Simon & Schuster says their 25 promotional short graphic-video episodes based on Stephen King’s short story “N” were viewed over one million times online and via mobile phones. The company declined to break out sales via iTunes, but spokesman Adam Rothberg says “the downloads and revenues were a very healthy number that exceeded our expectations, especially given that it was also available for free.” He also indicates that promotion produced “higher” pre-orders for the just-released book JUST AFTER SUNSET. Scribner printed “about 20,000” copies of a higher-priced collectors set that includes all of the video episodes on DVD, “which is […]
eNews
Yes, Google Will Let You Search Books with Cellphones
One of the many questions raised after the legal settlement over Google Book Search was announced was, “gee, do you think you’ll be able to search millions of books with the new Google Android mobile phone platform?” In a word: yes. Though as announced, the first phase actually aims to let you search current books (rather than out of print titles). It works via downloadable software called Barcode Scanner: “When you line up the camera in front of a book barcode, it will automatically zoom, focus and scan the ISBN – without you even needing to click the shutter. As […]
Indigo Has An e-Content Play
Canada’s dominant retailer Indigo has plans for a electronic text offering focused on free and paid downloads for mobile devices, Quill and Quire reports. The enterprise will be established as a separately-branded subsidiary of Indigo, serving customers throughout North America (with intentions of going global), and set to launch in early 2009. “The final details won’t be unveiled until December,” the magazine reports, but Indigo cto Michael Serbinis confirms certain detials. Material on offer will range from complete e-books for mobile reading to small chunks (chapters, articles and short stories) and user-generated content. It sounds as if download fees will […]
Google Settlement: Expanding Public Access?
Since the announcement of the Google settlement, the Internet has abounded with fantasy suggestions for changes in the agreement. On his personal blog, executive director for the Digital Library Federation Peter Brantley offers a level-headed proposal on expanding access to the public in areas with “underprivileged populations.” Simply put: “I propose that public terminals be accessible on a tiered basis. If a certain percentage of a public library’s served population falls beneath the poverty level or a similar metric, the number of public access terminals is commensurately increased. At public libraries, internet access is a priority; so is access to […]
Another eReader for the UK
The BeBook has launched in the UK, selling for 230 pounds, and provided with 150 free books pre-loaded on to the device.ReleaseSale offering, with picture
WorldCatFight
OCLC posted a new policy for the transfer of WorldCat biobliographic records recently that quickly provoked a worried reaction from community members. Terry Reese at the Oregon State University library posted concerns that the service was trying to claim ownership over data contributed by individual libraries: “What OCLC has going for them is the WorldCat database that has been created by publicly funded institutions (like the Library of Congress, universities and public libraries)…. What we have here is OCLC looking to claim ownership over metadata within WorldCat and outside of WorldCat – and I don’t believe that this is something […]