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Cory Doctorow: Put Not Your Faith In Ebook Readers (Locus)

Two fascinating lumps of white plastic hit major snags this past Christmas. One was the Nintendo Wii, a surprise smash-hit game console that compensates for its relatively crude graphics with ingenious gameplay based on a controller outfitted with accelerometers that let you interact with the console by waving your arms around. The other was the Amazon Kindle, an "E-Ink"-based e-book reader that, like its competition, the Sony Reader, delivers long battery life and superb screen quality in a slim and sexy form-factor that is just about the right size to slip into a large-ish coat pocket.

Both devices had the same problem: they sold out completely and new units could not be manufactured in time for Christmas. Both devices spawned entire Internet tool-suites dedicated to helping frustrated would-be purchasers locate their own unit. Amazon was selling 17 Wiis per second at the height of the fever, and more than one enterprising hacker whomped up a little pinger that would obsessively check Amazon for notice of new stock and then IM, email or SMS you the instant the Wii went back on the block.

(more . . .)

Recycle your old Palm: Palm Take Back & Recycling Program

Palm's environmental stewardship program leads us to use environmentally friendly materials, reduce waste, and develop the highest standards in electronics recycling. Our recycling program strives to keep Palm Handhelds and Treo smartphones out of landfills- and we gladly take other companies' devices and all related accessories

....This program allows us to evaluate and disposition handhelds and mobile phones for reuse and recycling to prevent them from going into landfills. Our program safely reclaims metals and also isolates heavy metals, protecting the environment and making these available for reuse.

...Simply place your handhelds, mobile phones and related accessories (chargers, headsets, memory cards) into a box large enough for you to safely send in all your retired mobile devices, apply the postage-paid mailing label, and put it in a mailbox or bring it to the post office. It's free!! Please note that you are responsible for removing all personal information before submitting devices to the Palm recycling program.

(more. . .)

eReader Pro Now Available for Free (Palm InfoCenter)

Fictionwise, the new owners of eReader.com, have made the eReader Pro versions of its ebook software available for free. The enhanced Palm OS and Windows Mobile Pro application formerly sold for $14.95, then shortly following the purchase Fictionwise lowered the price to $4.95. According to the company the price cut is permanent. The price of the add-on font packs remains unchanged at $14.95 each.

Versions of eReader Pro are available for a number of platforms including Palm OS and Windows Mobile.

Kindle DRM hacked to allow protected Mobipocket ebooks (Gizmodo)

We knew the Kindle's DRM would be cracked the minute we heard about it, and it looks like the first chink in the armor is here courtesy of Igor Skochinsky: he's discovered the algorithm the Kindle uses to turn regular Mobipocket books into Amazon's proprietary .azw format. The hack involves replacing a Mobipocket file's PID with one generated from your Kindle's serial number, and then setting a Kindle-specific flag that allows it to be opened. Igor's posted a couple little Python scripts to handle both of these tasks for you, and it looks like sites like Fictionwise already support the hack. That's all well and good, but we're still waiting patiently for the day when we can tether to that free EV-DO.

The iPhone in Libraries - Metro PDA SIG, Nov. 29th

The next METRO PDA Special Interest Group meeting will take place on Thursday, November 29, 2007, from 3:00-4:30pm at METRO headquarters, 57 East 11th Street, 4th floor.

The topic will be: The iPhone in Libraries - Apple's iPhone has been named "the invention of the year" by InformationWeek magazine. Is it really the handheld panacea it seems to be? Join the PDA SIG as we discuss the pros, the cons, and potential library applications for the iPhone and related devices. Linda Braun will on hand to demo her iPhone and share her experiences. If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or some other new & nifty handheld device, please feel free to bring it and share your experience as well.

To learn more about the PDA & Handheld Computing SIG, visit our brand new wiki.

Amazon introduces the Kindle ebook

Amazon has introduced the Kindle ebook, a wireless portable reading device:

• Amazon product page
• Introducing Amazon Kindle (press release)
• Amazon's Kindle : first impressions
• Amazon Kindle Roundup (Gawker)
• 15 Things I Just Learned About the Amazon Kindle (BoingBoing)
• Amazon Kindle might be the worst thing that could happen to e-books? (MobileRead)

Palm: No Plans to Join Google's Open Handset Alliance (Palm InfoCenter)

Palm Inc. has no plans to join Google's newly announced Open Handset Alliance at this time according to statements from Palm representatives when reached for comment today.

Google's new Linux based mobile operating system announced earlier today is backed by a new consortium of companies called the Open Handset Alliance and notably includes many of Palm's current partners and competitors. Google's efforts with Android will directly compete with Palm's own mobile linux project as well as its Windows Mobile business.

(more. . .)

RIM releases BlackBerry software for small business (CBC News)

Research In Motion Ltd. is looking to expand its reach with smaller businesses by introducing software that allows firms to link their BlackBerry devices and e-mail systems.

The BlackBerry Professional software, which allows a business's e-mail server to transmit to the devices, is aimed at companies with 30 or fewer people. Smaller companies previously had to shell out for separate server computers to perform the same function. The software, with a five-user licence, sells for $499 U.S., or $849 U.S. for 10 users. (more . . .)

Palm debuts the Centro phone

The Centro will debut for $99 with a two-year service agreement and an additional $50 instant savings and $100 mail-in rebate. In addition, customers will have to sign up for a data plan that is $25+ more per month, such as the Ultimate Pack, the Pro Pack or one of the Phone as Modem plans in order to qualify for the $99 deal.

The Palm Centro runs Palm OS Garnet v5.4.9. It has a Dual-band CDMA2000 EvDO phone radio, a 320x320 pixel touchscreen, Bluetooth v1.2, a 1.3 megapixel digital camera with video capture and 64MB of memory. It has a external microSD expansion slot that supports microSD cards up to 4GB.

The Centro has dimensions of 4.22" (L) x 2.11" (W) x 0.73" (D) (107 x 54 x 18.5 mm) and weighs in at 4.2 oz (119g). It has a 1150mAh removable battery that is good for a claimed 3.5 hours talk time and 3 days standby. (from PalmInfocenter.com)

PC Magazine has a full review of the Palm Centro.

Research Survey About Enterprise Mobility

Palm, Inc. is preparing to publish an academic article on Enterprise Mobility Strategies in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology's Tennenbaum Institute. This article will be published in a special edition about Enterprise Mobility in Information, Knowledge and Systems Management by IOS Press.

In preparation for this article, we would like to invite you to participate in a brief survey concerning how your organization supports mobility. By participating in the survey, you will be eligible to receive a complementary copy of the published article ($20 value).

To take the survey, please use the following link: http://tinyurl.com/yo6o73

Apple Cuts IPhone Price, Angers Some (AP)

By MAY WONG

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple Inc.'s price cut of its iPhone and new lineup of iPod players are expected to ring in healthy holiday sales, but Wall Street investors accustomed to Apple's meaty profit margins appear a bit disappointed.

Apple stock dropped $2.13, or 1.6 percent, to $134.63, in Thursday morning trading. On Wednesday, after the price cut was announced, shares fell 5 percent.

Meanwhile, gadget enthusiasts who snapped up the ballyhooed iPhone before Wednesday are coping with a bitter aftertaste now that it is $200 cheaper within 10 weeks of its introduction.

The price cut, from $599 to $399 for the 8-gigabyte iPhone, immediately set off a debate on online tech forums between early adopters, who said paying a premium price came with the territory, and those who said they felt burned. The price reduction was too much too soon, some complained.

In a discussion on The Unofficial Apple Weblog site, the views were split evenly. (more. . .)

Palm cancels the development of Foleo!

Wow, its all over the news and blogs...surprise news from Palm about cancelling the development of their new gadget, Foleo. I found a related story on last night's entry from the Engadget's Blog:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/04/palm-kills-the-foleo-dead/

Read the official notice on the Palm Blog:
http://blog.palm.com/palm/2007/09/a-message-to-pa.html

HarperCollins offers digital book content for iPhone (Reuters)

Wed., Aug 15, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Publisher HarperCollins said on Wednesday it would make samples from 14 new book titles available for Apple Inc's Web-browsing iPhone in a new effort to extend publishing into digital formats.

Most of the new books will debut in August and September, with the iPhone-compatible versions available at HarperCollins mobile Web site.

Books available for sampling on the iPhone include "The Burnt House" by Faye Kellerman, "Now and Forever" by Ray Bradbury and "Obama" by David Mendell.
Photo

HarperCollins' "Browse Inside" applications allows readers to sample pages of its books on the Web. The company began to build up its digital warehouse of published material in 2006 with digital technology firm LibreDigital and now has 10,000 titles available.

iPhone subscribers will be able to view the first 10 pages of chapters one and two of the select group of new books in what HarperCollins described as a pilot program.

After sampling the stories, customers can choose to buy or pre-order the book from retailers through the mobile application.

HarperCollins is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Link

How would you change the Sony Reader?

Engadget noticed the Sony Reader at Best Buy, but it didn't seem to have many takers. Their post asks readers how they'd change it: " ... should they have loaded it up with more flash, or at least made it compatible with memory cards bigger than 4GB? Would out-of-the-box support for Mac and Linux users help? How about a non-crippled RSS reader?"

Lot of interesting comments, so be sure to read those, too.

Six Apart to support Palm Foleo (Blog Herald)

Six Apart is working with Palm, Inc. to give Palm Foleo mobile companion customers access to Six Apart’s wide range of blogging services, including Vox, LiveJournal, TypePad and Movable Type. With these services available on the Foleo, users can keep blog and journal entries up to date and stay current with their communities while on the go.

Palm Foleo: Sneak Peek

(Screenshot of the Palm Foleo, showing the Handheld Librarian blog.)

Treo 700w Software Update for Verizon Wireless

Palm has issued a new software update for 700W for Verizon users:

Update features:
* High-speed dial up networking (DUN) – use your Treo smartphone as a wireless modem for fast web access virtually anywhere1. Supports USB and Bluetooth connections.
* Advanced audio support (A2DP) – listen to the clear sounds of high-definition audio with new support for Bluetooth stereo headsets.
* Today Screen enhancements – one-touch access to the Speakerphone and Mute control buttons gives you more freedom than ever.
* Hands-free enhancements – Drive safely and work more efficiently. Get support for even more Bluetooth carkits and the Palm wired carkit.
* Abbreviated dialing preferences – save time with the international dialing prefix and abbreviated dialing for campus environments.

More information about the update.

The iPhone Is a Breakthrough Handheld Computer (Walter Mossberg)

Walt Mossberg's review of the iPhone, along with video.

The iPhone matches most of its hype (IHT)

By David Pogue

Talk about hype. In the last six months, Apple's iPhone has been the subject of 11,000 print articles, and it turns up about 69 million hits on Google. Cultists are camping out in front of Apple stores; bloggers call it the "Jesus phone." All of this before a single consumer has even touched the thing.

So how is it?

As it turns out, much of the hype and some of the criticisms are justified. The iPhone is revolutionary; it's flawed. It's substance; it's style. It does things no phone has ever done before; it lacks features found even on the most basic phones.

Unless you've been in a sensory-deprivation tank for six months, you already know what the iPhone is: a tiny, gorgeous hand-held computer whose screen is a slab of touch-sensitive glass.

The $500 and $600 models have 4 and 8 gigabytes of storage, respectively — room for about 825 or 1,825 songs. (In each case, 700 megabytes is occupied by the phone's software.) That's a lot of money; then again, the price includes a cellphone, video iPod, e-mail terminal, Web browser, camera, alarm clock, Palm-type organizer and one heck of a status symbol.

The phone is so sleek and thin, it makes Treos and BlackBerrys look obese. The glass gets smudgy—a sleeve wipes it clean—but it doesn't scratch easily. I've walked around with an iPhone in my pocket for two weeks, naked and unprotected (the iPhone, that is, not me), and there's not a mark on it.

But the bigger achievement is the software. It's fast, beautiful, menu-free, and dead simple to operate. You can't get lost, because the solitary physical button below the screen always opens the Home page, arrayed with icons for the iPhone's 16 functions. (more. . .)

AT&T details iPhone service plans, activation (InfoWorld)

By Jim Dalrymple Macworld.com, IDG News Service

June 26, 2007

Apple and AT&T; on Tuesday released details of the service plans for the iPhone, which will be released later this week. The iPhone will have three available plans that will start at $59.99.

Individual plans are priced at $59.99 for 450 minutes, $79.99 for 900 minutes and $99.99 for 1,350 minutes.

The two higher-priced monthly plans provide unlimited night and weekend minutes -- for AT&T, night hours start at 9:00 p.m. local time -- while the least expensive sports a 5,000-minute allowance.

iPhone customers can also choose from any of AT&T;'s standard service plans, according to AT&T.

Existing AT&T; customers can add unlimited data for $20 (with 200 text messages), $30 (for 1,500 messages) or $40 (for unlimited texting) a month; several family-style plans will also be available, according to the Apple Web site. Those plans range from $80 per month for 700 shared minutes to $120 monthly for 2,100 shared minutes. All buyers can also keep their existing phone numbers, including transfers of numbers currently served by other mobile carriers. (more. . .)

Admin: Spam and Contributors

A user named "Big Tom" somethow took over the login for one of the contributors to this blog and started posting spam. I've deleted that user and the posts he put up. (Maria, change your passwords asap).

I've also deleted a number of users who have not logged in via the new Google system. Your posts have not been deleted. If you're a past contributor and need an invite back to the blog, please email me at the address in my Blogger profile.

The spammer also embedded some links in the template which I haven't been able to remove yet., (scroll to the bottom). I'd appreciate some help in trying to remove it. I'll probably just have to switch out templates and add the widgets back.

Also, you can help by flagging the spam blogs- click on each those links and then flagging it by clicking on the link at the very top of the page that says "Flag Blog."

Thanks,
Grace

NYPC General meeting: The Sony Reader and Visual Aids for the "Hard of Seeing", Thurs. May 24th

The Sony Reader has been described as an iPod for books. Its screen uses E Ink technology and looks more like a book than a computer display. The Reader is much easier on the eyes than a computer screen, and you can enlarge the fonts. It is great for anyone who likes to read and wonderful for people whose eyes are not as good as they used to be.

Sony and National Association for Visually Handicapped will both be on hand to make presentations.

NAVH will talk about their organization, discuss what types of software and hardware are available and show devices that help people with poor vision read normal books, newspapers, etc. The local distributor for these devices, CTech, will be on hand to demo the devices and answer questions.

Sony will demo the Reader and discuss e-books. The Reader is about the size of a trade paperback, but thinner and lighter. It uses the battery only when changing the page, so battery life is measured in page turns rather than hours of usage. You can go for days or weeks without recharging, depending on use. It is great for travelers or anyone who wants to carry a number of books.

The Reader can display Sony's own proprietary XML based format as well as RTF and PDFs. It will also play MPEG audio, but this drains the battery more quickly. Sony's Connect e-book store sells over 13,000 books of all types. They are adding more every week. More . . .

How to Make Your Cellphone Act Like a BlackBerry (NYT)

When you whip out a BlackBerry or a Treo in public, what does it say about you?

You might think that it says: “I’m an important person who can’t afford to be out of touch. I can do e-mail all day long, and I’ll never miss that critical deal.”

But people around you might be thinking, “Look at that huge, clunky phone,” or “Man, I’d hate to see your monthly bill,” or even, “If you whip out that infernal machine at the dinner table one more time, I’m filing for divorce.”

The thing is, it really can be handy to stay in touch with your e-mail when you’re out and about. Not obsessively — you CrackBerry addicts know who you are — but maybe just a peek now and then.

Fortunately, you no longer need a Treo or BlackBerry to enjoy that luxury. Three new services — from Google, Yahoo and Teleflip — can deliver your e-mail messages directly to ordinary nonsmart cellphones.

The really good news is that all three are free. The really bad news is that each is severely compromised in one way or another. (more. . .)

Cool Tools: Sony Portable Reader

Kevin Kelly of Cool Tools has posted a lengthy review of the Sony Portable Reader. He's pretty
pleased with it, but offers these caveats:

*The Sony Reader eBook format is, of course, proprietary, and the device doesn't support any other proprietary formats (e.g. those from Palm Digital Media). This is mitigated somewhat by the fact that you can use your own PDFs, but it's something to keep in mind if you already have a collection of DRM-protected eBooks from somewhere else.

*The screen "flashes black" every time you turn the page. I have never found this bothersome at all, but it's a weird behavior (apparently an artifact of the E Ink) that you may wish to look at in person before making the purchase.

*It's not particularly good for reference books, as the device currently doesn't have a search function. (However, you can search content you've imported or purchased via the Connect software for the PC.)

*The Connect software is currently not available for the Mac. It is possible to put content directly on an SD card and put it in the Reader, but I've always used the software (which I find quite easy to use), and since I don't have access to a Mac I haven't figured out if there's also some way to get purchased eBooks on the Reader directly.

*The screen does not have a backlight, so if you want to read in the dark you have to use a booklight or some other form of external light. I've used a headlamp in a "reading emergency," which worked great.