Kindle App Coming To Android And Windows Tablets

San Francisco Chronicle: "Following Amazon's success with Kindle on the iPad, Amazon is releasing a version of the Kindle app for tablets based on Android and Windows as well. Revamping the Android version of Kindle for tablets is a no-brainer given the number of Android tablets slated to come out in 2011, but the Windows move is a surprising vote of confidence in Microsoft's tablet strategy. ... " I don't get that latter statement at all. Rolling out a Windows version will not be expensive for Amazon to do. Granted, Microsoft's tablet "strategy" looks to many (myself included) like a very late nonstarter. But why shouldn't (wouldn't) Amazon go for the deepest penetration possible?

Sigil eBook Editor = Well Worth a Try

After several weeks of experimenting and kicking the tires, I really must recommend the Sigil eBook editor. Check it out.

• Free and open source software under GPLv3
• Multi-platform: runs on Windows, Linux and Mac
• Full Unicode support: everything you see in Sigil is in UTF-16
• Full EPUB spec support
• WYSIWYG editing
• Multiple Views: Book View, Code View and Split View
• Metadata editor with full support for all possible metadata entries (more than 200) with full descriptions for each
• Table Of Contents editor
• Multi-level TOC support
• Book View fully supports the display of any XHTML document possible under the OPS spec
• SVG support
• Basic XPGT support
• Advanced automatic conversion of all imported documents to Unicode
• Currently imports TXT, HTML and EPUB files; more will be added with time
• Embedded HTML Tidy; all imported documents are thoroughly cleaned; changing views cleans the document so no matter how much you screw up your code, it will fix it (usually)
• An actually usable user interface
• Native C++ application

Amazon to Launch Kindle App for Windows Phone 7

Press Release @ MarketWatch: "SEATTLE, Oct 28, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that Kindle for Windows Phone 7 will be the first major eBook application available for Windows Phone 7. Kindle for Windows Phone 7 will be released later this year, and includes the features customers love about all of the Kindle apps, plus new features built into a Kindle app for the first time, such as personalized book recommendations on your Kindle app home screen and the ability to send a book suggestion to a friend from any book in your library without leaving the app."

Ballmer Promises Slates with Windows by Christmas

Well, Stev-i-o, time is getting short.WSJ: "Tablet computers running Windows will be unveiled before the end of the year, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Tuesday. But Mr. Ballmer didn’t provide more details on the software giant’s slow response to Apple’s iPad. ... Microsoft has faced criticism for its performance in the mobile market. Its Kin smartphones were pulled off the market after less than two months, and there is concern that it hasn’t had a response to Apple’s iPad, which poses an additional threat because it could eat into PC sales. Earlier this week, Goldman Sachs analysts downgraded Microsoft’s stock to neutral, in part because of the 'threat of notebook cannibalization from tablets, where Windows does not yet have a presence. Mr. Ballmer in July said Microsoft has 'got to make things happen' with Windows on tablet devices and that the company was 'in the process of doing that right now.'"

New: Kobo Desktop App for Windows & Mac OS

TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities: "Interestingly enough, the release of the Desktop Application will also make it easier for readers to purchase something from the Kobo eBook Store and use it on another device such as the Sony Reader. After all, the Desktop Application allows you to purchase and download to your computer, which from there will require a simple sync with your other ebook reader. ... And as for those other devices, they include apps for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as Android smartphones, Android tablets, the BlackBerry and even the webOS smartphones. Though, that last one is noted as still being in beta."

Copia vs NookStudy/Blackboard in College Market?

From The Digital Reader:

I admit we don’t really know what Blackboard adds (to NookStudy), but I think it’s reasonable to assume that students will be able to share their notes, highlights, and other annotations with other students. This could be very similar to what Copia does. Of course, no one has seen either app is talking about it, so what do we know.

If I’m right, then right now Copia are in a race with B&N. They need to get their app out of beta and on to the market before B&N release Nookstudy. If they don’t, then Copia have pretty much lost the academic market. ...

B/N and Blackboard Announce Strategic Partnership

A very shrewd alliance. From CrunchGear:

Barnes & Noble continues to makes inroads into the education, um, space. It just announced that it has teamed up with Blackboard, the Web site/software suite that is used in colleges all over the U.S. (Lord knows I had to use it all the time.) The deal should ensure that college students, starting with the upcoming fall semester, have easy access to electronic textbooks.

It’ll work like this. You log into Blackboard and click over to your literature class. There you’ll find links to all (if any) electronic versions of the books you need to read for the semester, making it easy to purchase and download a semester’s worth of books in no time at all.

There’s also possibilities for NOOKstudy-Blackboard integration. View all your Blackboard assignments from within NOOKstudy, that type of thing. I mean, I guess that’s what we could be looking at.

Maybe even more important to Barnes & Noble: brand awareness. Yeah, we’ve obviously all know of Barnes & Noble, but from now on if a college student logs into his or her Blackboard account and sees notes everywhere to the effect of “Need this book? Download it right now on your Nook!” Considering how absolutely ubiquitous Blackboard is, that’s an awful lot of college students who will be within a few mouse clicks of learning more about nook, NOOKstudy, etc.

Will Tablets Be BMOC (Big Machine on Campus) This Fall? - PCWorld

From PCWorld, re: the inevitable replacement of textbooks with eTextbooks. With regard to NOOKstudy, the writer misses the point when he calls it a strategic mistake for B&N to provide that software for Windows and the Mac OS X, since this "actually gives users a reason not to buy" a Nook. Remember, B&N is not in the business of marketing devices. It is in the business of marketing content within its Nook ecosystem. Therefore, B&N has every reason to extend that ecosystem to the Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, just as it already has extended a Nook app to the iPad, etc.

Barnes & Noble Introduces NOOKstudy -- Online Reading and Study Platform

Press Release:

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS | PowerRating), the world's largest bookseller, today announced that it has developed an integrated software solution for the higher education market. Called NOOKstudy, the feature rich, free software application is the ultimate study tool, enabling students to manage all their digital content -- eTextbooks, class materials, and notes -- on the computing device they rely on most, their PC or Mac. NOOKstudy, developed with input from students and leading higher education institutions, delivers a superior digital reading experience and is the first digital textbook application that enhances the academic experience through unique and customizable study features. ...

Very smart. Software-driven rather than device-driven approach. Also note that B&N, via its college textbook/wholesale division (founded by my late father-in-law, by the way), dominates the college textbook market, bringing a great deal of clout and preemptive penetration to the distribution equation.

Meanwhile, it seems - according to a recent survey - that 50% of U.S. college students plan to acquire an e-reader of some type before the start of the autumn term.

DNAML Announces DNL 2, the Operating System and Device Agnostic eBook Reader

From PR Web:

DNAML Pty Ltd (‘DNAML’) today announced that it has commenced testing of its new DNL 2 eBook format, which is the next generation of its multi-media friendly DNL eBook format.

DNL 2 is designed to be operating system agnostic and work across multiple devices.

“Developing the DNL eBook format to work on multiple operating systems enables the end user to read their eBook on their Slate or iPad device, mobile phone as well as PC’s, laptops, tablet PCs and netbooks with a single purchase” said Adam Schmidt, Managing Director and Founder of DNAML.

In today’s market, device manufacturers are controlling which eBook formats can be read on their devices. This significantly limits the potential proliferation and penetration of eBooks and does not provide a great consumer experience. As a result, the eBook market is becoming oligopolistic and fragmented with multiple proprietary systems, which is not good for publishers or consumers.

DNAML supports openness and a free digital market economy. The new DNL 2 eBook format is operating system and device agnostic, so consumers will be able to freely read DNL 2 eBooks across whatever devices they choose. The DNL 2 format will be open to all distributors, publishers and authors.

DNL 2 is based on the industry standard ePub format and will enable eBooks to be resized where text will be automatically reflowed to suit the screen size of the device, the orientation of the screen, and the font size selected for viewing.

“We see DNL 2 as the security blanket for the publishing industry and consumers” said Schmidt. Consumers will have peace of mind knowing that they have a control centre which stores the purchased eBook, and makes sure it is always available to be retrieved if a device is lost, broken, or replaced.

Publishers will have the option to use the proven ‘Bullet Proof’ DNL DRM eBook security system, which is backed up with a full back office administration system. Most importantly, DNL 2 provides absolute transparency all around. The publisher can see essential data such as sales results, is able to adjust prices and territorial restrictions and much more, all in real time. ...

DNL 2 will support the following Operating Systems

iPhone OS: iPad, iPhone and iPod touch
Android: Devices running Android 1.5+, Android phones, Android tablets
Windows Phone 7: Windows Phone 7 phones
Windows: Windows 98 to Windows 7 on Desktops, Laptops and Tablets
Mac OSX: Mac OSX 10.4 and above, Desktops and Laptops
Linux: Desktops and Laptops
Symbian OS: Mobile phones running Symbian OS
Blackberry OS: Mobile phones running Blackberry OS