YouTube - Opposing Voices in Digital Publishing
TyndaleHP April 30, 2010
A perspective on all the emotion in the eBook industry by the digital publishing team at Tyndale House Publishers
If you haven't seen this yet then its about time!
The Digital Reader
Fake muppets talk DRM
FutureBook
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Christopher Moore - A Love Story 3 - Bite Me
Book Review - Christopher Moore - Love Story 3: Bite MeFirst off, you really need to read the first two books of the trilogy to enjoy this book. While enough backstory is given in the story that everything makes sense, the book is too short to do justice to the character depth developed in the first two books. This is especially true for Jody and Tommy, the two main vampire protagonists. They play a relatively minor role to Abby Normal, their punk/goth minion/Renfield, who is the main narrator.
Abby is the new Valley girl. She is shallow, self-centered, petty, appearance-obsessed--and an innocent, confused young girl growing up in strange times. Her teen-slang language is a hilarious mix of innocent teenager and dark goth with computer-nerd slang thrown in. Her awkward romance with her boyfriend Foo Dog is great fun. Her second-hand description of her vampire-related interaction with her little sister was the highlight of the book for me. It shows the skill whioth which Moore can juxtapose the fantastical with the mundane with sublime comedic effect.
Along with Abby we have the Emperor of San Francisco, his dogs Bummer and Lazarus; the Animals; the detectives Cavuto and Rivera, and even Chet the shaved vampire cat.
The new character, Okata, is an elderly Japanese man with mad Ninja vampire-cat killing skills. Okata is easily the most compelling character in the book. This character is a great example of how pathos a comedy are combined to create a compelling story.
The greatest flaw of the book was that it was too short. The ending was satisfying and appropriate for the characters, but it was rushed. The plot carried so many (good) threads that none of the threads, save perhaps the Okata thread, received the attention it deserved. While the book was a bit darker than the previous two books, it was a load of laughs.
Remember: 1) when saying OMFG never pronounce the letters. and 2) Vampire pigeons will never be a serious problem.
Monday, July 5, 2010
eBookwise-1150 eBook READER DEVICE - eBay $88
With news of all the price cutting news going on in the e-reader market I thought you might be interested to know that my e-reader has finally seen a price cut. The link above is for the e-bay seller I bought my eBookwise 1150 from for $120 US.
He is now selling it for $88.
Its still a pretty good reader (for the new price). It doesn't support epub, or calibre, but the conversion software it comes with is still pretty good and there is even some open source software out there. Check out kascarlett's advertising copy--its a bit over the top in terms of how wonderful the reader is, but everything he says is accurate
I bought the thing almost 3 years ago, us it every day, and its still going strong.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Focalprice.com-China Electronics Store - Cheap Electronics Gadgets Retailer
Often when I go to the mall for groceries or whatnot I drop into the dollar store to see what I can get for .99. I'm always surprised. Just yesterday I picked up a pair of full-sized needle-nose pliers for .99. They have a good heft to them so time will tell if they turn out to be a wise purchase. For $1, if I use them effectively a half-dozen times then I've got my money's worth.
Shopping online can be just as fun and you can find some good bargains. Focalprice.com it a site where you can pursue the same bargain-hunting urge, or just pick up something for the fun of it. Check out the range of stuff from what I picked up today.
Nielsen’s Kindle reading speeds study was flawed need subject who haven't cracked a book.
Nielsen’s Kindle reading speeds study was flawed | The Digital Reader
I agree completely that this study is flawed:
Ideally the study should compare people who have neither read a paper book or used an e-book. I suspect I would have been more slowed by being worried about tearing thin sheets of paper than being distracted by pushing all the funny buttons.
There are studies to be done in this area. They just need to be better thought out.
I agree completely that this study is flawed:
He answered the question: How much of a speed loss will you see when you pick up an e-reader for the first time?
Ideally the study should compare people who have neither read a paper book or used an e-book. I suspect I would have been more slowed by being worried about tearing thin sheets of paper than being distracted by pushing all the funny buttons.
There are studies to be done in this area. They just need to be better thought out.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Amazon fail, we worry about ebooks in the “cloud” | Bookbee Ebooks
Amazon fail, we worry about ebooks in the “cloud” | Bookbee Ebooks:
Bookbee has the right of it. The 'cloud' is supposed to be robust because it is distributed. The fact of the matter is that corporations will never give up central control and when that central control fails the cloud disappears.
The paying public must be much more demanding in terms of their ownership rights when purchasing e-books.
"If a giant snafu can delete Amazon web pages and data, who’s to say it couldn’t happen with customers’ books?
There’s a lot to be said for actually handing files over to people. Then the onus is on them to keep them safe, and the bonus is that they feel a sense of ownership."
Bookbee has the right of it. The 'cloud' is supposed to be robust because it is distributed. The fact of the matter is that corporations will never give up central control and when that central control fails the cloud disappears.
The paying public must be much more demanding in terms of their ownership rights when purchasing e-books.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Android 3.0 (Gingerbread): leaked details hint at tablet optimization
Android 3.0: leaked details hint at tablet potential
The minimum hardware requirements (like 1GHz CPU) for 3.0 may be too high for the bottom end Shanzai tablets coming to North America this year. Froyo 2.2 will be around for a long time, though. A generic Android tablet running Kindle, Nook, Kobo, et al, software will likely be the up-and-coming competitor to these major e-Reader. All the major players (Apple included) know that the big money is made selling books, not the reader. Prices should continue to drop.
"According to the newly leaked information about Gingerbread, Google plans to keep Android 2.2 around for the foreseeable future and will maintain it in parallel with 3.0. The purpose of maintaining both is to ensure that 2.2 is still available for lower-end devices that don't match the high minimum specifications for 3.0."
The minimum hardware requirements (like 1GHz CPU) for 3.0 may be too high for the bottom end Shanzai tablets coming to North America this year. Froyo 2.2 will be around for a long time, though. A generic Android tablet running Kindle, Nook, Kobo, et al, software will likely be the up-and-coming competitor to these major e-Reader. All the major players (Apple included) know that the big money is made selling books, not the reader. Prices should continue to drop.
Ereader economics: buying a reading device is economical | TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home
Ereader economics: buying a reading device is economical | TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home
Rich Adin does the math based on his own personal reading habits and is happy with the results. He observations on the current e-book market are right on the mark. If you are only reading best-sellers then don't expect any savings. If you are reading public domain and chasing bargain books and self-published or indie authors then e-books are the way to go
Rich Adin does the math based on his own personal reading habits and is happy with the results. He observations on the current e-book market are right on the mark. If you are only reading best-sellers then don't expect any savings. If you are reading public domain and chasing bargain books and self-published or indie authors then e-books are the way to go
NCIX.com - Aluratek Libre eBook Reader Pro White PDF EPUB TXT FB2 RTF with MP3 Playback - $79.87 CAD
The 5-inch "e-paper" LCD screen is pretty good. There have been issues with the software not being particularly user-friendly or fast, but at the price its a fantastic entry-level reader.
Comprehensive review: The Aluratek Libre Pro E-Reader | Good E-Reader Blog - Electronic Reader and Slate PC News
Amazon buys Woot.com then Sells 4,968 $149-Kindles in 9 Hours ($259 two weeks ago!)
Amazon Sells 4,968 Kindles in 9 Hours on Woot - mediabistro.com: eBookNewser:
I hope that the purchase of Woot by Amazon means that Woot will start accepting orders from Canada. Even though they do not ship to Canada I have gone back to the site again and again just to read the advertising copy. Its some of the funniest stuff out there. For example, today's Kindle sale was described thusly:
... and the sale of Woot to Amazon:
"Amazon has sold out of Kindles on Woot!
This morning we reported that yesterday Amazon acquired Woot, an online vendor that only sells one item per day and along with it the company began offering a $149 Kindle--a dramatic drop from the already dramatically dropped price $189.
In nine hours, Amazon sold 4,968 Kindles. It's not surprising, when you consider that two weeks ago they cost $259 each. Wonder what Barnes & Noble plans to do about this. Check out all the stats below..."
I hope that the purchase of Woot by Amazon means that Woot will start accepting orders from Canada. Even though they do not ship to Canada I have gone back to the site again and again just to read the advertising copy. Its some of the funniest stuff out there. For example, today's Kindle sale was described thusly:
Step Into The Trunk Of My Car
Yeah, yeah, that’s the real price for a real Kindle. It’s not a typo or a knockoff or some Russian credit-card scam – just a Woot exclusive deal. But, y’know, hurry it up, willya?
We’re kind of, shall we say, operating in a grey area here so the quicker we get this deal done, the better for everybody, OK? No muss, no fuss, that’s what we always say. Well, when we’re not saying “What seems to be the trouble, officer?”
So yeah, a bonafide Amazon Kindle at a Woot-exclusive price, the iconic device that wrote the next chapter in the publishing story – listen, you want cheap puns or a cheap Kindle? We ain’t got all day here and we don’t like the look of that guy over there. How long has he been standing there? Is he watching us? OK, time to decide, pal.
Besides, there’s this bar we really need to get to. I don’t know about the drinks but they’ve got the best lost-and-found in town.
... and the sale of Woot to Amazon:
Amazon Buys World's Biggest Bag O' Crap, And It's Called Woot
Batten down your hatches and stock up on bottled water, because we're about to hit you with a category-5 newsicane: Woot has been acquired by Amazon! This partnership with the 800-lb. gorilla of ecommerce is huge news for us, but probably won't change
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