Michael Kozlowski
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Feb
22
Good e-Reader Android APP Store Client Updated!
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We have released the final version of our official Good e-Reader Android App Store client! This marks the complete and finished product that allows anyone with a tablet or device geared towards reading to take full advantage!
The New App features a ton of new enhancements that are sure to impress! You can download one app to your Kindle Fire, Kobo Vox or any other device and install any apps we offer. You can now become notified when new updates are available for the apps you install in “My Apps.” If you have questions or would like to leave a rating you can easily register to do so. Registration is not mandatory and you can fully use the app, get new apps and receive updates without doing any sort of registration!
We aim for simplicity of use and unlike many App stores out there, we do not have every crappy app under the sun. Instead we focus on the apps everyone always emails us about. Where is Netflix, Where is Hulu+, Kindle Reader, Nook Reader, Aldiko, Droid Comic View and Google Currents are but a few of the apps we offer. You can think of our app store has our editors picks of the best Android Apps out there. We focus on quality and not quanitity.
Our New App Client is available for free and is suitable for people who love to read and stay informed. You can download the new version to any tablet or Android smartphone by opening up this link in your devices internet browser. http://goodereader.com/apps/android-app-stores/android-app-stores/?did=171
Finally, we would recommend anyone who has installed the earlier versions of our App Store to upgrade to the new version. Any feature app upgrades to our app or any other will give you pushed notifications.
Feb
22
How to Download Android Apps to your Blackberry Playbook
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Welcome to another exclusive Good e-Reader Video Tutorial! Today we take a look at the new OS2 on the Blackberry Playbook and teach you how to load in Android converted BAR Files.
BAR files are the popular format that the Playbook reads in order to install apps. When you download programs from the Blackberry App World these are the extensions of the files you download and install. Sideloading in your own apps is not as easy as using Windows Explorer. The essence of our Tutorial outlines what you need to do on your tablet and then what you need to do on your PC. The process is actually fairly simple and the entire process is well documented.
Of course you can download Playbook Apps from our own Good e-Reader App Store by opening it up on your Playbook Internet Browser HERE.
Feb
22
New Blackberry Playbook OS2 Apps in the Good e-Reader Apps Store
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We are proud to unveil a bunch of new applications we have converted from the Google Android Platform to the Blackberry Playbook Friendly BAR format. We currently have around 20 apps in our market right now that focus on e-reader, comic, and news apps!
Many people have been asking us where are the Amazon Kindle, Aldiko, Marvel Comics, and Overdrive apps for the Playbook. We took it onto our shoulders today to convert most of the popular reading apps you want on your Playbook tablet! We even created a step by step video tutorial on exactly what you have to do on your Playbook and on your PC to copy over the apps you download from the App Market.
Check out the Blackberry Playbook App Section on the Good e-Reader Android App Store HERE. You also need this software to run the apps for the first time and there is also a video tutorial HERE.
Feb
22
Developers Cashing in on the Amazon App Store
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A recent report really drives home the point that Android Developers who submit their apps to the Amazon App Store tend to make more money lately than on the official Google Android Market.
There were some key findings in the report that give some statistics on the actual semantics. “Of all the applications that are available in both stores, 110 applications generated at least $200 each day in one of the stores during the last week of January. 42 of these applications generated more revenue in the Amazon Appstore than in Google Android Market. Of the total income these 110 applications generated in both stores, 28% was generated in the Amazon Appstore.” Also, “Spurred on by the launch of the Kindle Fire and the 2011 holiday season, the total number of downloads generated by the top 100 apps in the Amazon Appstore increased fourteen-fold in December 2011, compared to two months earlier.”
Check out the full report HERE.
Feb
21
Blackberry Pushes Another OS2 Update Very Quickly and Other News
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We reported very early this morning that RIM finally updated their Blackberry Playbook to OS2, which brings a slew of new features. Only a few hours ago the company pushed another new update which fixes a number of glaring bugs early adopters were experiencing
The new update really fixes Facebook and brings a new version of it to your platform. There are also some new keyboard functionality updates via SwiftKey. This new keyboard gives you a very cool pre-programmed auto correct feature. It also inserts numbers above the letter rows, which makes using numerical entries for passwords and other things easier than before.
In other Playbook news, one of the most prevalent features found in the update is the revised App World experience. It feels fresh and bears a passing resemblence to the offical Google Android Market in terms of the very touchscreen friendly tiles promoting featured applications. Some new apps found in the App World is WordPress for Android, which makes blogging easier than ever before.
Digital Magazine magnet Zinio has reported that they are working on a port for their online service that should hit the App World market very soon. The company reported on Twitter that @BlackBerry fans, Stay patient. The @zinio app for the Playbook is coming real soon #ResearchInMagazines
The Blackberry Video Store is another cool feature which lets you buy and rent movies on demand. The interface is smooth and elegant, but the content is lacking and the prices are high. Older movies will cost about 9.95 to purchase while new editions will run you $19.99. This service is only working right now in the USA, but we heard in the next few weeks Canada will get the treatment, too.
Very soon we will be releasing a video showing off all the new features found in the OS2 update so you can make the call whether buying a Playbook for $199 is worth it for you. Personally, the addition of email and Android apps is a game changer.
Feb
21
Barnes and Noble Launches 8 GB Nook and Lowers Cost of Nook Color
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Barnes and Noble today officially unveiled the brand new 8 GB version of the wildly successful Nook Tablet offering today! This new tablet is much akin to the 16 GB model in terms of form and function. It is available now at most Barnes and Noble Stores and their other retail partners for $199.99.
So how did Barnes and Noble lower the cost on the Nook Tablet and still offer it at a respectable price? They lowered the internal memory from 16 GB to 8 GB and lowered the RAM from 1 GB to 512. It still features a 1GHz dual-core processor and a 7 inch screen with a resolution of 1024 X 600 pixels.
I think it was important for B&N to offer a tablet for the same price as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Kobo Vox and not lose money on the whole deal. This is why they decided to lower the RAM and internal memory, which is fine because you can still enhance it via MicroSD up to 32 GB. Speaking of memory, 5 GB can be used for your own content such as movies, music, and books while 1 GB is reserved for Nook Store purchases.
The Nook Color, which was the company’s first tablet and is still fairly respectable in terms of hardware and performance, was price slashed today. You can now get a new Nook Color for only $169.99, which makes it a very viable entry level device. If you are on a budget and had to choose between say a Pandigital Novel, Micro Cruz Reader, or other woeful offerings, get the Nook Color.
Feb
21
Good e-Reader Radio – Review of the Last Four Days of News
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Welcome to another exciting edition of the sleeper hit of the century, the Good e-Reader Radio Show! Today we bring you up to date on all of the latest news on digital publishing, ebooks, and e-readers from the weekend!
We talk about Overdrive and their new Test Drive tablets they are offering to libraries for their patrons to use or lend out. Also, I talk about why the company needs to look into making its own cheap e-reader and how libraries and schools could benefit. Bookbaby has signed agreements with three new publishing companies and we give you the scoop on why that happened and give you a little overview on their business models. Finally, lots of news on the new Blackberry Os2 update that went in today and an overview on all the new features! If you are interested in the Nook Tablet 2 or 1o inch Kindle Fire, you want to listen to the show!
Feb
21
Blackberry Playbook OS2 Update Is Finally Available!
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The Blackberry Playbook is finally relevant again with a major software upgrade that spent almost a year in development. The new OS2 update is available in your settings menu where you select “update.” It will give you some amazing new features that will give you the quintessential RIM experience.
The new OS2 update gives users something everyone has wanted from day one and never received. The dedicated e-mail, calender, and contacts listing is the most prevalent addition that everyone will use on a daily basis. In the past you had to have a Blackberry Smartphone and the Bridge software that ported emails and everything else directly from your phone.
There are also new social elements that give you direct feeds to your email via Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Fancy yourself a reader? There is now an Amazon Kindle App for the Playbook so you can finally get a solid reading solution to buying and reading books. This is great because most users had to rely on Kobo exclusively to get their content, and now there is some competition.
One of the most important elements to this update is the ability to use Android applications on your Playbook. Behind the scenes in the firmware is a Android Player that will give you access to tons of new apps. Speaking of apps, make sure to check out the revised Appworld for plenty of new programs, games, and productivity. The most exciting thing for me is how easy the process is for existing Android apps to be converted over to the RIM format, so you can expect a massive influx for new content soon.
This OS2 update really is what the Playbook needed from day one and never received until a year after the release. Hardware wise it gives you a great dual core processor and you can multitask with impunity. The HDMI out is something most other mainstream tablets lack and is a deal breaker with most business people who need it for presentations or for average users who want to stream videos to their television. Speaking of TV, you can use your Blackberry Phone as a remote for your Playbook, so if its connected via HDMI to your television set. You can actually control your tablet with your phone!
Stay tuned for our full hands-on video later on today where we walk you though all of the new features found in the OS2 update! For Canadians, you can buy the Playbook 16 GB model for a cool $199 at Futureshop and Best Buy.
Update: Many people are asking about the Android Apps in the revised Blackberry App World. There is no specific category to find Android apps, they are mixed in with all of the other apps. The Kindle App was removed quickly after hitting the market due to bugs. We are working on a Playbook Section in our own Good e-Reader Android App Store and will offer tips/tutorials on how to easily load them on your Playbook.
Feb
20
Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet 8 GB Model Tipped to Launch February 22nd
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Barnes and Noble looks to be releasing a followup to their popular Nook Tablet on February 22nd that will put the device on par with the Kindle Fire. The new Nook Tablet 2 will feature 8 GB of memory instead of the 16 found in the current iteration. Leaked Walmart documentations have verified that the company intends to put the new reader on-sale on the 22nd and rumors are claiming that many locations have already received it.
The New Nook Tablet 2 is not a game-changer by any means, but features lower internal memory to make the devices cheaper for customers. Barnes and Noble intends on offering it for a cool $199.99, which costs as much as the Kobo Vox and the Kindle Fire. In short, only the hardware underneath the hood is going to change and ascetically it will be the same device as the Nook Tablet, just priced for less.
Feb
20
Foxconn Electronics Gets the Order to Produce 10 Inch Kindle Fire Tablet
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Foxconn Electronics has received a massive order from Amazon to start producing the followup to the widely successful Kindle Fire Tablet. It is apparent that the Chinese company will begin pumping out thousands of the 10 inch Kindle Fire. This new e-reader and tablet hybrid is slated to be released in the second quarter of 2012.
It is obvious that the Kindle Fire has received tons of acclaim for being the second most popular Android tablet in the world. Research firm iSupply noted that the company has sold over 3.2 million tablet since launching in November 2011. The move to a larger screen makes sense not only to compete with the iPad but also have a stronger vehicle for their Streaming Video service. It goes without saying that movies and television shows will offer a better viewing experience on a 10 inch tablet. Don’t forget Amazon has already signed original content producers for the launch of this device. They are making it a point to deliver their own web originals based on successful content creators.
Feb
19
Bookbaby Signs Agreements with eBookPie, Baker & Taylor, and Gardners
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Bookbaby is one of the leading self-publishing companies in the world that authors employ to distribute their books to many different platforms. It leads the charge in the sheer number of electronic book stores that you can opt into when you submit your books. Today the company is even more appealing because of new agreements with eBookPie, Baker & Taylor, and Gardners.
Currently Bookbaby submits published books to all of the mainstream stores, such as Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Amazon, and Sony. The real benefit is the sheer number of indie and alternative stores that could account for an author’s overall sales. Let’s take a look at some of these new companies Bookbaby is dealing with and give you some introspective on what they’re all about.
Baker & Taylor has been in business for over 200 years and is a leading distributor of books, videos, and music products to more than 36,000 libraries, institutions, and retailers in over 120 countries. B&T currently has more than 1.5 million books in their database. One of the lesser known facts about this company is that it is responsible for the Bilo software suite, which is heralded as the world’s most advanced, flexible, and engaging e-reader software application. Built on state-of-the-art video gaming technology, Blio is a three-dimensional, interactive application that will bring your eBook to life.
Gardners Books is Britain’s leading book, DVD, Blu-ray, and music CD wholesaler, with over 4.5 million books and 150,000 ebooks available in their catalog. When you submit your book to the online database, your eBook will also be available in Gardners’ wholesale catalog for independent bookstores, online venders, and other 3rd party retailers. Gardners also provides an ebook lending model for a number of libraries, under which library members are restricted to one concurrent loan per purchased ebook. When your book is sold through this company, you will garner 60% of each sale you make.
eBookPie is the newest company that Bookbaby started to deal with and it has a respectable 300,000 books in its catalog. It has an innovative tool for publishers and content partners called eBookSlicer. This enables publishers to quickly and affordably split ebooks and other documents of any length into stand-alone, fully packaged content chunks, including eChapters, eSections and eArticles. Publishers can instantly extract valuable content from both frontlist and backlist titles to create new, fully formatted, and packaged stand-alone eContent. Like buying a slice of a CD from iTunes, consumers want the option of purchasing just a slice of a book, and the Chapterizer simplifies the process of creating that slice.
For example, with just a click the Chapterizer can instantly turn a 15-chapter ebook into 15 or more fully packaged eChapters. Each eChapter can include a cover, customized front and back matter, and a customized marketing page. This is great because you can sell content by the chapter instead of buying the whole book. This is especially interesting for science, math, and history books when you might be interested in a specific chapter for a report.
Feb
19
Archos Experiences Tremendous Growth in 2011
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French Tablet and Portable Media Player company Archos has been making devices for over seven years. It has not seen huge success in North America and certainly is not a household name. In Europe and Asia, it’s another story with Archos doing record business in 2011. The company officially released sales figures showing it made €171.4 million in sales vs 2010 when it only made €83.3 million.
Archos has been releasing cumulatively more powerful devices and attained Google Certification in Q4 of 2011. This allows many of its newest devices to give you full access to the Google Android Market, which is normally a deal breaker with most people. Archos now controls a 24% market share in Europe, which essentially ties it with Samsung. Both companies obviously trail Apple, which leads by a wide margin.
Archos intends on releasing exact financial figures March 24 2012. We expect Archos will have obtained around a 20% profit on their entire product range of sales.
Should Overdrive Develop Its Own e-Reader?
Posted by: Michael Kozlowski | Comments (5)Overdrive is the company responsible for the facilitation of ebook lending from your local libraries in digital format. The company is in a unique position in that it offers a purely digital service with no real tangible product related to said libraries. I think the company should develop and market its own e-reader directly to K12 schools and the libraries it deals with.
There really has been no greater time for companies to get involved and develop their own e-readers. The costs of e-ink screens and the chips are at an all time low and there is many ODM and OEM companies based in China and Taiwan that can easily make low-cost devices. Overdrive is in the perfect position, having a well developed back-end system developed for libraries that agree to tap into its ecosystem of audiobooks and ebooks. If Overdrive developed its own cheap reader and allowed libraries to loan the devices out to patrons who did not have an e-reader or tablet, the company could win in more ways than one.
Over the next year, Overdrive will face competition from 3M and its cloud library service. 3M has developed its own e-reader that library staff can lend out to patrons. The e-reader works only with books from libraries supporting its platform. If you steal it, the device deactivates and becomes unusable. The library then sends the user a bill for the device or implores then to return it. In the 30 libraries participating in this beta test, reception has been warm.
Obviously, Overdrive dominates digital lending in libraries across Canada, the USA, Australia, and the UK. It currently has a Test Drive program out where it directly supports three tablet computers and the Sony PRS-T1 e-reader. It does not sell the readers itself, but does guide libraries to vendors. In order for Overdrive to take its business to the next level, it needs to develop a super cheap reader that only taps into their ecosystem and can be offered for 50$ or less.
I think the public would really benefit from being able to borrow a device geared specifically for public libraries and schools. A device geared towards only reading and nothing else. Something very bare bones can be made and sold at a very cost effective price. Not only would Overdrive make a bit of money selling them to libraries, but library staff would find it easier to be trained on an official device rather then the 100′s of e-readers on the market.
What do you guys think? Should Overdrive develop its own e-reader instead of relying on 3rd party ones? Should 3M serve as an example how a cheaply made device can be used as a selling point?