07:10 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book Software | Calibre

MobileReader Kovid just released calibre V0.9.42. It includes bug-fixes related to the new improved database backend (still in testing, following the link for more information), along with the following other fixes and changes:

New Features

• When downloading metadata from Amazon, convert the amazon categories into tags. You can turn this off by going to Preferences->Metadata download and configuring the Amazon source.
• Kobo driver: Add an option to modify the styling in books being sent to the device, based on a template on the device.
• Get Books: Add support for two more Polish ebook stores: cdp.pl and ebooki.allegro.pl
• calibredb: Add a new clone command to create clones of libraries with the same custom columns, virtual libraries, etc. as the current library.

Bug Fixes

• MOBI metadata: Do not fail to set metadata in MOBI files if they have EXTH fields with NULL pointers to a cover or thumbnail.
• Fix editing of book metadata failing when its timestamp is out of range for the system.
• Fix renaming a user category to the same name it already has erases the user category.
• Fix drag 'n drop of cover onto conversion dialog not working
• Device drivers: Explicitly fsync() all files when writing to devices, to reduce chances of file corruption if the device is disconnected while jobs are running
• Fix calibre not appearing in Ubuntu's 'Open with..' menu

Improved news sources

• PC World

03:18 AM by forumshrew in E-Book General | General Discussions

Just curious as to what your local library offers in the way of borrowing ebooks.

My hometown of Greenhills, Ohio library system allows up to 20 ebooks at a time through Overdrive, as well as downloads from Freading using a token system (12 tokens a week, left over tokens rollover for a month and then expire if not used). On Freading books are assigned a token value of 4, 2, or 1 tokens depending on various factors.

[image: Flickr]

05:52 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book Readers | Android Devices

There's a whole plethora of e-book software available for Android devices, but Moon+ Reader Pro may just be one of the better ones we've tested. In celebration of its 3rd anniversary, the software is currently on sale for 50% off. If you're still evaluating your options to read e-books on your Android device, you should definitely check this one out.

11:16 AM by K. Molen in E-Book General | General Discussions

The Atlantic has a pretty interesting article regarding the effect of copyright on the availability of books. Below are the opening couple of paragraphs, and I've also attached the graph she mentions.

I recommend reading the article in full, which is available here: http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...vanish/278209/

A book published during the presidency of Chester A. Arthur has a greater chance of being in print today than one published during the time of Reagan.

Last year I wrote about some very interesting research being done by Paul J. Heald at the University of Illinois, based on software that crawled Amazon for a random selection of books. At the time, his results were only preliminary, but they were nevertheless startling: There were as many books available from the 1910s as there were from the 2000s. The number of books from the 1850s was double the number available from the 1950s. Why? Copyright protections (which cover titles published in 1923 and after) had squashed the market for books from the middle of the 20th century, keeping those titles off shelves and out of the hands of the reading public.

Heald has now finalized his research and the picture, though more detailed, is largely the same: "Copyright correlates significantly with the disappearance of works rather than with their availability," Heald writes. "Shortly after works are created and proprietized, they tend to disappear from public view only to reappear in significantly increased numbers when they fall into the public domain and lose their owners."

The graph above shows the simplest interpretation of the data...

[image: Flickr]

03:17 AM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Announcements

The OpenInkpot project was started in 2007 by MobileRead member dottedmag with the goal to create a drop-in open-source firmware replacement for E Ink based e-reading devices. Two device families were initially supported, the Hanlin V3 and the Hanvon N516, along with their many clones. Unfortunately the project appears to have stalled, with no recent reading hardware being supported. And from what we've heard, jekhor, the only kernel hacker who was actively involved in the project has been unavailable due to time constraints.

Until there is reason to believe that the project will revive (any willing kernel hackers out there?), we're going to move OpenInkpot to our Archive section. The project's source code is still available via Git: http://git.openinkpot.org/

02:38 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | General Discussions

Ready to pack away the swim trunks and head back to school? Well, friends, before you spend lots of money on heavy, musty textbooks, you might consider replacing the overstuffed backpack with a lightweight, portable e-book reader. Whether you're buying a dedicated reading device, or want to use your tablet for reading, different devices work with different book formats, and some are better than others. The folks at Computer Shopper offer some advice in their 2013 Best E-Readers for School guide.

If you're open to buying an e-reader (or perhaps can't afford a tablet), consider these other factors before adding one to your back-to-school list. First, if possible, check your reading list against what's available electronically. Fiction, scholarly, and other non-fiction texts are increasingly available as e-books, but depending on your curriculum, you may be doomed to paper textbooks for some classes for the next few years. Also, elementary- and high-school students should check rules governing electronic devices. Even college students should check on their professors' preferences, and should find out which model of e-readers (if any) are supported by the college library.

[image: Flickr]

01:41 AM by jswinden in E-Book Readers | Apple Devices

What's New in Version 3.9?

• Kindle Free Sample Search - From the existing Library Search, customers can now search Amazon's catalog of millions of Kindle books and download free samples from within the app. New books are easier than ever to find.
• Bring Your Own Dictionary - Customers can now use previously purchased Dictionaries, such as medical, legal, or other translation references to define words in any of their other eBooks. Dictionaries downloaded to the device automatically appear in the selection list.
• Accessibility Quick Reference - Accessibility gestures for blind and visually impaired customers are included for quick reference and can be found under the FAQ section in settings. The guide has been translated for all supported languages.
• Instant Cover Loader - Book cover art displays quicker and more fluidly.
• Bug Fixes/Stability Improvements

Link: iTunes

02:20 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book Readers | Kobo Reader

A tipster writes in that Kobo e-readers are now directly available at Kobo.com for e-book fans from Australia and New Zealand. ITWire has all the details:

The range starts with the $99.95 Kobo Mini, with a 5in E Ink touchscreen and Wi-Fi.

For those who prefer a larger screen, there's the $129.95 Kobo Touch (6in E Ink touchscreen and Wi-Fi) and the $159.95 Kobo Glo (1024 x 768 pixel 6in front-lit E Ink display with infra-red touch panel and Wi-Fi).

The top of the range model in terms of dedicated ereaders is the Kobo Aura HD. This $219.95 device features a 1440 x 1080 pixel 6.8in front-lit E Ink touchscreen and Wi-Fi.