and lots more. You can register by visiting the link HERE. Podcast: CES Wrapup & Barnes and Noble Holiday Sales and Executive Shakeup is a post from: E-Reader News |
GI Joe Comic App Pulled from Apple App Store
| Comixology has suspended development and has pulled the dedicated GI JOE, True Blood and Doctor Who apps from the Apple App Store. Anyone with an iOS device, such as the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch will have to download the official Comixology app in order to purchase new issues and sync existing content. If you have purchased single issue or graphic novels from the dedicated GI JOE app, you will have to now download Comixology. If you don’t have an existing account, you can register a new one and then import the comics into your main account via sync. This will storage your comics in the main Comixology Cloud and allow you access them on more devices. Comixology has not elaborated on why they pulled these dedicated apps from the main iOS App Store. Likely, they are trying to encourage people to use their flagship app, where more content is available and customers would be more prone to make impulse buys. GI Joe Comic App Pulled from Apple App Store is a post from: E-Reader News |
Test Drive your way to new technology
| Since the iPad's introduction, and the rise of Android's star, tablets have become ubiquitous. In the early days, the technology was a little intimidating for first-timers, but with the spread of tablets, smartphones, and even hybrid laptops, tablets are a little more David, and a lot less Goliath. The library sphere, as it expands further into the digital age, finds itself becoming just as familiar with this new-fangled Star Trek technology as their patrons. In an effort to help demystify digital reading and its accompanying apparatuses, OverDrive offers the Test Drive program. Our prime directive with the program is to evolve with the market as we accumulate experience, provide real world guidance and practical resources to increase efficiency, and to maintain consideration for the publishers' lending policies. The benefits from this program are two-fold: users get to borrow a device that is already set up with quick access to enjoying a digital title from your OverDrive collection, and your staff can share the device within your location to use for demonstrating the digital side of the library. With Test Drive, we research devices, test them and make informed decisions about which devices to add to the program and recommend for purchase. In addition to selecting devices, we also document the set-up and clean-up processes so that you can provide the devices to your users in much the same way as a physical book. We even offer promotional tools to help you let your users know about the program. The end result is an increase in familiarity with the current wave of digital devices for you, your staff and your users. Let's take a look at a qualifying device, and dive into how the Test Drive program integrates that device into the library lending experience. The Lenovo Yoga Tablet was added to the Test Drive program recently. If your library were to purchase one for Test Drive, you would be able to go to the Test Drive website and download the setup and quick-start. Our setup guide walks you through the process required to get the tablet from the box to installing OverDrive to circulating the device. The quick-start guide is a nice reference for a first-time tablet user to consult for a brief review of how to navigate the device. When the user brings the device back, our setup guide includes instructions for how to clean up the device for the next borrower – providing the exact same experience as the last user. We consider many factors when selecting a Test Drive certified gadget:
Mobile devices like the iPad, Google Nexus 7 and 10, and the Yoga Tablet meet these requirements and allow a great user experience. For a look at which devices are currently featured, visit the Test Drive site and click the Test Drive Devices button. For more information, checkout Program Details, and if you're interested in signing up, click the Enroll Now button.
Justin Noszek is a Support Services Specialist with OverDrive.
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IndieReader, Edelweiss Break Down Last Obstacle for Self-Published Authors
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But IndieReader and Edelweiss are working together to change that. With the launch this week of IndieReader In-Store (IRIS), authors have a greater than ever ability to put their works in front of browsing customers. "One of the biggest challenges indie authors face is getting their books into brick & mortar stores,” explains Amy Edelman, founder of IndieReader. “It took Edelweiss—and the growing interest among book buyers to carry self published titles in their stores (see recent articles in the Christian Science Monitor and Publisher’s Weekly that note increasing interest from indie bookstores in self-pubbed titles)—to help solve the problem." As independent bookstores look for ways to adapt to a changing publishing and bookselling climate, a number of stores have begun to offer better opportunities for authors and readers to connect through indie titles. The agreement with Edelweiss will help ensure that these titles are available to bookstores for stocking, as well as make digital review copies available for book bloggers and reviewers, along with other outreach opportunities at the author’s discretion. For more information on IndieReader In-Store, click HERE.
IndieReader, Edelweiss Break Down Last Obstacle for Self-Published Authors is a post from: E-Reader News |
Libraries, Gale Partner for Online Accredited High School Diploma Program
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While critics could argue the underlying causes of dropping out, the basic issue remains that something needs to be done now. Gale, part of Cengage Learning and a leading provider of educational content, tools and services to libraries, schools and businesses,has announced its initiative Career Online High School, which will enable public libraries to offer fully accredited high school diploma programs via the internet. Much like the increase in accredited university degree programs being offered online, COHS would allow students to earn actual high school diplomas instead of the current much-stigmatized GED that is available to dropouts via an exam. "The population of adults without a high school diploma is as high as 60 percent in some of the geographic areas served by our library system," says John Szabo, the City Librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library, which serves over four million people. "Our mission is to educate and empower every individual in our city's diverse communities. We could not be more excited to offer Career Online High School and make a real impact in helping these adults reach their education and career goals. This is a game-changing program for our library and a life-changing program for our patrons." This program is accredited by AdvancED/SACS, the same governing body that oversees the accreditation of public schools and universities. Students are able to transfer any pre-existing earned high school credits, so that previous school coursework is not “wasted” by using the COHS program. Confidence is built in vocational areas before moving forward into academic studies, with many test subjects able to complete their high school diplomas in as little as four to six months. Rolling out first in the Los Angeles Public Library System in California, this program will hopefully reach a citywide population that has one of the highest dropout rates in the country, with the US Census Bureau reporting that nearly 25% of the adult population of Los Angeles does not have a high school diploma.
Libraries, Gale Partner for Online Accredited High School Diploma Program is a post from: E-Reader News |
Sales Down for Barnes and Noble, But How Bad Is Bad?
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But looking at the actual numbers shows a slightly different story. First, yes…B&N’s retail segment dropped 6.6% over the previous year. That’s pretty much to be expected when you close a few bookstores. And while the Nook division posted a staggering 60.5% drop during the holiday season over Christmas 2012, consumers need to note that this year’s holiday shopping season was shorter per the calendar and Barnes and Noble didn’t release a new tablet for this year’s holiday season. The retailer introduced two new tablets last year and saw a spike in sales as a result. Of course, declines are a cause for concern in any industry. But when you’re Barnes and Noble, a 6.6% decline means you only made slightly more than $1 billion USD. Even with an eye-opening majority drop, the Nook division still earned $125 million just in the nine week holiday shopping period. “We are pleased with our holiday sales results, especially our core comparable bookstore sales, which were essentially flat and an improvement as compared to the first half of the year,” said Michael P. Huseby, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. "During the holiday period we benefitted from a strong line-up of bestselling titles, great execution by our booksellers and merchants, an effective advertising campaign and strong increases in our Juvenile, Gift and Toys & Games categories." A new initiative aimed at putting indie authors’ works in physical B&N locations is also in the works, making the retailer able to offer something to both consumers and authors that even Amazon can’t provide. Good e-Reader has long stated that the only way bookstores will compete is to stop trying to compete; only by leveraging the locations and the brand, along with a strong customer base who is loyal to the store and device, can B&N stay afloat.
Sales Down for Barnes and Noble, But How Bad Is Bad? is a post from: E-Reader News |
BBC iPlayer Watched More on Tablets Than PC For the First Time During Holidays
| If anyone needed further proof of tablet devices being more in vogue than the traditional PCs, here it is: theBBC iPlayer app has seen almost a million downloads (941,000 to be precise) on tablet devices from Dec 21 til the end of the year, surpassing the traditional desktops and laptops for the first time ever. This goes to show the popularity that tablet devices enjoyed as a holiday gift item. What is also impressive is that it comes within only eight months of tablets surpassing smartphones so far as viewing iPlayer is concerned. Citing just how popular its iPlayer has been among tablet users, BBC further stated its popular web service was being viewed by over 3 million tablet users daily post 26 December, ahead of desktop and laptops viewership. BBC also had to deal with far more requests – 11 million – for TV and radio programs on New Year's Day this year than in 2013 (8.1 million). This marked a healthy jump of 35 percent though the actual figure will be even higher when data from Sky and Virgin Media is also taken into account. “2013 truly proved to be the year of the tablet and after they were all unwrapped, Boxing Day saw tablet viewing overtake computer viewing for the first time in iPlayer history,” revealed Dan Taylor, the head of BBC iPlayer in a blog post.
BBC iPlayer Watched More on Tablets Than PC For the First Time During Holidays is a post from: E-Reader News |
Cogito Smartwatch With an Analog Display Revealed
| Here is a smartwatch that is a lot like any other conventional watches we have known for years. Enter the Cogito's Cookoo series of elegant smartwatches that conveys a sense of understated style and offers two different devices right now. What makes the Cogito different is that they incorporate an analog watch face, unlike the digital displays that almost all other smartwatches have incorporated. As for the “smart” attribute, the watch comes with a series of LED icons which acts to keep the user updated of any notifications received on the smartphone. Also, you might have guessed it right; the Cogito is designed to work in tandem with a smartphone and not independent of it. As Cookoo officials have pointed out, their decision to design the Cogito to offer only notifications and not enable them to be viewed on the smartwatch itself stems from their findings that people are more likely to see them on their smartphones rather than pecking on the tiny display that smartwatches have to offer. Battery life claimed is a commendable 1 year before the battery will need to be replaced, which is another aspect akin to conventional watches. The Cogito is designed to be compatible with smartphones running iOS 7 and Android 4.3 and above. As for the device itself, the range starts with the Cogito Pop for $129 and is expected to hit streets by end Feb. Next in line is the Cogito that costs $179 and comes with added features such as caller ID, ability to mute incoming calls and so on. Expect the Cogito to reach markets by the middle of March.
Cogito Smartwatch With an Analog Display Revealed is a post from: E-Reader News |
Buy an 8GB NOOBS SD card for £5
| When we announced our $40 Model B plus SD card bundle back in August, a lot of people asked us whether we could sell the card on its own. It’s taken a little while for us to get around to it, but I’m pleased to say that you can now buy an 8GB NOOBS SD card from the swag store for £4 including VAT, plus £1 UK shipping in the unlikely event you’re not buying other awesome swag.  The NOOBS SD card in all its glory. This is the same high-speed Class 4 Samsung card that we ship in the bundle, and that we use at Pi Towers on a day-to-day basis. By my reckoning, even if you don’t care about NOOBS, this is currently the cheapest way to get a good-quality 8GB SD card in the UK. |
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Best Digital Comics for January 9 2014
| Here’s a look at some of the more interesting titles that are out this week in digital format. Detective Comics #27: DC celebrates the 75th anniversary of Batman (who first appeared in the original Detective Comics #27) with seven stories about the Caped Crusader, including Brad Meltzer and Bryan Hitch’s retelling of the first Batman story, “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate,” Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy’s “Twenty-Seven, which explains how the identity of the Batman is passed on from one person to the next, and the kickoff of a new storyline, “Gothtopia,” by John Layman and Jason Fabok. The price tag is a little heftier than usual, at $7.99, but so is this issue, which weighs in at 96 pages. (ComiXology) The Walking Dead #119: How explosive is this issue? Here’s the blurb: “All Out War is so explosive that even showing the first few pages of The Walking Dead would spoil the surprises.” That’s right, a comic so mind-bending that we can’t tell you anything about it! Well, either that or the marketing staff decided to knock off early and have a couple of martinis. Anyway, it’s The Walking Dead so at this point it pretty much sells itself. (ComiXology, Image Comics) All New Marvel NOW! Point One #1: As the title so subtly suggests, this comic is aimed at new readers who want to enjoy the Marvel universe without having to figure out a whole tangle of confusing continuity. It’s actually a collection of lead-in stories to get you started on six different series: Loki: Agent of Asgard, Silver Surfer, Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, All-New Invaders, and Avengers World. (ComiXology) All-New X-Factor #1: Peter David picks up his story of mutant detectives, which ended in X-Factor #262 last summer, with a new team of Polaris, Quicksilver, Gambit, Warlock, Cypher, and Danger, all superhero investigators who are on retainer for Serval Industries. This story actually follows from the events of X-Factor #260. David answered some questions about the new series for CBR this week. (ComiXology) Sex Criminals #4: Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky continue their tale of a couple who can stop time by, er, doing it, and who use that power to rob banks. It’s an odd premise but a very funny story; It’s also too hot for Apple so you can’t buy it in-app, but you can get it from the comiXology or Image websites or even iBooks. If you’re new to the series, check out the first issue for free on comiXology. (ComiXology, Image Comics) Best Digital Comics for January 9 2014 is a post from: E-Reader News |
French Senate Approves Bill to Stop eBook Retailers Offering Free Home Delivery
| Senators at the upper house of the French Parliament have come together to approve of a bill that would make it illegal for online retailers to offer free home delivery. This no doubt will hit Amazon’s French operations hard where the retailer has been doling out discounts as well as the bait of free home delivery to lure buyers. While the bill will continue to allow Amazon to offer the five percent discount on ebook prices, the retailer will now have to charge a price for delivering print books to customers. The move is being seen as part of the French government’s plans to save independent booksellers from becoming extinct, a notoriety that online ebook sellers have earned no matter how convenient it is for consumers to place orders and have them delivered at home for free. Now with the latter option gone, the brick-and-mortar shops will be at a level playing field vis-a-vis their online counterparts. Theoretically, the bill should act as the nudge for consumers to make the trip to their nearest physical bookstore though it remains to be seen how much of a positive increase in footfall that the bookstores experience. What also can’t be denied is that there will be some increase in visitors to the bookstores for those of whom it still works out to be cheaper to be at the store after factoring the traveling costs. This way, the physical bookstores should at least get the chance to survive the digital boom that has doomed many booksellers around the world.
French Senate Approves Bill to Stop eBook Retailers Offering Free Home Delivery is a post from: E-Reader News |
Books that will soon become movies
| In my last post, I talked about books that were made into movies throughout 2013. I didn't hit all of them, trying instead to focus on the ones that I found intriguing. In this post, I'll talk a little about some movies destined for the big screen in the near future that are already popular books. After the list, I'll include some ideas we've come up with to promote these titles in the library. Coming attractions
Using movie hype to drive interest in the books
Need help getting started? We have a few sample “Book to Movie” flyers available for download in the Partner Portal.
Quinton Lawman is a Technical Writer on the Knowledge Services team at OverDrive.
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How to Unsend an Email in Gmail
Ever sent an email that you immediately wished you could take back? Gmail has a new feature that can help. |
Wooden tablet: Michael Castor’s PiPad
| I’ve actually held this project in my very own sweaty little hands: Michael showed it to me at Maker Faire in NY last September. I’m glad he’s written the project up, because it’s a gorgeous build which really deserves sharing. In his day job, Michael works for MAKE, and has a heavy workload around each big Maker Faire dealing with Maker Shed setup, making things run smoothly in the Shed, keeping on top of inventory (yes, they sell the Raspberry Pi), and organising a large team of people. He doesn’t usually get time to build his own project for the Faire because he’s so busy, but this year he decided to change that, and make his ultimate tablet. He gave himself two weeks, from conception to finished build. Michael particularly wanted a device he could use on an aeroplane, and wanted it to look smooth and professional so it didn’t freak out the TSA or whoever ended up sitting next to him as he used it. (Some people are oddly sensitive about home-made electronics on aeroplanes.) He arrived at Maker Faire having used his PiPad on the aeroplane on the way over to watch movies. Michael’s aesthetic is minimal and classy: the finish and design of this project is one of the best hand-built efforts I’ve seen. He was lucky enough to find a large, smooth piece of carbon fibre, which he used to back the I loved the carbon-fibre and birch case he made, and so did Eben, who Michael asked to sign it. Eben was hesitant to spoil the gorgeous finish with his scrawl, but went ahead anyway – you can see his scribble in the pictures on Michael’s website. If you’d like to make your own version of this build, Michael has made a parts list, instructions, shopping suggestions, CAD designs and lots and lots of photos available on his website, right down to pictures of the fiddly details like this scalpel-work on the ply, which he used to make room for the PiPad’s ports. It’s a great build, a great write-up and a really lovely device: thanks Michael! |
Russia Emerges As The Third Biggest eBook Market in the World
| Latest IDC research findings revealed that Russia has overtaken UK and Brazil to emerge as the third largest market for ebooks in the world, behind only the US and China who dominate the top two slots respectively. eBooks have hit a steep popularity curve in Russia in the last few years with the growth rate pegged at 25 percent for the third quarter over the quarter before it. Sergei Anuriev, CEO of LitRes, the biggest retailer of ebooks in Russia, has some more insights of the domestic ebook market to share. eBook proliferation has reached an astounding 200 percent since 2011, and is estimated to reach 500 million rubles ($16.2 million USD). This will be about twice the 260 million rubles that the ebook market was estimated at in 2012. What is even more interesting is that ebooks still represent just one percent of the Russian ebook market which means there is still a tremendous scope for growth of ebooks in digital form in the country. The same is expected to rise to five percent by 2017, which will make the ebook market worth around RUB 3 billion (USD $90 million). Further studies have revealed that the majority of ebook purchases were made from Moscow and St. Petersburg with other regions lagging behind significantly. In another revelation, the majority of ebook purchases were made from traditional PCs with just 34 percent of purchases made from ereaders, tablets, or smartphones. Interestingly, dedicated e-reading devices have witnessed a steady decline in consumer interest. However, J'son & Partners Consulting would like us to believe that the ebook buying trend is expected to reverse by 2016 when 77 percent of ebook purchases are likely to be made from tablet or smartphone devices, while the remaining 23 percent from desktop or laptop devices.
Russia Emerges As The Third Biggest eBook Market in the World is a post from: E-Reader News |
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
The YotaPhone – A Good Idea, Terrible Execution
| The Yota Phone was a good idea with marrying a traditional E Ink display built into the back and a fully featured Android phone on the front. Being able to read eBooks without burning your eyes out is the reason why e-Readers have gained massive popularity in the last four years and you would figure a portable one would be amazing. Sadly, this is not the case. The Yota Phone suffers from a clunky interface, a sub-par reading experience and terrible hardware. Good e-Reader is live on the scene at CES 2014 in Las Vegas Nevada and there were a few commercial release units of the Yota Phone. This was my first experience with this particular device and there is a huge learning curve in how to control the e Ink screen. There is absolutely no tutorials or documentation that outline exactly what you have to do to initiate the reading functionality. In order to take advantage of the e Ink screen you have to make sure the Android LCD is firmly off. In many cases the screen is simply asleep and it automatically wakes up if you are holding the phone to read. The entire control scheme of the phone is the worst I have ever seen. There are no physical buttons, and instead you have to gesture on the bezel upwards or double tap in an indeterminate area to access the home screen. In some cases you have to swipe left or right to turn pages while reading a book. Some books require you have to turn pages using the volume keys, so there is no consistency in the eBook reading experience. The resolution is 640 x 360 pixel on the e-ink panel. Text can be fuzzy very hard to read, there is hardly any options to augment the text size too. While the e-reading experience suffers overall, the pure Android phone is fairly satisfactory. Like most Android phones, all the keys are software driven. It has a 4.3 inch screen with a resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. The dual core chip rated at 1.7 GHz does a good job at keeping things quick and peppy though it doesn't have the more advanced quad core chips. This phone is selling for close to $700 on the main Yota website and the limited production run was sold out right away. You can find one on the grey market, such as eBay for around $900. I would avoid this phone at all costs. If you are looking for a solid e Ink phone, take a look at the Onyx Phone that is going to hit the streets soon.
The YotaPhone – A Good Idea, Terrible Execution is a post from: E-Reader News |
Review of the Pocketbook Cover for Samsung Galaxy Phones
| Samsung Android phones tend to be very popular on the worldwide stage with the Korean company controlling over 35% of the entire market. A large advertising budget and low prices have helped catapult the brand into public consciousness. This is why many 3rd party cases and accessories tend to do well, because its the brand name phone most people own. Pocketbook is trying to appeal to readers across the spectrum with the new Pocketbook Cover. Today, we see what all of the fuss is about. The Pocketbook Cover Reader is basically a second screen that has a resolution of 800×600. You need to use the official Pocketbook app in order to read books and setup your reading preferences. Readers can turn off the Galaxy S4 screen and just read on the e-ink screen. The case is designed to flip your phone on its back and use the e-ink screen as the reading panel. This won't kill the phone battery by using the color display. Additionally, missed calls and received SMSs are displayed on it. The new CoverReader will use Plastic Logic's flexible EPD product; the 4.8" display will be manufactured in the company's Dresden facility. This new display has a range of benefits, as such screens are flexible, shatterproof, ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight, power saving, and daylight readable. From practical everyday usage, i don’t know if I could recommend this product. You need to exclusively deal directly with Pocketbook to buy and read your books. This makes it difficult, but not impossible to load in your own books. In order to get the case to work you have to open a book on the Android screen and hit a button at the top of the UI. This projects anything on the screen directly on the EINK screen. When this occurs, the Android screen dims and becomes inoperable. The e Ink screen is not touchscreen and you will have to use the page-up and page-down button to turn pages. If you want to increase the size of the font or change the font-type, you have to first do it on the Android LCD screen. The Pocketbook Cover is a bit of a gimmick, and I doubt it will sell well on the market. It is bulky and cumbersome and does not easily flip around the phone, so you can just read the e Ink screen and cover up the LCD. It feels flimsy and cheap. Review of the Pocketbook Cover for Samsung Galaxy Phones is a post from: E-Reader News |
First Look at the Pocketbook CAD
| is taking a departure away from the standard e-reader and targeting a very specific market. They are going after designers who find themselves using CAD software by Autodesk and need a device that wont die after a full days use. We caught up with this new device in the prototype stage at CES 2014 to give you a first look. The PocketBook CAD Reader features a 13.3 inch screen and utilizes new E Ink tech called Fina. This is basically super lightweight glass and is easy to hold with one hand. Underneath the hood is a 1GHz dual-core CPU with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. It has built-in Wi-Fi and an optional 3G module. You will be able to use this device for a few days with its large 8000 mAh battery. This design friendly reader is running Android 4.0.4 and the final product should have a fairly intuitive interface. Your recently opened CAD documents will be at the top of the screen and there is adequate room for five documents. On the left hand side of the screen is the Android apps that come bundled with it and a few other widgets spread evenly around. The model at CES basically was running on a slideshow loop of different CAD drawings of automobiles, planes, and building schematics. It is meant to show the type of drawings it can support. Of course, a loop is not good enough for me, and was easily bypassed. This is where things went terribly awry. Outside of the loop was the standard Android interface that anyone with a device would recognize. Nothing here worked, I hit Settings and selected a few options and nothing loaded. Gallery crashed and nothing really worked at all. Obviously Pocketbook merely wanted to showcase its new CAD Reader in a controlled environment and to give an indication on the future direction of the software. Obviously, this needs a ton of work and is unusable in its current state. Is there room in the market for this? Many serious designers are using tablets, such as the iPad. This model will likely cost close to $400, as Pocketbook can’t manufacture enough of them to keep costs low. Still, its really light, can be used in the direct sunlight and can render any CAD drawing done with Autodesk software. This is aimed at a very specific niche market, and does not even have a built in e-reading software. Finally, Pocketbook did a very excellent video, that demonstrates how the CAD Reader will be used in the real world. It was one of the best videos I have ever seen and had high production values. I was told by E Ink that Pocketbook only spent $15,000 on it, and that included post-production.
First Look at the Pocketbook CAD is a post from: E-Reader News |
