My iPhone Video

If the past few years have been seen holiday shopping dominated by the like of iPods, iPhones, increasingly larger and thinner flat screen TVs and next generation video game consoles, all signs are beginning to point to 2009 being the year that eBook readers broke into the mainstream. And with eBook readers gaining widespread adoption, ebook creation is suddenly at the top of the priority list for many publishers.

There are a multitude of factors that have finally brought the industry to this point. While Sony has sold eBook readers for several years (including the popular PRS505) and Amazon is now on to the Kindle 2, ebook services in general had lagged the technology. The first generation Kindle didn’t have the best display in the world and Amazon did everything possible to lock Kindle buyers into its bookstore while keeping amazon.com titles in a proprietary format that other readers couldn’t access. Sony’s readers were expensive and their approach to ebook creation was also to go the route of proprietary format, resulting in an Ebook store that was short on titles.  But this year, everything has clicked.

Amazon released Kindle 2, followed by the Kindle International. Sony went with the ePub format, which allowed users to borrow eBooks from public libraries, as well as

greatly increasing their own eBook store offerings through ebook creation deals with numerous publishers. Google Books is offering hundreds of thousands of books electronically. In addition, Sony brought an entry level eBook reader, the Reader Pocket to the table, breaking the psychological $200 barrier and forcing Amazon to lower Kindle prices in response. Finally, bookseller Barnes & Noble introduced its own eBook reader, the Nook, along with a series of compelling in store ebook services such as reading titles for free while in one of its retail locations.

With the effects of the recession fully in play, fewer people are willing to spend upwards of several thousand dollars on a new TV this holiday season. Demand for video game consoles has leveled off and many people are leery of investing in yet another expensive iPod or iPhone upgrade from Apple. But there is still a desire for technology and the idea of being able to pick up a new eBook reader for only two hundred bucks or so has considerable appeal. Users can carry a library around in their pocket and even better, buying books that have been digitized using an ebook creation process are cheaper than buying the same books printed on paper. In other words, a recession-weary public has a chance to scratch their gadget itch and save money.

Ebook readers are becoming available from a number of manufacturers and in various formats for PC, mobile phones and PDA systems. Two of the more popular ebook readers are the Amazon Kindle and the Sony although competition is heating up, largely because of Amazon’s failure to dominate their niche by failing to offer the Kindle to the UK and Europe until sales started on October 19, 2009. That policy has enabled competitors to be knocking on Amazon’s door as genuine competitors.

Sony offers the PDF format PRS-505 and the ebook reader PRS-700, both smaller than the Kindle. Nevertheless, many prefer the Sony devices that are good to handle and very easy to use, and where Amazon once scored with the large range of titles they could offer, Sony is beginning to compete.

PRS users can upload directories of public domain books, offering them virtually free libraries, and also have access to the Google e-books libraries. Add to that the increasing range of books being added by Sony, and the Sony PRS now has a lot of titles to offer which makes its lower price look very attractive, and Google e-books has corrected its one-time weakness in technical books.

There is a large price difference between Sony and Amazon, with the Amazon products priced at least $100 above the Sony offerings.  Although the choice would seem to be between these two, others are now becoming more popular, and the Cool-er is starting to interest many users due to its relatively low price. Retailing at $250, it is available cheaper from some online outlets, and the price more than compensates for its lack of wireless.  For listening to, it offers MP3 capability from an SD card – far superior to the Kindle text to speech robotic type of sound.

However, although it is significantly less expensive than the Kindle, the Cool-er is only around $50 less than the Sony, so if $50 isn’t important to you the Sony is the better by far due to its better looks and ease of use. An additional setback for the Cool-er is that its books can be expensive to download in comparison to others. Though, as it was noted in the article “Cool-er: Intuitive Marketing or Blatant Copying“, it was marketed as being compatible with all eBook formats, and could operate with books from any store using the ePUB format, including its own eBook store that also permits its books to be shared (Digital Book Readers). The Kindle also wins hands down on battery life over these other two.

There is more competition to the Kindle than that however, and not only because of the Sony being the #1 eReader in Europe. The iRex iLiad and Hanlin are also assuming greater popularity on price.  The iRex supports html, PDF, text and MOBI formats among others while the Hanlin is the ideal choice if you require an ebook reader with a wide range of file formats -17 in all, plus 5 graphics formats and MP3.

However, if the range of formats is important, BeBook offers 25! Capable with Mac and PC computers, it has an SD memory slot, stores around 1000 books and can play MP3 files. BeBook also comes loaded with 150 classic book titles, and the BeBook library offers around 20,000 downloads. Its main problem is the price, at only $30 less than the Sony, and what it offers does not warrant choosing that unless you need all these file formats.  The Sony is technically and aesthetically superior.

There is more serious competition to all of these on the horizon, however. Mobile devices are increasingly being used as eReaders. Apple offers a free application to enable the iPhone to be used as an eReader. It is compatible with Kindle, and also others such as Clickwheel Comic Reader, eReader and Stanza. Of these the Stanza is the general ebook reader, and can compete with Kindle as an iPhone reader although it has been purchased by Amazon so its future is insecure.

The iPhone is not the only cell phone from which eBooks can be read, however, and you can use any smart phone, or even a PDA to read books. BlackBerry can be used with Mobipocket’s mobile format and eReader for Symbian smartphones is on free download, compatible with many Nokia models and some Sony-Ericsson models. Windows Mobile eReader is available free for the Windows Mobile Smartphone and their PocketPC, and the same is true for the Palm OS eReader. So smart phone and Palm computer users have the option of eReaders free of charge, and these are perfectly serviceable. They are obviously unsuited to serious reading but are perfect for traveling, and for use on planes, trains and in cars (as a passenger of course!).

If you own one of the small lightweight netbooks, you can also use that as an ebook reader – in fact these are getting so small that they may shortly be very serious competitors to eReaders such as those currently offered by Kindle or Sony. A small fully functional and featured computer that doubles as an ebook reader could definitely seriously harm the dedicated products, assuming that users also had a requirement for the small notebooks. ` 

In conclusion, Kindle is still the top dog for range of features if not looks, with the Sony not too far behind because of its price. What is becoming evident is that cell phones are a good enough size of reader for some (because they cost nothing), and that the increasing size-reduction of ‘laptop’ PCs is rendering these a serious competitor to the dedicated eReaders.

Buchmesse 2008 publizierte textunes weltweit die erste Roman-Neuerscheinung parallel für iPhone und iPod. Das Unternehmen kooperiert aktuell mit über 70 deutschen Verlagen und realisierte eine Reihe von Innovationen, wie zB interaktive Bücher oder die Anbindung von Inhalten an Soziale Netzwerke. Mit seinem Angebot für iPhone und iPod und der Web-Plattform www.textunes.de ist textunes Marktführer für aktuelle deutschsprachige Literatur auf Smartphones. … textunes iphone ebooks smartphone …

Do you like to travel? Are you on the road constantly for business? Then the Apple iPhone may be the phone of choice for you. The reason for this is that the iPhone has a GPS navigator built into it. If you are always on the go, a navigator is what you need. Fussing with maps and asking for directions is a thing of the past. Nowadays, tech savvy people have a navigation system in their cars. With an iPhone, you always have your navigator with you, no matter who is driving. Travel and your iPhone; it’s a match made in heaven (sort of).

Why would you need a navigator on your cell phone? Anytime you need directions, to a new club perhaps, just tell it where you want to go a viola’ directions are there. Even those of us who are no longer part of the club scene will benefit from having a navigation system with us at all times. You can use this to quickly find directions to the field your kid should be playing on. Perhaps the directions given to a friend’s party were vague. These are all situations where having a navigations system like the one included with the iPhone comes in very handy. Lost in the desert? (Yes it happens) Then you really need the navigation system on your iPhone.

In addition to the navigation system there are other reasons to make sure you have your iPhone with you when you travel. Aside from the fact that you will always have a cell phone with you, another advantage is that all of your entertainment is with you as well. If you are taking a long drive and there is nothing to see but cornfields for the next 400 miles, having movies, eBooks and music to entertain you can be a godsend. With the iPhone, you can take your movies and television shows with you wherever you go.  This is another reason for pairing up travel and your iPhone.

Are travel and your iPhone really a good match? Let’s take a look and see. For example, instead of stopping to ask directions, you can get the information that you need right there on your iPhone. The Apple iPhone is right there to help you find your way with the ability to view satellite images of major street names. The iPhone can help you find landmarks and other things that you might be interested in along the way on your trip. It’s like having a navigator right there with you in your car, letting you know what you need to know and getting you where you need to go.

Now that you know why travel and your iPhone make such a good pair, remember to keep this in mind for your next trip. Be sure to load up on plenty of movies, eBooks, TV shows and music. Use your Apple iPhone to plan your travel route.  Check the navigation system for points of interest along the way and make sure that you visit some of them. You can even mark the gas station along or near your route so you can plan a fill-up before it becomes an issue. If Apple keeps making features like this built into their cells phone AAA Travel services may get put out of business.

Things you can do with iPhone on the plane – Check out TheiPhoneBlogging.com

When comparing eBook Readers there are a number of factors that one needs to take into consideration. The choices of devices are growing daily and the options on the devices are growing as well. For some people, the number of books the Reader will store is the most important while for others it’s the ease of transport. Therefore, it is imperative that individuals take into consideration as many factors as possible when comparing one model to another.

This article will compare 4 different models and discuss the features of each so that any reader can decide which might be best suited for his or her individual needs.  Comparisons include screen size, weight, wireless capabilities, memory, battery time, and navigation ease. The four models are as follows:

Amazon Kindle 2 eBook Reader – This reader is often referred to as the “next generation reader and features improved ergonomics and navigation.  It has a better display than the original version, and more storage capacity.  The battery life just keeps getting better while maintaining a subscription-free wireless access to Sprint’s 3G data network. 

With Amazon being the primary Kindle Store service, users have the largest choice of eBooks and can, of course, download them for free, and with the high speed network utilized by Kindle, books can be downloaded most anytime and anywhere.  The service is turned on automatically and requires no monthly service plans, bills or commitments from its customers.  Over 200,000 books are available for downloading which included those on the New York Times bestsellers.  Magazines and newspapers may also be auto-delivered wirelessly. 

The Kindle 2 weighs a mere 10.2 ounces and offers a 6 inch screen which means portability is simple and easy.  Approximately 1500 books can be downloaded to the Kindle 2.  Battery time is around 2 weeks.

Amazon Kindle DX – This is a large screen device that is actually 1.5 times larger than the regular Kindle display.  This technology also offers native PDF support and it is probably safe to say that the DX is more suitable for reading electronic versions of newspapers, magazines, and formatted books. 

This eBook Reader also has an iPhone-like accelerometer that changes the orientation of the screen when you rotate the Reader.  It offers a 9.7 inch screen and weighs 18.9 ounces making it almost double the weight of the Kindle 2.  The download capabilities of the DX far surpass the Kindle 2 in allowing for up to 3500 books.  Battery time is about 2 weeks.

Sony PRS 700 – This device is somewhat comparable to the iPhone in its touch screen capabilities and turn pages back and forth swiping motion.  It has improved navigation and a faster processor.  A stylus is provided to highlight or search words and make notes.  Much like the Kindle 2 it offers a 6 inch screen and a 10 ounce weight.  The memory of the Sony PRS 700 is 512 Mb and the battery time is about 7500 pages.

Sony PRS 505 – This reader allows you to download books from the Sony bookstore as well as from other eBook online stores.  The Sony bookstore also offers you credit for 100 free eBook downloads from their Classic collection.  Similar to other eBook Readers, the Sony PRS 505 offers approximately 7500 pages of battery life and like the Sony PRS 700, a 6 inch screen.  It weighs a mere 9 ounces and has 192 Mb of memory.

Fujitsu Flepia

This is the Cadillac of eReaders. It is the first color eBook reader in the world, but you pay for it with a whopping $1,000 price tag. It also offers an 8” touchscreen, Wi-Fi and wireless Bluetooth. You can store books on a 4GB SD card, and you will get 40 hours continuous use from each charge.  If money was no object, this would do what any other eReader does, and then some. According to Digital Book Readers, these new devices are currently being tested as a point of sale (POS) terminal in the Termina Kinshicho Fujiya restaurant in Tokyo as an interactive menu. In addition to allowing diners to select their menu choices by tapping its sexy touchscreen, the device also gives patrons access to train schedules, local weather, and other shopping sites.

BeBook:  Endless Ideas

Endless ideas is a Dutch company, and their BeBook is nothing much to look at with around average functionality. However, it is light at 7.8 ounces, so very easy to carry. It also offers you a choice of fonts that can be changed as you are reading.  Its triple zoom is also a useful feature for an ebook reader in its price range ($300-$350).  It is compatible with a massive range of file formats, and would be useful for open source texts that can come in many disguises.

General

Prices on most devices range from $200 to $500. The best Reader is really a decision based upon your personal needs and preferences.  If you are considering purchasing a Reader, you should spend some time reading customer reviews and testimonials to determine what other users have found to be the most satisfactory or unsatisfactory features about each of the various models.

In a recent review on ConsumerSearch.com, experts placed Amazon’s Kindle 2 overwhelmingly the best eBook reader on the market, commenting “The Kindle 2′s only drawback of note is limited file format support and even this limitation is considered by some to be negligible.” The best budget eReader was the Sony PRS-505.

While Apple’s iPhone is not a dedicated eReader, it is extremely convenient, and can be paired with the Kindle for iPhone application that is available free. With that, users can get access to the Amazon range of titles, but without the range of features available on a dedicated reader.

As technology continues to advance, the eBook Reader is here to stay.  And with the rapid pace of technological advances the options they offer will only get better and better. What that means, however, is that like computers, your reader will be liable to be approaching obsolescence shortly after purchase, although useable nevertheless. With that, however, prices will drop and become more affordable to schools and students.

The ebook world is growing rapidly, and we are in for a few interesting changes in the way things work. Currently, Amazon is the leader, by far, in the ebook world. Their Kindle is the most popular ebook reader around. They probably sold around half a million Kindles last year, and they may very well sell a million Kindle 2’s this year. Their brand new big screen model, the Kindle DX, will start shipping in a week from now and is expected to be particularly popular among those who want to read textbooks in ebook format. Not to mention that when the iPhone became one of the most popular devices for reading ebooks (despite having a small screen, not using E-Ink, and not having anything near Kindle’s battery life), Amazon bought up the Stanza reader for the iPhone and launched their very own application called Kindle for the iPhone.

But others are getting in on the ebook action. Just last week, the end of 2009. And within the near future, we will see Apple seriously entering the ebook world.

In January 2008, Steve Jobs said in a New York Times Interview that the Amazon Kindle would go nowhere, mainly because Americans no longer read. “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore,” he said. “Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole concept is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.”

This was already a good indication that Apple was cooking up an ebook reading device of their own. Jobs is known for misdirecting attention away from what Apple is working on, and has previously denied that Apple would build an iPhone and said that people would never want to watch videos on their iPods.

Now, rumour has it that Apple will be announcing a 12 or 13-inch tablet around September or October this year. This device will run the full Mac OS X; will have a slot loading SuperDrive, an ‘iPhone-type’ GPS chip and an Intel Core Duo processor – probably Intel’s Atom. And it will, without a doubt, be an ebook reader (amongst other mysterious and exciting things).

But there are plenty of ebook readers out there. Why would yet another one change the ebook world as we know it? One thing that all of the current ebook readers have in common is that they are not terribly attractive. Michael Tamblyn in his talk on 6 Projects That Could Change Publishing for the Better, pointed out that carrying one of the current ebook readers around is about as attractive as wearing home-made Star Trek Jewelry or Bluetooth Headsets. What we need is a device that will make us look smarter than we actually are, just like actual books do.

Apple managed to turn a mobile phone that has no picture messaging, slow Internet access, no video capture, and that breaks the first time you drop it, into the most desirable phone in the world. Clearly, they have what it takes to make reading ebooks look sexy.

Episode 39 – Upgrade in the Downturn? 10 March, 2009 The Digital Campus crew finally tackle the Great Recession: the significance of the financial meltdown on universities, libraries, and museums. What will change and what will stay the same? Are there technologies that can help us in our time of need? We also talk more about e-books, campus iPhone apps, and lecture podcasts. … CHNM “Digital Campus” Downturn “Great Recession” Meltdown Iphone ebooks “Iphone apps” “Lecture podcasts” …

The new wave of portable ebook readers allows people on the move to take their favorite books and magazines along with them. Digital format certainly weighs less than an equivalent stack of books.  In addition, the convenience of being able to gain access to the latest best seller or desired reading while on the move is undisputed. Amazon’s Kindle design and Sony make the most popular portable Ebook readers at present.

Advantages of Ebook Readers

The typical portable ebook reader will hold as many as 200 books, so you can carry almost all of your home library along with you in convenient form. The portable ebook reader often ways only a few ounces, so it is easy to tuck into a purse or suitcase.  The titles that are available on the New York Times Best Sellers’s list can be purchased as an ebook so that you always know the latest best read.  Because you don’t have to be connected to a computer in order to take advantage of the reader, you can read whenever you have a few minutes to spare. When you find a book you want to read, you simply download the book in digital format.  It only requires a minute or so and you can be reading your favorite classic. 

Using the Portable Ebook Reader

The convenience of the lightweight portable ebook reader has already been described.  There are other features of the typical reader that make it a ‘must buy’ for anyone who loves to read. For example, the size of the font can be adjusted so that persons with vision limitations can still take advantage of the convenience of the ebook reader.  Once the optimum size has been determined, the font can be selected as the default size. Ease of use is another reason to make use of a portable ebook reader.