First, it was the book reviews. News broke last year that authors could buy five-star reviews for next to nothing, helping to boost their sales while duping potential readers into thinking this was a not-to-be-missed read. Shortly after, unscrupulously business-minded authors discovered they could also pay those same reviewers to spit out one-star reviews on the title that … [Read more...] about Buying Your Way Up the Bestseller List
Archives for February 2013
Interview: Kevin Hamric Talks About Viz Digital Manga
Viz, the largest manga publisher in the U.S., has been aggressively pursuing a digital strategy ever since launching its own iPad app in November 2011. Unlike most other comics publishers, Viz decided to go it alone, using its own branded app rather than joining comiXology; currently, the Viz app is available for iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire as well as on the web, and Viz … [Read more...] about Interview: Kevin Hamric Talks About Viz Digital Manga
Google Reportedly Developing Music Streaming Service
Spotify, the online music streaming company, might soon have a new competitor in Google. The search giant is reported to have already initiated talks with several music publishers to give shape to a music streaming service for Android. Google is said to have something similar with its YouTube video site that is also reported to be in negotiations with music companies for … [Read more...] about Google Reportedly Developing Music Streaming Service
Tool to Run Legacy Windows Apps on Microsoft Surface RT Emerges
While it has become clear that the Surface RT has failed to deliver on the initial hype and hoopla surrounding it, it's no secret that the device was let down by its software though it excelled on the hardware front. The lack of apps compatible with Windows RT together with its inability to run legacy Windows apps (hundreds of thousands of which already exists in the system) … [Read more...] about Tool to Run Legacy Windows Apps on Microsoft Surface RT Emerges
Interview: Symbolia Editor Erin Polgreen on Graphic Journalism for the Tablet
Symbolia is a magazine of graphic journalism designed specifically for the tablet; the navigation and pageflow are completely different from anything found in a print magazine, and the use of the comics medium opens up new possibilities for nonfiction storytelling. The magazine launched late last year as an iPad app, which includes a free issue; the first issue is also … [Read more...] about Interview: Symbolia Editor Erin Polgreen on Graphic Journalism for the Tablet
The Digital Book Club – Long Neglected by Major eBook Companies
If you want to start or join a book club, you don't have to look much further then your local Meetup.com or Craigslist. Digital Book clubs, are a little bit harder to find because of some major technical aspects and mainstream companies like Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble have never offered their own programs.The Tangible book is a social experience, you can loan them out … [Read more...] about The Digital Book Club – Long Neglected by Major eBook Companies
Sony Reader for Android Updated to Support ePub 3
Sony has updated its Reader app for Google Android today, which brings new functionality for ePub 3 and the ability to display multimedia content. You can download the new app from Google Play or the Good e-Reader App Store.There is a few things you need to know about the new Sony Reader app, if you intend on reading ePub 3 ebooks, you will also need to download the Reader … [Read more...] about Sony Reader for Android Updated to Support ePub 3
Amazon Squashing Affiliates Who Promote Free Kindle Books
Amazon is revising its affiliate system on March 1st, 2013, and this new change will have reverberating effects on people who promote free Kindle ebooks. It will start to prevent blog and website owners from raking in thousands of dollars a month in commission fees.Amazon is clamping down on websites that draw a large segment of the population looking for free Kindle … [Read more...] about Amazon Squashing Affiliates Who Promote Free Kindle Books
Asus 10 Inch MeMO Pad Tablet Will Go on Sale in Taiwan from Feb 25th
Asus has stated it will begin selling the 10 inch MeMO Pad Smart ME301 in Taiwan on February 25th. The tablet will be priced NT$11,900 in local currency, which converts to around US$402. However, will probably drop for the US, since electronic goods generally come cheap in that part of the world, though, Asus has not revealed when it plans to launch the MeMO Pad in the … [Read more...] about Asus 10 Inch MeMO Pad Tablet Will Go on Sale in Taiwan from Feb 25th
Rumor: Apple Might Launch iPad 5 in Q3 2013
Taiwan based research firm TrendForce has stated Apple might be readying its fifth generation iPad for a launch in Q3 2013. Also, the new iPad 5 will come with several new features which will mark its first complete overhaul since it was launched almost three years ago.These include a thin bezel design that Apple introduced in the iPad Mini along with the incorporation of … [Read more...] about Rumor: Apple Might Launch iPad 5 in Q3 2013
The People’s E-Book Gets Funded on Kickstarter
This is really great! A Kickstarter project called The People's E-Book needed $20K to fund an ebook creation platform for artists, authors, and alternative presses who want to try new things, publish new books, and push into new territories. The People's E-Book will handle ebooks of all sizes and scope, but it will excel in areas that no one else has cared to consider—the very … [Read more...] about The People’s E-Book Gets Funded on Kickstarter
EU to Take Stronger Stance on VAT over eBooks
The VAT, or value added tax, on ebooks has been a thorn in the side of digital publishing for some time. Going back to the early stages of the recent years' e-reader explosion when Germany was the first country whose digital publishers took issue with the way ebooks are taxed, to the current state of countries outright ignoring the mandated taxation rate in order to lure … [Read more...] about EU to Take Stronger Stance on VAT over eBooks
Tablet Sales Increase by 78% in 2012
We all know the tablet segment is booming and the juggernaut is showing every sign of devouring everything that comes its way, including the notebook and desktop segments. But just how big is the segment? Research firm IDC has some answers.IDC stated tablet PCs have made up 10.7% of the total smart connected devices segment that comprises of smartphones, portables, and … [Read more...] about Tablet Sales Increase by 78% in 2012