Yesterday Oyster announced on their blog that they will be closing the doors on their ebook subscription service after just 2 years of being in business. Oyster’s explanation is rather vague and ambiguous; the post reads more like a plug for reading on mobile phones than a business closure statement. Giving customers an honest explanation […]
eBooks
First Look at Kindle Word Runner, New Speed Reading Feature (Video)
Yesterday Amazon announced a new lineup of Fire tablets for 2015. One of the changes with this year’s tablets is an updated user interface and updated software. The new software version is called Fire OS 5 “Bellini”; it’s based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. One of the new features that it adds to Fire tablets is […]
Kindle Scout Program Launches Internationally
Today Amazon issued a press release announcing the expansion of their Kindle Scout publishing platform into international markets. Kindle Scout first launched back in October 2014 in the US. The way it works is authors submit previously unpublished ebooks, and the beginning few pages/chapters get posted on the Kindle Scout website for readers to nominate. […]
Amazon Brings Kindle Unlimited to India
Kindle Unlimited, Amazon’s ebook subscription service, has launched in India. It grants subscribers unlimited access to a library of over 1 million ebooks for a monthly fee. The introductory price is Rs.99 a month, but that goes up to 199 next month (even still that only equates to about $3 USD so it’s a lot […]
Scribd’s Subscription Service Changing Unlimited Audiobooks Plan
Last November Scribd added audiobooks to their ebook subscription plan, which costs $8.99 per month to get unlimited access to Scribd’s library of several hundred thousand ebooks. Since then audiobooks have been apart of the unlimited monthly plan, but now that’s going to change. Starting September 20th, Scribd will be switching to an audiobook credit […]
Kindle eBooks with Enhanced Typesetting Use New KFX Kindle Format
Yesterday Amazon released a major software update for their line of Kindle ebook readers. The update includes a new Bookerly font custom made for Kindles and a new typesetting and layout engine that adds things like hyphens, ligatures, and improved word spacing. One interesting detail to come out about the new layout engine is that […]
Kobo Partners with Book Retailers in Mexico to Expand eReading Market
Yesterday Kobo announced that they’ve partnered with two of Mexico’s top book retailers, Libreria Porrúa and Gandhi, to offer a full range of ebooks, Kobo’s ebook readers and ereading services to customers in Mexico. Libreria Porrúa and Gandhi operate nearly 100 retail bookstores in Mexico. They are competitors but in partnering with Kobo they’ve jointly […]
OverDrive Expands into Japan, But Why No Kobo Tie-in Yet?
Earlier this past week, OverDrive announced that they have just launched their library lending services in Japan. The Ryugasaki Public Library is the first Japanese public library to offer OverDrive’s digial collection to patrons. The Itako Public Library is also getting set to launch their new OverDrive-powered website soon. The lending program provides access to […]