Nate Hoffelder

The IA announced Friday night that they had achieved a new milestone. It’s 6 years now that they’ve been scanning and uploading public domain titles and this is the week that they released their 3,ooo,oooth title.

The 3 millionth upload is from the rare book collection of the University of Toronto:

The Internet Archive launched in 2005, and since that day they have scanned and uploaded over 2 million documents.They also host another million documents that have been scanned by other groups and individuals, including around 37 thousand titles from Project Gutenberg.

The growing collection is due in large part to the one hundred+ people who work in IA scanning centers in 27 libraries in 6 countries.   The IA are also making an effort to archive hard disks, film, , and other modern storage mediums, as well as preserving the books that have been scanned. (While you might think that a hard disk is more durable than a paper book, the latter can actually have a longer lifespan.) If you look through their collection carefully, you can also find the occasional odd item like the hard disk from a 1970s Cray supercomputer, or a braille Playboy.

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Last Friday night The Economist published an anecdote about how Ikea had planned for the death of the book. They were supposedly about to release a new deeper bookcase and were also now pushing doors for their bookcases. (I covered it here.)

TO SEE how profoundly the book business is changing, watch the shelves. Next month IKEA will introduce a new, deeper version of its ubiquitous “BILLY” bookcase. The flat-pack furniture giant is already promoting glass doors for its bookshelves. The firm reckons customers will increasingly use them for ornaments, tchotchkes and the odd coffee-table tome—anything, that is, except books that are actually read.

My problem with the anecdote was that it sounded too much like an urban legend to be plausible. I didn’t believe the story, and guess what?

I was right, and the many sites who posted this story, including The Christian Science Monitor, The Wall Street Journal, Time, The Daily Mail, Gizmodo, The Los Angeles Times, TechCrunch, TeleRead, NeatoRama, Acualitte, eBouquin were all wrong.

My counter argument could be summed up as:

• Ikea always had doors for the bookcases,
• they already had deeper bookcases, and
• it was the wrong time of year for a new model.

I was right on 2 out of 3, which isn’t bad.

Edward Champion of the Reluctant Habits blog contacted Ikea and he was told that the death of books had nothing to do with the new deeper Billy bookcase. It did exist, but it had also been under development for a couple years now. Also, the existing 11″ model isn’t going anywhere; the new 15″ Billy will simply supplement it.

BTW, this new deeper Billy model is the same depth as the existing Bergsbo bookcase, and that one isn’t going away either. I’ve also heard via another source that Ikea have had doors for the Billy pretty much since it launched in 1979. Ebooks had nothing to do with the doors, either.

My rule of thumb is that when a story sounds to good to be true, it probably is. And this one sounded too pat and too much like an urban legend. It’s right up there with not eating PopRock and Coke (because your stomach will rupture and you will die).

via Reluctant Habits

images by jepoirrier, mobilyazilar

Earlier today the Philadelphia Media Network beat out Hearst to become the first newspaper publisher to bundle a tablet along with the digital subscription.

I first reported on this story back when PMN first announced the bundle in July (here, here). They didn’t mention at the time which tablets they would use for the bundle, but they did discuss the general idea.  The deal they planned to offer was going to work pretty much the same as any cellphone plan. You would get the tablet for a reduced price in exchange for a long term subscription commitment.

Today they unveiled the tablet for bundle. It’s the Archos Arnova 10 G2. For a budget tablet, it’s not bad, but it’s nothing compared to the iPad. It’s running Android v2.3 Gingerbread on a 1GHz RockChip 2918 CPU with a 10″ capacitive touchscreen. It has Wifi, 4GB Flash storage, a microSD card slot, VGA webcam, and USB Host.

Curiously enough, this tablet doesn’t appear to be available yet in the US, which makes me wonder how the Philadelphia Media Network got their hands on them. In any case, it’s a decent tablet.

They’re offering the Arnova 10 G2 with 1 year and 2 year subscriptions, and the initial supply is limited to just 5 thousand units. The bundle originally was going to include just one subscription, but apparently they decided to throw in both publications (Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News) in for the one price. The 2 year subscription comes out to $340, and the one year subscription works out to cost you around $286.

• 2 year plan: $100 for the tablet and $10 a month for a digital subscription for both publications
• 1 year plan: $130 for the tablet and $13 a month for a digital subscription

Curiously enough, you’re actually getting 3 subscriptions, not 2. It’s not completely clear, but it looks like you get the digital editions of the 2 newspapers and you also get a subscription for the Philadelphia Inquirer Android app, which appears to be a different publication. The app boasts interactive content and looks to have content not offered in the regular digital edition.

All in all, I think it’s a great idea. Now that they know they’ll have this installed base of 10″ tablets, the Philadelphia Media Network might start customizing a digital edition for this tablet size.  I’ve never seen the electronic version of their newspapers, but I’m hoping this move will make them more readable.

While there is no evidence to prove it, that is what Arnaud Nourry, the CEO of Hachette Livre, said in an interview last week.

The other Nathan at the other ebook blog has turned up a radio interview that M. Nourry gave to Soft Power, a French radio show. I don’t speak French, but I’ve double checked with a second source and the guy does indeed say that the new Kindle is coming the second Saturday in October.

Update: I’m now told that my confirming source was wrong. There is no mention of a Kindle in the radio interview. The only evidence comes from  tweets posted by the journalist who interviewed Noury. Sorry, folks. This correction comes from Merrill Goussot, the editor of Le Journal du Kindle. Thanks, Merrill.

So it’s coming on a Saturday. Since when do Amazon release product on a Saturday?

Now, you’d think that the CEO of one of the world’s largest publishers would have some idea when the next Kindle is due, and this isn’t the first time that a CEO leaked details. So I think that he was right about the Kindle coming soon but wrong on the date.

I wonder if he had the month right but the day wrong? What if the correct date is actually 18 October? That is a Tuesday, and Amazon like to launch products on Tuesdays. But there’s a second possibility. November 8 is also a Tuesday, so what if it’s not coming out until November?

On the other hand, what if this is actually a reference to the local Kindle Store? Perhaps it might launch on 8 October.

In any case, this is just one rumor piled upon a bunch of others. Let’s see what turns up next week.

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There’s an interesting sound bite from an article that everyone is repeating today, and it is nonsense. The original source is an anecdote used to start a day old article on the Econ0mist website, and it truly is a sound bite:

TO SEE how profoundly the book business is changing, watch the shelves. Next month IKEA will introduce a new, deeper version of its ubiquitous “BILLY” bookcase. The flat-pack furniture giant is already promoting glass doors for its bookshelves. The firm reckons customers will increasingly use them for ornaments, tchotchkes and the odd coffee-table tome—anything, that is, except books that are actually read.

Lots of people, including The Daily Mail, Time, Gizmodo, LATimes, TechCrunch, TeleRead, NeatoRama, Acualitte, and eBouquin, are repeating the story because it is a great sound bite.

Unfortunately, no one took a moment to stop and think it through. The story is anecdotal and it is nonsense.

The problem with this is rather simple: one detail is out of context and the other is probably wrong. Ikea have always had doors for their bookshelves, including glass. They have the doors, yes, but to derive some meaning from the claim that they are already promoting doors is disingenuous; Ikea have never made any effort to sell me anything, much less doors for the bookshelves.

Also, I’m fairly sure that Ikea will not be releasing a new Billy model. It’s my understanding that they introduce new models with each new catalog. They already sent out a catalog for this year; it came out in June. That would suggest that they will not release a new model until next year.

BTW, the Billy line might be getting a new deeper model (though I cannot find any evidence), but it will simply replace/compete with one of Ikea’s existing deep bookshelves.  They already have a couple, including some shelving units that are so deep they are closer to being cabinets.

Update: It turns out that I am half right. Scroll down and you will see a pingback from a Swedish (?) blog. The blogger was told by Ikea that they would soon have a deeper Billy bookcase. The new Billy is one that Ikea already sell; it’s just going to get a different brand name.

I hate stories like this. It’s one of those stories that sounds so good that few bother to double check the details (sometimes I fall for them too). What’s worse is that this little anecdote is overshadowing the rest of a highly detailed, well written Econ0mist article.

images by jepoirrier, mobilyazilar

A couple weeks ago I brought you news that Google might be planning to expand the Google eBookstore UK, CA, and Australia. At the time I posted I did not have any real proof of their intention other than that they were letting publishers set prices and sales conditions for the new markets.

Today I have something new to show you. One eagle-eyed reader has found a new job listing with Google Australia.  It’s a temp position for a "Google eBooks Site Merchandiser".

It looks to me like Google are hiring the staff for the Australian branch of the Google eBookstore. I can’t get a statement from Google on when they plan to launch down-under, but it should be clear now that they are going to. In fact, the temporary nature of this position argues that Google plan to launch soon, doesn’t it?

Now, I looked at the related jobs pages for Canada and the UK, but I didn’t find any job postings that mentioned the Google eBookstore. I also can’t find anything on Linkedin, but that doesn’t really mean anything.

It’s been just 9 months between the time Google launched the eBookstore and the first hint that it would go international, and compared to some of Google’s services that is actually rather fast. But as I’ve said in the previous post, Google are probably going to be lining up the  publishers for at least a few months before they announce the launch. That’s what they did before the US launch, and there’s no reason for them to change.

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A friend sent me an email this morning with an update on Amazon’s new KPR format. He thought I’d want to know that the usual suspects had hacked the file and released a script that could remove the DRM.

He’s right. I did want to know.

You see, I own an ebook in the new KPR format. I’d like to be able to make sure I can still use my property even after the original copy is gone from the Kindle store, and even after I’ve switched to a new computer. The only way I can do that is by removing the DRM.

I have said on many occasions that you should use DRM removal tools not so you can pirate the content, but so you can protect your purchases. And that is why I’m posting about this new hack.

You can find the KPR hack as part of the latest bundle of DRM removal scripts. It’s over on the Apprentice Alf blog, but you need to know where to look (here). That site is being quietly maintained by someone, and out of appreciation for their work I have not pried too deeply.

The ZIP file that they’re maintaining over there is actually a bundle of scripts that can remove the DRM from a number of ebook formats, including Kindle, Nook, Mobipocket, eReader (the really old format), Epub, and PDF. It doesn’t appear to support iBooks yet, but that’s okay (it’s a minor format).

You might also want to check out the FAQ.

image via by Moff

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Charbax has posted another hands-on video from IFA, and this time around he spent time with Pocketbook’s newest tablet, the A10.

I know that it might look odd to see the buttons lined up like that, but that was part of the design. The tablet has a wedge shaped design with the thickest part under the buttons and the back is rubberized so you can get a better grip.

The A10 is running Android v2.3 Gingerbread on a Texas Instruments 1GHz CPU.  It has a 10″ (1024×768) capacitive touchscreen, and it will come with Wifi/Bluetooth, 4GB Flash storage, g-sensor, a microSD card slot, speaker/mike, and a 2MP camera.

Charbax was his usual charming self and he managed to talk a lot of details out of the tech rep. The retail is going to be 299, but it’s not clear if that is the price in euros or dollars. The A10 is supposed to hit store shelves in November, just in time to compete with the AmTab. The PB rep said that it had around 7 hours battery life, and if you turn it upside down the screen will automatically reorient itself.

It’s a pretty slick looking tablet, isn’t it? I really hope that the price ends up being $299, but even at that price I’m not sure it’s worth it. For not too much more I could get the Asus Transformer.

It’s only been a few short months since Improv Electronics launched  new Boogie Board models and today they’re ready to unveil their new and improved model.

The Boogie Board is based on a low-power LCD screen tech that was developed by Kent Displays. The idea behind the Boogie Board is that you can write, draw, or scribble on it with a stylus or your finger. The screen will hold the contents without using electricity. The only energy cost is when you blank the screen and remove the current scribbles.

The Boogie Board Rip is the model I’ve been wanting ever since I heard about the Boogie Board last year. It’s the first Boogie Board that lets you save what you sketch.

It saves each screen capture as a PDF and you can transfer the PDFs to your computer over USB. There’s no info on how many screen images you can store nor did Improv mention if you could pull up old notes and edit them. Update: Improv told me on Twitter that the Rip could save about 200 screen shots at a time. It cannot load them again.

Cost wasn’t mentioned, but the Boogie Board Rip will go up for pre-order soon on the Improv website and it’s going to ship in November.

I’ve just gotten a tip from one of my contacts that Pocketbook are going to have a new tablet at IFA Berlin, a trade show that opens this weekend.

Update: I have new info from another source.  The image at right is supposed to be the Pocketbook A10, and it’s running on a 1GHz CPU.

Second Update: I now have info including a video from IFA. Check out this post.

It appears to have a camera and microphone on the upper right side, and the upper and lower dots are possibly speakers.

I couldn’t get the product’s name, but I was told that it has a 10″ screen and that it will be running Android v2.3. My source also said that the tablet will have page turn buttons (WTF) and that it will come with Wifi and optional  3G. The price will be competitive. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures.But the announcement is only a few days away so there won’t be much of a wait.

Now, one thing my source didn’t mention was the Mirasol Reader that I knew they had been working on. Now that’s interesting. It’s probably a sign that they won’t be announcing it, but do you suppose it’s because the screen still isn’t ready or because they stopped development?

Either way, it’s a disappointment and it pushes the release date back again. IFA was the best best date (short of CES 2012) for Pocketbook to announce the Mirasol Reader.

I’ve been wanting to see Qualcomm’s Mirasol screen tech hit the market ever since I saw it at CES 2009. It was originally due out last fall, and it keeps getting delayed (again, again, and again).

This evening Amazon launched a fun new feature that’s going to thrill the rabid fan. How would you like to ask the author a question about the book while you’re reading it?

You’re going to need a Twitter account (and a participating author), but  now you can.

Simply open the Kindle ebook (it has to be one Amazon sold you), highlight a passage and type @author and your question. If you’re following the author on kindle.amazon.com, the question and the author’s answer will both become Public Notes in your book. The question and answer will also be visible on the author’s page on kindle.amazon.com.

If your question is answered, you’ll get an email from Amazon with the answer included. And even if the author doesn’t answer, other readers can do so from the author page.

Amazon has 16 participating authors right now, and you can find a complete list as well as a FAQ here.

You may not know this, but the Kindle has had similar @search options for some time, including @dict, @help, @store, @ur, @web, and @wiki. This new @author is a clever addition to the bunch. It’s also a smart way to start tying the Kindle hardware with the Kindle Social Network.

BTW, Amazon also secured the @author account on Twitter, but I should warn you that it can’t be used to ask a question.

via

The German book wholesaler Koch, Neff, und Volckmar announced today that they would soon be carrying iriver’s latest ebook reader, the Story HD Wifi.

They’re going to formally launch it at IFA-Berlin later this week, but I can’t find what the actual release date or who will carry it.  This is indeed the Wifi model, not the one that had previously been sold in Europe. Retail will be 139 euros. The Story HD Wifi will be tied to their ebookstore.

KNV is a distributor, not a retailer, and they support around 7,000 booksellers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. They also distribute ebooks to their retail partners, and according to Wikipedia they have around 35 thousand titles in their ebookstore.

via

There’s been no formal announcement yet, but Bluefire Reader is now available in the Android Market.

You probably know of Bluefire Reader on iOS, but unless you’ve been following this blog you might not know that Bluefire  have been working on an Android version of the app since last year. BTW, they already released an Android app which had been built for one of their customers, Libri.de.

Bluefire Reader is a wildly popular iOS app that supports Epub and PDF. Unlike Stanze, Bluefire reader supports Adobe DE DRM. It works with any number of ebookstores and it even supports library ebooks. It has long since replaced  Stanza as the touchstone reading app for iOS, and I would say that Bluefire Reader might give Aldiko, the leading Android reading app, a run for its money.

Android Market

If you’re selling ebooks through the Google eBookstore then you might want to go configure the selling options for Canada, Australia, and the UK.

A publisher friend of mine noticed this evening that Google offered a number of new options for his ebooks. We don’t know when the new menus were added, but he can now set the selling price, DRM conditions, etc for 4 different countries now.

Note that this only applies to publishers getting ready. Google won’t actually sell ebooks outside of the US just yet.  An Australian tried to buy an ebook and he could not.

I wouldn’t get to excited just yet; remember, Google had the publisher support pages open to the public months and months before the Google eBookstore launched in December of 2010. They’re just as likely to hold the international expansion for a few months just to make sure content is available.

Does anyone know when those options first appeared?

Edit: Couldn someone in the UK, CA, or AUS try to download the Google eBooks apps for Android or iOS? I want to know if you succeed. If the apps are live already then the expansion should happen soon.