Final Fantasy 7 is very beloved and when word come out that the game was getting a remake, millions of people turned into little kids again. If you have an iPhone or iPad, the PC version of Final Fantasy 7 has just launched today.One of the interesting things about this title is that it has been optimized for touchscreen displays and has the ability to disable the random … [Read more...] about Final Fantasy 7 Launches on iOS
Archives for August 2015
Amazon Announces Closure of Trade-In Program
Amazon has announced the closure of their popular Trade-in service in the United Kingdom. Currently, books, video games and other items can be traded in on Amazon’s website in return for Amazon gift cards.Starting August 31st 2015 the Amazon Trade-in program will be suspended. The company has acknowledged that all trade-in orders submitted online before 31 August 2015 will … [Read more...] about Amazon Announces Closure of Trade-In Program
550,000 People Attended Comiket 88 in Tokyo
Comic book conventions in North America the last few years are less about comics and more about Hollywood hyping television and movies. Comic-Con is a fine example of this, all of the major news agencies talked about Disney, Star Wars and the Avengers. Meanwhile, in Japan things are quite different, the 88th annual Comiket just wrapped up and over 550,000 people attended the … [Read more...] about 550,000 People Attended Comiket 88 in Tokyo
Short List for the 2015 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
The First Novel Prize is awarded every year to the best debut novel published between January 1 and December 31 of the award year. The author of the winning book is awarded $10,000 and each shortlisted author receives $1,000. This year the award ceremony is held on December 8 at The Metropolitan Club in New York.After the Parade by Lori Ostlund (Scribner)Â Sensitive, … [Read more...] about Short List for the 2015 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
How to Apply for the Kobo Insiders Program
Sometimes we all come up with great ideas on how an e-reader can be improved or how the e-book shopping experience can be more intuitive and robust. Kobo has been running a program the last year that lets hardcore e-reader owners have a voice and help chart the direction of the company. It is called Kobo Insiders.Kobo Insiders is an online community where you can chat with … [Read more...] about How to Apply for the Kobo Insiders Program
Kobo Developing a Loyalty Program called KoboLove
Kobo is in the process of finalizing a new loyalty program that will give you points whenever you purchase an e-book. These points can be redeemed to get free content from Kobo.The exact logistics of the program is currently unknown but it looks like Kobo will be introducing a free tier where you earn 4 points for every $5.00 you spend and a paid VIP Tier where you earn … [Read more...] about Kobo Developing a Loyalty Program called KoboLove
OverDrive Media Stations Will Soon be in Public Spaces
Overdrive Media Stations are computer terminals in which patrons can borrow and checkout digital content inside libraries. These have been available since 2013 and have been adopted at hundreds of locations in the US.  These terminals were developed to exclusively be inside a library, but Overdrive is cooking up something special. They have created new kiosks that are designed … [Read more...] about OverDrive Media Stations Will Soon be in Public Spaces
Vancouver Public Library Unveils New Recording Studios
The Vancouver Public Library has always been very forward thinking when it comes to implementing features that people want. They have one of the largest e-book and audiobook collections in Canada and have just opened up a new recording studio for the general public to use.For anyone living in Vancouver, the public library has implemented six  "Inspiration Labs" which are … [Read more...] about Vancouver Public Library Unveils New Recording Studios
Europeans have had enough with high e-book prices
Electronic books have found massive success in Canada, US and the United Kingdom. The sales of e-books represent between a quarter and a third of the consumer book market and, by 2018, will edge out printed and audio books as the most lucrative segment. Things over in mainland Europe are quite a different story. Last year, digital books made up 8% of the consumer book market in … [Read more...] about Europeans have had enough with high e-book prices
Star Wars Force Awakens Movie Poster Revealed
Star Wars has a storied history of having their movie posters hand painted. Not only will these be sure fire collectors items, but there is something very compelling about something entirely original.The poster also gives us a bit of new information about the plot. John Boyega’s character, Finn, will apparently be a Jedi — this is the first time we’ve seen his character … [Read more...] about Star Wars Force Awakens Movie Poster Revealed
503 Books to hit UK Bookstores on the Exact Same Day
Super Thursday is a key date in the publishing industry on the road to the Christmas season. Traditionally publishers would release the bulk of their new hardback titles in preparation to have millions of people buying gifts for their friends and loved ones. This year, Super Thursday in the United Kingdom is poised to surpass the number of books releases in one day. On … [Read more...] about 503 Books to hit UK Bookstores on the Exact Same Day
The Pocketbook CAD will soon be available in Europe
Pocketbook has begun the process of making a few dedicated webpages on their corporate site to sell the 13.3 inch Pocketbook CAD e-reader in Austria and Germany. No pricing is available yet, but they do have an add to cart button that is setting the stage for a full commercial release.The Pocketbook CAD was initially unveiled in  January 2014 at CES. It featured a 13.3 inch … [Read more...] about The Pocketbook CAD will soon be available in Europe
Poland Wants the VAT on Books and e-Books to be the same
Poland is getting fed up with the VAT between print books and e-books and are doing something about it. A number of Polish judges have asked European Court of Justice to look into the matter.Currently print books in Poland have a 5% VAT but e-books carry a hefty surcharge of 23%.  The main reason for this is because the EU classifies  e-books are a "service" and not a … [Read more...] about Poland Wants the VAT on Books and e-Books to be the same
Audiobook Deals and Discounts – August 2015
Summer is quickly coming to an end and many audiobook retails are gearing up for September, for back to school season. There doesn't seem to be a ton of deals this month, but there are a number of them if you know where to look.Nook AudiobooksAs summer starts winding down and we look forward to the rush of big new fall releases, August will be a big month for NOOK … [Read more...] about Audiobook Deals and Discounts – August 2015
The Sony Digital Paper is Alive and Well
Sony has announced that they are shutting down their entire e-commerce platform on August 28th 2015 and it will be impossible for anyone to place to an order for the Sony Digital Paper. The company has told me that they are developing a new website that should be more robust than the old version, but there is no timeline on when it will launch.We do know that on August … [Read more...] about The Sony Digital Paper is Alive and Well
Amazon has Quickly Come to Dominate the Digital Comics Market
The digital comics market garnered over $100 million dollars in 2014 and Amazon has quickly become the dominant player. The Seattle company now controls 90% of the comic market, thanks to its strategic purchase of Comixology last year. 2015 has been a year of consolidation within the comic industry as Amazon is trying to distance themselves from their competitors such as Apple, … [Read more...] about Amazon has Quickly Come to Dominate the Digital Comics Market