Random House switches e-book pricing models, clears way for entrance into iBookstore

Well, it looks like the last major holdout from Apple’s iBookstore could soon be joining its rivals on iOS devices — Random House announced today that it’s abandoning its current pricing model for e-books in favor of the so-called “agency pricing” that Apple insists on. That model requires publishers to set the retail prices of their books with the bookseller getting a 30 percent cut of each sale — as opposed to the traditional wholesale model that lets retailers set the price of books and even sell them at a loss (as Amazon has done in the past). As the Wall Street Journal notes, the agency model has been criticized by some (including Random House previously) for effectively eliminating discounting and guaranteeing retailers a profit on each book they sell. Of course, Random House hasn’t yet officially announced that it will be joining the iBookstore ranks, but this news does certainly line up nicely with a little event tomorrow.

Random House switches e-book pricing models, clears way for entrance into iBookstore originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AllThingsD  |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Barnes & Noble now selling the Nook Color on eBay for $199

Well, this one strikes us as a little… odd. Barnes & Noble is currently selling its Nook Color on eBay (along with plenty of other things). The truly interesting part, however, is that the price, once a $50 coupon code is applied, is $199, which is of course $50 less than it sells them for in stores or on its own website. We aren’t sure what the motivation behind this move is, but we’d guess that the bookseller is attempting to compete with other, unofficial eBay retailers selling B&N’s goods. Either way, if you’re in the market for a Nook Color, eBay seems to be the place to get one, for now.

Barnes & Noble now selling the Nook Color on eBay for $199 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Netbook News  |  sourceBarnes and Noble’s eBay store  | Email this | Comments

Borders files for bankruptcy, plans to keep operating but close 30 percent of its stores

We heard the news was coming, and now it’s official — Borders, the second-biggest bookstore chain the U.S., has filed for bankruptcy. As expected, the company will continue to operate while it restructures, but it will hardly be the same company it once was. It’s being forced to close around 200 (or 30 percent) of its stores, and it may need to close another 75 if it’s not able to gain some concessions from landlords, according to Bloomberg. This is news on Engadget, of course, because Borders has also been trying to compete with Amazon and Barnes & Noble beyond its core brick-and-mortar bookselling business in recent years (and not exactly succeeding). While the company hasn’t produced its own e-book reader, it has partnered with Kobo to sell its device, and it has established its own e-book store that’s also used by its various e-reader apps for smartphones and tablets. There’s no indication as of yet that the bankruptcy will affect those endeavors.

Update: Kobo has now commented on the situation on its blog, saying that Borders’ bankruptcy means “nothing” for Kobo customers, and that it is an “independent, financially secure company.”

Borders files for bankruptcy, plans to keep operating but close 30 percent of its stores originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBook Sales Overtake Paperbacks

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In a sign that digital books may just be taking over those made of paper, Amazon has announced that for the first time the company has sold more Kindle books than traditional paperbacks.

During an earning’s call Amazon said that for every 100 paperback books it sold on its website, 115 eBooks were sold to Kindle users. How many books that actually amounts to wasn’t revealed. But it’s likely quite a few, as Amazon also announced that the newest Kindle has become its best selling product of all time. The previous best seller was, oddly enough, a book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Via Gizmodo

Qualcomm lays down $1 billion for new Mirasol plant in Taiwan, catering small and medium devices

Good news, digital bookworms! After months of rumoring, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has just announced that Qualcomm will really be building a new Mirasol plant over there. Specifically, the $1 billion, seven-hectare factory will reside in the Hsinchu Longtan Science Park to mass-produce small and medium flavors of said transflective display, meaning the Snapdragon maker will, for the first time, be able to churn out something smaller than the current lone 5.7-inch model. Yep, those must be the low-power smartphone screens that Qualcomm talked about previously, which sure sound delicious. Now, what’s up with our little Pixel Qi?

Qualcomm lays down $1 billion for new Mirasol plant in Taiwan, catering small and medium devices originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink BusinessWeek  |  sourceMinistry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C.  | Email this | Comments

Google’s big week: Nexus S, Honeycomb tablets, Chrome OS laptops, and eBooks to boot

We gotta hand it to Google: if its goal was to own the technology news cycle for 48 hours, mission accomplished. The Mountain View-based company spent the first two days this week laying out pretty much every big announcement it possibly could: a new flagship phone coming next week (the Nexus S), a new Android build (2.3 Gingerbread), a preview of the next Android build (Honeycomb) on a never-before-seen Motorola tablet, the debut of its cloud-based laptop platform (Chrome OS) with hardware, and a giant plunge into the growing e-book market — and that isn’t everything. We’ve done our best to condense all the days’ highlights into something easier to digest, so read on for a recap on all things Google!

Continue reading Google’s big week: Nexus S, Honeycomb tablets, Chrome OS laptops, and eBooks to boot

Google’s big week: Nexus S, Honeycomb tablets, Chrome OS laptops, and eBooks to boot originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google eBooks 404 page tips spear to Twitter, would make Ahab proud

Google eBooks 404 page tips spear to Twitter, would make Ahab proud

That iconic “fail whale?” It was created in 2007 by an artist named Yiying Lu who had never heard of Twitter when the site grabbed the image from iStockphoto, where she’d uploaded it. The rest, of course, is history and, with the launch of Google eBooks (née Google Editions), the Googs is giving something of a tip of the hat to Twitter with its own error page — but putting a literary spin on things. You can see the result above, a dejected man finding a decidedly non-white whale, and you don’t have to be called Ishmael to catch the reference here.

Google eBooks 404 page tips spear to Twitter, would make Ahab proud originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Switched  |  sourceGoogle  | Email this | Comments

Google Editions launching in US before the end of the year, going international in Q1 2011

Admit it, Google Editions wasn’t exactly your highest priority item among the things promised for a 2010 launch, but, according to Mountain View’s Scott Dougall, the e-bookstore from the world’s favorite search company will indeed make its debut before December’s through. It’s premised as a web-centric, buy-anywhere, read-anywhere platform, one that eschews the proprietary hardware and software model currently championed by the likes of Amazon for a more ubiquitous and accessible one (a humble web browser is all you’ll need, which should make Tim Berners-Lee beam with pride). Small websites of all creeds, whether they be independent bookstores or book reviewers, will be encouraged to participate by linking their users to Google Editions of whatever scriptures they’re discussing — with an unannounced revenue sharing model keeping them interested. Retail pricing won’t differ, we’re told, from what Amazon and Barnes & Noble currently charge, which raises the question, what’s the downside to Editions?

Google Editions launching in US before the end of the year, going international in Q1 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 03:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Amazon introduces Kindle book gifting just in time for the holidays

It’s not the Kindle lending feature that Amazon has in the works, but the company has just rolled out another fairly big Kindle feature for those feeling a bit generous this holiday season. That comes in the form of a new “give as a gift” option now present on Amazon.com, which will let you send an e-book to anyone with an email address, who can then read it on the Kindle-friendly device of their choice (or an actual Kindle, of course). As Amazon is all too happy to point out, it’s the first major bookseller to offer such a service, but we’ve got to guess it won’t be the last.

Amazon introduces Kindle book gifting just in time for the holidays originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Switched, Crave  |  sourceAmazon  | Email this | Comments

Barnes & Noble Nook Color Review: A Screen Caught Between Two Worlds [Video]

Tablets, tablets everywhere—even where you least expect them. So here’s a question: Is Barnes & Noble‘s Nook Color a tablet or an ereader? It’s actually something in between. And it’s only $250… More »