| Over the course of the last few weeks we have seen a litany of Flappy Bird clones populate the Android ecosystem. None have seen the critical success as the original, but some have close to five million downloads. The viral nature of the whole phenomenon has seemed to dissipated, with not many new Vine or viral videos being created. Today, we look at the top best apps that came out last week, or received major updates. Mig 2D: Retro Shooter! – What would you do with an enormous flying machine armed to the teeth with a variety of deadly weapons? Bring peace and justice to the world of course. It's especially pleasing to bring peace with high-precision uranium core bombs or air to ground homing missiles. VH1 for Android – Watch VH1 shows from your favorite Android device. Just sign in with your TV provider to watch recent episodes from select VH1 series anytime and anywhere. Access is included with your TV subscription to participating providers. If your provider isn't listed, don't panic. We are working hard to get all TV providers to participate. The Tonight Show: Jimmy Fallon – Ready to tweet your Tonight Show #hashtags or submit your videos for the latest challenge? Looking for free games that are as silly as they are addicting? Wonder who will be on the show tonight? The official app is something no FalPal should be without. Ironpants – Wanna play hard?! Ironpants – new arcade game by E2applets is for you! Be the best and fly the longest distance with your hero Ironpants avoiding coming obstacles. The Tribez & Castlez – During any scientific experiment, something might go wrong. Sometimes you can even… travel to another world! Magic rules here: monster dragons hover in the sky, and forests are full of treacherous monster werewolves. Our old friends, Professor and Aurora, will help Prince Eric rebuild his kingdom and protect it from the evil plans of various villains! Deadman’s Cross – Deadman's Cross is a zombie-themed collectible card battle RPG, and the latest creation from the same team that brought you the multimillion-download hit Guardian Cross. Holofication Nation – This is the Official Holofication Nation app, here you can find information, screenshots and downloads for our Holofied apps. Enjoy! Afterlight – Afterlight is the perfect image editing app for quick and straight forward editing. Our simple design, paired with powerful and snappy tools, will give you the look you want in seconds. Ridge Racer Slipstream – The ultimate arcade racing franchise brings the console experience to your Android device! Slipstream past your rivals and drift around tight turns at over 150 MPH! Equalizer + mp3 Player Volume – Equalizer+ the new standard when it comes to audio player! A must have to listen to your music! Boost and improve your sound quality and volume thanks to Equalizer+! Equalizer + is both a music track player and a frequency equalizer. Access your own music library directly from the app. Set the frequencies you like for your songs and save your presets. Equalizer + enables you to control 5 different band frequencies. Adjust each filter to bring out the best in your music. In addition to the low frequency filters, you'll have the possibility to amplify even more your bass sounds thanks to the Bass Booster option. Finally, you'll be able to visualize your sound thanks to a spectrum analyser, directly available from the app. Top 10 Android Apps of the Week – Feb 24 2014 is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Top 10 Android Apps of the Week – Feb 24 2014
OAXIS Launches New e-Ink Case For Smartphones
| OAXIS has followed up its earlier attempt at an e-ink smartphone case with a new take on the concept which was unveiled at the ongoing MWC event. The InkCase Lite adds a secondary 3.5 inch 360 X 600 resolution Mobius e-ink display at the rear. It comes with its own battery and CPU which means it does not have to poach on the resources of the smartphone it is clamped on to. Also, this makes the system easy to use as well as there are no tech wizardry to deal with. The cases just have to be fitted with the matching smartphone and those will be ready for use. These communicate with the smartphone via Bluetooth. What is even better this time is that OAXIS has stated they have enhanced the scope of the smartphone case this time, which means the InkCase Lite will be compatible with all smartphones currently available. That no doubt is a tall ask but at least the better known devices should come under the purview of the new case. In its first avatar, the InkCase Lite was limited to just the iPhone 5, Galaxy S4 and the Note 2 device which attracted a fair bit of criticism. However, no matter how exciting the concept might sound, there is also no denying the fact that the add-on case does add some bulk to the smartphone. The lack of suitable apps to make the most of the secondary e-ink display also negated all the good things that the e-ink display could have introduced. The best we can have right now is EpiReader which can be used to read ebooks on the e-ink display. The EpiReader can also be used to engrave the display with a favorite quote. Similarly, the app InkCase Photo enables users to fillup the e-ink display with a photo while InkCase Sports can be used to make the display work as a sports timer. The Singpore company has also stated they are making available the InkCase/Lite SDK for developers to explore other ways to make the most of the secondary e-ink display. Pricing remains a mystery right now, even more so now that the case has been made compatible with more smartphones this time. In any case it can't be expected to be cheap either given the InkCase i5 now costs $149. With dedicated e-ink readers such as the Kindle ($69) or the Kindle Paperwhite ($119) being much cheaper than that, the choice could boil down to a cheaper but a bigger full-fledged ebook reader or a smaller and hence more portable smartphone add-on that costs a bit more.
OAXIS Launches New e-Ink Case For Smartphones is a post from: Good e-Reader |
eBook Review: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
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Congratulations go to Ms. Catton, as she has the distinct honor of being the first-ever recipient of a one star review from Good e-Reader. Even Willie Nelson’s As with many prestigious award winning books, this one has everything that makes it stand out in the eyes of a snobby, musty committee of literary judges: it’s got a Victorian setting, a unknown journey, gratuitous and inexplicable violence, and opium. Last but not least, it’s 800 pages long. The committee must have awarded it based solely on the sheer amount of effort that went into writing it. Am I being overly harsh and unnecessarily critical? Of course. Is it because I have a chip on my shoulder about the prize itself as it not only forbids self-published titles but also requires the publisher to throw in 5,000 pounds towards the advertising of the book’s status as a shortlist prize nominee? You betcha. Yes, the Man Booker Prize not only goes to a book published in the UK by a “formal” publishing house (don’t worry, just in case you’re confused and think your book is eligible, the rules are nice enough to state further down that you’re not welcome), but also expects the publishers of the six books whittled down to the shortlist to foot the bill for advertising to the world that this book made it to the finals. And somehow, this book won. The best quote on the entire internet about this book is from a review by Sarah Skoletsky: “Here’s my takeaway – gold mining is terrible work, opium seems pleasant, a dress weighing over 5 pounds should be looked into, and it rains a lot in New Zealand.” I hate to make my negative impression of the book all based on the fact that it’s just another droning example of what passes for prestige in the world of legacy publishing these days, so there are actually valid points to make. The writing is about as wordy as it can possibly get, and the endless cast of characters make it nearly impossible to follow the story line. And just for fun, it has a rather unrefreshing plot–man strikes out for the unknowns of New Zealand to seek his fame and fortune and finds that the rest of the world is also trying to enjoy the prosperity that a whole new economy can offer–that has been done often and done well. This just isn’t one of those times.
eBook Review: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton is a post from: Good e-Reader |
PediaPress: An Idea So Backwards That It’s Revolutionary
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But now, a company has decided to create a print book edition of all 20 million articles on the site, thereby proving that print and ridiculous ideas are not dead. There is even a $50,000 crowdfunding campaign afoot to help spur the completion of the estimated 1,000 print books that will comprise one set of the unabridged article collection. What would drive someone to want to own 1,000 print books of user-generated articles on everything from famous people to rampant STDs? Other than a man already having the idea to print the German Wikipedia in its entirety, that is? Actually, while the concept negates everything awesome about Wikipedia–namely, the ability to find something out at the tap of a few keys–it’s a really good marketing strategy for a service called PediaPress, the masterminds behind the behemoth print idea. PediaPress exists to allow users to generate print editions of articles they’ve collected on any given topic, helping them create their own print-on-demand editions of any articles they need. Ideally, no one needs all 20 million articles, but the service does exist to cater to these individuals. Of course, the backwards nature of their crowdfunding campaign has brought a relatively obscure service publisher into the news, allowing more people to use the article aggregation service (while hopefully forgoing the entire collection and the shipping costs that would entail). After all, we’re talking about it now, aren’t we? PediaPress may have just touched on a brilliant marketing ploy that lets us feel superior as we mock their ideas, while still spreading the news about their much more limited service.
PediaPress: An Idea So Backwards That It’s Revolutionary is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Archie to Release New Comics Aimed at Young Adults
| Archie has close to 70 years of stories under their belt and it is time to make a change. In a similar vein as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the inaugural book from Archie will follow Riverdales favorite blond in a title called Diary of a Girl Next Door: Betty. The new title will be out in digital format on July 16th and will see future titles released during the rest of the year. The Story follows Betty as a Riverdale freshman, her strained relationship with Veronica and her new crush Archie. The book is designed to be reminiscent of diary entries, complete with text and pictures. The book features art by Bill Galvan, Bob Smith and Jack Morelli. While the story is being penned by Tania del Rio, who said she’s filling the book with humorous entries focusing on all the drama of being a teen: “Academic pressure, the highs and lows of unrequited crushes, ‘frenemies’ and trying to balance growing up with keeping childlike interests.” Archie to Release New Comics Aimed at Young Adults is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Huawei Unveils TalkBand B1 Smartwatch/Fitness Tracker
| Huawei today launched its first smartwatch offering at the MWC event. Named TalkBand B1, the device is more of a wrist band than a watch though that does not decrease its appeal any bit. Rather, the thin vertical profile does makes for a refreshing change in the fast emerging smartwatch me toos. The device comes with a 1.4 inch flexible OLED display but does not support touch gestures. What this means is that the smartwatch has to be magaed with the device it is paired with, which can be a smartphone or a tablet. Huawei stated it is compatible with Android devices running version 2.3 and higher as well as iOS running at least version 5.0. Huawei also stated a unique aspect of the TalkBand B1 is that it can be ripped off the band and used to make phone calls, in which case it will also function as a removable Bluetooth earpiece. The smart wearable is waterproof too. It can pair up with other device via NFC or Bluetooth 4.1. Coming to its power characteristics, Huawei is claiming 6 days of runtimes, which no doubt is pretty decent from its 90mAh power source. The device also offers 6 hours of talktime and up to 2 weeks of standby time. Further, that band itself functions as a USB connector and can be used to charge the device in about 2 hours. So far as the TalkBand's fitness tracking features are concerned, the wearable is designed to keep track of the number of steps taken, the miles covered on a day and estimate calories burned from these data. What's more, Huawei is also claiming that the TalkBand is also capable of tracking movements during sleep and judge the quality of sleep in the process. Clearly, Huawei would like users to have the smartband on them at al times, except during the charging process of course. As for its price, there seems some confusion here though cnet is claiming it to be priced 99 euros, which comes to about $136. Other sources maintained, its slated for a launch in China, Russia, the Middle East, Japan, Latin America along with some European countries in March 2014.
Huawei Unveils TalkBand B1 Smartwatch/Fitness Tracker is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Samsung Launches Galaxy Gear 2 and Galaxy Gear 2 Neo Smartwatch
| Samsung has launched two new smartwatch devices – Galaxy Gear 2 and Galaxy Gear 2 Neo that succeed the original Galaxy Gear, which was launched just five months ago. Also, as can be expected, both the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo feature several enhancements over their predecessor though the biggest surprise here is the switchover from Android to Tizen to power the two devices. That apart, none of the devices break any new ground so far as the design is concerned though there sure are a lot of new features added to the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo devices. Specifications: Both are thinner and lighter than the original and continue to be compatible with only Samsung smartphone devices as of now. Coming to the tech bits, both come with a 1.63 inch super AMOLED display lit up by 320 x 320 pixels. Both are powered by a 1 Ghz dual core chip and come with 512 MB of Ram and 4 GB of storage. Another common aspect for the two Gear 2 versions is that they are compatible with Bluetooth 4.0 LE to connect to a smartphone. Among a host of other features that both the Gear 2 version offer include infrared blaster which means the device can also be used as a remote control as well as a heart rate sensor which no doubt will appeal to the health conscious among us. The latter is designed to keep track of the heart rate during walking, running and so on with there being apps accompanying it to track cycling and hiking performance. Both the Gear versions also feature a distinctive home button as well. Camera: However, the one aspect that sets the Gear 2 devices apart is the inclusion of a 2 megapixel camera for Gear 2 which also will be the pricier of the two. Further, the camera has been included within the main body and not on the strap as was the case on the original Gear. The camera is capable of shooting 1920 x 1080 pixel still shots or 720p video. Apps: Among the apps that come pre-loaded on the Gear 2 and Gear 2 include notification, calendar, S Voice, stopwatch, a timer, weather forecasts, and media control. There are also add-ons for calculator, Samsung’s ChatON messaging service, voice memo, quick settings control, as well as an app that can make the smartwatch function as a flashlight as well. Among the third party apps available for the two Gear 2 versions include Banjo, CNN, Conde Nast, Expedia, eBay, Evernote, Feedly, GARMIN, Glympse, iControl, LINE, Path, Paypal, RUNTASTIC, Weather Channel, and Under Armour’s Map my Fitness. In addition, several carmakers such as BMW, GM, and Volkwagen too have developed apps for the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. Water/Dust Proof, Battery: Another likeable aspect of the Gear 2 variants – and which was missing with the original Gear – is that both are now water and dust proof. Further, with a 300mAh non-removeable battery under the hood (a downgrade over the 315mAh battery for Gear 1), Samsung is claiming run times extending up to 3 days under normal usage. This could extend to even 6 days under low usage though Samsung hasn't specified what it meant by normal or low usage. The first gen Gear lacked on both counts as it was susceptible to damage from water seepage while the device required recharging at-lest once every day. Meanwhile, pricing remains undeclared right now though Samsung has stated both the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will go on sale from April.
Samsung Launches Galaxy Gear 2 and Galaxy Gear 2 Neo Smartwatch is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Google Project Tango Redefines the Smartphone
| Google is redefining what a smartphone is, with the advent of Project Tango. The Mountainview company is betting on the next generation phone that will have motion and depth tracking. The five inch device is packed with cameras that will render the world around you in real time. Microsoft Kinect pioneered how normal people can interact with their game system and Google has hired former lead engineers to work on their phone. Over 200 developer units are currently available to corporations and schools. The intention is to make a slew of new apps, augmented reality games and tools to really showcase what the phone can do. The essence of Tango is to utilize the phone sensors to make 250 million 3D measurements every second and use that data to build a 3D model of the phone’s surroundings. It includes custom APIs that give developers access to the phone’s position, orientation, and depth. One of the more interesting aspects is the compatibility with the Unity Game Engine. "Project Tango strives to give mobile devices a human-like understanding of space and motion through advanced sensor fusion and computer vision, enabling new and enhanced types of user experiences – including 3D scanning, indoor navigation and immersive gaming," said Johnny Lee, ATAP's technical program lead. What are the practical uses of this phone in the real world? Think about someone who is visually impaired and the phone can render the world around them. Audio cues can be given on what shops they pass by, or if there is an intersection ahead.
Google Project Tango Redefines the Smartphone is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Book Expo America Aids Self-Published Authors via Author Hub
| Book Expo America is introducing new programming to assist self-published authors. The new Author Hub project will run in parallel with a conference introduced in 2012 called uPublishU. The Goal of Authors Hub is to “to further integrate the self-publishing community into the publishing mainstream by providing platforms where entrepreneurial authors may interact and share the spotlight at North America's leading book industry event.” This year's uPublishU day-long conference is set for Saturday, May 31. The event will focus on two different types of authors and will provide guidance and assistance. The first will focus on an author’s first book and exactly how they bring it to the market. The second will give more specialized knowledge to indie authors who have been in the game for a few titles. Book Expo America Aids Self-Published Authors via Author Hub is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Independent Bookshops in UK Fall Below 1000 For The First Time
| There are less than 1,000 independent bookshops in the UK, a figure that is the lowest the country has had since accurate records of shops began being kept. The Booksellers Association has already called it a crisis situation, as there are just 987 bookshops across the entire country. “Bookshops are important cultural and community hubs, and make a vital contribution to the health of our high streets and local economies in particular, so it is always disappointing to see them close,” said Tim Godfray, chief executive of the Booksellers Association, in an interview with The Bookseller. “Everyone should sit up and take notice of this. The book trade, the government and the general public need to realise that if we don't take action now, the future of our bookshops – and therefore the health of the publishing industry and reading itself – is at risk.” The rise of the ebook culture is being held responsible for the slow demise of independent bookshops across the world. Not surprisingly, Amazon is held as the prime culprit, with Ibis Bookshop owner Linda Jones putting the blame squarely on the online retail giant for driving her out of business. Ibis Bookshop had been in business for 76 years and is the oldest independent bookshop in the UK; it is slated for closure next month. Other reasons cited for the steady decline in bookshops are high rent (which has made it difficult to maintain a high street presence of late for the owners), parking fees–another factor that too is acting as a deterrent for buyers to actually travel to the bookshops–and supermarkets offering steep discounts on books and periodicals, luring customers away from the bookshops. The country had 1,535 bookshops in 2005. Sixty-seven bookshops have closed in 2013, though 26 new bookshops also opened last year. However, not everyone paints a negative picture. As Morag Watkins of Chorleywood Bookshop told The Bookseller, “It's not all doom and gloom though. Those that have changed their models have been alright. We run festivals, go into schools and basically take the bookshop on the road. We've evolved into community-based hubs because we had to.”
Independent Bookshops in UK Fall Below 1000 For The First Time is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Visionect Introduces a New Way To Develop e-Reader Apps
| Here is a device that comes with a familiar e-ink display and can pass on as another ebook reader but is unlike any out there. Rather, Visionect, a Slovenian startup would like to call its e-ink based device as a platform that is designed to make it convenient for users to develop e-ink based apps based on HTML5, CSS and Javascript easily. The system can be used to develop even complex apps and allows developers to have an idea of what the app will look like in reality in an e-ink based device. Another stand-out feature of the device is that most of the processing is done at the Visionect servers, which also explains the use of a rather meager 120 Mhz chip to power the device. The working is seamless though and users won’t ever have any inkling of the device merely acting as a terminal in most of the cases with the processing being carried out at Visionect Servers. This is much like the Chromebook strategy of using slightly low powered hardware while relying on cloud computing to get the work done. The obvious benefit of such a setup is keeping a check on the price, which in this case is 239 Euros ($320). The device also boasts of gsensor and Wi-Fi connectivity. Other tech specs include a 6 inch capacitive e-ink display that is encased in a sturdy water proof casing that can take quite a beating. Visionect also mentions companies such as Plastic Logic, eInk, Epson, ST as its key partners. The company also claims to have delivered solutions to Sony, Samsung and such. The Wemar Nautipad pictured above is also based on the Visionect hardware that acts as a boat information display and can be used as an interactive control system to aid in navigation. Visionect products can also be used as a product information display system, as has been done by Slovenia’s biggest telecom company in their stores.
Visionect Introduces a New Way To Develop e-Reader Apps is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Microsoft Slashes Windows 8.1 Price by 70%
| Microsoft is said to have slashed license fees of Windows 8.1 by 70 percent to help companies roll out cheaper tablet devices. What this means is that companies will now be required to pay just $15 for each Windows device they sell against the $50 that it used to be. This is applicable to devices that are priced $250 or lower though there is no specific mention of this being applicable only in case of tablet devices. Further, there are no size limitations either or whether the devices should offer a touchscreen experience. Microsoft hopes this will drive demand for Windows tablets while they can look forward to maintain their profits from increased sale of the tablet devices. Such a move is expected to ward off the challenge posed by the low cost Android tablets. Google's Android make up the bulk of the tablet purchases in the budget segment. Also, if tablets aren’t reason enough for the dwindling sales of notebook devices, the Chromebooks seems to have the potential to wipe off whatever is left of the once mighty notebook segment. Microsoft hopes to reverse the trend now that companies will have to pay just $15 to license Windows 8.1 thereby helping maintain a balance against the growing clout of Google and its Android OS. We have already seen a clutch of 8 inch tablets running Windows 8.1 though nearly all of them are priced $299. Its not known whether these will benefit from the new licensing rates as Microsoft had started to offer these are reduced rates via its own stores. Meanwhile, we sure can look forward to a new crop of tablet devices coming our way that will be priced $250 at the most. Worth mentioning here, Microsoft had resorted to a similar approach earlier when it had slashed Widnows XP fees that helped them score a win against Linux based netbooks. It is up against a more established Android user base this time and it will be interesting to see how things pan out in the days to come.
Microsoft Slashes Windows 8.1 Price by 70% is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Friday, February 21, 2014
Diamond Comics Abandons Digital Distribution
| Diamond Comics has been maintaining a digital distribution system in partnership with iVerse since 2012. This gave comic stores a competitive advantage of being able to monetize their customers going digital. Sadly, Diamond had too many factors going against it and will be suspending the service at the end of February. The essence of the Diamond Digital system was to allow comic shop owners who opted into the program could generate redemption codes. The codes can be used in their stores by fans on Wednesdays to purchase digital comics, either as a digital editions priced the same as the print edition, or as a special digital "Plus" edition, which will sell for 99 cents with the purchase of a physical copy of the comic. Users have a choice of redeeming the codes on their retailer's website, or the various apps that iVerse runs. The suspension of the digital program was confirmed in an email to comic book stores that said “The closure was announced to retailers via email last week, with the reason given being that “18 months after its launch, results indicate that Diamond Digital has not gained enough traction in the marketplace to continue.” The one thing Diamond had going against it, was the unavailability of titles from Marvel or DC. This is the bread and butter of Comixology, which has a stranglehold on the digital comic market. Instead, Diamond tried to hustle comics by Image, Boom! and IDW. Any comics that have been purchased by the customer will be permanently available via the iVerse comic apps. So at least, as long as iVerse stays in business, your comics are safe. Diamond Comics Abandons Digital Distribution is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Is Barnes and Noble for Sale?
| Barnes and Noble has received a viable offer to buy their entire bookstore business from G Asset Management. They have proposed a complete buyout at a deal valued at $672 million. If they are unable to go through on this deal, their secondary offer is to buy a 51% stake in Nook Media. There are plenty of barriers in place to prevent the sale of the last major bookstore in the USA. Len Riggio, chairman of B&N wanted to take the company private and was willing to pay big money to do it. The threat of shareholder lawsuits put the kibosh on his plans. G Asset Management has had their sights on Barnes and Noble for quite awhile. They originally wanted to buy the College Bookstore division in 2012, and has been vocal at splitting Nook away from Barnes and Noble. Barnes and Noble is a bookstore on the decline. The stores are profitable but Nook Media has been bleeding month for over a year. This prompted the exodus of all senior executives in charge of Nook. The head of eBooks, the head of hardware and head of accessories have all left the company and a new CEO has taken the helm. Interesting enough, the current CEO comes from a financial background, which makes the likelihood of a sale more realistic now, than under the previous regime. What are the current barriers to sell the company? It is thought that Len Riggio controls 45% of the company and he would have to OK the deal in order for it go though. The Asset Management company also does not actually have the money to buy Barnes and Noble, instead they would have to raise it themselves. Is Barnes and Noble for Sale? is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Collection Team Column – Kate Seivertson: Spring Cleaning
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To get myself really in the mood, though some could probably argue that such preparations are more like torture, I've been pouring over nonfiction titles about style, home décor, cooking and crafts. Two of my personal favorites is Tim Gunn's Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste, and Style, and Giada DeLaurentis's Giada’s Feel Good Food: My Healthy Recipes and Secrets. I highly recommend both. If neither is quite to your liking, log on to Marketplace and let your imagination run with great advice from one of the many, many titles we have to inspire you! This could translate incredibly well with your patrons also. Plan some great spring cleaning, style forming, and taste-making events at your library or contact your Collection Development representative to curate some lists for you. We're always here to help! As for me, I'm off to continue my closet overhaul – wish me luck.
Kate Seivertson is a Collection Development Specialist at OverDrive.
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Libboo Introduces New Tools for Authors, Publishers
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Now, Libboo has launched two new book tools to continue the discovery process while still making it a reader-centric opportunity. Jason Freeman spoke with Good e-Reader this week about the ability to “delight readers while empowering authors.” “Our new products are designed to help talent stand out in a crowded space. We’ve learned from discussion and data, and we invest that in our products,” explained Freeman. The first tool, InstaFreebie, is not in public beta and lets authors or publishers generate digital copies of their titles under complete control in order to send them out to reviewers, readers, street teams, and more. Unlike typical coupon codes, rights holders can track where the copies of the book were actually accessed in order to engage with those readers in a more intentional way; additionally, if an author were to share the link to the book and give permission to all of his audience to share it as well, he can then retrieve information on where the book was accessed after it left his audience. The second tool is a daily update feature called The Midlist, which sends information to Libboo and InstaFreebie users on which books are generating the most discussion and traffic. Even without already having an established connection to the author, readers can see which books are being shared the most. This tool is not available for cost, meaning authors or publishers cannot simply pay to be featured on these daily emails, and it is instead based on genuine traction around a book. “The two biggest lessons we’ve learned at Libboo are that authors don’t have access to the most basic data–and there’s a really good conversation that needs to be had about that–and that most authors don’t have the tools to engage on a large scale. That led us to the idea that it doesn’t have to be an either-or, delighting readers and supporting authors can be done at the same time.” Freeman pointed out that most authors are relying on Facebook and email for reader engagement, and that these tools will help them use those platforms more effectively. But more importantly, he indicated that, while data is the “lifeblood” of some companies in terms of using it to control revenue, other industries embrace the sharing of important information, such as the music and movie industries. “There are walled castles that prevent authors from having tools. We intend to tell as much as we can. It’s about empowerment.”
Libboo Introduces New Tools for Authors, Publishers is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Does your Raspberry Pi belong in a gallery?
| It is a beautiful piece of hardware and I’m sure takes pride of place in many a building, with scores of people gazing upon it in wonder, especially if you’ve hacked it to do something cool. But is it art? Google Developers certainly think so, and have launched Dev Art: Art Made with Code mid-February, as an open platform that allows artists to share their digital art with the world and also detail the process they took to create their work in a unique way. If you have not already checked out the site, then I would highly recommend doing so. Raspberry Pi is listed as a platform, and there are some examples of its use in this project such as the Wireless Poetry Installation. As well as the Dev Art website, Google have teamed up with the Barbican in London to host an exhibition of digital interactive art this summer and they are offering anyone the chance to exhibit alongside some of the worlds most well known digital artists in this exhibition through their Dev Art competition.
We know how powerful art can be in teaching computing skills since working with Dr Sam Aaron on Sonic Pi, and watching our own Artist in Residence Rachel Rayns lead workshops. Now it is over to you! We hope that the wider Raspberry Pi community will feel motivated to submit their projects to the Dev Art competition. Who knows, maybe you could be exhibiting at the Barbican!
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Daily Deals & Freebies – February 21
| Kindle Daily Deals Two books in the PRIMAL series by Jack Silkstone The native Dinka tribe of South Sudan is waging a war of wills for a better future—against a ruthless Chinese magnate determined to possess the impoverished nation's only asset: its oil-rich land. It's a David-and-Goliath struggle in danger of ending brutally in the […] |
Primary Education in Zambia Takes a Technology Leap Thanks to ZEduPad
| The student community in Zambia can now look forward to the use of the ZEduPad to further their educational prospects. The tablet project which has been spearheaded by British tech entrepreneur Mark Bennett aims to replace the use of traditional books in the African nation right from the elementary stages and up to grade 7. The 7 inch tablet is also designed to aid teachers in the teaching process as much as it is oriented towards students. The ZEduPad is designed to understand eight different native Zambian languages and comes pre-loaded with more than 12,000 classes and lesson plans to help even the untrained teachers to get started right away. The tablet is programmed to help students with almost all subjects, be it math, art or music. This apart, the tablet also exposes the children to all that the internet has to offer, be it email to Wikipedia and such. The tablet will help the students to better hone their skills and knowledge with the help of the internet. As for the device itself, the tablet comes with 32 GB of storage and offers a 'long battery life'. The tablet also couldn't have arrived at a better time in Zambia what with the extensive changes that the country's educational system has been witnessing off late. With renewed focus on education, something exemplified with the over 90 percent enrollment that has been achieved in the primary level, the ZEduPad can help take education to a new high in the African nation. The World Bank has already feted the Zambian education system which it has christened as the most improved among the developing nations. As for its cost, Bennett said it costs about $100 after it is put together and lands in Zambia. Thereafter, his team installs the software that makes the tablet all the more special. Thereafter, the ZEduPad is sold for $200 apiece to the schools though efforts are already on to bring down the price even more. Bennett has also said he hopes to replicate the success he has achieved with the ZEduPad in other African nations as well.
Primary Education in Zambia Takes a Technology Leap Thanks to ZEduPad is a post from: Good e-Reader |
New Legislation in South Africa Mandates eBook Retailers to Register as VAT Vendors
| The recent announcement by the South African finance ministry that has made it mandatory for all foreign vendors selling ebooks in the country to register as VAT vendors has been applauded by the local industry. The Publishers’ Association of South Africa as well as the South African Booksellers’ Association has been pushing for just a clause which them claim will make it a level playing field for all operators. Earlier, “South Africa has now created a legislative framework which will require foreign retailers selling into South Africa to register as VAT vendors. Simply put it means that companies that have distribution rights in South Africa can compete fairly with foreign retailers selling directly. In the long-term it will do much to promote a healthy retail book trade, making it more likely that we retain a functioning publishing industry,” explained Eugene Ashton, sales director of Jonathan Ball Publishers. Ashton further stated the new legislation will prove crucial in the long run once proceeds from digital sales in South Africa picks up. Currently, revenue from digital sales amount to about 20 percent in SA while the same in other more established markets stands at over 50 percent. “While PASA’s long term stated objective is that VAT should not be levied on books, it is better to have a system where everyone is charged, than the one that has existed until now. We are very much in favour of the legislation and support it fully,” said Ashton. Digital technologies has been making new inroads in the field of books and publishing in SA, something that has not gone unnoticed with those who matter. While the general public has become increasingly aware of ebooks and all the benefits that the digital books can have for them, digital publishing technologies too has come to the forefront in recent times. No wonder, ebooks and digital publishing is being accorded special status during the South African book fair, something brought out in the words of Louise Barry-Taylor, executive of sales and sponsorship of the fair: "With the rapid growth of e-publishing, the Fair allows educators, the public and the publishing world access to the latest technological developments in e-reading. Technology now not only allows access to books at the touch of a button, but access to a wide array of both learning and recreational materials that are now easily available on your mobile phone. The Fair is the ideal place for even the most technologically challenged to familiarise themselves with the latest technological and e-publishing offerings". The South African book fair will run from 13 -15 June 2014 in Cape Town
New Legislation in South Africa Mandates eBook Retailers to Register as VAT Vendors is a post from: Good e-Reader |
