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The Digital Reader

Charting the eBook Evolution since 2010

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Entries Tagged as 'Amazon'

Amazon is Now Looking to Monetize FanFic & Once Again Disrupt Publishing

May 22nd, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon, publishing news → 7 Comments

kindleworldslogo._V383881373_[1]Hard-core fans have been writing stories about their favorite characters for nearly as long as books have been published, and now Amazon is going to help them get paid for their work.
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Reading Rainbow Android App Coming to the Kindle Fire?

May 21st, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon, Android, software news → 1 Comment

349696-reading-rainbow-for-ipad.jpgThe kid’s reading app Reading Rainbow has been available for the iPad and iPhone for nearly a year now, and it looks like it might finally be coming to Android.

Amazon sent out a tweet last night with an attached photo that hints at the possibility:

Did Amazon Kill Off the Kindle Keyboard?

May 17th, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon, hardware news → 8 Comments

kindle book stack whiteAmazon has kept their 3rd Kindle model around for nearly 3 years, and today it looks like it is on the way out.

Engadget reported this morning that the Kindle Keyboard 3G model was out of stock at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Normally I wouldn’t have paid attention to the story (Target hasn’t carried the Kindle since last year), but I double checked the reports and it looks like Engadget was half right.
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One of Shelfari’s Most Active Members is a Computer Program, And It Loves KDP eBooks

May 16th, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon, Shelfari, X-Ray → 2 Comments

Shelfari[1]Amazon has long touted the online book community Shelfari as a site where members can assemble virtual bookshelves, contribute details, and generally be bookish. While this is all true, Amazon is also hiding a number of secrets on the site.

Earlier this week I learned that at least one of Shelfari’s members isn’t a person; it’s collection of computer programs and it has been quietly adding book details for some years now. But more importantly, that collection of computer programs is now adding details to ebooks because those ebooks are selling well in the Kindle Store.
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Confirmed: Amazon Bought Liquavista – Color Kindle to Follow?

May 13th, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon, liquavista → 24 Comments

liquavista 1For the past four months I have been saying that Amazon was in the market to buy Samsung’s screen tech company Liquavista, and today I do believe the rumors have come true.

New filings from the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce reveal that Samsung no longer owns Liquavista. As of 29 April, the new owner is listed as a faceless LLC registered out of Delaware.
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Amazon is Now Selling Kindles From 9 Mall Kiosks in Brazil

May 10th, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon, hardware news → 1 Comment

20130116125506691-1400999281[1]Amazon’s rumored US retail stores have turned out to be nothing but wishful thinking, but the same cannot be said for Brazil. One of Amazon’s retail partners started selling Kindles from kiosks in January 2013, and today I learned that the partnership has been expanded to include more locations.
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Amazon is Working on a Smartphone With a 3D Screen, But That Doesn’t Mean It Will Ever See the Light of Day

May 9th, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon, hardware rumors, Rumors → No Comments

Still not the smartphone you are looking for.

Still not the smartphone you are looking for.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting on a new rumor today that Amazon has a cutting-edge smartphone in the works:

One of the devices is a high-end smartphone featuring a screen that allows for 3-D images without glasses, these people said. Using retina-tracking technology, images on the smartphone would seem to float above the screen like a hologram and appear three-dimensional at all angles, they said. Users may be able to navigate through content using just their eyes, two of the people said.
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Ten Examples That Show Apple’s Special Snowflake Page Turn Isn’t Nearly as Special As They Think (video)

May 7th, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon, Android, Apple, Barnes & Noble, iOS, Nook, video → 7 Comments

223913-apple-ipad-wi-fi-ibooks-page-turn[1]When Apple was awarded a patent on the page turn in late 2012, more than a few bloggers and tech experts rolled their eyes. This common and basic feature seemed both obvious and easy to replicate, so many of us didn’t think it deserved a patent.

That’s what I thought, at least, but it wasn’t until last week that I realized quite how obvious and common page turn animations really were.
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Amazon Launches New Best Seller Lists for Audiobooks

May 6th, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon, audiobook → 1 Comment

new_audible_horizontal._V188360181_[1]It’s been pretty clear for a while now that Amazon is interested in building up the audiobook market, and today I learned that Amazon has taken another step towards that goal.
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Deleted: ARD Documentary On Living Conditions Of Amazon’s Contract Workers Allegedly Fiction

May 5th, 2013 by Nate Hoffelder · Amazon → 11 Comments

amazon frown

This notice replaces a post that contained numerous errors. The original post was a criticism of the February 2012 ARD documentary about living conditions for Amazon’s contract workers.

The post was originally based on several German language news stories (and a news article in English) that I thought corroborated each other. I was wrong; all those stories were based on the unsubstantiated claims made by lawyers working for one of Amazon’s contractors. Most of the stories I read were in fact based on the same press release.

My biggest mistake here was not in relying on those articles. No, I regret not spending more time wondering why Spiegel, Zeit, other mainstream German news sources, and news sites that cover the German publishing industry ignored this story.

I should have paid more attention to that clue. If I had I would have dropped this post long before I wrote it. Clearly there is a filter error here and it is one I will need to correct.