Pocket PC eBooks Watch - eBook and beyond  
 http://cebooks.blogspot.com 

eBook Box-Set
In late July, Renaissance E Books quietly introduced three "boxed sets" - collections of previously published novels, which save customers a "ton" of money over the individual title price. To their surprise, some of the customers discovered and ordered these bargains. There's a five-book collection of books by Lynne den Hartog, an eight-book set of (blush) my Dot novels, and a five-book set of titles from three of our authors. After checked out the August releases, click on "Boxed Sets" in any of the menus to see what we have to offer. Please note that the purchase of a boxed set counts as one book towards our 25% discount on orders of four or more books.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Message from Lanternbooks about Free Ebook:
It seems that someone mistakenly wrote that the Microsoft Reader version of "My Year with Harry Potter" is free with any purchase. Unfortunately, the Microsoft Reader version is still being made, so we changed it so that the PDF version is free with any purchase.

posted by Jerry permanent link

iPAQ & Merlin:
Customers can be assured that any iPAQ Pocket PC purchased today is upgradable to future Pocket PC software—a feature unique to the iPAQ.
This means iPAQ users can read DRM5 ebook when the OS update is available, thanks to Saputra for the info.

posted by Jerry permanent link

TIME OUT!
I found funny/lite article about reading the boring phone book:
Hay-Hay! the phone books are out!
I used to look forward to getting the new phone books because the page headings inadvertently paired words to create zany combinations like Dry-Editorial, Party-Pastors and Funeral-Furniture... All you do is flip open the White Pages. Each page is headed by the first three letters of the first name on the page followed by the first three letters of the last. (For instance, on the page headed Has-Hat, the first name is Hashimoto and the last name is Hatcher.)... There's Ash-Ass, which, I suppose, is what's left when you set a donkey on fire. There's even a Boy-Bra, if you are into that kind of thing. :-)

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/30/2001

eBookWeb's Second Event Starts Today!
What: "Digital Rights, DMCA and the Hackers"
When: July 30 to August 2!
Where: http://12.108.175.91/ebookweb/discuss/msgReader$142
We hope to spark some constructive conversation and explore some possible solutions for the future. So we invited the top people involved in DRM issues, plus experts in the field of digital rights and DRM (digital rights management). Join the discussion!

posted by Jerry permanent link

E-book outcast (Salon Article)
MJ Rose wrote The Web made me a successful author, but getting people to respect me as a "real writer" has been harder to come by.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Uh-Oh Dept:
I'm the on-line booksellers' worst nightmare
The reason people my age are not ordering more books on-line may have a purely mathematical explanation. The number of books that we own, but have not yet read, and the number of years we might reasonably expect to have left to read them, do not quite add up...

posted by Jerry permanent link

In the Beginning was the Command Line by Neal Stephenson
Here is a great story about the history of computing in the age of the birth of the personal computer. it is a great read, interesting, informative and downright fun. It brings back memories of the "early days" - or for some the "golden age" of computing. But it also digs down deep intot he foundations and brings for th nuggets worth treasuring. From Jobs to Gates, this is a book to read. (Another quality ebook from ESSPC)

posted by Jerry permanent link

DRM 1-3 Promote illegal distribution of eBooks?
Remember on March 2001, I conducted a personal research on an underground-study to find commercial ebooks in MS Reader format that are sold via Barnes and Nobles which do not use DRM level 5 protection, which means it will be PDA friendly and can be copied easily...To my surprise I did NOT find any illegal distribution of this non-copy protected ebook.
Well Jeff Narvit from Narvitopia also did similiar research:
"I conducted a very similar experiment. After I bought a bunch of unprotected ebooks from fictionwise, I thought 'Lets see if the publishers are right. Fictionwise stuff is unprotected, so it MUST be easy to find!' Nope. I tried my damndest and used every little underground resource I know to see if they are out there, and they just aren't. I really think that if people buy something, they aren't willing to just put it out there for everyone. I really feel that most warez come from people cracking software or distributing serial numbers rather than posting original unprotected works. Anyway, my $.02"

posted by Jerry permanent link

Kids Ebooks info:
The success of my E-Books for Kids review site (more than 10,000 hits in 8 months) has prompted me to help promote e-books some more.
I would like to invite all e-publishers who publish children's and YA books to enter their bestselling titles to the new "E-Books for Kids Bestseller List"
All information can be found at:
http://www.dreamwater.com/spindler/best.html
(Message from Christine Zang from ebook-community@yahoogroups.com)
Most of the ebooks are in PDF and HTML format, you need to convert the html to read them in Pocket Reader

posted by Jerry permanent link

Are Libraries the Next Napster? (Time Magazine Article)
Now that Napster has been digitally hobbled, what’s next? Maybe your public library.
It’s not books, but electronic content like E-Books, that has publishers worried. Libraries, like the rest of us, have long been governed under the "First Sale" doctrine, which basically allows the purchaser of a book free rein — you can sell it, loan it out, or use it as kindling. But you can't make multiple copies for distribution. And as digital publishing becomes more common, the duplication of content keeps getting easier and more practical. Instead of standing at the photocopier for hours to make an illicit copy of a John Grisham novel, you can in theory now just copy a file and email it to thousands of your close personal friends — and Mr. Grisham and his publisher wouldn't see a dime.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/29/2001

News about Net Industry in your InBox
I have to recommend this, the Pulver Report (about 35K each text report) please visit ( http://pulver.com/reports/subscribe.html ).
Each issue include:
- Heard on the Net
- People on the Move
- Companies on the Move
- IP Telephony Jobs
- pulver.com Telecom Policy Summit
- New event: EAT'M 2002 (Emerging Artists and Technology in Music)
- Reminder: pulverAID 2001
- pulver.com 2001/2002 Conference Calendar
and many others.

posted by Jerry permanent link

The verdict: Is Adobe a software thug?
The charges:
Adopting a brutal, thuggish stance toward computer programmers
Trammeling free speech

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/28/2001

Russia House Dept.:
Congress Covets Copyright Cops - On the heels of the arrest of a Russian programmer, Congress appears set to spend lots more money to go after copyright infringers. Declan McCullagh reports from Washington.
Copyrights: For Russia No Love - During the Cold War, Dmitry Sklyarov might have seemed like a character out of a John Le Carré novel - a wily Russian who cracks the security of electronic capitalism. These days, though, some people are calling the 27-year-old arrested last week for allegedly violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act a political prisoner for the electronic age.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/27/2001

Microsoft Explains Decision on Reader for Pocket PCs
Microsoft confirmed to eBookWeb this week that there will not be a fix that will allow owners of current Pocket PC devices to read Owner-Exclusive titles. But a company spokesperson complained that Dunn's account "makes it sound like Microsoft didn't really care, didn't really try, and casually decided to abandon Pocket PC users -- which is not the case at all."
The spokesperson said Microsoft set out in good faith to try to engineer a version of Reader that would enable Pocket PC owners to read Owner-Exclusive eBooks, but that the challenges of making this version both fully secure and easy to use were simply too great (mmm what does it mean?).
I thought the microsoft people never read the web outside the family of passport.com, and let me tell you once again YES Microsoft didn't care and abondon Pocket PC ebooks Readers, that's the case period. But we have palm reader for Pocket PC anyway, bye bye Pocket reader 1.5

posted by Jerry permanent link

Wine e-Books
The real buzz is coming from the eWine Book, the first electronic wine list that lets diners browse through the restaurant's catalog of more than 3,500 wines with just the tap of a stylus. At present, only a list of what's available will appear on the screen. Soon, users will be able to learn characteristics of the wine and background on the vintner as a means of helping them making the best selection. The eWine Book is the creation of Andrew Vadjinia, the restaurant's director of wine and a confirmed technophile. For the rest, those who have fallen under the spell of the grape, the eWine Book is certainly a taste of things to come.
Please note the article did not mention the ebook format of this ebook, hopefully it will be a non DRM5 Pocket Reader ebook, or Please Peanutpress publish this ebook.

posted by Jerry permanent link

e-Book Law Watch Dept.
Digital rights management company ContentGuard said Friday it has received a patent for a "digital ticket," which lets copyright holders distribute and track people's access to digital goods such as music, video, e-books and images. (click here for compete news)

posted by Jerry permanent link

Early Modern Text Projects:
This project grew out of course projects from the 1999 and 2000 sections of English Literature of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries at Valparaiso University.
In order to further acquaint themselves with early modern letters, students in the course selected early modern texts that complemented texts that we had already read along the following lines of inquiry:
* Imagining New Worlds: Discovery, Conquest, Utopias
* Religious Reformations
* Poetic Visions
* Gender
* Theatres of Regicide and Current Events
Most of the eBooks here available in html format, you need to convert it to .lit to read it with your Pocket Reader

posted by Jerry permanent link

eBooks at Handango
There are lots of ebooks for Pocket PC available at Handango.com, topics range from romance, business, technical, how-to, inspirational, comedy, adventure, sfi/fi and mystery. Visit them, you'll be surprised.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/26/2001

BookTech West is the western region's premier book technology conference and expo bringing together top book publishing professionals to address the industry's production, prepress, printing and electronic media challenges.
This year's event will be held July 30-August 1, 2001, at the San Francisco Marriott.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Answers from Palm Corp. (Peanut Press) to Roger Sperberg's Quesions:
Our books (PeanutPress.Com) can be transfered from device to device freely except that they have to be re-unlocked. We (Palm Digital Media Group) can go away (hopefully not! :) ) without customers losing their books.
(2) How do I find out the end of the story when a virus trashes my operating system?
Answer: as long as we exist, customers can re-download any book they have bought as many times as they like. We don't care if you upgrade your device, or if your hard drive crashes. You bought the book, you own the rights to it. It's none of our business if you, for whatever reason, decide to get new hardware.
(3) How do I let my friend read the eBook after I'm finished?
Answer: The answer is, of course, the tough one. That is one restriction that is inherit in the medium. Mind you, we feel that all of the other rights with eBooks outweigh that one disadvantage. If you go into your local bookstore and tell them that you were reading your book out on the beach and it got destroyed, they'll make you buy a new copy. Not our bookstore. You bought it, you own it.
Thanks to Peter Fry for commenting the weblog

posted by Jerry permanent link

Must Read!
Planet eBook: Microsoft Reader 1.0 - not to be upgraded as announced
News has begun to spread among Pocket PC and Microsoft Reader users that Microsoft Reader (version 1.0) for Pocket PCs will not be updated to fix a security problem which has stopped users from accessing eBooks encrypted with Microsoft's DRM5 level security. Microsoft announced its commitment to fixing the problem last year -- for existing Pocket PC users it appears this will not happen.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Privacy advocates take aim at Windows XP
Several privacy groups are set to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday regarding Microsoft's imminent release of Windows XP, alleging unfair and deceptive trade practices.
Privacy advocates point to security breaches last year in Microsoft's free Hotmail e-mail program, which is a part of Passport, and a "Code Red" computer worm that recently affected more than 350,000 Microsoft Internet Information Servers.
Further illustrating Microsoft's push to convert consumers into Passport customers, the software giant already requires people to sign up for a Passport account to buy an e-book through its software, advocates say.
"If a major book publisher were to start demanding consumers produce a drivers license before reading a book, people would be outraged," said Jason Catlett, president of Junkbusters. "Microsoft's strategic intent is plainly to be the monopoly broker of identity who takes a cut of each transaction," Catlett said. "They shouldn't be allowed to get there."
...Cullinan said consumers are not required to sign up for Passport to use Windows XP. However, there are features in the system that require an authentication service, including Windows Messenger and Hotmail, he said.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/25/2001

Real Soon, Raccoon!
A kids' repetoire of fun goodbyes shouldn't be exhausted after "See you later, Alligator" and "After while, Crocodile." This illustrated e-book of parting rhymes encompasses a whole menagerie of "see ya laters," from "That's preposterous, Rhinoceros!" to "Fine, Porcupine." For the parent who needs some help being inventive to the grade-schooler who loves wordplay, "Real Soon, Raccoon!" could even make a giraffe laugh.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Is AEBPR a Legal Program? by Roger Sperberg
The questions they pose are simple: (1) What good is a reference book if I can't use it next year on my new computer? (2) How do I find out the end of the story when a virus trashes my operating system and the newly installed Reader — the computer kind — declines to open my legally purchased eBook? And (3) How do I let my friend read the eBook after I'm finished?
The answers are simple too: (1) No good at all next year. Why don't you look up all your questions now while you can. (2)You can't. No, wait! that's not fair. Why don't you just buy another copy? And (3) Buy your friends their own copies, you cheapskate.
Great article, can't wait for the MS Reader version...

posted by Jerry permanent link

Yahoo Full Coverage on eBooks:
Yahoo provides (not so updated) latest news, related links, audio files, and magazine articles on ebook.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/24/2001

Microscrewup Pocket Reader FAQ
The following link http://www.microsoft.com/MOBILE/pocketpc/club/ebooksfaq.asp has been dropped from the MS website. Just a recap of what MS did promise though on this URL....
Will the Owner Exclusive update be a patch or a completely new version of Reader 1.0?
It will be a complete new version of the application. The security mechanisms in Owner Exclusive are deeply tied to the application, so a patch or update wouldn’t be adequate to add Owner Exclusive encryption to the existing Reader 1.0 application shipped on the Pocket PC.
How much RAM will this new version take up?
We expect this application to be around 2 MB in size.
When will the Reader 1.5 for Pocket PC with Owner Exclusive be available?
Our current expectation is that this will be in the first half of 2001. As work progresses and we know more we will communicate changes to this projection. Like the original Owner Exclusive work there are uncertainties and development work to be done. Once completed the application will have to undergo several months of testing to ensure it is both stable and secure.
Will this new Reader 1.5 version for the Pocket PC include capabilities beyond either the current desktop Reader 1.5 or Pocket PC Reader 1.0 functionality?
There may be some enhancements and improvements to Reader 1.5 for the Pocket PC but the primary focus is enabling the Reader application to use Owner Exclusive-protected content.
Will the Reader 1.5 for Pocket PC cost anything?
No, this will be a free download on the Web.
To read more of it and to add your comments (now there are 101 thoughts already on the subjects) visit PocketPCThoughts.

posted by Jerry permanent link

For fans of 20th Century Fictions, visit Blackmask expanding section on the subject. Now it includes ebooks of Rafael Sabatini, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Winston Churchill (US author), Booth Tarkington and many other famous authors.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Palm DropBook!!!
Make Your Own Books for Palm Reader (for Pocket PC):
Palm DropBook is a simple application for Windows and Macintosh which allows you to convert a text file formatted using the Palm Markup Language into a Palm OS .pdb file which can be installed on your Palm OS or Pocket PC handheld for reading with the Palm Reader.
Download Palm DropBook and MakeBook.
Read how to use Palm DropBook and MakeBook.
Learn the Palm Markup Language.
Converting to Palm eBooks

posted by Jerry permanent link

Anyone given Palm Reader for Pocket PC a serious look?
Read these ongoing discussion from PocketPC eBooks newsgroup started by Ed Hansberry Microsoft MVP - Windows CE:
* www.peanutpress.com has a program for Windows that you simply drag a text file over it, it converts it to a .pdb and then when you open it up in Palm Reader.
* Palm Reader for Pocket PC has ClearType too!
* I use palm reader on my Ipaq as well. And I like it better than Microsoft reader. Except the fact that you have to install all books through the desktop.
* We tell people to use the installer because telling most people how to copy files over to their device into the "\My Documents\Peanut Press" folder confuses them. Using the installer also verifies that you have the latest version of the reader application. If you feel more comfortable copying the file (and even the executable) yourself, feel free. That's all the installer does.
One thing I learn from Microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks newsgroup, is Palm Reader has more responsive staff in answering the questions rather than Microsoft themselves.

posted by Jerry permanent link

The Copyright Cops Go Too Far (Business 2.0 Article)
Call me a communist, or call me a left-wing, paranoid, conspiracy theorist. Either way, it won't change my opinion that we ("we" defined as the U.S. government and citizens thereof) went too far last week by arresting Russian programmer Dmitry Skylarov on charges of criminal copyright violations. In case you didn't follow the news reports, Skylarov, who works for a Russian software company, was arrested in Las Vegas, where he was scheduled to speak at a conference. (And OK, it was the Defkon-9 hacker convention, but that's beside the point. Really.) ... It's also difficult to understand how the prosecution of Skylarov will help Adobe -- not to mention the rest of us -- which is supposed to be the justification for criminal laws. So far, the arrest has done little more than galvanize anti-DMCA activists and create a barrage of negative publicity for Adobe, which I'm willing to bet has not translated into an increase in the already pathetic sales of eBooks. As for the underlying problem of copyright protection on the Internet, it's still an open issue, but bringing out the police is not the solution to our problems. If nothing else, the arrest underscores the fact that the DMCA is a law that needs rethinking, and soon.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/23/2001

Illustrated Oliver Twist- Free
Elegant Solutions proudly presents their first illustrated classic. Here is Oliver Twist with the original paintings by Donald Teague. This book has been specifically formatted for the Pocket PC.

posted by Jerry permanent link

What Would Dickens Do?
How will the battles over online copyright end? Ask a famous Victorian novelist. That's the idea David G. Post tossed out at a recent MP3 conference. "I'm encouraged by the story of Charles Dickens, who was as angry about copyright smuggling and border permeability as Metallica is," says Post, an associate professor of law at Temple University and co-founder and co-director of the Cyberspace Law Institute. In the mid-19th century, copyright laws of other countries did not apply in the U.S. So the work of British writers like Dickens was "freely reproduced, distributed and shared." Sounds familiar.
Original link comes from eBookAd.com

posted by Jerry permanent link

Now anyone please hack the MS Reader DRM5, please.
Adobe Systems Inc., the software company behind the arrest of a Russian programmer on copyright charges last week, said on Monday it was backing off its earlier stance and would instead urge the U.S. government to release him. (for complete news click here)

posted by Jerry permanent link

Pocket Reader 301
You have to remember that MS Reader for the PocketPC is NOT the same as that for the Desktop. The PocketPC Reader does not support certain elements from the OEBPS tagset that the Desktop does (that is, the PocketPC does not cover OEBPS very well, while the Desktop version is fully OEBPS conformant). I have built my Kama sutra using the full OEBPS tagset, and thus if it is displayed on a PocketPC won't look very good (especially the various tables I use).
Once the PocketPC is upgraded to version 2.0 real soon (and only for new PocketPC devices -- most current ones will not be upgradable to 2.0), then I will focus on producing the ebook to display on both the PocketPC Reader 2.0 as well as the Desktop.
Another quality commentary from Jon Noring

posted by Jerry permanent link

Free Fodor's eBook New York City now available.
Fodor's eBooks bring you the best travel information in a whole new way. The coverage is selective and includes choices for all budgets---the best things to see and do, and the top places to stay and eat. The advice is priceless---from travel experts who live in the place you're visiting. And the format is ideal for travelers on the go---easy-to-read, interactive, and available right on your laptop or PDA, making planning a snap wherever you are.
For other Fodor's ebooks click here

posted by Jerry permanent link

TOP 5 ebook sites July 2001:
1. ESSPC: Quality spread to new ebooks, not only classic ones.
2. PeanutPress: The MOST customer friendly, commercial ebook store.
3. FictionWise: Great and expanding sites using MS Reader format.
4. XC Publishing: very author-friendly, providing the means by which your favorite authors can continue to provide you with the quality entertainment you want. understand? I don't
5. MS Extreme: few selections but very good ebooks!

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/22/2001

Peanut Press Reader Tip:
With PeanutReader, press in on the scroll button to bookmark or unbookmark. Since I use the scroll button to page with and not the stylus, this is far easier.
Thanks to Sue Donovan for the tips

posted by Jerry permanent link

Pocket Reader Tip:
This is probably in the help somewhere, but I just figured it out. If you use your stylus to tap in the far upper right corner of the app, it will toggle a bookmark for that page on and off. Far easier than using the menus to add and delete them.
Thanks to Ed Hansberry,Microsoft MVP for the tips

posted by Jerry permanent link

Jon Noring's Commentary on Content Reserve :
Regarding distribution of a self-published author's ebooks, I have found Content Reserve to be an exciting service, and my published works are being distributed through them. A self-published author will probably be allowed to distribute their LIT ebook (and I think soon PDF) through the service (the author simply becomes a "publisher", which they are in a technical sense) and for no upfront cost. In essence, Content Reserve is a middle man between the author/publisher and ebook retailers.
And note that Content Reserve is totally non-exclusive. While one's ebook is being distributed through Content Reserve, the author/publisher can sell it via other channels. The arrangement with Content Reserve can be cancelled at any time by the author/publisher. It is a no-lose arrangement. I've poured over the contract and it has no hidden gotchas anywhere I can see -- it is very pro-publisher/author, promoting a cooperative rather than an adversarial relationship.
Take my small publishing company as an example. My flagship title, the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana, is in the Content Reserve system -- I simply submitted it (for no fee) in LIT format, along with various metadata to Content Reserve. It's already been picked up by one ebook retailer, PreviewPort.Com. To see how the customer sees it, go to PreviewPort.Com at http://ebooks.previewport.com/ , then select "Blue Glass Publishing" from the publisher search menu on the right, then click on the one title currently there, the Kama Sutra, which the publisher search brings up (I'll be adding more titles soon). This brings up the description and sales window, all driven under the hood by Content Reserve's MIDAS system (check out the "Show description" and "Show cover image" menu items). All I need to do at this stage is to periodically walk to my mailbox and collect my check from sales, along with accessing my sales report online at ContentReserve -- they take care of all the money handling. I can then focus my time on promoting my title via other venues (and point everyone to the Content Reserve retailers who have picked up my ebook), thus saving the hassle of having to handle customer's money, something a self-published author and even small publisher should avoid doing, in my opinion, not only for liability reasons, but because one's time is better spent in promotion and getting new titles out.
When I upload the LIT file to Content Reserve, I also set the Microsoft DAS security level, which can either be Inscribed (as I talked about above) or "Owner Exclusive" (which is the high-octane security level, tying the ebook to a specific computer.)
The only "bug" I have seen in Content Reserve is that it won't let me select "Inscribed" for a LIT ebook not intended for the PocketPC (as my KS is -- it's only for the Desktop version for several reasons I won't mention here.) I've already talked with OverDrive on this and hopefully in their next update of MIDAS they will fix this obvious bug. (As a publisher, I may wish to distribute my titles at the Inscribed level yet restrict them, for technical and other reasons, to the Desktop PC and other higher quality MS Reader capable reading systems soon to be released -- as it is now, if I pick Inscribed, the sales window at the retailer will list PocketPC as a supported device, something that could lead to angry customers, if not a lawsuit. Unfortunately, I had to select Owner Exclusive for my K.S., but I much preferred Inscribed for customer satisfaction reasons -- hopefully soon I can change it back to Inscribed.)

posted by Jerry permanent link

We don't need DRM 5, go for DRM 3!
This is a commentary from Jon Noring of ebook community egroups.
For some odd reason Microsoft's intermediate security level through its DAS, called "Inscribed" (the old "level 3"), is not used much, and rarely talked about.
Essentially, an Inscribed LIT file is freely openable on any MS Reader system, as is any basic ("Sealed") LIT, but it is "inscribed" during sale with the buyer's name, and possibly other information (I have not seen an actual Inscribed LIT ebook so I'm not sure what's been inscribed into it.)Inscribed thus allows the buyer to read the ebook on any MS Reader capable system they own. Inscribing also gives the reader a positive feel of "ownership" -- "this book is mine, see my name is actually in it!" I don't believe this consumer-positive aspect of Inscribed LIT has been properly recognized nor fully explored by publishers.

posted by Jerry permanent link

AvantGo puts out feelers for pay service
Mark Holtzclaw sent in word that AvantGo is sending out a survey to a select group of users to get their opinions on certain aspects of the service. The survey is your typical demographic study with one key theme throughout, would you be willing to pay for AvantGo. The question is asked a number of different times with different caveats added along with questions about how much you would be willing to pay and what type of payment plans would be most appropriate. In this day of the "dot-bomb" economy, it shouldn't come as a surprise to many that AvantGo is considering charging for at least part of their service. Click here to discuss the story in PDABUZZ.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/21/2001

Adobe Watch
The outcry among programmers and security analysts doesn't seem to have hurt Adobe's stock price. It closed Friday at $40.69, which is where it was when the week began.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Pocket Reader News Update:
Thanks to Jason Dunn, who just informed me:
Keep in mind that MS hasn't cancelled DRM5 support for all versions of the Pocket PC Reader - just that there's no upgrade for previous owners. The new version (Merlin) will most likely have support for it.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Word of Mouth Newsletters http://www.xcpublishing.com/wompage.html is proud to announce a new spinoff email newsletter focusing on e-books and print-on-demand titles. The new free newsletter is called WORD OF MOUTH BOOK BLURBS BI-WEEKLY.
"We like to think of WORD OF MOUTH BOOK BLURBS BI-WEEKLY as a digital way to browse for books not available in brick and mortar bookstores. Instead, readers can browse via their email inbox," says publisher Xina Marie Uhl.
email subscription by sending a blank email to: WOMBookBlurbs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or by visiting the webpage at: http://www.xcpublishing.com/wompage.html

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/20/2001

Polling Result #14: Is eBook a Book?
(of 66 respondents)
71% Yes (Random House)
29% No (RosettaBooks)
0% what is ebook?

posted by Jerry permanent link

ebook is not a book = "A Victory for Authors and Readers" = Author who wrote the book which is not the ebook = ??? Riddle Dept.
An Interview with Leo Dwyer, COO of Rosetta Books
The decision the judge made is a victory for authors and readers. For authors, it's a victory, because they own the electronic rights, just as they thought they did. For readers, it opens up a whole body of work to experimentation that will help evolve the eBook.

posted by Jerry permanent link

There will not be an upgrade for current Pocket PCs to allow support for DRM5 ebooks.
Jason Dunn reports, "In the end, I won't defend Microsoft on this or make any excuses. I believe this is a poor decision that slaps current owners in the face. You purchased your Pocket PC with the belief that you could read eBooks, and you can, but only if the publisher chooses to use a less-secure format...which, sadly, most of them do not. I still use Reader daily, and there's some excellent free content out there, but Microsoft didn't deliver on it's commitment to give you an upgrade and that's something they're going to have to live with."
Please post your comments - I'll make sure that the right people at Microsoft get to see what you're saying on this topic.
I think this is a good news, which mean publisher will think twice before sending their ebook with DRM5. Before this, the publishers they always being promissed that their ebooks can be read in cross platform devices, which including PDA. Thus, I expect to see more ebooks coming without DRM level 5.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Dear Condoliza Rice Dept.
Putting a lock on e-books
A new cold war looms over your right to read
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin were in the news this week, signing a treaty of “friendship and cooperation,” spurred by their growing animosity toward the United States. America has always assumed the moral high ground over the way China and Russia trample the rights of their citizens to free expression. So it’s pretty embarrassing that U.S. officials have arrested a Russian software engineer and charged him with a violation of a law he might have broken while working in Moscow — if he broke a law at all.
Thanks to Roger Sperberg for the info

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/19/2001

News: Hacker Arrest Stirs Protest
Web pages immediately sprouted to demand the release of Dmitry Sklyarov, who was visiting the United States to describe his work at the Defcon hacker convention in Las Vegas. Newly minted activists set up a mailing list, launched a defense fund, and trashed Adobe Systems for urging the U.S. government to arrest Sklyarov on charges of circumventing its copy protection methods.

posted by Jerry permanent link

OUTSIDE THE BOX: Now Code-Cracking Is Good for You?
Like the Eric Corley case with the DeCSS decryption software—coding that breaks the security locks on DVDs—this recent move by Adobe against Elcom is worth following. Unlike the Eric Corley case, the Russians will not be able to defend themselves under the First Amendment since they are not American citizens and their alleged infringement of Adobe’s copyrighted software took place outside America. I’m curious to see what argument the Russians put forth in place of First Amendment rights. As the Internet crosses national boundaries, technology investors should keep abreast of how other countries’ laws do and will shape the protection (or not) of intellectual property on the Web—which is also what this case is about. If Adobe does not succeed in its fight against Elcom, it will be harder for other companies to fight and win similar battles.

posted by Jerry permanent link

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA, LOL ROTF Dept.
InterTrust Patent Suit Expanded to Include Microsoft eBook Technology
InterTrust patented DRM components in Microsoft's Reader, Digital Asset Server, and e-Book initiative products
This second amended complaint alleges that Microsoft willfully infringes InterTrust's US Patent No. 5,920,861 (`861 patent). It seeks unspecified damages and an injunction prohibiting further infringement by Microsoft products, including Microsoft's Reader and Digital Asset Server.
The lawsuit, originally filed on April 26, 2001 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, now contains three (3) InterTrust patents covering a wide variety of DRM technologies. The suit specifically addresses Microsoft's infringement of InterTrust property rights through sale and distribution of Microsoft application, server, and operating system products.
This includes components of Microsoft's Windows Media, Microsoft Reader and Digital Asset Server, as well as its WindowsME and Windows XP operating systems.
One advice to my friend Bill Gates, quit using DRM, it causes more harm than good

posted by Jerry permanent link

Blackburn, Jeff Blackburn Where Art Thou?
Amazon.com began selling electronic documents Thursday to give customers access to hard-to-find texts and to capitalize on the growing demand for market research.
But from their e-Doc FAQ:
Can I read e-documents on my Pocket PC?
At this time Amazon.com is not offering support for reading e-documents on the Pocket PC or any other handheld device.
Very typical of Jeff Blackburn, duh!

posted by Jerry permanent link

Adobe, Adobe Where Art Thou?
Pocket PC Thoughts has reported the new version of Primer PDF Reader for Pocket PC. New features added, but the price now is $79.95, gulp yes $79.95, going once, going twice, anybody? anybody?
But read the comments in the discussion, Jim Steele tipped us that, "Our corp. has a great need for .pdf on a pocketpc. But, Adobe says it will be available this fall ..."
So we better wait then...

posted by Jerry permanent link

I wrote this article for Indonesia newspaper Sinar Harapan in Bahasa Indonesia:
Saatnya Beralih ke e-book
Mengumpulkan e-book secara gratis memang mengasyikkan. Namun kemungkinan kita akan mempunyai tendensi untuk men-download sebanyak-banyaknya tapi hanya sempat membaca 1-2 e-book. Menghindari hal ini, sebaiknya Anda hanya men-download e-book yang ingin dibaca. Bacalah sampai selesai, baru kemudian men-download lagi. Ini akan lebih menghemat pulsa dan biaya Internet. Dan waktu baca menjadi lebih banyak.

posted by Jerry permanent link

There were 58 searches for the week ending 7/14/2001 for
Pocket PC eBooks Watch at http://cebooks.blogspot.com.
Here are the top phrases searched:
- 5 for "bible"
- 3 for "dictionary"
- 2 for "josefine"
- 2 for "kathy sanborn"
- 2 for "who moved my cheese"

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/18/2001

After a long vacation,....
BlackMask is back! There are 17 new ebooks listed for free

posted by Jerry permanent link

Should We Stop Buying Adobe Ebook?
Russian Author of Adobe eBook Password-Removing Software Faces Possible 5-Year Prison Term
The FBI confirmed Tuesday that Russian programmer Dmitry Sklyarov was arrested in Las Vegas on Monday on charges of violating the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Sklyarov, 26, developed the Advanced eBook Processor (AEBPR), a program published by ElcomSoft Ltd. of Moscow, Russia, that allows purchasers of secure Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader files to decrypt their contents and save them as unprotected PDF files. Sklyarov, who was in Las Vegas to give a presentation about eBook security at a hackers' convention, is being charged with one count of trafficking in software to circumvent copryrightable materials and one count of aiding and abbetting such trafficking. He is being held without bail in Las Vegas pending his extradition to California, where he faces up to 5 years in prison and a $500,000 fine if convicted.
At the end, hacker can always scanned the damn book and throw it to newsgroup. Stop threatening smart people and tricking customers like thieves.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Economy, expense putting e-books back on the shelf
Electronic books look like they still have a long way to go before the format can duplicate the feelings of curling up by the fireplace with a favorite book or the ease of reading a bedtime story to a child.
The complexity of some e-book formats have a capacity to elevate the book beyond the level of plain text on a computer screen to include graphics, editable footnotes and links to related information.
Compiling a book into an e-book format is more than just transferring the text into a digital file because commercial programs, such as MicroSoft's Reader and Adobe's Acrobat Reader, interpret data differently.
DRM 5, expense putting e-books back on the shelf is a more appropriate title

posted by Jerry permanent link

Just Wow!
Index of ElcomSoft, Dmitry Sklyarov, Adobe, US Government and DMCA-related articles from around the Web
is the index of articles published on our Planet eBook and Planet PDF sites, as well as the coverage around the Web that has arisen since Planet eBook broke the story of ElcomSoft developer Dmitry Sklyarov's arrest over violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/17/2001

I Just have to recommend this again:
eBookWeb.Org is the best e-book news and analysis in the web. Visit it!

posted by Jerry permanent link

Anyone can break MS Reader DRM 5 yet?
FBI Detains Russian Programmer in Adobe Security Case.
FBI agents detained Russian programmer Dmitry Sklyarov in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday for questioning about software designed to crack the encryption on Adobe eBook files.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Twelve-Minute Book Delivery by MJ Rose:
Shortly before midnight on July 9, Jeff Marsh of Marsh Technologies and Peter Zelchenko of VolumeOne placed an order on the Internet for what would be the first print-on-demand book ever to emerge from a fully automated vending machine.
Twelve minutes later, the book slid out of a chute on the prototype MTI PerfectBook-080 in Marsh's office in Chesterfield, Missouri.

posted by Jerry permanent link

E-Books Are Your Everybody: New Book from Top Floor Explains How Anyone Can Read, Write, and Publish E-Books
Authors from Stephen King to the guy down your street are taking advantage of the flexibility and worldwide distribution opportunities afforded by e-books. Not only books, but newsletters, essays, and midlength articles and be publishedand published profitably as e-books.

posted by Jerry permanent link

From CyberRead FAQ:
Why are there some books that I can purchase for Microsoft Reader for the PC, but not for Microsoft Reader on the Pocket PC?
Currently titles at CyberRead have been secured for distribution at the highest level of security, - which requires hardware functionality on the client that the Pocket PC does not yet provide. However, titles offered at lesser levels of security can be read on the Pocket PC.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Former Random House editor-in-chief and self-described champion of First Amendment rights Harry Evans is demanding a book written about him be immediately pulled from the shelves, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned!

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/16/2001

RANDOM HOUSE vs ROSETTA BOOKS by SIDNEY H. STEIN, U. S. District Judge
In the year 2000 and the beginning of 2001, Rosetta Books contracted with several authors to publish certain of their works - including The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice by William Styron; Slaughterhouse- Five, Breakfast of Champions, The Sirens of Titan, Cat's Cradle, and Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut; and Promised Land by Robert B. Parker - in digital format over the internet. (Description from Esspc eBooks).

posted by Jerry permanent link

Press Release ala Zen:
CyberRead Teams With OverDrive to Offer Secure Microsoft Reader eBook Distribution
``CyberRead is one of the true pioneers in eBook retailing and OverDrive is delighted to be providing our MIDAS technology to enable the secure distribution of CyberRead's Microsoft Reader eBook titles,'' said Steve Potash, OverDrive CEO, and according to the press release Microsoft® Reader is an eBook reading application designed for Windows-based computers and Pocket PCs using ClearType display technology.
Miles Davis said, you have to listen on what you can hear and what you can't hear... Use your Zen skill to interpret above press release

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/15/2001

Mmmmm Dept.
MANATEE - Books in cyberspace were a dud for the Manatee County library system.
The three-month free experiment ended with only 52 e-books checked out, a disappointing result that prompted library officials to decide not to spend a dime to continue making books available on computers.
"It was, for lack of a better term, a failure," John Van Berkel, library services manager, said Friday. "We had very little usage. We decided at the present time this is not a service we are going to provide. It would not be cost-effective to spend our money that way
Van Berkel said no attempt was made after the three-month period to ask patrons more about the program. He said nobody has complained to him about it ending.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Elibron
Elibron offers over 30,000 electronic books in many languages, 150,000 music tracks in Liquid Audio and Windows Media formats, classical music scores that can be downloaded and printed, stylish eCards with famous paintings and historic photographs, and a large collection of quotations in our Wit & Wisdom section.
eBooks in Adobe eBook and Microsoft Reader formats.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Authors offer e-book suggestions
Writers were asked to name some electronic books that they would be interested in reading this summer, and why. All are available in at least one of three e-book formats: Microsoft Reader, Adobe Acrobat Reader or Gemstar eBook.
Some of the MS Reader ebooks are NOT compatible with Pocket PC, so becareful, read the description before you buy.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/14/2001

UPDATE: Is EBook a Book? (from Inside)
Federal Judge Rules That Vonnegut and Styron Retain E-Book Rights, Not Random House
In a victory for upstart publisher RosettaBooks, the standard book contract for three authors, signed between 1961 and 1982, was found not to include a grant of electronic rights. Judge says he was bound by 'neutral principles of contract interpretation.'
Because of the high stakes of the issues, the Authors Guild and the Association of Authors' Representatives had submitted an amicus brief supporting RosettaBooks, while Penguin Putnam, Simon & Schuster, Time Warner Trade Publishing and the Perseus Books Group all weighed in on the side of Random House.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/13/2001

Newsgroup Server
If your ISP does not provide e-book USENET server, try set up to
news1.gci.net
news.acsalaska.net
or
Commercial Newsgroup server available at
Newscene:
http://www.newscene.com/
SuperNews:
http://www.supernews.com/
Newsguy:
http://www.newsguy.com/
Thanks to Sabin and Daddio for the info

posted by Jerry permanent link

Polling Result #13: Who's the most responsible one in deciding to publish DRM level 5 ebook?
(of 166 respondents)
33% Technology Vendor (Microsoft)
23% eBook Seller (Amazon)
18% Publisher (Time Warner)
16% Writer (MJ Rose)
6% Lawyer (You-Know-Who)
4% Customers (Just Kidding)

posted by Jerry permanent link

e-Mystery!
The XX Files #1, a new release from Renaissance E Books, about Forgotten Authenticated Encounters with the Mysterious and Paranormal, some of the world's most famous people are first-hand witnesses to strange and inexplicable phenomenon that still baffle scientists to this day! Among those who swear to the authenticity of these cases are Franklin D. Roosevelt, Louisa May Alcott, Luther Burbank, Napoleon, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and many others.
For more new releases click here.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Adobe Comments On ElcomSoft and Copyright Issues
"No software on the market is 100% secure from determined hackers."
So kill the DRM 5, trust your buyers, at the end point hackers always can scan the printed books and throw it to the net. Don't waste anymore money!

posted by Jerry permanent link

Interesting Article:
World War E: The Battle Over eBooks
For decades, publishing has been called "a gentlemen's business." It was competitive, but in the Tom Lehrer, "Fight Fiercely, Harvard" sense, not in the "smash 'em, crash 'em, rip off their limbs and beat 'em with their own legs" sense of, say, little league tee-ball.
When eBooks hit the scene, I entertained visions of these publishing gents gathering at the club and, cheeks rosy with fine wine, jovially clinking their glasses and agreeing to an open standard for the new medium. No need to duke it out in an unseemly fashion in the marketplace. "Leave the nuts and bolts to the boys down in the technical department," I hear them say, freeing them to spend their time rooting out and nurturing new talent, bolstering the midlist, commissioning new art for the covers of their classic works and trying to figure some way to increase author royalties.
Yes, I live in a fantasy world, but this scenario is not quite as far fetched as it seems...

posted by Jerry permanent link

Banned books: a chance for learning
Scales, recently named one of the five most influential 20th-century librarians in South Carolina, makes this argument in “Teaching Banned Books” (American Library Association, $28), a new book designed to show adults how they can guide young students through novels that have been banned for reasons including foul language, overt sex and racial rhetoric. “I don’t believe every book is for every child,” she said in a telephone interview. “But these are books that shouldn’t be missed.”
Check out the Banned Books in ebook format at
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/banned-books.html

posted by Jerry permanent link

Library Checking Out e-Books
The consumer market for digital books has turned out to be a no-show, but America's public libraries still think folks should be checking them out. Ever since March 1999, when the Denver Public Library system kicked off the first "virtual branch" of digital books available for free to library-card holders, 1,900 of the nation's nearly 9,000 public libraries have quietly added thousands of digital titles to their collections.
That can be something of a problem, considering the cost of starting a public library e-book collection. It costs between $8,000 and $10,000 for 300 to 500 e-books, according to Marge Gammon, senior director of marketing for Boulder, Colo.-based NetLibrary, the sole Web-hosting firm that provides e-books to libraries.
Some librarians think e-book collections are too expensive, considering that the only library branches open around the clock haven't been getting many visitors. The Los Angeles Public library system, which boasts 1.3 million cardholders, logs just 1,800 e-book users a month. Of the Chicago Public Library's 3 million patrons, only 72 used the e-books collection in June. The 7,000-title collection available to Denver's 460,000 users was accessed a mere 212 times during the past 180 days.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/12/2001

Fodor's Announces the Debut of 26 eBooks With Innovative Features to Destinations Worldwide
The 26 Fodor's eBooks will feature full-color photos to introduce each chapter; innovative navigation icons for each chapter; unique hotel and restaurant indexes sorted by price range, with links to individual reviews; and pop-up pages throughout with essential information, interesting tidbits, historical background, dining and lodging price charts, and off-the-beaten-path ideas. And, as always, the up-to-date, dependable information on hotels, restaurants, nightlife, and exploring that travelers have come to rely upon from Fodor's. Information about how to get a free download of Fodor's eBook New York City will be available through Fodors.com starting in mid-July.
With Fodor's eBooks, travelers will be able to download entire books with eBook features unlike any others available to destinations worldwide on their PC, laptop, or handheld.''

posted by Jerry permanent link

Judge closes chapter in Random House case:
CNET: A federal judge has rejected Random House's request for a preliminary injunction to stop an online publisher from selling electronic versions of "Cat's Cradle," "Sophie's Choice" and six other books.
The New York Times: A federal judge in Manhattan ruled yesterday that the term "book" in book contracts does not automatically include electronic books. The decision goes to the heart of a battle over who controls the right to sell digital editions of the great majority of work published the last century.
Industry Standard: Media Grok: Judge Says E-Books Aren't Books. A court rules that RosettaStone may sell electronic versions of books by Random House authors, and the media find parallels in the recent freelance case.

posted by Jerry permanent link

New ! Mobipocket Reader V4.0 Beta
Here are some of the new features and improvements that you will find in this new version :
Enhanced graphical user interface :
- Improved Library function, with an HTML-like interface. You will also be able to create your own categories to store your favorite ebooks
- New graphical design for icons
- Progression bar : now enables you to navigate easily between bookmarked positions
MobiType ™ : Mobipocket brings sub-pixel rendering technology to PalmOs devices.
With the specially designed MobiType font, increase your visual comfort of reading eBooks on your PDA ! The MobiType font was created using industry-standard sub-pixel font rendering techniques, which basically allow to triple the horizontal resolution of the screen.
- Scripting functions are available, which will enable you in particular to add links to open other .prc documents, play audio music files (on Pocket PC), etc..
Thanks to Saputra for the info

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/11/2001

Fictionwise Releases Hugo Winning Robert A. Heinlein Novel as eBook
Fictionwise.com announced today the eBook release of Double Star, Robert A. Heinlein’s classic science fiction novel. The work won a Hugo Award for best novel in 1956. Heinlein is considered one of the greatest science fiction authors of all time. He won four Hugo awards during his career. In 1975, the Science Fiction Writers of America instituted the Grandmaster Nebula to honor the lifetime achievements of the greatest living SF writers. Robert A. Heinlein was the first to be so honored. "It was like George Washington becoming the first President", said Isaac Asimov, "There was no argument." (http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook769.htm)

posted by Jerry permanent link

Adobe Special Report:
2000: The Year of the eBook
With authors and publishers racing toward electronic distribution, eBooks are on the verge of critical mass.
The new word in the publishing industry isn't a word at all. It's a letter — "e" — as in eBooks. If you haven't noticed that eBooks are threatening to revolutionize the publishing industry, you haven't been doing much reading, on paper or on-screen.
In the future, the year 2000 may well be seen as the year of the eBook. The first half of the year has been marked by well-known authors like Stephen King and well-heeled publishing firms like Random House positioning themselves to take advantage of the growing eBooks phenomenon — that is, the rapid proliferation of digital reading material in the marketplace.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Grand Opening eBookWeb Event: eBook Success Stories
Starting July 9, all eBookWeb visitors are invited to take part in a 4-day online discussion celebrating the site's official launch. Guest panelists including authors Leta Nolan Childers and M.J. Rose and StoryPlus Network's Greg Adelstein will talk about their own "eBook Success stories," and they've also invited representatives of companies such as 1stBooks, Fictionwise, and Franklin Electronic Publishers to talk about the business models and content strategies that work in today's uncertain ePublishing marketplace.

posted by Jerry permanent link

DEF CON 9 'HackerFest' includes talk on eBook security
"There is one big problem that related with eBooks," their presentation preview notes. "Information in electronic form could be duplicated and transmitted, and there is no reliable way to take control over that processes. There are several solutions from different companies that were developed to prevent unauthorized distribution of the electronic documents."

posted by Jerry permanent link

eBooks in a Box
After nearly two years in development, submittals, negotiations, and beta testing, NetPack has signed vendor agreements representing more than 8000 major retail chain stores for the sale of its new product line, "e Books in a Box". The agreements and orders are a mixture of direct relationships, and national distributors, representing most of the premiere retail chain stores across the country. NetPack plans to complete the initial distribution in time for the Christmas season. To read their press release click here.
From their FAQ:
Can I read ebooks on my Pocket PC? Yes, you can read some ebooks on your Pocket PC.
What is the return policy for e-books?
"eBooks in a Box" offers a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee.
I still question whether the ebook can be read on Pocket PC or not, since the only reader software symbol that they put is Adobe Reader

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/10/2001

Welcome to the Jungle Dept.
The Official alt.binaries.e-book* FAQ v1.0
ABEB is one of the world's largest electronic book evaluation, and preservation libraries and is dedicated to the preservation of e-books for everyone. In the interest of education, and to help those who might be new to the entire Usenet experience, the e-book community is bringing you these Frequently Asked Questions and guidelines for acceptable conduct within these groups, that is- within the *.e-book hierarchy.

posted by Jerry permanent link

How to Combine File Sections in Outlook Express
For those of you who often download ebooks from Newsgroup using Ourlook Express, often encountered partial posting of ebook files. This site is really good in explaining on how to combine the files.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Dotlit.com
Have you ever noticed, that if you click the signature in DotLit.com you will be entering the Signature Editions sections?
Lots of nice collection listed here, worth a visit.

posted by Jerry permanent link

University Presses Urged To Expand Their Reach
The E-publishing Effort: A number of panels were held on aspects of electronic publishing, but one on business models, moderated by University of North Carolina Press director Kate Torrey, was particularly suggestive of the wider issues. Torrey noted that so far there was probably no press where electronic publishing was an integral part of the program, and "it's an understatement to say it's an immature market," with erratic distribution, no clear pricing structure and no clear sense of what the public wants.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Pocket-friendly reading on PDAs
...To be sure, text on a screen isn't as clear and eye-pleasing as the printed page. That's especially true for PDAs, which tend to have smaller and less-advanced screens than PCs and laptops. But on-screen text still is pretty readable and getting better all the time.
It is true because you are using PALM PDA John...
Thanks to eBookAd.com for the original link

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/09/2001

The next e-chapter: Despite slow start, some see promise in digital books.
Sales of e-books have been slow for many publishers. Some categories, such as romance fiction and college textbooks, have found a ready audience, but coffee table tomes with exquisite color photographs have defied easy conversion to the computer screen.
...Ms. Lincoln says. "But I wonder if a lot of the excitement about this is overblown. Reading is a complex activity. People like to know whether they are at the beginning, middle or end of a chapter or an entire book. It's hard to tell on a computer. You just see what's on your screen."
Thanks to eBookAd.com for the original link

posted by Jerry permanent link

First of Its Kind Children's E-Book Marketing Campaign From Scholastic Receives More Than 25,000 Downloads
+ Scholastic and Microsoft Corp. are offering the series through participating online retailers and destinations, including through scholastic.com, and each download is readable on both desktop and Pocket PC versions of Microsoft Reader.

posted by Jerry permanent link

When the expert says it, people, we should listen!
Ed Hansberry, Microsoft MVP - Windows CE , wrote in Pocket PC eBooks newsgroup,
"why I won't buy ebooks with DRM5 encryption until the publishers relax the restrictions so I can read *MY* books when I:
*Reformat my HD
*Get a new HD
*Get a new PC
*Get a new PPC
*Hardreset my PPC
Digital Rights Management. No way."
Right On Ed!

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/08/2001

Pardon my French ;)
Depuis février 2001, mozambook publie les grands textes de la littérature. Les ebooks sont au format Microsoft Reader (PC et PocketPC). Ebooks et lecteurs sont gratuits.
Thanks to Manuel Tricoteaux for the info.

posted by Jerry permanent link

PDF Conversion via email
There are three e-mail options you can use to convert Adobe PDF documents to a format that is more accessible to screen reading software. The e-mail address you use depends on the conversion format you want, plain (ASCII) text or HTML, and whether the PDF is on the Internet or local media. Two of them are:
Option 1
If the Adobe PDF is on the Internet, you can mail the URL (web address) of the PDF in the body of an email message to pdf2txt@adobe.com (for plain text) or to pdf2html@adobe.com (for HTML). The convertor will mail back the translation of the PDF file. You can submit multiple URLs in a single e-mail.
Tip: Some URLs are very long and cumbersome to type. Cutting and pasting the URL into the mail message will save you some keystrokes.
Option 2
If the Adobe PDF is on local media, such as a hard drive, CD-ROM, or internal server, it can be submitted as a MIME attachment to an e-mail message. All converted Adobe pdf-documents will be sent back to the sender as MIME attachments. For plain text, mail the attached PDF to pdf2txt@adobe.com. For HTML, mail the attached PDF to pdf2html@adobe.com.
Thanks to KJ for informing this site, these options can help you easily read PDF file with your Pocket Word or Pocket Explorer.

posted by Jerry permanent link

The Song of the Coyote
"The Song of the Coyote" is a novel about a family of four coyotes: Tyke, Dingo, and their mom and dad. The story is 37 chapters and 76,000 words long. It is brought to you in the same spirit as "Tales From Watership Down," "Wind in the Willow," "The Lion King," and other works of fiction that feature talking animals.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Helen Keller: The Story Of My Life, New at ESSPC
Helen Keller, blind and deaf since the age of 1 1/2 has offered, in her own words an accounting of her life experience. It is incredible to imagine how this woman, unable to see or hear can give such a strong voice to descriptions of nature. The book is replete with beautiful, articulate metaphors that draw the reader into the world as Helen knew it. One wonders how a person with no language can "think," and Helen provides some clues. During these "dark days," prior to the arrival of her "Teacher," Annie Sullivan, Helen's life was a series of desires and impressions. She could commnicate by a series of crude signs she and her parents had created. She demonstrated early on that she could learn.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/07/2001

Weekend Avantgo!
Subscribe these channels for the weekend:
The Funniest: Look at the Brain Pop, She Said/He Said, Quoenstein and many funny columns.
Maxim Magazine: From Wits at Works, Games, and Sex.
Metacritic: Movie reviews from several sources.
Rolling Stone: for the thirty and forty something.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/05/2001

Sample six of the best summer e-books (USA Today)
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "My giant goes with me wherever I go." He meant that you can't escape yourself when you travel. These days, travelers take more than their giant: 57% of adults say they carry a PDA (personal digital assistant), notebook computer or some other tech tool while on vacation, according to a Best Buy survey conducted by Market Facts, a marketing research company."

posted by Jerry permanent link

Curiousity Killed the Cat Dept.
There were 113 searches for the week ending 6/30/2001 for Pocket PC eBooks Watch at http://cebooks.blogspot.com.
Here are the top phrases searched:
- 5 for "bible"
- 3 for "sex"
- 3 for "who moved my cheese"
- 2 for "christian"

posted by Jerry permanent link

Ken Mattern remind me again that the Microsoft eBooks on demand are DRM-5 encoded. He assumed that they have not changed their stance.
Create Custom Books from Microsoft Press
Anyone who has purchased computer books knows that building a library of necessary resources can be quite an expensive venture. What is especially frustrating is to purchase a book when you only need the information that appears in one or two chapters.
Microsoft Press has a solution to these problems. You can choose from a list of 36 titles in the Microsoft Press library and select the chapters you want, then purchase those chapters for downloading on your computer or have them printed and bound into one custom book. Custom Book program is a limited-time trial program.
I don't find any indication of MS Custom ebooks are using DRM 5, from FAQ and their site does not indicate it is not compatible with Pocket PC. It stated only "Choose a format for your custom book - either printed or electronic format. Electronic books are available in Microsoft Reader and Adobe PDF format."

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/04/2001

Interesting Article, Must Read!
Libraries' E-Lending Opens With a Subplot: Copyright
Through an e-book lending program being rolled out at hundreds of public libraries across the country, Sigurani can access practically any work he desires, at any hour of day, from the comfort of his home just northeast of Silicon Valley. And all for free.
His county library has a collection of more than 3,000 e-books. Other free online sites offer tens of thousands more.
The services may be every bibliophile's dream, but publishing houses worry that the lending programs will cannibalize their revenue and destroy financial incentives for popular writers. The fear isn't so much about the demise of old-fashioned paper books -- after all, no one's quite figured out how to make a digital book as enchanting as fresh print. It's more about whether free electronic libraries unfairly compete with the digital initiatives of booksellers, effectively devaluing their copyrights. Why would people want to pay for an e-book when they could borrow one free just as easily?
...The digital vending machines that are being rolled out may sound good in theory, but as recent history has shown, they're vulnerable to even the most novice hackers. Bootleg copies of everything from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books to Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes" have been showing up on rogue Web sites. And just this March, an anonymous hacker posted on a Yahoo message board instructions on cracking the RocketBook encryption format so that users could make free copies.
With the new library lending programs, however, book lovers don't have to go to that much trouble. To keep a semi-permanent copy of a digital work all they have to do is log back on to the World Wide Web -- and keep clicking on the "renew" button to borrow another copy.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Deep Thought:
The good thing about book is, after you read it, you can pass it to someone who needs it, just like football.
(From Norman Jewison's movie Hurricane)

posted by Jerry permanent link

E-Book Duplicators Hit Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble.com, the No. 1 U.S. online book store, halted the sale of electronic books after Russian company Elcomsoft began selling a program to illegally copy text. Under pressure from Adobe Systems, which created the protective software for the e-books, Elcomsoft was compelled to discontinue the sales of its "hacker" program. It is now distributing that program for free. Barnes & Noble.com's electronic book department was closed from June 26 to 27 until Adobe provided new protection for e-books.
I always believe no mather how good is the DRM 5 in Adobe or MS Reader, hackers always can break it or easily spread scanned version of the illegal copies of ebooks, just look at alt.binaries.e-book. From my earlier research, while most scanned printed books are available in warez and newsgroup, I never found DRM 1-3 commercial ebooks there. I always believe that it is not about the technology that can avoid the illegal copies, but it is about a bonding trust between writers, publishers and honest buyers. Just don't treat honest buyers like a thief.

posted by Jerry permanent link

eBookWeb is officially back! Congratulations!
Publishing: Always a Gamble by Micha Reisel
eBook Gambling: eBooks and print-on-demand are changing this gambling in ways that are not necessarily good for the publisher. In the above example the average editor can handle 25 new books per year and the backlist will have to account for 50% of sales, after a few years of operating successfully. With eBooks, the investment part of the equation is down from USD 10,000 to USD 1500, a significant reduction indeed! But when it comes to the work involved, the same amount of time has to be invested in the editing, layout and design so that the same staff is needed. The fixed costs of the publishing house are therefore the same USD 250,000 as in the above (traditional) publishing house... My conclusion is that you can't build a publishing house only on eBooks. Either add eBook versions to your existing print titles or add ePublishing to your own eBookstore, where you distribute eBooks for others. Another solution is to become a specialized niche publisher, who publishes special-interest books with a known market.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Participate discussion on Pocket PC Reader via web (IE) at
http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/club/newsgroups/newsgrpreader.asp

posted by Jerry permanent link

E-books wanted -- but cheap: A recent survey at BookBrowse.com, a site that gets over 150,000 readers a month, reveals that 23 percent of those responding are likely to read an e-book in the next year.
But 45 percent said they would only buy an e-book if it were half the price or less of the cheapest print book version.
And almost one-third said they would buy the paper edition even if the e-book was free.
Sixteen percent of the respondents said that they already read an e-book -- most on their computers.

posted by Jerry permanent link

MGMT 602:
Editor Argues: You Want the Truth About Book Sales? You Can't Handle the Truth.
Business history is full of examples of market lock-in and technology advancement resulting in inferior products and services. What's worrisome about Bookscan is that the Soundscan experience shows that businesspeople often settle for the least creative interpretation and manipulation of data. It is no coincidence that as database and inventory systems have improved, fewer and fewer books are consuming a larger portion of the sales pie. Someday we may read how Bookscan resulted in a bestseller list of ''get thin quick'' books and celebrity bios. Or maybe we won't read about it at all, which is the point.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/03/2001

O'er the land f the free and the home of the brave!
These are ebooks for the Fourth of July available from ESSPC for free:
1. United States Constitution by Thomas Jefferson et. al. The Constitution of the United States is the document upon which the freedom of all Americans is founded. This simple document has withstood the test of time and is the model for many other nations. This is a reference which all people should have.
2. Presidential Inaugural Addresses by The Presidents of the United States Here in one volume are the inaugural address of the presidents of the United States. Presented in chronological order they are a living reminder of those men who have lead this nation in times of peace and war. In times of prosperity and want. In good times and bad. Their words reflect the spirit of the nation over the past two centuries and the beginnings of the third. This is a reissue on January 20, 2001, Inauguration Day, with the inclusion of the Inaugural Address of George Walker Bush.
3. Jefferson and His Colleagues by Allen Johnson Here is the story of Thomas Jefferson and the men with whom he worked and lived. The history of America rests partially on the sholders of Thomas Jefferson. Here is that rich history, of President Thomas Jefferson
4. The Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Jay and Madison The Federalist Papers were written and published during the years 1787 and 1788 in several New York State newspapers to persuade New York voters to ratify the proposed constitution.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Good Question..... :-S
How we raise children to be thoughtful,compassionate,and healthy individuals in a world that is stressful, over-commercialized, and violent is a challenge facing many of us today?
Look at JoAnn Farb's Compassionate Souls: Raising the Next Generation to Change the World, a new release from Lantern eBooks

posted by Jerry permanent link

On the eve of the Washington Monument's scheduled July 15 reopening after four years of renovation, a new ebook claims that the landmark is one of several on the National Mall astronomically aligned to the stars.
The ebook is titled ``Washingtonople: The Secret History of America's Capital,'' recalling the original name bestowed upon America's capital city in 1790 by its chief architect, Frenchman and Freemason Pierre-Charles L'Enfant.
Published by @lantis.TV, the maverick online entertainment startup, the ebook is a send-up of similar ``non-fiction'' books about Egyptian pyramids and South American ruins. It can be downloaded for $2.95 exclusively at www.Washingtonople.com. For complete press release click here.
I went to the site, and can't find any indication on the ebook format... Those guys think ebook is ebook, sigh!

posted by Jerry permanent link

ebook Law
RosettaBooks and Random House Go to Court
The U.S. Supreme Court is deciding who owns the rights to previously printed works now published in ebook format. Ebook publisher RosettaBooks has been taken to court for copyright infringement by publisher Random House. RosettaBooks has been creating electronic versions of works by Kurt Vonnegut, William Styron, Robert Parker, and others previously copyrighted and published in "book form" by Random House.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/02/2001

Fathom, the premier source for online learning, has partnered with OverDrive (www.overdrive.com), a leader in eBook Technology Services, to provide visitors to the Fathom Web site (www.fathom.com) the opportunity to download thousands of lectures, interviews, articles, and learning materials in Microsoft(R) Reader format. Fathom's member institutions' faculty, researchers, and curators present an immense wealth of knowledge across every area of interest -- from business to global affairs, from the arts to technology. As a result of this partnership, visitors to the Fathom Web site will be able to search or browse on any subject and find online learning material from over a dozen premier institutions like Columbia University and the London School of Economics and Political Science and download these materials to their computer, laptop, or Pocket PC(TM).

posted by Jerry permanent link

Like you never know what's inside of the box of chocolate... (Amazon vs. BN in Stupidity Contest)
From BN Press Release:
Barnes & Noble.com Announces Free Shipping Offer! Customer orders of two or more items purchased from the company's vast selection of eBooks will be sent free of shipping charges to any destination in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii.
LOL ROTF

posted by Jerry permanent link

Palm Station Post about Peanut Press continue:
I got email from Peter Fry from Palm Digital Media Group explaining:
1. Barton Gellman sent us the complaint e-mail at 9:25 PM at night. By 11:11 PM that same night our president (peanutpress's former president, obviously not Carl Yankowski :) ) had sent a personal reply back to him. In that time he had posted to Palm Station, and he then posted a pretty much full retraction once he noticed it went up on Palm Station a few days later.
2. The short answer is that publishers don't always notify us when books go to paperback, and so when we notice these discrepencies, we contact the publisher and ususally have the price rectified in the course of a day or two. We sometimes find out by customers telling us that we've screwed up. So, yes, we do make mistakes occassionally. Publicly crucifying us without even giving us a chance to reply is pretty rude.
3. Name another company that the president is checking the general e-mail bin in the middle of the night and personally replies. There aren't too many. As for having to charge hardback prices when the paperback is out, there is *one* publisher that demands that, and that's really beyond our control.
Well, former CEO of Peanut Press (Who's his name?), yes there is rare nowadays to have a CEO like him. One thing for sure is You are no Jeff 'Bozos' Blackburn of Amazon (who doesn't see, doesn't hear and doesn't talk to customers' complains).

posted by Jerry permanent link

I Thought It was invented years ago dept.
The PerfectBook Machine (Business 2.0 article)
What brought Marsh to Epstein's attention is a machine that may be the publishing equivalent of a car that runs on water. Working from a digital file, it can print, bind, and trim a book of any size in a matter of minutes. Having finished with one title, it can proceed to another and another, as long as the machine is kept supplied with ink, toner, and paper-the same regular copy paper you might buy at Staples.
"When I first saw it, I knew it would be as important as Gutenberg," says Epstein, who emerged as something of a digital prophet last year with the publication of a work of his own, Book Business: Past Present and Future. "The whole world changes," he says, "because of that machine."

posted by Jerry permanent link

  7/01/2001

Reality Bites, but Dot goes Org
The eBookWeb Campaign: $50,000 by July 15
The sponsorship support that helped eBookWeb through its initial development phase is running out. To bring the site fully to life, they must raise $50,000 by July 15. This amount will pay the rent and keep the servers on through the next quarter, giving them time to add members to the non-profit eBookWeb Cooperative that supports the site. But it won't happen without your support (No More Go Public)! To participate in eBookWeb's campaign, please read their Sponsor Information Package. And visit their new Sponsor Page!
??? So Are you still going to launch it or not?

posted by Jerry permanent link

Reading or Watching? This is what makes Pocket PC cool!
FilmSpeed for Pocket PC: watching full length movie in your Pocket PC

posted by Jerry permanent link

Technology Watch:
Digital Assets Distribution On Portable Drives
Reciprocal, digital assets distribution infrastructure providers, are working with Iomega Corporation manufacturers of portable data storage devices to develop a secure digital content distribution model by enabling downloaded content to be secured to Iomega disks.
Using digital distribution services, consumers who download secure content can transfer and bind content to uniquely serialised removable iomega disks, including Zip, PocketZip, Jaz and Peerless disks. The agreement creates a major new distribution opportunity for content providers who use Reciprocal services, says the company, enabling them to target the millions of consumers who use Iomega removable storage products.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Reality Bites, but Dot Goes Com
Night Thoughts of an eNovelist by William Amos
The demise of dot-com-mania caused a lot of wealth to disappear suddenly. It's also had an impact on the world of e-publishing and, by extension, enovelists. Now more than ever, it's incumbent upon writers to shoulder even more of the promotional burden to help their ebooks succeed.

posted by Jerry permanent link

New Release from Renaissance E Books
In addition to two Erotica Classics, best-selling author Sidney Durham returns with another outstanding short story anthology. New (to us) authors Anastasia Day and Stephanie M. Burke's titles have stirred up more prepublication interest than any titles we've ever published. One of our online resellers has been taking advanced orders for these titles and has set sales records in doing so!
TOY PARTY by Sidney Durham - a super short story anthology.
BODICE RIPPERS by Anastasia Day - a hot short story anthology that has received rave reviews.
HIDDEN PASSIONS, VOLUME I by Stephanie M. Burke - Volume II will be published in August.
PAULA THE PIQUOSE by Akbar Del Piombo - an Erotica Classic.
DUKE COSIMO by Akbar Del Piombo - an Erotica Classic.

posted by Jerry permanent link

It seems all big corporation (PALM, AMZN) doing this kind of things you know dept.
Thanks to Christopher Coulter for pointing me the email of Barton Gellman about the misleading hardcover information from Peanutpress on ebook pricing:
"Dear Sir or Madam (at Peanutpress)
As someone who has bought quite a few titles from Peanut Press, I want you to know why you have lost me as a customer. I've written you about this once before, without reply. Today it happened again, and that is all for me.
You sent me a promotional email. Among the titles: Carl Hiaasen's Sick Puppy. It happens I saw it in paperback today in the local bookstore and thought of buying it. Here, I thought, is the perfect Peanut Press title -- a light summer read to carry along, inexpensive and disposable. It costs $7.99 for the mass market paperback at the store, and the same at Amazon with free shipping. You are not only charging nearly twice that ($13.95), but you are claiming it is available in "Hardcover Only" to justify the price.
That is, bluntly, false. Nor is it the first time. Another of several examples I've found: You still describe Janet Evanovich's One for the Money as "Hardcover Only," and charge accordingly, and yet it has been a $6.99 mass paperback since 1995!
I am very disappointed in the way you do business. I would have been a high volume customer of fairly priced books at paperback prices. I doubt I will ever buy ebooks at hardcover prices, certainly not from a merchant using subterfuge to promote sales."
Yours, Barton Gellman
To add comments on this email click here.

posted by Jerry permanent link