South Korea is arguably one of the most digitally advanced countries on the planet in terms of internet access, enjoying broadband speeds as high as seven times faster than that of other countries. In a recent announcement, the government announced its plan to digitize school textbooks throughout the country in all grade levels and subjects by 2015, a plan made possible by its … [Read more...] about South Korea Leading the Way in Widespread Digital Textbooks
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24symbols Launches Subscription Ebook Reading
At BookExpo and the IDPF Digital Book Conference in May, we reported that 24symbols, a Spanish digital book subscription site, would be changing the way some people read ebooks. Using a Netflix-like subscription platform in which no books were actually downloaded to a computer or device, 24symbols would instead rely on Cloud-based content storage that allowed subscribers to … [Read more...] about 24symbols Launches Subscription Ebook Reading
HP TouchPad Launches July 1st with iStoryTime App
One of the hotly anticipated devices launching July 1 is the HP TouchPad, a new addition to the ever-expanding family of touch screen tablets slated to use the webOS operating system. Computex attendees were treated to a sneak peek of the tablet, but the full launch is finally here. One of the installed features for launch on the TouchPad may surprise some consumers who are … [Read more...] about HP TouchPad Launches July 1st with iStoryTime App
Ampersand Makes E-Poetry Possible
Poetry publishers have been battling digital publication ever since e-readers appeared on the scene, and it’s not because they don’t want readers to enjoy Walt Whitman on their Kindles. Although poetry makes up only a small percentage of book sales, they are still a highly active part of the publishing industry. As more and more self-publishing and digital publishing … [Read more...] about Ampersand Makes E-Poetry Possible
Videocon to Launch 7 Inch Android Tablet PC
Videocon, the Indian consumer electronics company, is all set to venture into the hot new tablet segment. The company already has some experience with Android, having launched two Android smartphones in the past. Now, the lure of the tablets seems to have overcome Videocon. The company is reported to be testing a 7 inch tablet running Android 2.3. "Videocon Mobile is … [Read more...] about Videocon to Launch 7 Inch Android Tablet PC
Authors Bypass E-Readers to Self-Publish Book Apps
With the new technology available to authors considering digital publishing, a new breed of self-publishing is opening up to authors with a minimum of computer skills: the book as app. Rather than a fairly simple formatted text document, the app book can be considered book overkill, offering interactive features, embedded videos, full-color graphics, real-time audio, and … [Read more...] about Authors Bypass E-Readers to Self-Publish Book Apps
Summertime Damage to Portable Devices
One of the much-touted benefits of a reading-specific device or tablet PC is its go-anywhere capability, the luxury of having an entire reading library and audio collection on hand in any situation. When making the decision to purchase an e-reader or tablet, many first-time device buyers may have envisioned leisure time at poolside with a limitless supply of summer … [Read more...] about Summertime Damage to Portable Devices
Apple Taking a Risk by Limiting App Store Content
In February of this year, Apple introduced some strict guidelines for content in its App Store, set to take effect at the end of June. These new regulations were effectively going to require all content providers to only sell through the app, granting Apple a 30% share of the purchase price. The biggest name to be affected by this so far would possibly be Amazon.com’s Kindle … [Read more...] about Apple Taking a Risk by Limiting App Store Content
Governor Rick Scott Opens the Door for E-Readers in All Public School Classrooms in Florida
Most consumers think of their e-readers in terms of the convenience they can offer, such as massive storage capacity, instantly downloadable e-books, and go-anywhere portable libraries. Governor Rick Scott of Florida, however, sees a new potential for the many e-reader devices on the market, which is the revolutionizing of public education. Much has been said recently about … [Read more...] about Governor Rick Scott Opens the Door for E-Readers in All Public School Classrooms in Florida
XinXii Now to Support an HTML5-Based Readability
German-based XinXii, a digital content publishing site launched in Europe in 2008, has made some pioneering moves in that short time. As one of the first digital self-publishing sites to operate in several different languages and currencies, it established itself early on as a user-friendly source for buying and selling online books, documents, and audio downloads. Today, … [Read more...] about XinXii Now to Support an HTML5-Based Readability