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Welcome back to another installment of the Good e-Reader Nighttime Reading test. Today we evaluate the second generation six inch Icarus Illumina and put it through a battery of tests to see how it performs in complete darkness. Most people read on their device when they are going to sleep or in other circumstances where lots of light is unavailable. Icarus has five LED lights on the bottom of the screen that illuminate the e-paper display. During the test, we check out all levels of brightness and see how it affects the reading experience.
Icarus Illumina E652 Nighttime Reading Test is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Icarus Illumina E652 Nighttime Reading Test
Amazon Kindle Unlimited will Never Take off Relying on Indie Authors
| Amazon Kindle Unlimited is a new program that for a small monthly fee allows you to read 10 eBooks at a time. No major publisher has bought into the Amazon initiative, which insures that there is a tremendous lack of mainstream or bestsellers. Instead, the Seattle company relies on its own cadre of indie authors to populate the ecosystem with their titles from Kindle Direct Publishing. What has prevented Unlimited from really taking off and being embraced by readers? The lack of quality titles produced by indie authors. In order for an indie author to be enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, they must opt into the Kindle Direct Publishing Select program. This allows their titles to be showcased in the Kindle Lending Library and made available for people to read for free. It also provides many advanced tools, such as free promotional pricing. KDP Select authors are automatically enrolled in Kindle Unlimited and this is how it works. If someone reads their eBook past the 10% mark, the author will get paid on average about a dollar. The money is paid from a revolving pool of revenue that Amazon has on a monthly basis. Amazon relies on exclusivity for their authors to be opted into the Kindle Lending Library and Kindle Unlimited. This prevents authors from only promoting their works on Amazon and not on Kobo Writing Life, Nook Press or Smashwords. The bulk number of titles on Unlimited are all produced by indie authors. There are 600,000 eBooks and audiobooks that have been opted into the program. Where do the rest of the books come from? Algonquin, Bloomsbury, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Open Road, Scholastic and Workman. Some authors such as Hugh Howey were automatically opted into Unlimited, but did not have the same exclusivity as your run of the mill first time author. Howey and others had a limited amount of time they could distribute their titles throughout other retailers but at some point in time, they have to decide whether to fully embrace Unlimited on a title by title basis. Most of the indie authors that actually make a decent living off of their works often have a head for the business. They are active on Twitter and other social media networks promoting their personal brands. They focus on multiple distribution platforms because it basically takes on average, two years to develop a core readership base. These authors do well because they do not rely on a singular source of revenue, but glean it from Apple, Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, Scribd and Oyster. Sadly, the authors that do rely on Amazon for the most part have poorly written titles and will never be purchased or loaned out for free. This makes Unlimited a barren wasteland of quality content from indie authors. Should avid readers sign up for Unlimited? I would advise against it. The service is only available to residents of the US and there simply isn’t enough quality content to make it really viable beyond the first month. Amazon Kindle Unlimited will Never Take off Relying on Indie Authors is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Kobo CEO Speaks Out About Taking Over Sony eBook Business
| Sony has been selling e-readers and eBooks since 2004 and they were the first mainstream company who made a serious powerplay to cultivate the industry. Their successes and failures over the years acted as a playbook for Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo to enter the the fray and immediately make an impact. Sony eventually got nudged out of the business due to the prices of e-readers coming down, to a such a point, that it was not financially viable anymore to continue. In February 2014 Sony announced that they were exiting the eBook space and Kobo would take over their book business. Aside from the preliminary press release Kobo has been silent about their dealings with Sony, but today Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn has spoke to Good e-Reader all about it. “In North America we have been really happy with the Sony customers coming over to Kobo. People have been really interested and excited about our retail ecosystem with our investment around recommendations and how to discover your next great read. As a company, we are very happy with the collaboration and quality of customers coming over.” said Tamblyn. Michael is referring to Sony closing their online eBook store and gravitating their existing client base to Kobo. The entire modern line of Sony e-readers such as the PRS-T1, T2 and T3 have received firmware updates that removed the Sony Reader Store and implemented the Kobo store. Existing Sony customers had emails sent over to them before the big change, instructing them on how to transfer their existing customers over to Kobo. “The Sony and Kobo relationship has been successful in a couple of ways, we are concerned about people accessing their digital libraries for the long-term and to buy new books. Our primary motivation was stepping in for a company exiting the eBook space and allowing customers to buy new titles.” Tamblyn mentioned. Not all customers were happy for the Reader Store to close and switch to Kobo. Jeff P recently wrote "HORRID! HORRID! HORRID! I’ve been a member since November 2007. The only readers or tablets I’ve ever were Sony so that I could use the reader software. I once told a sales clerk that I didn’t need the extended warranty because I was buying a Sony. Almost every piece of electronic equipment I have is Sony. I won’t buy another Sony ANYTHING. Yes, you say customers are first, well, I’m the first customer to tell you that you’ve made a HORRID mistake and I’m never going to buy another Sony product EVER." Kobo CEO Speaks Out About Taking Over Sony eBook Business is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Prevent Kids Ignoring Parents’ Calls Using New App
| Like it or not, many children carry smartphones. For some, they are tremendous resources and in many cases help to keep them safe. As parents, we also have to manage their use. At a minimum, we want to be able to get ahold of our kids when we call –and not have those calls ignored because they are busy, or doing something they know they will be in trouble for. Fortunately, a new app called Ignore No More has a solution! Brought to you by the developers at Mountaineer Technology Ventures, Ignore No More gives you control over your children’s phones. It is okay to feel a little bit giddy about this, because if your children ignore your calls and text messages, you can lock their phones remotely until they call you back! Once the app is installed, it is virtually impossible for anybody other than you to remove. A single household account can be used by parents for multiple children, making it easy to have the system up and running quickly and easily! The developers are also quick to remind, that emergency calls are still available even if the device has been locked –so safety is never compromised. You can download Ignore No More for $2.50 CAD, which is a small price to pay to remind your children just who makes the rules. Kids need to learn how to use technology responsibly, and sometimes that means they require a little remote supervision.
Prevent Kids Ignoring Parents’ Calls Using New App is a post from: Good e-Reader |
WWE Collectible Card Game Available for Android
| 2K Games and WWE have teamed up together to create WWE Supercard, a larger-than-life game for your Android device! Filled with all of your favourite WWE Superstars, Legends, and Divas, this new game brings the excitement of wrestling to mobile gaming. To play WWE Supercard, you must collect card packs (either by earning them in online matches or purchasing them directly) and use the players contained within to build your dream team. There are over 400 cards available, with seven different rarity levels –though it has been announced that there will be regular updates to the superstars available. Once your winning roster is built, play against other players with single athletes, tag teams, or five-person teams. As an added incentive, the more you participate the better your rankings and rewards! If you like fast-paced sports-themed games, give WWE Supercard for Android a try. The game is free to install, but you may find yourself making purchases in-app when you are looking to get new card packs quickly.
WWE Collectible Card Game Available for Android is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Humble Bundle Adds Support for eBooks, Audio
| Beginning as a site that lets users buy a bundle of video games for a better price than they could if they were to choose titles individually, Humble Bundle has expanded their service to include eBooks and Audio as well. Using the app, there is a section specifically for Android games and game updates –making it very easy to keep the titles you own at the latest versions. While the interface is terribly simple and in need of a little beautification, it does function nicely. Bundle contents change regularly, but currently they are giving you the chance to round out your digital comic book collection. If you purchased everything separately, it would cost you in excess of $431 –but they can be yours right now for $15 (less, if you choose to skip the bonus offer). Freshly out of beta, Humble Bundle for Android is ready to download now. Once you have it installed, start looking out for the Humble Bundles: review an offer, choose how much you would like to pay (with some of your funds available for allocation to charities), make the purchase… and start reading (or playing, or listening)!
Humble Bundle Adds Support for eBooks, Audio is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Pokemon Trading Card Game for iPad Coming Soon
| Nintendo has been threatening to target mobile devices with ports of their successful titles, and soon you will be able to catch ‘em all on your iPad: it has been confirmed that Pokemon Trading Card Game Online will be available for iOS later this year. There are many reasons for Nintendo to start playing in the mobile game marketplace, not the least of which is to increase interest in the game franchises that may bring consumers to their console products. If that doesn’t result in success, at a minimum they will have their hands in mobile gaming and could always build on that as a next-generation plan. The Pokemon Trading Card Game for iPad is basically a port of the free game already available on the Pokemon website, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Pokemon Trading Card Game for iPad Coming Soon is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Friday, August 15, 2014
Icarus Illumina E653 e-Reader Unboxing
| Icarus has refreshed their e-reader lineup with Android 4.2 and the ability for users to load in their own apps. This dandy unit has support for EPUB, Mobi, PDF and has a stellar front-lit display to allow you to read in the dark. Icarus is a Netherlands based company and has been making a name for themselves releasing high quality e-readers. Today we unbox the brand new unit and show you everything that comes in the box. Additionally, we boot it up for the first time, showing you the various menus and what type of default apps are installed.
Icarus Illumina E653 e-Reader Unboxing is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Roundtable – The History and Future of Sony e-Readers
| Michael Kozlowski and Peter Carotenuto of Good e-Reader have another roundtable discussion on the evolution of the Sony consumer e-Reader brand. They discuss important milestones, such as the advent of touch, the incorporation of a stylus and releasing the first front-lit e-reader. The entire e-reader industry owes Sony a debt of gratitude for pioneering major technologies. The company has announced exclusively to Good e-Reader that they are abandoning the consumer space and that the PRS-T3 e-reader will be the last one they make. Instead, they are focusing on the business segment with the Sony DPT-S1 Digital Paper. During the roundtable we discuss the ramifications of exiting the eBook and e-reader space, how Kobo is benefiting and how the customers are responding to dealing with a new ecosystem.
Roundtable – The History and Future of Sony e-Readers is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Contest: Win an Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7
| Welcome back to another Good e-Reader Contest where we orchestrate giveaways for all of the different review units we get! A few weeks ago we gave away a brand new Sony PRS-350 e-reader and today we have the latest generation tablet from Amazon, the Kindle Fire HDX 7. The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 features a seven inch capacitive multi-touch screen with a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels. The resolution is a huge upgrade from the previous generation which only had 1280 x 800. HD videos on Netflix and HD comics from Comixology are the most noticeable improvements. Underneath the hood is a quad-core 2.2 GHZ processor and 2 GB of RAM. You have different models for storage and the entry level model has 16 GB of internal memory. When you take it out of the box for the first time there is only 8.8 GB of memory to play with and there is no expandable memory via SD. We will do the draw for the Kindle Fire HDX on August 29th and you can watch it live on YouTube. To enter, you simply have to LIKE the contest video, subscribe to the channel and drop a comment on the CONTEST VIDEO.
Contest: Win an Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Exploring the Sony Digital Paper (DPT-S1)
| The Sony Digital Paper (DPT-S1) is the first e-paper device exclusively aimed at the corporate audience. It is billed as a replacement for paper and the primarily job is to view, edit and send the PDF documents across your corporate network. Today, we take a fairly advanced look at this device, exploring all of the features, menus and options. When we do our traditional review video, we have to be careful not to show you everything, otherwise it would take almost 30 minutes. Today, we simply look at all of the core-functionality. We look at every single settings menu when you are editing a document, how the internet browser performs and all of the settings. This will give you a behind the scenes look on what exactly are the strengths and limitations behind Digital Paper.
Exploring the Sony Digital Paper (DPT-S1) is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Video: e-Reading Experience on the Sony Digital Paper
| The Sony Digital Paper (DPT-S1) is billed as a PDF Viewer and editor that is a replacement for Paper. This device is certainly not billed as an e-Reader to read your favorite eBooks. Although, it is possible. Today we look at the eBook experience on the Sony Digital Paper. It is possible to convert EPUB or MOBI books with no DRM into a PDF, using tools like Calibre. There is also a number of online bookstores that sell content in the PDF format, with no DRM. The DPT-S1 is not registered with Adobe, so you will not be able to view any type of protected document. We explore how an eBook downloaded from Project Gutenberg looks and what type of options are available. It is important to note there are no dictionaries or font options. The only way to make text larger is via pinching and zooming.
Video: e-Reading Experience on the Sony Digital Paper is a post from: Good e-Reader |
How to Install Apps From Google Play on Icarus Illumina HD
| While working on the article about the firmware update for the new Icarus Illumina HD, I came across an interesting help article on Icarus’s support website that describes how to install apps from Google Play on the Illumina HD. The Illumina HD runs open Android 4.2, and it can install Android apps, but it does […] |
Icarus Illumina HD (E653 series) Firmware Update
| The folks at Icarus sent over an email about a software update for the new Android-powered Illumina HD that I just got in for review last week. The update adds some new features and fixes some bugs. It’s a good thing I haven’t posted a video review yet because now things are quite a bit […] |
Barnes and Noble Releases Promo Video for New Nook Tablet
| Barnes and Noble is having a press event on August the 20th and will be formally unveiling the new tablet they have co-developed with Samsung. In order to create some buzz the Nations largest bookseller has done something radically different from other product launches, hype. B&N has borrowed a page out of Amazons playbook and created a new online commercial that features hardcore readers gushing over the new tablet. The essence of the video is looking at the reactions of first time users. This enhances the expectation that the software powering the Nooks will be radically different than anything seen before.
Barnes and Noble Releases Promo Video for New Nook Tablet is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Huge content sale now live!
| The biggest content sale of the year is going on right now! Just in time for our Northern Hemisphere partners to prepare for back to school, and our Southern Hemisphere partners to get a mid-year digital catalog boost, we are offering major discounts on hundreds of thousands of titles. Starting today, August 15, through September 30, more than 70 publishers and 200,000 titles are on sale up to 50 percent off. Participating publishers include Chronicle, Scholastic, DK, Abrams, Wiley, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Encyclopedia Brittanica, Bloomsbury, Kensington, Macmillan, Books on Tape and many more. Find great deals on popular eBooks, audiobooks, streaming videos and OverDrive Read titles. From professional development titles for educators, to children’s and YA fiction and nonfiction, to test prep and specific subjects, this sale includes a wide variety of academic and entertainment reads. Shop titles by savings level (30%, 40% or 50%), by age/grade level, themed collections, international collections, or all available sale titles by visiting http://partners.overdrive.com/back-to-school-sale or go to OverDrive Marketplace and click on “Back to School Sale.” Happy shopping!
*Please note that availability for individual titles may vary based on location.
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Diversity for your OverDrive collection
| Diversity is a fundamental value of public libraries. Your physical collections represent the diversity of the people and ideas in your community and society. Have you done the same for your digital collection? Having a diverse collection is vital to ensure high circulation and reader satisfaction. We have curated a selection of lists that cover a vast range of different cultures and experiences to assist you in building diversity within your digital collection. When you click the links below, they will show up as a Marketplace search result and you’ll be able to easily add them to a cart.
As always, we are also available to assist you with the addition of titles to your catalog. Email collectionteam@overdrive.com for more information!
Please note that title availability may vary by geographic location and platform.  |
Onyx Boox T68 Tips and Tricks Guide (+Video)
| This article is dedicated to listing various tips and tricks for the Onyx Boox T68 Lynx. Please note that there are different models available, as described in the Boox T68 review. Some of the tips below may differ slightly for certain models. Feel free to leave your own tips and recommend apps for the Boox […] |
Pi Wars
| Helen: This December will see a Cambridge Raspberry Jam with a difference; we’re giving you all plenty of notice, so that you have time to prepare. We’ll let organisers Michael Horne and Tim Richardson tell you all about it. On 6th December this year, the Cambridge Raspberry Jam (CamJam) will play host to the first ever dedicated Raspberry Pi robotics competition: Pi Wars. Named after the BBC series Robot Wars, this competition is challenge-based and is similar to a 'robot olympics'. Robots will take part in challenges to score points and, as we all know, points mean prizes! Our aim isn't to have robots destroy each other – we want people to compete to show what they've managed to get their robots to do! We've put together some overall rules for the competition which you can read here. The robot challenges are as follows:
You can read a full description of each challenge by visiting this page. We've also got some side-competitions into which competing robots are automatically entered:
We're also hoping to have some non-competing robots in our Show-and-Tell area. We are expecting (okay, hoping!) to have 16 robot competitors. This will give us a nice sized competition without having so many that we're there until midnight :-) We're even hoping that it will be an international competition – we've already had interest from a team in Egypt! Obviously, we'll also have tickets available for spectators, of which we're expecting between 100 and 150. We are looking for sponsors to supply prizes for the competition and you can get more information on that by visiting this page. Registration for the competition opens on 15th September and registration for spectator tickets will open sometime in late October/early November. We're hoping that it will be an extremely popular event… Who knows? This could be the start of an annual event! If you'd like to read more about Pi Wars, visit www.piwars.org. |
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Amazon Quietly Doubles Storage from 2GB to 4GB on Paperwhite 2
| Amazon has quietly doubled the amount of onboard storage in new models of the Kindle Paperwhite second generation e-reader. Any new device ordered online from Amazon will have 4GB to store all of your books, instead of the standard 2GB. There was a time when Amazon always included 4GB of storage in their Kindles, but this when they had features like on-board audio and audiobooks used to take up a ton of space. When the Paperwhite 1 and 2 were first released Amazon realized they could likely downgrade the amount of storage and nobody would really care, because all of your purchase were saved in the cloud. The only market to have a 4GB model of the Paperwhite 2 right out of the gates was Japan, and this was primarily due to manga and graphic novels taking up more space than your standard digital book. Amazon has made no formal announcement yet about the subtle increase in storage. On the Kindle Paperwhite 2 product page they don’t even reference the exact amount of storage that is available anymore. Amazon Quietly Doubles Storage from 2GB to 4GB on Paperwhite 2 is a post from: Good e-Reader |
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