The e-commerce giant Rakuten and the digital publisher Aquafadas have joined forces to provide a suite of services for Japanese publishers who want to go from print to e-books. In a nutshell, the publisher provides the content, Aquafadas converts it to digital format, and Rakuten sells it. The partnership is part of the Aquafadas Global Partner Network Program, and one of the … [Read more...] about Rakuten, Aquafadas Provide Digital Services for Japanese Publishers
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Amazon Launches Instant Online Video Service in Japan
Amazon has unveiled another of its popular services, Instant Video, in Japan as it attempts to match up to the local player Rakuten. On offer will be more than 26,000 films and TV shows that are either of foreign origin or sourced locally. Of these, about 15000 are in HD and are available for streaming or download on compatible devices. Movies or TV shows can be rented for 100 … [Read more...] about Amazon Launches Instant Online Video Service in Japan
Digital Magazine Awards Finalists Include Nine Apps from Aquafadas
Digital publishing solutions provider Aquafadas announced today that a number of its publishing clients have been nominated for various category honors from the 2013 Digital Magazine Awards, the fourth annual honor going to innovative international publications. The honorees who utilized Aquafadas either wholly or in part to produce their publications include: Bande à … [Read more...] about Digital Magazine Awards Finalists Include Nine Apps from Aquafadas
Amazon Japan Overtaking the Competition
One of Amazon's most recent global marketplace initiations has been in Japan, where device manufacturers at one time found a slow adoption of digital reading. Rakuten, at one time the leading e-reader manufacturer in Japan--and now parent company of Kobo--reigned supreme, but that's quickly changing, due in large part to Amazon's model as much as to its devices. So what is … [Read more...] about Amazon Japan Overtaking the Competition
Recent Poll Shows eReader and eBook Footprint in Japan
Goo Research has compiled a new report that gives an indication on how e-readers and ebooks are doing in Japan. Between the 2nd and 5th of July 2012, 1,078 members of the Goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 16.7% in their teens, 17.4% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 16.1% in their … [Read more...] about Recent Poll Shows eReader and eBook Footprint in Japan
Japan Making Ready for Digital Reading Explosion
Japan is looking ahead to the launch of four separate e-reader devices in the coming months, notably one from Amazon and one from Kobo. The Amazon.jp site snuck in a Kindle page only a few days ago, and Kobo announced that its device and some 30,000 Japanese titles will be available this Thursday. Additionally, Toppan and Sony are both working on soon-to-be-released products or … [Read more...] about Japan Making Ready for Digital Reading Explosion
Kobo Touch to Hit Japan in July
Rakuten will be bringing the Kobo Touch e-Reader to Japan next month and it will be available for purchase for $126. Pre-orders for the device will start on July 2nd and this device will have custom Japanese firmware to handle all of the specific characters for their ebooks. The Japanese ebook market is ripe for the pickings. Sony is the only big name company with any sort … [Read more...] about Kobo Touch to Hit Japan in July
Rakuten Completes the Acquisition of Kobo
Japanese E-Commence giant Rakuten has now officially completed their acquisition of Canadian based Kobo for $315 million dollars. 100% of the e-reader companies assets now belong to Rakuten and the future is uncertain for the future of their e-book store and e-book reader lineup. During the holiday season, Kobo saw record sales in terms of books and peddling devices such as the … [Read more...] about Rakuten Completes the Acquisition of Kobo
Panasonic readying tablet/e-reader for launch in Japan
Japanese consumers will soon have one more tablet / e-reader hybrid device to choose from. Domestic consumer electronic giant Panasonic is working on such a device for a possible release as early as sometime next month itself. Also, a unique aspect with the Panasonic offering is that the company is adopting an approach similar to that of its domestic compatriot Sharp in that … [Read more...] about Panasonic readying tablet/e-reader for launch in Japan