BookBotics

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Microsoft and Barnes & Noble Tie the Nook

A distinct shift in the e-book market is potentially on the horizon with the recent news that Microsoft are teaming up with Barnes & Noble (B&N). This is potentially a very powerful pairing, and one that will no doubt have Amazon and Apple on their guard.

The B&E/Microsoft partnership will take the form of a new Barnes & Nobles subsidiary, incorporating the B&N College and digital businesses.

According to B&N, the following will be on the cards for the new subsidiary:

A NOOK application for Windows 8.
Educators and students will have access to NOOK study software, a platform that will facilitate distribution and management of digital resources in the education sector.

Microsoft’s partnership with B&N, places it head to head with Apple who announced their intention to enter educational publishing in January this year and who are currently accelerating their efforts in the educational publishing sphere

B&N Media release (30 May 2012)
(Source: Barnes & Noble)

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Resolving the Riddle of Amazon’s “e-Commerce Sphinx”

The impetus of Amazon’s business model is considered in this article, which responds to Ben Z. Rose’s argument that Amazon is an “e-Commerce Sphinx”.

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Gamification of E-Books

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Considering the Internet Age: A Response to Adam Gopnik (Part 1)

The “reality of machines can outpace the imagination of magic”, comments essayist and commentator, Adam Gopnik. The following editorial responds to some of the propositions made by Gopnik in ‘How the Internet Gets Inside Us’, an essay which considers the state of the human condition in the Internet Age.

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Considering the Internet Age: A Response to Adam Gopnik (Part 2)

A continuation of the editorial in response to Adam Gopnik’s ‘How the Internet Gets Inside Us’.

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Rivalry Deepens as Subscription Plans Announced by Google and Apple

As Google Inc. and Apple Inc announced details about their respective publishing models earlier this week, it became evident that the rivalry has moved well beyond competition over mobile devices.

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The Shock of the Petabyte Age and Beyond

While a recent report by Toffler Associates framed predictions about the “Petabyte Age” for the year 2050, an examiniation of the current state of society and technology suggests that the Petabyte Age may already have dawned.

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Considering the Intersection between Market Research and Publishing Business Models

The emergence of content on demand business models seek to cater to and monetise the niche interests of consumers. While some content on demand media companies have experienced success, there has also been a great deal of criticism of the business model which some commentators have labelled “content farms”.

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The Agency Pricing Model: Responding to the Ghost of Industries Past

Investigations into whether certain arrangements between publishers and retailers breach competition laws present an interesting snapshot of the “mentality” of the publishing industry. In particular, the investigations demonstrate the impact that the mistakes of previous industries have had on the publishing industry.

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Tracing the Global Smart Phone Trend

Global trends in mobile phone sales show a distinct shift toward smart phones.

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The E-book and App Equation

Recent data presented at the Digital World Book conference in New York raises some interesting questions about the future of apps as a vehicle for publishers of e-books.

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The Future of the ISBN in the Digital Era

While the practice of ISBN allocation for digital content remains uncertain, some guidelines have been established to clarify the process.

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Pearson Acquires 76% Shareholding in TutorVista

Pearson’s recent increased acquisition in TutorVista gives the educational publisher a 76% shareholding in one of the largest online education resources

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Lending Kindle Books: To Share and Share a Like

Amazon’s recent decision to enable borrowing and lending of Kindle books has created a new cluster of Kindle communities, centered around sharing Kindle books.

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Wattpad’s Stats on the Use of Smart Phones for e-Reading

Wattpad releases its Metric Report for Q3 with some interesting statistics about the use of smart phones for e-book consumption and other user trends.

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Examining the “Social” in Reading

The recent launch of social e-reading platform, Copia, brings to mind the ways in which reading has always been a social activity.

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Augmented Reality Looks Pretty Good

Martin Kovacovsky and Marius Hugli demonstrate the concept of augmented reality and its potential for the future of the book in their version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’.

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Pushing Content via Smartphones – The Other Delivery Channel

Electric Literature’s vision for a vibrant market for literature through the use of new technologies and distribution channels.

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Dracula for iPad – Will You Open the Door this Halloween?

Released by Padworx for Apple iPad, ‘Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition’ is a combination of text, animation, gameplay and interactive touch screen technology all used to create an e-book reading experience controlled by the reader.

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The Agency Model and How it Will Change Publishing

A brief analysis of how the implementation of the agency model would change the way the publishing industry operates.

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Kindle Singles: Re-Designing the Forms of Publishing

Amazon’s announcement of Kindle Singles creates a new written structure and a new method of distribution that may have significant repercussions for popular conceptions of the written word.

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Eminem Decision Clarifies License v Sale Distinction

A dissection of the recent Eminem decision which differentiated “sales” and “licenses” where music is sold as a permanent download by third parties, such as iTunes, with a short summary of how it may effect publishing.

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Google Editions: Reviewing Google’s Cloud Vision for Books

A review of the landmark settlement in relation to Google Book Search settlement and how it cemented Google’s place in the e-book market.

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Outsell Presents a Common Sense 360 View on Mobile Devices

Outsell releases initial findings on the reading practices of mobile device users and how it effects the magazine publishing industry.

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Floating Terms: The “Publishing Business Model”

Elsevier’s recent announcement of its article-based publishing model sparks a discussion about the term “publishing business model” and what it means for publishers and consumers today.

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PubIt!: A Case Study in What Marketing Means for Self-Publishers

The launch of PubIt! by Barnes and Noble offers many exciting new possibilities, but also many potential impediments to authors brought about by a truncation of the publishing process.

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Books for Prisoners, the Cost of Piracy, and Alleged Transaction Scheme Infringements

Legal news covering prisoner access to books, the cost of piracy for book publishers and an infringement lawsuit brought against technology companies due to their use of particular transaction schemes.

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Amazon, Android and a Leaked Distribution Agreement

A recent doccument purporting to be a leaked copy of Amazon’s proposed App Store Distribution Agreements prompts speculation about some interesting prospects for the app market.

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Monocle Magazine: A Case Study in the Fusion of Technology and Traditional Publishing

The magazine monocle presents us with a brilliant example of how digital technology can be used to extend the reading experiences we usually get from standard formats like magazines and books.

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In the Ring: Author Royalties vs Publisher Royalties

At a recent Publishers Weekly panel, Paul Aiken, Executive Director for the Authors Guild, was asked to calculate just how much profit publishers make on the sale of e-books. He obliged, took the audience through a tobaggan ride of math and came up with some interesting figures.

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The Future of the Book According to IDEO

Summary and short commentary on IDEO’s three proposals for the future of the book, including Nelson, Coupland and Alice. The commentary draws upon other media such as Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain and touches upon the influence a concept like Alice would have on interactive and non-linear narratives in fiction.

Considering the "Dedicated Reading Experience"

A short response to statements made by Kobo CEO Michael Serbinis about the “dedicated reading experience” and how it affects consumer preferences for various e-readers. This BookBotics blog response considers the marketplace that is possible for consumers who view e-readers as an opportunity for advancements in contemporary reading practices.

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Microsoft and Barnes & Noble Tie the Nook

Resolving the Riddle of Amazon’s “e-Commerce Sphinx”

Gamification of E-Books

Considering the Internet Age: A Response to Adam Gopnik (Part 1)

Considering the Internet Age: A Response to Adam Gopnik (Part 2)

Rivalry Deepens as Subscription Plans Announced by Google and Apple

The Shock of the Petabyte Age and Beyond

Considering the Intersection between Market Research and Publishing Business Models

The Agency Pricing Model: Responding to the Ghost of Industries Past

Tracing the Global Smart Phone Trend

The E-book and App Equation

The Future of the ISBN in the Digital Era

Pearson Acquires 76% Shareholding in TutorVista

Lending Kindle Books: To Share and Share a Like

Wattpad’s Stats on the Use of Smart Phones for e-Reading

Examining the “Social” in Reading

Augmented Reality Looks Pretty Good

Pushing Content via Smartphones – The Other Delivery Channel

Dracula for iPad – Will You Open the Door this Halloween?

The Agency Model and How it Will Change Publishing

Kindle Singles: Re-Designing the Forms of Publishing

Eminem Decision Clarifies License v Sale Distinction

Google Editions: Reviewing Google’s Cloud Vision for Books

Outsell Presents a Common Sense 360 View on Mobile Devices

Floating Terms: The “Publishing Business Model”

PubIt!: A Case Study in What Marketing Means for Self-Publishers

Books for Prisoners, the Cost of Piracy, and Alleged Transaction Scheme Infringements

Amazon, Android and a Leaked Distribution Agreement

Monocle Magazine: A Case Study in the Fusion of Technology and Traditional Publishing

In the Ring: Author Royalties vs Publisher Royalties

The Future of the Book According to IDEO

Considering the "Dedicated Reading Experience"

From Paintings on Stone Walls and Papyrus to E-Paper – Mediums of Reading

Print on Demand: There’s a New Pod in Town

Are Newsgames A Possible Future for News Journalism?

The Blog to Book Publishing Model

Random House Launches its First Interactive E-Book

Kindle Digital Text Platform and its Royalty Options

Defining "Progress" in the Context of e-Books