| The Kindle is the most popular e-reader of all time and e-ink screens are what makes the technology possible. Lately, dedicated reading devices have been seeing diminished sales and e-paper is being employed on keyboards, digital signage and now fashion. A new Indiegogo project started by Lithuania-based iShüu Technologies is betting that e Ink is perfect for shoes. You can control the patterns and colors via a mobile app and automatically change the color, based on your outfit. They also have tangible customization options, such as bows and flows. “The Volvorii’s clean, elegant, sturdy design brings gravitas, respect and formality in an unmistakable way,” the campaign page reads. “Whether you are a CEO at the apex of your industry or a prospective intern who got it as a graduation present going for your first interview in the corporate world, the Volvorii will carry you with grace.” For the girl who has everything you can pick it up from the campaign page for $249 plus shipping.
The Kindle People Wear on Their Feet is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Monday, March 23, 2015
The Kindle People Wear on Their Feet
Create Photo Collages With Layout App From Instagram
| When you consider the blend of photographs and mobile technology, chances are good that thoughts of Instagram are not far behind. Designed to be an easy way to share your favourite images with friends and family, Instagram is easy to use and feature-rich –unless you wanted to create a collage without using a third-party app… at least until now! Instagram has launched a new app called Layout that lets you brings groups of photographs together a Layout was only made available for iOS today, but we have been assured by Instagram that an Android version will be ready soon!
Create Photo Collages With Layout App From Instagram is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Free! Inspires new Film and Manga Based off of The Original Light Novel
| While many viewers were tuning into the highly popular Free! Eternal Summer special event on Sunday, it was revealed that High Speed!, Kōji Ōji and Futoshi Nishiya’s light novel that originally inspired the great hit anime Free! -Iwatobi Swim Club anime, will be getting its own movie! The movie will be entitled High Speed! -Free! Starting Days-. The animated film will open throughout Japan on December 5th. Kyoto Animation has also confirmed that a manga adaption of High Speed! Has been green-lit for production. The manga will be drawn by the talented Shiori Teshirogi (Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas – Meiō Shinwa) The teaser website for High Speed! -Free! Starting Days- film has also confirmed that Nobunaga Shimazaki, the voice of Haruka Nanase, is returning to to the Free! Television sereies! While the Free! Series centers on Haruka and the other swim club members in their high school years, High Speed! Follows them during their time in Middle school. The second volume of the light novel was shipped last July. Ever since the popular anime Free! First aired back in July 2013, the show has been making huge splashes with it’s fanbase, so fans can now rejoice that the anime will return to us once again in a movie format! Free! Inspires new Film and Manga Based off of The Original Light Novel is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Raspi-LTSP is now PiNet: easily manage a Raspberry Pi classroom
| Helen: Over the past year and a half, Raspi-LTSP has become very popular as a simple and easy-to-set-up way of managing Raspberry Pi users and files in a classroom setting. Today its 18-year-old developer Andrew Mulholland launches PiNet, the new incarnation of this very valuable, free, open source project. He’s written us a guest post to tell you more about it. For nearly two years now, I have been working on RaspberryPi-LTSP. The goal setting out was clear: a simple, free and easy-to-use system for schools that allowed them to manage their Raspberry Pis more easily. So today I am proud to announce PiNet, the replacement for RaspberryPi-LTSP. The idea for PiNet/Raspi-LTSP was spawned out of a workshop I was teaching two years ago in a local primary school. The workshop ran over two days and I had forgotten to install a piece of software on all the SD cards before cloning them. I also had somehow to remember which student's work was on which SD card so I could hand it out to them the next day. Logistically, managing it was a bit of a nightmare! And I only had one class of kids to worry about. How can you manage students' work when you have perhaps hundreds of different students using a set of Raspberry Pis in a week? Does each student get assigned her or his own SD card? And what happens when those SD cards need to be updated with the most recent software update? After many (many) hours of work researching possible solutions, I came up with a proof-of-concept script. The script used LTSP (Linux Terminal Server Project) to build a virtual Raspbian operating system on a server, then let Raspberry Pis network boot off it. I released this on GitHub back in September 2013 not expecting much to come of it. Rather surprisingly, people slowly started playing around with it, I started getting emails with new ideas and I discovered there was an interest in the project.  A PiNet classroom, using Motorola lapdocks to provide display, keyboard and trackpad 200+ commits and 3000+ lines of code later, the feature list has grown after a huge amount of feedback from educators right across the world. PiNet's features include:
PiNet is a replacement for Raspi-LTSP, not an upgrade, so if you're already running Raspi-LTSP, you'll need a new installation to get PiNet running on your server (PiNet will automatically update your SD cards the first time you boot up your Raspberry Pis after installing it, so you don't need to make any changes to those yourself). To make everything as easy as possible, a migration utility has been included in every Raspi-LTSP release since November to allow you to migrate user data and files to PiNet; read the migration guide for help doing this.  The Raspberry Pi desktop with PiNet is like the one you're used to Here are some of the things that other people have said about PiNet/Raspi-LTSP:
PiNet is already used across the world in over 30 different countries. To give it a go in your school, all you need is an old computer, a router and some networked Raspberry Pis! To get started, head over to the PiNet website at http://pinet.org.uk/ and hit Get Started! |
Amazon Makes it Easier than Ever to Leave a Review
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But Amazon launched a new way to leave a review through prepared choices in drop down menus. This feature begins with a simple three-answer question on the plot of the book: was it predictable, did it have some twists, or was it completely surprising. Answering that question opens up more drop downs about the character development, the pacing, and more. Unfortunately, there’s no drop down menu for the quality of the writing, the quality of the editing, or more basic attributes of the book. These would apparently go in the provided space where the reader can type his own thoughts on the book. Not all books have the drop down review treatment at this time. Obviously, the questions that were offered don’t apply to non-fiction titles, for example, and several nonfic titles I looked at don’t offer any other drop down elaborations. One of the chief concerns with this type of review process was raised by Henry Baum of Self-Publishing Review, and that is the canned response feeling of these reviews which will possibly lead to less informative (and therefore, less helpful) reviews. As you can see from SPR’s take on the drop down review process, Baum was offered far more drop downs–including the options to comment more than once on the author’s writing ability and the quality of the book–than I was on the twenty or so titles I searched through this drop down process. Even the self-published horror titles I inspected didn’t give me the option to select an answer pertaining to violence, sexual content, or other thematic elements. If Amazon truly wants to encourage an atmosphere of dialogue on books and support readers’ efforts to leave a review, however, their first priority should be to make the process of inputting opinions more streamlined. Currently, a consumer goes to the sales page for the book after even remembering that he should review it, clicks on the number of reviews, then clicks on the option to see all the reviews, then clicks on Write a Review. All of this is after scanning the sales page looking for (and not finding) a giant button that simply says, “Leave a review.” Interestingly, the top of the screen will tell a consumer in rather small letters that he has already purchased the item, and that would be an excellent place to point out that a review is only one click away.
Amazon Makes it Easier than Ever to Leave a Review is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Spring break reads for travelers and staycationers alike!
| Who doesn't look forward to Spring Break? After spending all winter cooped up in the cold and snow, it is great to have the opportunity to relax and enjoy that book that we've been trying to read, maybe with our toes in the sand if we're lucky. It's a time to kick back and forget about the real world for a while, so what's a better way to do that than with some of these great titles. With everything from light beach reads, to the most talked about non-fiction, to guides on how to make the best umbrella drinks, even if you are staycationing this year, unwind with these titles today! 
Add these great Spring Break Reads to your collection today and provide your users with some great titles to escape the daily grind even if they aren’t traveling at all!
Meghan Lindenberger is a Collection Development Analyst at OverDrive, and will be spending her Spring Break on the Lake Erie coast. |
Boyue T62 vs Energy Sistem PRO
| The massive new trend in e-readers is a vanilla version of Android, which allows you to install your own apps. This is a boon for serious readers because you aren’t locked into a specific ecosystem, you have the freedom to use whatever bookstore you want or just play a rousing game of Words with Friends. Today, we look at two of the latest flagship e-readers to see how they stack up against each other. The Energy Sistem PRO and Boyue T62 both have a six inch e-Ink Pearl HD display with a resolution of 1024×758 pixels. They also have a touchscreen, which makes it easy to click and navigate around the UI or just simply flip the pages in your favorite e-Book. It also incorporates a front-lit screen that allows users to read in the dark. Underneath the hood is a ARM Cortex A9 1.0Ghz dual core processor and 8 GB of internal memory. They both have the option to expand the memory up to 64GB with a SD/SDHC card. You can listen to music via the 3.5mm headphone jack, perfect for audiobooks or music. These e-readers are very much akin to each other on the hardware level, but Boyue goes the extra distance to give Chinese users a very viable manga option and online e-reading solutions.
Boyue T62 vs Energy Sistem PRO is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Make Your Secondary Computer Screen a 13.3 Inch e-Ink Monitor
| People are attracted to secondary screens for their home computing setup. It allows you to multitask effectively and allows for some serious customization. e-Reader lovers know that e-paper is very easy on the eyes and great for long term reading sessions. Is it viable as a true secondary screen though? DaSung is hoping yes. The 13.3 Inch e-ink screen was developed exclusively to function as a secondary display. It is utilizing an e Ink Fina screen that has a resolution of 1600 x 1200 and 150 PPI. If you never heard of this before, it is currently being used on the Pocketbook CAD and Sony DPT-S1 Digital Paper. Basically, Fina is a glass based TFT technology that uses a very thin glass substrate to deliver products that are much lighter and thinner than what is possible with standard LCD displays. Fina displays weigh less than 50% of the weight of an equivalent glass based TFT and are less than 50% of the thickness as well. The monitor right now has a few different refresh mode options, similar to how the Onyx E-Readers have the varies A2 enhancements. Basically, you will be able to scroll around really fast and gain solid resolution when you want to work on something or consume media. It is only available in China right now, but international residents can order one. It is retailing for $645 – $970 US and available via the DanSung website.
Make Your Secondary Computer Screen a 13.3 Inch e-Ink Monitor is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Blackberry Leap Previewed in New Video
| The Blackberry Leap smartphone is a departure from the most recent products, such as the Classic and Passport. It is a fully touchscreen model, similar to the Z10 and Z30. The formal ID number is the Z20 and it actually just arrived at the FCC seeking approval. What is this phone all about? Well, if you are still loyal to the Blackberry brand, its fairly exciting. It has a five inch display with 1280 x 720 HD resolution, 294 PPI, 8MP Rear camera, 16GB of expandable storage and has up-to 25 hrs of battery life according to the specs put out by BlackBerry. BlackBerry has priced the device at $275 USD and its going to be available in April or May. A hands on preview of the device has been released by Blackberry, giving us a sense of the form factor.
Blackberry Leap Previewed in New Video is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Kobo H2O and Glo Firmware 3.13.1 Available in Japan
| Kobo has published a new firmware update for their first waterproof e-reader and the recently discontinued Glo model in Japan. The updates not only fix a nagging WIFI issue that required constant password input but shed some new light on one of the companies yet announced products. One of the main benefits of the Kobo line of e-readers is that they have a simplified way of customizing your e-book experience and a very advanced one. Some users have reported that this new firmware update enhances the fonts at lower weights. There is also an expanded list of font sizes, which appeal to people who want more flexibility at medium level. Buried in the new firmware is also the new UI for the upcoming Kindle Voyage killer. This is the 300 PPI variant that Kobo is secretly working on, code named Alyssum. It might be strange that we are reporting on news in Japan, but since Kobo is now a Japanese company, many new features will likely appear in this market first and then to residents in North America and Europe.
Kobo H2O and Glo Firmware 3.13.1 Available in Japan is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Zinio for Libraries App Makes Borrowing and Reading Easy
| Libraries have been focusing on developing digital collections for a number of years. One of the ways they have been doing this is by removing most of their physical magazines and going with companies like Zinio. In the past, it was rather complicated to browse, borrow and read. The overall process has been simplified, with the advent of the new Zinio for Libraries app for Android. Zinio currently has 2,600 titles in 12 unique languages representing titles from more than 25 countries. They distribute their content to libraries through Recorded Books, who is their main partner. When it came to browsing the libraries collection of digital magazines, checking them out and then reading them was a bit complicated. Users needed two different apps, the Recorded Books Magazine App, which lets you check out magazines for free and a Zinio account, which lets you read checked-out magazines online in your browser or read via an app. Obviously needing two different apps is fairly redundant and a massive barrier to the average reader. This is why the new Zinio for Libraries app was created. Zinio for Libraries was developed in order to allow patrons to check out magazines through your local library, login using your library account, then download them onto your Android device to read anytime, online or offline. You can browse, borrow and read to your hearts content. No longer do you need two apps, you just need this one. In the next few weeks, Recorded Books and Zinio will be informing libraries that this solution now exists and will assist in training library staff how to use the new app. Download Zinio for Libraries from the Good e-Reader App Store. Zinio for Libraries App Makes Borrowing and Reading Easy is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Reading on a Tablet is Bad for your Neck
| Serious readers have turned to tablets to read e-books due to the sheer number of apps that have been developed for Android and iOS. Whether you are downloading content from the library or have a subscription to Scribd or Osyter tablet usage is skyrocketing. Recent research has shown that not only is tablet usage causing Melatonin Suppression, but it is also proven to be bad for your neck. A recent study of 33 university students who use tablets 50+% of their time. Users were tested in a variety of usage positions and whilst reading and typing for 2-5 minutes. Radiographs and external joint angle measurements were used to assess gravitational demand on the neck and biomechanical ergonomics of the head-neck system during tablet use. The authors hypothesised that tablet use would result in greater gravitational demand than a neutral posture, particularly when used on a lap or flat on a desk. They also speculate that demand will be different for reading vs. typing and finally that gravitational demand will be greater for female users. Fascinatingly the authors discovered that tablet use increases mechanical demand on neck muscles by 3-5 times more than a neutral position. Using a tablet flat or on lap also had this effect as compared to propped up but whether subject was reading or typing had little effect on level of neck strain; head-neck demand is independent of hand position. A minimal increase in gravitational demand was seen in females but not enough to be significant. The authors conclude "Our findings are important for developing ergonomics guidelines for tablet computer use because they provide quantitative information about the mechanical requirements of the head–neck musculature, which are directly linked to mechanisms of pain-related problems, under several tablet computer usage conditions." They urge more research to include further variables such as extent and frequency of use and posture, all of which could be significant in inducing neck pain after tablet use. Reading on a Tablet is Bad for your Neck is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Amazon Kindle Voyage to Launch in India Soon
| The Amazon Kindle Voyage e-reader will be launching in India in the next few weeks. Customers will get a chance to purchase either the WIFI only model for Rs. 16,499 or the 3G variant for Rs. 20,499. Amazon first unveiled the Kindle Voyage last September and quickly became a massive success. The six inch e-reader currently has the highest resolution on the market and the 300 PPI really makes text appear crisp. One of the best e-readers in the world doesn’t come cheap though, it retails for $199 in the US. One of the big design changes with the Voyage is the screen is completely flush with the bezel. All prior Kindle e-readers had a sunken screen and employed infrared touchscreen technology. The new capacitive screen is much easier to interact with and allows for more pin-point procession. It also has Page Press technology, which has the manual page turn keys entirely flush with the bezel. Amazon Kindle Voyage to Launch in India Soon is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Haikyuu!! Gains Stage Play, Festival, and Two Films
| Several months ago, Production I.G announced a series of events coming in 2015 to accompany the second season of Haikyuu!!, the popular volleyball manga. The project is called the Itadaki Project, and was no doubt set in motion to ride the popularity of sports anime, and the particular popularity of Haikyuu!!. Now, a recent announcement has promised a whole slew of Haikyuu!! events coming our way. Earlier, Production I.G stated there would be one compilation film. Now, it has been given two films: the first, Haikyuu!! the Movie: Ending and Beginning, is coming on July 3. The second, Haikyuu!! the Movie: Winners and Losers, on September 18. A compilation film, for those who don't know, is a movie made of combined footage from the TV show. It often includes bonus features, extra scenes, and new animation. The goal of the film is to tell the story of the anime in one compact two hour film. Another excellent announcement is the Haikyuu!! Festival! coming on August 30, at the Pacifico Yokohamo. No other information is known about it at this time, but the words Haikyuu!! and Festival are enough to get any fan's blood pumping. Yet a third event comes in the form of a stage play. For an anime to have a stage play is not a rare thing; if an anime is popular enough, a stage play seems almost necessary. What I am currently wondering is, how on Earth are they going to show volleyball games on a stage? Not that I, or anyone, are complaining, In fact, I am looking forward to seeing how a sports anime looks adapted for the stage. The play is in the hands of director "Worry Kinoshita," and is described as a "hyper-projection performance." The stage play will begin to run mid-November, through December. All of this is just leading up to the announcement Haikyuu!! fans have been waiting with bated breath for: the second season of the Haikyuu!! TV anime. The first season ended on September 21, after a particularly devastating loss for our main team, Karasuno. The second season will entail the team picking up the pieces, getting back on their feet, and making their way back to the Spring High tournament. Another reason fans are so excited for season two? It will contain the Tokyo Training Camp arc, filled with new characters we've been waiting to see from the beginning. The manga by Haruichi Furudate has been popular since its publication in 2012. Recently, it was ranked #15 in Takarajimasha’s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! in the Male Readers category. A funny enough placement, as the series is just as popular with female readers, and every reader in general. As for the anime, Crunchyroll streamed the series; so if you haven't gotten into the wonderful world of volleyball yet, go have a look! Haikyuu!! Gains Stage Play, Festival, and Two Films is a post from: Good e-Reader |
10 Free Kindle eBooks for Your Weekend
| Here’s a list of ten free highly-rated Kindle books from the Kindle Store to help you find something good to start reading this weekend. These particular ebooks are free as of March 21st, 2015. Please note that most of these titles are free for a limited-time only and could expire at anytime. Make sure to […] |
Nook Touch Running Windows 95 and Other Crazy Emulators (Videos)
| I like to keep an eye on YouTube for any interesting videos related to E Ink and ebook readers. The Nook Touch has been getting some attention lately. A reader recently uploaded a video showing it playing The Impossible Game. And now a Nook enthusiast that likes testing the Nook’s limits, Sean S, has uploaded […] |
Friday, March 20, 2015
Signs Point to Android Wear Supporting iOS Devices
| As smartwatches become more sophisticated, they also become more enticing. Most of us have already chosen whether we play for team Android or team iOS, but thankfully it seems like that will not have to dictate which wearable we can choose. This is especially good news for those of us with iPhones: Apple only has one watch, but Android can boast several options (most of which are significantly less expensive). It’s not bad for Android either: Apple has a large piece of the mobile marketshare pie and supporting their platform means a dramatic increase in the number of potential customers (which also happens to be a population that tends to spend more money on electronics). Hidden inside the Android Wear 4.4W firmware is a class named “AncsHandler” –for those who may not be developers, ANCS is the Apple Notification Center Service (the functionality that pushes notifications to a wearable). Of course, nothing about this tells us much about what it would look like or how it would work. It would seem logical to assume that app support would be minimal, but standard faire features like SMS messaging, email, calendars, and GPS could easily be made cross-platform. Keep in mind that nothing official has been announced by Apple or Google, but it’s a promising sign (it would be even more exciting if the Apple Watch does the same thing for Android, but I’m not holding my breath just yet). Either way, smartwatch manufacturers (including high-end watch makers like Tag Heuer) are likely keeping a close eye on this news… not being locked down to a particular platform is a valuable asset.
Signs Point to Android Wear Supporting iOS Devices is a post from: Good e-Reader |
New Zealanders Might Soon Have to Pay GST on e-Books
| New Zealand residents do not have to pay the local 20% GST on digital purchases, such as e-books. This might change as Prime Minister John Key announced that his government is looking into forcing overseas companies selling online content to pay the GST. The primary reason why this is becoming a big issue is because recently Netflix announced it would not be charging tax because it was not a local entity. This is a blow to the rival Kiwi streaming service Lightbox that is forced to pay tax, therefore charge more money. The NZ government is looking into the viability of starting an online service that will force publishers to apply for a GST account and make quarterly payments, based on the content that is sold. How this might affect companies that sell content in apps, such as digital newspapers, magazines and music remains to be seen. New Zealanders Might Soon Have to Pay GST on e-Books is a post from: Good e-Reader |
Alice Hoffman’s First Middle Grade Novel: Reviewing Nightbird
| Alice Hoffman, the author of such popular books as The Dovekeepers and Practical Magic, just penned her first middle grade novel, Nightbird. As in her previous novels, Hoffman uses magical realism to explore life in a small town where one small girl lives a lonely life due to a centuries-old family curse. You do not cross a witch. This is a fact that the Fowler family understands better than any other because a long time ago a curse was enacted upon them. Due to the curse, the family withdrew as much as possible from society, away from prying eyes. Twig Fowler is a lover of climbing. She loves nature, acting and her family. More than anything, Twig wants a friend. But life is not easy for the Fowlers, for what would the town's people do if they found out that what they think of as "the Sidwell monster" is actually Twig's big brother? When new neighbors move into the vacant cottage next door, life gets more complicated. Twig struggles with wanting to be friends with Julia and knowing it's against the rules. Not only is this family a threat to the Fowler's isolation, but they are ancestors of Agnes Early, the witch who cursed the family so long ago. But what if the curse could be broken? What if there's more to the story of Agnes Early and Lowell Fowler, the long ago ill-fated sweethearts? This was a very sweet read. Twig is a wonderful character who has a lot to deal with for one so young. She learned to keep secrets long ago and repress her desire to make friends and be well liked. Any child who has felt isolated by his peers will recognize the yearning Twig feels. I enjoyed that there was no bad guy. It gets difficult to read books where one character is blatantly bad. Instead Nightbird concentrates on misunderstandings. People in the town of Sidwell are well-meaning and the reader gets the sense of small town living.
Kristin Milks is a Collection Analyst with OverDrive |
PressReader Offers Free Forbes Daily, Kobo eReaders
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The first is the announcement of a joint offer through some of PressReader‘s content partners, and that’s the free Kobo ereader with the purchase of an 18-month subscription to one of a handful of news titles. The free Kobo Arc 7 Android tablet is suited for this type of daily reading habit, and it available to new subscribers of any of the following digital newspapers: The National Post, The Montreal Gazette, Ottawa Citizen, The Star Phoenix, Regina Leader Post, Windsor Star, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, The Province, or The Vancouver Sun. The second announcement was the offer of a free read of the Forbes Daily replica edition, available to all consumers via the PressReader website or its app between now and April 30th. This daily edition contains business news and associated political interest news. Users will also be able to access back issues during that time, as well as comment on many of the articles. This news came after the announcement earlier this week that PressReader is adding thirty additional titles to its catalog of nearly four thousand publications. While PressReader is a platform that powers public libraries’ digital periodical lending, as well as other service industries like in-room digital newspapers for the hospitality industry, there are individual user-based plans for subscribing to specific titles.
PressReader Offers Free Forbes Daily, Kobo eReaders is a post from: Good e-Reader |
