05:57 AM by Jessica Lares in E-Book General | News

Amazon teams up with authors to bring a series of short biographies under the brand "Icons" to its library. Released on a bi-monthly basis, the first is set to be "Jesus" by Jay Parini and will be available in December.

http://www.pubexec.com/article/amazo...-launch-icons/

"In a time when our fascination with the private aspects of public lives is so intense, it's not surprising that biography has become one of the most prominent forms of narrative nonfiction," said James Atlas. "Yet reading habits have changed dramatically in the digital age and I am excited to bring these short biographies to the Kindle platform."

The first ten books in the series are Jesus by Jay Parini, Stalin by Paul Johnson, Lucian Freud by Phoebe Hoban, J.D. Salinger by Thomas Beller, Poe by Paul Collins, Van Gogh by Julian Bell, Hemingway by Mark Kurlansky, David Lynch by Dennis Lim, Hannah Arendt by Anne Heller, and Hitchcock by Michael Wood.

"It seems appropriate to launch a series of short, thought-provoking biographies with a figure who has dominated our collective imagination and cultural iconography for over twenty centuries," said Jay Parini, author of Jesus. "This first book in the series will consider Jesus as the human face of god and dramatize the transformation from man to myth."

"We are thrilled to collaborate with James Atlas doing what he does best, and excited about the amazing authors that he's brought on board," said Ed Park.

image: The Last Judgement (cropped), Michelangelo

05:39 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

The time for Rapidshare to rule the world of one-click file hosters is long gone, which doesn't mean that the Swiss-based company is having it any easier staying out of trouble. In fact this week, the German Federal Court of Justice affirmed an earlier court decision (German) that Rapidshare had to proactively filter the files uploaded by its users and take effective measures against the use of illegal content on its service. The case was brought by a group of German booksellers, book publishers and Germany's music rights authority GEMA.

As expected, Alexander Skipis, CEO of the German Booksellers Association, is in a celebrating mood.

"The decision of the Federal Court of Justice to affirm the judgement is a crucial step forward. Cyberlockers like Rapidshare bear responsibility for content on their servers, and they can no longer hide behind making vague excuses. The days are gone when one could profit from copyright infringing uploads."

No comment from Rapidshare on this yet.

[via Golem.de]

03:33 PM by Xanthe in E-Book Readers | Barnes & Noble NOOK

Just a heads up to let folks know that there is an update rolling through for the HD. The main fixes seem to involve a comic book reader and Google Play Music, from what I've read.

From the FAQ:

The ver2.1.1 update is available over the coming weeks as an automatic download that will roll out to registered NOOK HD devices connected to Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi should be turned ON and connected to a hotspot, and the device should be left in sleep mode). Or to get the software update right now, be sure you are connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot, tap the Settings icon in the Status bar at the top of your screen, tap on All Settings, then tap on Device Information, and check to see that your Software version matches the number at the top of this page. If it does not, tap on Software version and then tap on the Check for updates button. Follow any on-screen instructions. Do not turn off your device while it is downloading or installing a software update.

The same applies to the NOOK HD Plus.

11:02 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | Deals and Resources (No...

Here is a deal too great to miss. Kobo is currently offering the Kobo Arc (7" 1280x800 screen, Android) at a $70 to $100 discount (depending on how much RAM you choose). Alas, it appears the offer is only good if you order it from the US or Canada.

The discount potentially suggests the imminent launch of a successor model (Kobo Arc 10 HD anyone?).

The deal:

Kobo Arc 16 GB for $129.99 (was: $199.99)
Kobo Arc 32 GB for $179.99 (was: $249.99)
Kobo Arc 64 GB for $199.99 (was: $299.99)

Link

For more information on the Kobo Arc, visit our Kobo forums.

[via Ebook Friendly]

10:05 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | General Discussions

Are books dead yet? After all the recent news we've heard about the slow down in e-book sales, you'd think the answer is a definite NO. Meet Seth Godin, who not only sees a quick end to the paper book, but also a renaissance in how we're going to communicate ideas in the future.

Books, those bound paper documents, are part of an ecosystem, one that was perfect, and one that is dying, quickly.

Ideas aren’t going away soon, and neither are words. But, as the ecosystem dies, not only will the prevailing corporate systems around the paper book whither, but many of the treasured elements of its consumption will disappear as well.

What are the disappearing treasured elements? Seth has a list: the bookstore, the library, the "traditional" publisher, single tasking, reading for pleasure, the bookshelf, and, what he calls, the Pavlovian response.

Yet, despite what appears to be the end of the world for every book loving person, Seth isn't all that pessimistic:

Yes, we're entering a new golden age for books, one with more books and ebooks being written and read today than ever before. No, books won’t be completely eliminated, just as vinyl records are still around (a new vinyl store is opening in my little town). But please don’t hold your breath for any element of the treasured ecosystem to return in force. [...]

I called this post, "An end" as opposed to "the end." As always, we'll reinvent. We still need ideas, and ideas need containers. We've developed more and more ways for those ideas to travel and to have impact, and now it's up to us to figure out how to build an ecosystem around them.

Link: An end of books

Related: Poll: 3 out of 4 Americans prefer paper books, Trend Watch: Paper books back in vogue

09:43 AM by TadW in E-Book General | News

Talking about biased media -- check this one out:

The curious case of Apple ebook Judge Denise Cote in Fortune/CNN.

But the air of unreality that permeated her earlier decision in the case -- in which Amazon (AMZN), a monopolist engaged in the predatory pricing of e-books, escaped untouched, and Apple, the new entrant in the market, was found liable for violating antitrust law -- carried over into Friday's hearing. (Transcript.)

If the attorneys for Apple and the publishers took objection to the tone of her remarks -- which seemed more appropriate for a crusading prosecutor than a fair-minded judge -- they would not be the first.

08:45 AM by DStyle in E-Book General | News

From TechnoBuffalo:

Kobo just sent out invites for a press event that will take place in New York City on August 27. The company promises that it will take us “beyond the book” and will show us what’s next from the company. Kobo is a popular eBook reader that competes against Amazon and Barnes & Noble around the globe. It’s possible that we’ll see a new eReader from the company, though the “beyond the book” aspect suggests it could be something entirely different.

The company may introduce a new tablet, possibly an update to the Kobo Arc. The invite’s use of vibrant colors suggest that it has to do more with a tablet than a black and white eReader. Such a device would surely need to compete with whatever Amazon has coming down the pipeline.

TechnoBuffalo will be attending the event and reporting all of the news live. Stay tuned!

Yes Kobo. Surprise me in a good way!!!

08:02 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Here's a very cool development from the University Press of Kentucky. The scholarly publisher just launched a free e-book loyalty program, allowing anyone who owns the print copy of one of their titles to receive the electronic edition for free. And it's remarkably easy! All you have to do is send them a photo of yourself holding the book.

1. Check the list of eligible books: http://www.kentuckypress.com/live/li...?skip=0&max=25 (400+ available and counting).
   
2. SUBMIT your photo by using the form below.
   *Please make sure that the title of your book is clearly visible, AND include an email address with your submission for ebook file delivery*
   
3. Receive a complimentary PDF edition of your book within 7–10 business days

[via Book Riot]