Recently in eBook Category

Google has opened its ebook store in the UK having signed deals with major UK publishers. According to the company it has signed deals with Hachette, Random House, Penguin and other publishers, and claims the service will offer hundreds of thousands of titles for sale. The company said it would also offer more than two million free, public domain books. Google said readers could buy books from the Google eBookstore, purchase them from one of its bookseller partners or from the Android Market, with ebooks stored in an online library and accessible across devices from laptops and tablets to smartphones and ebook readers. Google Books apps are now available for the iPhone and iPad, as well as Android devices. However, Kindle owners will miss out on Google's offering, with the Amazon device not supported. http://books.google.com/

First Edition Design eBook Publishing has entered into an eBook aggregator agreement with Sony. First Edition Design Publishing, based in Sarasota, Florida USA, will amass eBooks and submit them to Sony for distribution to Sony’s end-users. First Edition Design eBook Publishing converts publisher’s and independent author’s files, formats them to the necessary type and size for various e-readers and submits them submits them to their national and international distribution associates. First Edition Design eBook Publishing is also a licensed and approved aggregator for Apple, Amazon, Google and Nielsen, a worldwide supplier of eBooks to libraries, schools, colleges, universities and booksellers. Additionally, as master distributors, First Edition Design eBook Publishing sends eBooks to Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Diesel and numerous other online retailers. http://www.firsteditiondesign.com/ http://ebookstore.sony.com/

The recently launched 3M Cloud Library now uses the 3M Cloud-ID, for its login process. The 3M Cloud-ID uses a patron's existing library barcode and PIN to authenticate the patron and allow checkout of eBooks from the 3M Cloud Library, as opposed to using a library ID/PIN for authentication and a separate third party ID/PIN as used by existing eLending providers. 3M Cloud-ID streamlines the user experience by leveraging the credentials a patron already has from the library, making it simple for library patrons to navigate the system, typically with minimal to no assistance from library staff. The 3M Cloud Library offers a growing catalog of material, with new publishing agreements signed with ABC-CLIO, Baker Publishing Group, John Wiley & Sons, Quayside Publishing Group (Fair Winds Press, Quarry Books, Zenith Press and other imprints), Skyhorse Publishing and Workman Publishing. To date, more than 40 publishers have joined the system including HarperCollins, IPG and Random House, bringing the total 3M Cloud Library offering to more than 100,000 titles. The 3M Cloud Library has also added four new beta sites in recent months, with library staff soon to begin training on the system. http://www.3m.com/

The results of Aptara's third annual eBook survey of publishers provide insight into eBooks' real impact on book publishers' production and business models. Representing more than 1,300 book publishers from the Trade, Education, Professional, and Corporate markets, the report documents eBook trends, challenges, and strategies that have emerged since Aptara's first survey in 2009. Here are some highlights from the three Aptara surveys conducted over two years: One out of five eBook publishers generate more than 10% of their revenues from eBooks; Trade publishers' rate of eBook production rose from 50% to 76% in two years; Two out of three eBook publishers have not converted the majority of their backlist (legacy) titles to eBooks; Publishers still rely most heavily on Amazon for distribution, but do so less and less; This trend is more attributed to the proliferation of other platforms and channels, particularly EPUB-based, than a decline in actual sales for Amazon; Publishers' own eCommerce sites generate the greatest percentage of sales for all publishing market segments other than Trade; and most eBook production still follows outdated print production models at the expense of improved operational efficiency. http://www.aptaracorp.com/home/survey

Microsoft is discontinuing Microsoft Reader effective August 30, 2012, which includes download access of the Microsoft Reader application from the Microsoft Reader website. However, customers may continue to use and access the Microsoft Reader application and any .lit materials on their PCs or devices after the discontinuation on August 30, 2012. New content for purchase from retailers in the .lit format will be discontinued on November 8, 2011. http://www.microsoft.com/reader/

Google announced that they made a new feature for users to share the books they are reading on the new Google+ social network. Any book on Google books, whether it is a free or paid book, can be shared with your Circles. This feature allows one to share books, passages and details, such as cover art and the description, with friends. To share a book, visit the “About the Book” page on the Google Book listing and click “Share.” While sharing books, one can also "+1" them, and the titles will appear in on the Google+ profile under the +1 tab. http://books.google.com/

Amazon plans to release a tablet computer by October, people familiar with the matter said according to the Wall Street Journal. While Amazon has long offered digital content on its website, it's hardware focus has been content-limited Kindle eReaders. As Amazon attempts to enter streaming video and other "richer" media markets, it sounds logical that they start selling their own hardware which can support and tie-in with these services (as they had done with the Kindle). The details of the Amazon tablet still remain vague before it's official announcement, but it is expected to run on the Android OS and is not expected to have features such as a camera. http://www.amazon.com/

Datalogics announced the availability of DL Reader, a customizable eBook app for iOS and Android. Ebook publishers and content providers can use DL Reader to build a branded EPUB and PDF viewer tied to their eBookstore. The look-and-feel of the app can be tailored to fit corporate branding guidelines without any programming effort. DL Reader is based on Adobe Reader Mobile SDK technology from Adobe Systems- features include: Viewing of both EPUB and PDF files; Compatible with Adobe Content Server; Supports Adobe's DRM, including device-restricted and time-limited eBooks; Automatically reorients display as the device is rotated (orientation can be locked by the user); Includes "Store" button to transfer user to a specific bookstore URL (Android only); Can be branded with custom icons, splash screens, etc. and be preloaded with content from your eBookstore; User interface supports 11 languages: Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian), and Spanish; support for additional languages can be added. DL Reader was developed in response to demand from recent Adobe Content Server (ACS) customers who wanted to deploy a custom eReader app to reflect their brand identity and connect to their bookstores. Developing a custom eReader app from the ground up can take months, and requires technical resources familiar with developing mobile apps. www.datalogics.com

J.K. Rowling has announced Pottermore.com, which will serve as a digital storefront for her Harry Potter franchise. This will be the first time the books are available as ebooks. The site will feature 18,000 words worth of new writing, which help build on characters, places and objects for the site, as well as a series of interactive web experiences and gaming elements. Pottermore will feature various interactive social elements for the fan community. Rowling could use registration data to directly communicate and promote any new initiatives to an opt-in audience. http://www.pottermore.com/

In November 2007, Amazon introduced the Kindle and began selling Kindle books. By July 2010, Kindle book sales had surpassed hardcover book sales, and six months later, Kindle books overtook paperback books to become the most popular format on Amazon.com. Amazon has now announced that customers are now purchasing more Kindle books than all print books - hardcover and paperback - combined. Since April 1, for every 100 print books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 105 Kindle books. This includes sales of hardcover and paperback books by Amazon where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the number even higher. So far in 2011, the growth of Kindle book sales, combined with the continued growth in Amazon's print book sales, have resulted in the fastest year-over-year growth rate for Amazon's U.S. books business, in both units and dollars, in over 10 years. This includes books in all formats, print and digital. In the five weeks since its introduction, Kindle with Special Offers is already the bestselling member of the Kindle family in the U.S. Amazon sold more than 3x as many Kindle books so far in 2011 as it did during the same period in 2010. http://www.amazon.com/