Electronic books are catching on like wildfire in the US and UK, but in Canada, their traction leaves something to be desired. A recent study conducted by Book Net has its research saying that paperback books (including mass markets) comprised 58% of all purchases in 2012, hardcovers accounted for 24%, and ebooks 15%.Book sales peaked in Q1 at 17.6% of unit sales and … [Read more...] about eBooks Account for 15% of All Books Sold in Canada
Archives for May 2013
E Ink Debuts Spectra and Aurora Digital Signage at SID 2013
The one thing that was clearly evident at SID Display Week this year was the gravitation towards e-paper price tags, billboards, and advertising. E Ink Holdings is putting a priority on expanding outside of its bread and butter e-reader market and focusing on new applications.Spectra is a new E Ink technology that is quite different from the full color Triton technology. It … [Read more...] about E Ink Debuts Spectra and Aurora Digital Signage at SID 2013
Qualcomm Mirasol Technology Reimagined as Wearable Tech
"The Internet of Things" is the new mandate from Qualcomm, as the company transitions its Mirasol technology from tablets to wearable tech and smartphones. Many industry analysts wrote off Mirasol e-Paper technology as dead, but this couldn't be further from the truth, as Qualcomm as updated the screens for a new breed of devices.SID Display Week 2013 just kicked off in … [Read more...] about Qualcomm Mirasol Technology Reimagined as Wearable Tech
Bowker Reaches Out to Self-Published Authors
Most industry professionals know Bowker as the source for ISBN numbers. And while the company is the overseer of those cataloging numbers for North Amercia, Bowker has also long been the driving force behind bibliographic information and searchability. Now, Bowker is setting its sights on helping indie authors find the tools they need to publish.“Bowker has tracked … [Read more...] about Bowker Reaches Out to Self-Published Authors
Reading Rainbow Android App Tipped by Amazon
The Reading Rainbow television show was broadcast for almost two decades and it taught young children the value of reading. When the show was cancelled a few years ago, Levar Burton and producer Mark Wolfe sat down and decided what to do next. 18 months later they debuted the Reading Rainbow iOS app and secured partnerships with Natgeo and a number of other media properties. … [Read more...] about Reading Rainbow Android App Tipped by Amazon
Finalists Selected for eBook Discovery Hackathon
The first ever digital publishing hackathon took place over the weekend at The Alley in New York. Organized by Perseus Books Group and Librify, the event transpired over 32 consecutive hours and was attended by 200 people. Over 30 different teams sought to develop new ideas for digital book discovery.“It was exciting to watch 200 people come together at one time in one … [Read more...] about Finalists Selected for eBook Discovery Hackathon
CourseSmart Enhances its eTextbook Offerings
With some reports showing that the Android platform currently holds about 68% of the market for applications, digital content creators are taking steps to increase their current offerings to meet these customers where their devices are. CourseSmart, a leading provider of digital educational materials and textbooks, has been available on the Android platform for some time, but … [Read more...] about CourseSmart Enhances its eTextbook Offerings
Yahoo Buys Tumblr
Yahoo’s recent acquisition of Tumblr, the popular blogging site, presents an interesting scenario now prevalent in the tech scene. Yahoo is eager to pay a premium and remain competitive in the long run, even if the investment does not guarantee much profit right away. To attempt this, Yahoo shelled out $1.1 billion for Tumblr, which not too long ago was valued at about $800 … [Read more...] about Yahoo Buys Tumblr
iPad 5 Production to Begin Soon, Shipment Starts in September
As per news coming from Taiwan, trial production of the 5th gen iPad is set to kick off soon with volume production expected to begin in July. Initial plans call for the shipment to stabilize at around 2-3 million by September.As for the iPad 5's specifications, Digitimes has some interesting bits to share. For instance, the site is claiming the new iPad will come with the … [Read more...] about iPad 5 Production to Begin Soon, Shipment Starts in September
The Next Stephen King Book Will Forgo a Digital Edition
Digital readers may find themselves unable to read the next Stephen King novel. The author has announced today that his upcoming June 4th release, Joyland, will only be available via traditional bookstores.Stephen King is no stranger to digital and released a novel in 2000 called Riding The Bullet, that was only available as an ebook. Last year, he released a Kindle Single … [Read more...] about The Next Stephen King Book Will Forgo a Digital Edition
Simon & Schuster Hires Doug Stambaugh to be Vice President, Global eBook Market Development and Strategy
Simon & Schuster has created a new position within the company to focus on the growing popularity of ebooks. Doug Stambaugh has been named to the newly created position of Vice President, Global eBook Market Development and Strategy, reporting to Dennis Eulau.S&S released an internal email confirming the news saying, "Doug's responsibility will be to help us further … [Read more...] about Simon & Schuster Hires Doug Stambaugh to be Vice President, Global eBook Market Development and Strategy
eBook Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
Verdict: 4 StarsThe Sea of Tranquility (Atria) has everything I don't look for in a book. Chapter-by-chapter point of view switches, mysterious story lines that don't become clear until the last page, and characters so full of raw and deep-seated hurts that you feel like an intruder just for reading about them. So it was surprising to even me that this book was a … [Read more...] about eBook Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
Nook Simple Touch Tipped to Get Email and Web-Browser June 1st
Barnes and Noble is intending on releasing a new firmware update for the Nook Simple Touch and Simple Touch with Glowlight this June. The 1.50 update is poised to bring a new email client and a new internet browser. The e-readers themselves have a web-browser buried in the search function, but most people were completely unaware of it. The ebook store is also undergoing a … [Read more...] about Nook Simple Touch Tipped to Get Email and Web-Browser June 1st
New York Times Plans to Expand via Digital into Other Countries
The New York Times attracts over 40 million readers to its website every month and the company sees it as a drop in the bucket. The newspaper is planning to expand into foreign language markets with a localized edition and unique content written by reporters based in those countries.One of the big reasons why the New York Times is expanding its digital unit outside of the … [Read more...] about New York Times Plans to Expand via Digital into Other Countries
Digital Comics: Hunter Gorinson on Valiant’s Digital Strategy
Valiant Entertainment is the newest incarnation of a legendary comics publisher that was founded in 1989 by former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, drew in fans with strong, character-driven stories, and then fell on hard times and ceased publication in the early 2000s. The current owners bought the company in 2005 and began launching comics based on updated versions of the … [Read more...] about Digital Comics: Hunter Gorinson on Valiant’s Digital Strategy
Postmedia Implements Digital Paywalls for All Canadian Newspapers
Postmedia Network Canada Corp will be updating the remainder of its digital newspapers and implementing a full paywall structure. The National Post is one of the last big name newspapers only allowing the general public to view 10 free articles a month, before being asked to take out a subscription.Print subscribers of the National Post and the Financial Post can continue … [Read more...] about Postmedia Implements Digital Paywalls for All Canadian Newspapers