CodexCloud.com - ebook cloud syncing

bieh · 10-15-2011, 09:35 PM

Hi,

So after seeing a couple threads talking about using Dropbox and the like to sync ebooks to the cloud, I figured I'd do some shameless self-promotion of my latest little web project - http://codexcloud.com

Basically it's Google Music/Grooveshark for books - you upload all your books to the cloud, sort and organize them using the website, then have the lists synchronized to all your devices (via opds, so it syncs with most semi-smart ereader software.). Or there's an Android app I built before I learned that OPDS exists.

I built it over the last couple weekends, and it's proved quite popular with my testers. It's now open to the world, so it'd be awesome to have some more eyes on it

(Bonus fun thing I hacked up yesterday based off the CC APIs: search books based on their cover color - http://codexcloud.com/labs/color/ )

bieh · 10-18-2011, 05:00 AM

And the thread is back - thanks to the mods for not deleting my blatent advertising out of hand

Any questions/comments/feature requests, post away!

EDIT: Actually, if there's any potential users with Kindles who would like to test some experimental Kindle support, let me know. I'm pretty sure I know how it'll work, but I don't own a Kindle so it's kinda difficult to test. Perhaps someone here could help me out

Shack70 · 10-18-2011, 06:00 AM

I have a Kindle and can test it.

Shack70 · 10-18-2011, 05:11 PM

First problem is that everything gets converted to epub

bieh · 10-18-2011, 05:19 PM

You don't like how everything gets converted to epub? It meant I could sync everything over OPDS and use fbreader or whatever.

I guess some document types might not survive the conversion very well - it's using Calibre behind the scenes. What were you trying to convert?

Shack70 · 10-18-2011, 05:31 PM

I thought you wanted to test Kindle support? Kindle does not support epub. Users would be uploading mobi files and expecting them back. I would assume almost all users would not want the books they upload to be converted. If I want to put my books in the cloud, why would I be uploading books in a format I can not use to begin with?

bieh · 10-18-2011, 05:36 PM

Oh sorry, I see what you mean now.

Kindle supports .mobi (right?), so when you hit the soon-to-exist "send to Kindle" button, it'll convert it to a .mobi on the fly. So it should all just work.

Shack70 · 10-18-2011, 05:40 PM

No you don't need to convert anything. No matter what device I own any books that I would want to upload are already going to be the format I want them to be in. Converting a book from one format to another and back again is going to cause problems such as things lost in the conversion.

bieh · 10-21-2011, 05:04 AM

Well, I just deployed Kindle support - Check it out (you'll need a CodexCloud account to view that page). Sorry Shack, it does conversions - personally I like that approach, and the epub->mobi conversion seems pretty painless.

Also, it's been a bit of a crazy week - TheNextWeb wrote an article claiming CodexCloud was going to destroy the conventional publishing industry, so I've spent the last few days implementing automated copyright detection systems. If anyone here thought I was building some kind of ebook warez site, I hope this convinces them otherwise - I'm really not the morally bankrupt criminal the article would have you believe

bieh · 10-25-2011, 09:27 PM

fyi, I now support PDFs natively - no conversions necessary. Hope that helps, Shack

http://codexcloud.com

howyoudoin · 10-25-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bieh

Well, I just deployed Kindle support - Check it out (you'll need a CodexCloud account to view that page). Sorry Shack, it does conversions - personally I like that approach, and the epub->mobi conversion seems pretty painless.

You're alienating the entire kindle user base by adopting that approach.

bieh · 10-25-2011, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

You're alienating the entire kindle user base by adopting that approach.

Oh? How should it work, then?

Given that the vast majority of content is .epub, some kind of conversion is going to be necessary, surely?

Seabound · 10-26-2011, 03:18 AM

Bieh, what are the limits on the total size of uploads, the total number of ebooks, and file size per ebook?

bieh · 10-26-2011, 03:26 AM

No limit on the number or space of uploads per person, each individual file upload is limited to 25mb.

So far about 22,000 books have been uploaded, taking up about 12gb. So about 500k/book average - note I store extracted cover art alongside the books, so that pushes the average size calculation up a little. Storage shouldn't be an issue, it's hosted on AWS , so storage is cheap (and can be increased on demand)

Seabound · 10-26-2011, 03:34 AM

Thanks for the quick reply, bieh. Your site and concept look good from what I've seen. Good job. I hope the site succeeds and lasts. There's always a risk with new online services that they will not last very long for one reason or another.

Any plans for allowing ebook sharing in the future? I know this is complicated because of copyright issues, but I'm curious.

10-15-2011, 09:35 PM	#1
bieh Member Posts: 11 Karma: 100 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New Zealand Device: Android	CodexCloud.com - ebook cloud syncing Hi, So after seeing a couple threads talking about using Dropbox and the like to sync ebooks to the cloud, I figured I'd do some shameless self-promotion of my latest little web project - http://codexcloud.com Basically it's Google Music/Grooveshark for books - you upload all your books to the cloud, sort and organize them using the website, then have the lists synchronized to all your devices (via opds, so it syncs with most semi-smart ereader software.). Or there's an Android app I built before I learned that OPDS exists. I built it over the last couple weekends, and it's proved quite popular with my testers. It's now open to the world, so it'd be awesome to have some more eyes on it (Bonus fun thing I hacked up yesterday based off the CC APIs: search books based on their cover color - http://codexcloud.com/labs/color/ )

10-18-2011, 05:00 AM	#2
bieh Member Posts: 11 Karma: 100 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New Zealand Device: Android	And the thread is back - thanks to the mods for not deleting my blatent advertising out of hand Any questions/comments/feature requests, post away! EDIT: Actually, if there's any potential users with Kindles who would like to test some experimental Kindle support, let me know. I'm pretty sure I know how it'll work, but I don't own a Kindle so it's kinda difficult to test. Perhaps someone here could help me out Last edited by bieh; 10-18-2011 at 05:04 AM.

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10-18-2011, 06:00 AM	#3
Shack70 Guru Posts: 777 Karma: 1043626 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: York, Pa Device: Kindle Paperwhite 11th Generation	I have a Kindle and can test it.

10-18-2011, 05:11 PM	#4
Shack70 Guru Posts: 777 Karma: 1043626 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: York, Pa Device: Kindle Paperwhite 11th Generation	First problem is that everything gets converted to epub

10-18-2011, 05:19 PM	#5
bieh Member Posts: 11 Karma: 100 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New Zealand Device: Android	You don't like how everything gets converted to epub? It meant I could sync everything over OPDS and use fbreader or whatever. I guess some document types might not survive the conversion very well - it's using Calibre behind the scenes. What were you trying to convert?

10-18-2011, 05:31 PM	#6
Shack70 Guru Posts: 777 Karma: 1043626 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: York, Pa Device: Kindle Paperwhite 11th Generation	I thought you wanted to test Kindle support? Kindle does not support epub. Users would be uploading mobi files and expecting them back. I would assume almost all users would not want the books they upload to be converted. If I want to put my books in the cloud, why would I be uploading books in a format I can not use to begin with?

10-18-2011, 05:36 PM	#7
bieh Member Posts: 11 Karma: 100 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New Zealand Device: Android	Oh sorry, I see what you mean now. Kindle supports .mobi (right?), so when you hit the soon-to-exist "send to Kindle" button, it'll convert it to a .mobi on the fly. So it should all just work.

10-18-2011, 05:40 PM	#8
Shack70 Guru Posts: 777 Karma: 1043626 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: York, Pa Device: Kindle Paperwhite 11th Generation	No you don't need to convert anything. No matter what device I own any books that I would want to upload are already going to be the format I want them to be in. Converting a book from one format to another and back again is going to cause problems such as things lost in the conversion.

10-21-2011, 05:04 AM	#9
bieh Member Posts: 11 Karma: 100 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New Zealand Device: Android	Well, I just deployed Kindle support - Check it out (you'll need a CodexCloud account to view that page). Sorry Shack, it does conversions - personally I like that approach, and the epub->mobi conversion seems pretty painless. Also, it's been a bit of a crazy week - TheNextWeb wrote an article claiming CodexCloud was going to destroy the conventional publishing industry, so I've spent the last few days implementing automated copyright detection systems. If anyone here thought I was building some kind of ebook warez site, I hope this convinces them otherwise - I'm really not the morally bankrupt criminal the article would have you believe

10-25-2011, 09:27 PM	#10
bieh Member Posts: 11 Karma: 100 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New Zealand Device: Android	fyi, I now support PDFs natively - no conversions necessary. Hope that helps, Shack http://codexcloud.com

10-26-2011, 03:18 AM	#13
Seabound Steerage Class Posts: 711 Karma: 505995 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest, USA Device: Won't fit here anymore, see sig for a list of liseuses.	Bieh, what are the limits on the total size of uploads, the total number of ebooks, and file size per ebook?

10-26-2011, 03:26 AM	#14
bieh Member Posts: 11 Karma: 100 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: New Zealand Device: Android	No limit on the number or space of uploads per person, each individual file upload is limited to 25mb. So far about 22,000 books have been uploaded, taking up about 12gb. So about 500k/book average - note I store extracted cover art alongside the books, so that pushes the average size calculation up a little. Storage shouldn't be an issue, it's hosted on AWS , so storage is cheap (and can be increased on demand)

10-26-2011, 03:34 AM	#15
Seabound Steerage Class Posts: 711 Karma: 505995 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest, USA Device: Won't fit here anymore, see sig for a list of liseuses.	Thanks for the quick reply, bieh. Your site and concept look good from what I've seen. Good job. I hope the site succeeds and lasts. There's always a risk with new online services that they will not last very long for one reason or another. Any plans for allowing ebook sharing in the future? I know this is complicated because of copyright issues, but I'm curious.