iOS8 and iBooks

9 June 2014 by particularkev

The link below is to an article that takes a look at the upcoming iOS 8 operating system and iBooks.

For more visit:
http://goodereader.com/blog/digital-publishing/ios8-means-ebook-discovery-for-indie-authors

Dropbox acquires and absorbs reading app Readmill; app will be shut down

30 March 2014 by particularkev

Dropbox has acquired the iOS (s AAPL) and Android (s GOOG) ebook reading app Readmill, and the app will be shut down. Readmill confirmed the news on its blog Friday following a TechCrunch report Thursday.

Readmill was a Berlin-based startup that had become popular for the clean, streamlined ebook reading service it provided; its support for Adobe (s ADBE) DRM meant readers could buy ebooks from platforms like Kobo and Nook (s BKS) and then read them on Readmill’s apps. In recent months, Readmill had added a book discovery feature and partnered with the Guardian, the Atavist, startup Livrada and nearly 100 other independent publishers and digital bookstores to let them sell ebooks directly through their websites.

That’s not the part Dropbox was interested in, though. Readmill’s technology also allowed users to share and leave notes for each other within ebooks and it sounds as if that’s the reason for…

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A Step by Step Guide to Evaluating Your ePub Files

10 February 2014 by particularkev

The link below is to an article/tutorial that looks at how you can evaluate an ePub file on a kidnle, iPad and Smartphone.

For more visit:
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2014/01/a-step-by-step-guide-to-evaluating-your-epub-files-on-kindles-ipads-and-smartphones/

The Netflix of kids’ books? Epic launches on iPad for $9.99/month

29 January 2014 by particularkev

Gigaom

The Netflix(s nflx) monthly subscription model is a hit for movies and TV, and is spreading to music with paid versions of services like Pandora and Spotify. In 2014, it looks like the model could finally catch on for e-books.

On Tuesday, a company called Epic launched a service that offers children a monthly library of over 2,000 children’s books on the iPad, including popular titles like Olivia, the Berenstain Bears and Mr. Popper’s Penguins. The books arrive instantly through streaming, and the service also provides features like personalized recommendations and off-line access. Here are some more titles:

Epic’s launch comes weeks after Oyster, which my colleague Laura Owen last year crowned the Netflix of e-books, received a major investment to expand its $9.95 ebook service aimed at adults.

It’s obviously too soon to say how Epic will fare but, as with any monthly subscription service…

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Ebook subscription startup Oyster expands to iPad and opens to all; some stats from Scribd

17 October 2013 by particularkev

Gigaom

Oyster, the Peter Thiel-backed startup that aims to be a Netflix (s NFLX) for ebooks, was iPhone-only and invite-only for its first six weeks. On Wednesday, though, Oyster launched its iPad (s AAPL) app and opened up to everyone. And it is now offering a free 30-day trial of its service — which is essential, since consumers are still very unfamiliar with ebook subscription services.

When I reviewed Oyster six weeks ago, I was impressed by its design and its offerings — over 100,000 in-copyright ebooks for $9.95 a month. But I thought the app’s lack of availability on iPad was a big drawback because I think it’s hard to do serious reading on an iPhone. The launch on iPad remedies this problem, of course, and subscribers’ books will sync between both devices.

Oyster’s design on iPad is great, just as the iPhone app design is. One feature…

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More gadgets, more reading: Survey suggests e-reader and tablet owners read more books

8 October 2013 by particularkev

Gigaom

A new survey from USA Today and book discovery website Bookish finds that U.S. adults who own a tablet or e-reader read more books than the device-less. The survey also found differences in reading habits between adults under 40 and adults over 40.

The survey polled 1,000 adults nationwide and an additional 819 adults who own an e-reader or tablet. Overall, it found that 40 percent of adults — and 46 percent of those between 18 and 39 — owned a tablet or e-reader, “doubling the numbers from less than two years ago.”

Thirty-five percent of those who owned a device said they read more since getting it. Of the device owners, those ages 18-39 had read an average of 21 books in the past year, while respondents ages 40 and over had read an average of 16 books in the past year.

Those who didn’t own a device read…

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Article: Warning – Update Kindle iOS App Before iOS7

11 September 2013 by particularkev

The link below is to an article reporting on an important warning for Kindle iOS App users – update the app prior to installing iOS7 or you may loose ebooks.

For more visit:
http://www.mediabistro.com/appnewser/update-your-kindle-ios-app-before-installing-ios-7-or-lose-books_b40466