A yuzu is a hybrid citrus fruit with curiously high ratio of seeds to juice — which makes it the perfect name for Barnes & Noble College’s new textbook app: “Yuzu is a next-generation digital education platform that enhances the everyday learning experience and makes college the rewarding journey it’s meant to be.” It has launched as an iOS app and web reader (but for now it only works in iOS 7, and the latest versions of Safari). A replacement for Nook Study, this is the “higher education digital product” that the company touted on their last earnings call, and […]
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Briefs: NEA Grants, Warren’s Memoir, Samsung for Kindle, and More
The National Endowment for the Arts announced nearly a thousand grants totaling roughly $75 million for the second half of their fiscal year. Literature claims just a small slice of that largesse, with 56 grants comprising $1.42 million. Among the larger recipients, receiving grants of between $30,000 and $90,000, are: 826 National; Association of Writers & Writing Programs; Council of Literary Magazines and Presses; Grub Street; The Loft Literary Center; PEN American Center; PEN/Faulkner; Poets & Writers; and Small Press Distribution. The full list (if you scroll down) is posted here. The Boston Globe “obtained” a copy of Elizabeth Warren‘s embargoed memoir set for release next […]
Google Play Continues Growth
Google reported first quarter earnings Wednesday afternoon that were somewhat short of analysts’ expectations on both sales and earnings. Our narrow interest in their earnings reports remains the hints regarding their expanding Play store. The category that includes Play results — “other revenues” — was up 48 percent compared to a year ago, at $1.554 billion. The same revenue line comprised $1.65 for the previous holiday quarter, and just under $5 billion for all of 2013. As we noted earlier, this business category includes the Google Play store; their hardware line (Nexus devices and Chromecasts, but not Chromebooks); and their […]
BEA Challenges Start-Ups In New Contest
This year’s BEA is featuring a “Book Expo Challenge” contest focused on start-ups that’s a hybrid of floor display space and a chance at two prizes. For $599 registrants/contestants get a table and two chairs in a little “Startup Alley” section of the trade show floor (inside the Digital Discovery Zone). Registered companies also get to pitch their propositions to a panel of judges — Dawn Barber (NY Tech Meetup); Brian Cohen (NY Angels); Dominique Raccah (Sourcebooks); Jordan Bettman (Bain Capital Ventures); and David Roland (Ingram Content Group Ventures — on Thursday, May 29. The judges can award a $10,000 […]
Corporate: A Wiley Acquisition; and Job Cuts At RH Children’s UK and Weltbild
Wiley announced another sizable acquisition, agreeing to pay $175 million in cash to purchase French-based learning solutions provider CrossKnowledge, which focuses on leadership and managerial skills development. The deal is expected to close on May 1. Wiley has been investing heavily in their professional development division, and acquired a related firm, Profiles International, less than two weeks ago. CEO Steve Smith says the two purchases, along with Inscape (which they bought in 2012 for $85 million), “positions us as a leader in the rapidly-growing area of enterprise talent management. In today’s knowledge-based economy, organizations of all different shapes and sizes […]
Amazon Acquires ComiXology
Just hours after posting ceo Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders, Amazon announced after the close of the market on Thursday that it acquired digital comics firm ComiXology, confirming rumors circulating since the beginning of the month. The deal for undisclosed terms — is expected to close in the second quarter of 2014, and the seven-year-old company will keep its headquarters in New York (ComiXology also has offices in Los Angeles and Paris). According to co-founder and ceo David Steinberger, “ComiXology will retain its identity as an Amazon subsidiary and we’re not anywhere near done ‘taking comics further.'” ComiXology offers more than […]