Plastic Logic unveiled QUE (pronounced “Q”). More than an eReader, QUE is designed specifically to provide a premium reading experience and access to content anywhere anytime, while simplifying the multi-faceted lifestyle of business professionals. QUE was designed to have the benefits of paper, but without the weight and clutter. Just like paper, QUE is easy to hold and feels good in your hands. But it’s easier to search and find what you’re looking for. The size of a pad of paper, about 1/3 inch thick, and weighing less than many periodicals (about a pound), QUE features a 10.7-inch shatterproof plastic display. In addition to business and professional newspapers, periodicals and eBooks, QUE supports reading and annotating document formats business users need (including PDF, Microsoft Office, ePub documents and more). With the QUE software, you can convert and transfer content from your PC, Mac computer, or BlackBerry smartphone to your QUE. QUE has integrated reviewing tools. Add a note and use the virtual keyboard to include your comments, highlight text, scribble free form, and even add a stamp to emphasize a point. The QUE Store offers a collection of reading material especially geared to the business professional. QUE users will be able to connect to fresh content on-the-go, on the QUE Store: to search, purchase and download wirelessly via Wi-Fi and AT&T’s 3G network. Plastic Logic also announced new partnerships, including the Down Jones company and the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and All Things Digital, Forbes and Fast Company, Sporting News and major regional newspapers, including the Sacramento Bee, Miami Herald, and San Jose Mercury News. These publications join previously announced strategic partnerships with Financial Times, USA Today, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, MIT Technology Review, Popular Science, and IDG publication titles including CIO, Network World, and Computerworld. Publications on the QUE Store are available ranging from one-time use to ongoing subscriptions. The price for QUE will range from $649.00 for the 4GB QUE model with WiFi that holds up to 35,000 documents, to $799.00 for the 8GB QUE model with WiFi and 3G that holds up to 75,000 documents. Preorders for the QUE proReader may be placed at the QUE Store. Beginning in mid-April 2010, QUE will be available for shipping. Later in 2010, QUE will be available through the Barnes & Noble stores nationwide and online at Barnes & Noble.com http://www.QUE.com, http://www.PlasticLogic.com
Day: January 7, 2010
WoodWing has released its Enterprise 7 Publishing System. Enterprise 7 comes with improvements for magazine, newspaper, book and corporate publishers. The Enterprise 7 publishing system is being backed by new versions of Content Station – WoodWing’s multichannel publishing tool for content producers – and the Smart Connection plug-ins for Adobe InDesign and InCopy. Focus for the version 7 release has been on new Search 2.0 functionality, refinement of cross-media and social media publishing, as well as usability improvements and extended platform support. Enterprise’s out-of-the-box integration with the Drupal open-source Web CMS has been enhanced, and additional integrations have been developed to make publishing to social media networks, such as Twitter, Facebook and Flickr easy and efficient. Many other integrations exist. Users of Content Station 7 now also have access to Search 2.0 options. When running a search, results are classified. Parallel workflow is being supported by updated versions of the Smart Connection Plug-ins, providing a streamlined integration with Adobe InDesign and InCopy. Designers and editors have direct access to content in the Enterprise repository from within their Adobe applications. Supported by workflow options, users can work simultaneously on layout and text, and communicate using sticky notes and comments. In the background, Enterprise keeps track of versions and takes care of production security. Enterprise 7 is ready to support all latest platforms, including Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7, Mac OS 10.6 “Snow Leopard” and Adobe CS4. The memory footprint of Enterprise has been reduced and the server performance has increased. http://www.woodwing.com
Jive announced the acquisition of privately-held Filtrbox, a social media monitoring (SMM) company. Jive will integrate the Filtrbox real-time social media monitoring and engagement capabilities into the Jive SBS platform to help enterprises harness the the social web and change the way they make decisions, develop products, go to market, and engage with customers, prospects and brand influencers. Initially, Jive will integrate Filtrbox technology into the Jive Market Engagement solution, the first solution to combine SMM with the power of collaborative SBS to implement a unified social media engagement strategy. Jive first signaled its belief in the power of harnessing real-time conversations in September 2009 when it announced the Market Engagement Solution. At that time, Jive announced an alliance with SMM provider Radian6. Jive will continue to support customers who use an integrated Jive-Radian6 solution and will continue its alliance with Radian6. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. www.jivesoftware.com/, http://www.filtrbox.com
FastPencil announced their eBook Publish-Ready Format for eReaders offering an authoring solution to ensure an author’s book can be read anywhere today and in the future. FastPencil provides authors with an end-to-end publishing platform where they can maintain control of the content creation, price, distribution and sales activity. FastPencil gives eBook authors flexibility. For instance, authors can take individual book chapters and create eBook editions to promote the larger work. Short-story writers can also use FastPencil to create and publish their stories. Also, as eReaders incorporate multi-media, such as video, audio, animation, slides presentations and games, FastPencil will provide support. FastPencil Publish-Ready Format Features: Auto-generate table of contents, Auto-pagination, Auto-merge into professional book design template, Auto-merge into eBook formats, and Uphold Industry standards compliance (title page, copyright, ISBN). The FastPencil eBook Publish-Ready Format is available now at http://www.FastPencil.com
