I no longer enjoy launching the Kobo app on my iPhone or iPad. I stopped looking forward to interacting with it a few updates ago, and now I actually avoid it. This has been building for a while. A year ago, I praised Kobo for being ahead of the curve when it came to adding [...]
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Why social reading apps are doomed to fail
I’ve been testing out some social reading apps on the iPad in recent weeks, and while I hope to post something more in-depth in the near future, I read some items today that corroborate a general disappointment I’ve been feeling. Too many restrictions About a week ago, a study about ebook buying and reading habits [...]
Alternatives to Stanza on iOS
Update: Forget all of this! Stanza delivered a surprise update to the Apple app store on November 10th, 2011, that restored functionality on iOS 5. But only update if you need to: this latest version breaks the app if you’re running an older iOS like 4.3 (thanks to Paula for pointing that out in the [...]
Amazon Silk, or Amazon Browses the Web So You Don’t Have To
The Kindle Fire doesn’t come with a normal web browser, but with something Amazon is calling Amazon Silk, which is Amazon’s attempt at improving page rendering speed, browser responsiveness, and hardware limitations. Amazon has launched a blog about Amazon Silk, but so far the blog just displays a PR-written post and a Googlefied “here’s how [...]
Amazon releases Kindle Cloud Reader, HTML5 web app that runs on iPad
Amazon surprised everyone this morning by announcing a new way to read your Kindle books if you’re on an iPad or computer. It’s called Kindle Cloud Reader, and it’s an HTML5 web application that runs in modern browsers and gives you offline access to Kindle books that you download. Unlike some Kindle announcements, this one [...]
Apple relaxes app rules for ebook apps
It looks like Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and any other ereader app currently on iOS won’t be disappearing from the App Store after the end of the month after all. Mac Rumors is reporting that Apple has removed its most controversial new rule concerning in-app purchases, which said if you sold any media content elsewhere that [...]
Nook Color gets new update, inches closer to iPad
Today Barnes & Noble won the Press Release war against Amazon, with the announcement of a significant OS udpate to the Nook Color that along with subtle improvements brings this handful of splashy new features: a custom App Store that includes games, productivity apps, and content apps like Pandora; an IMAP/POP email client that works [...]
Miss Spider’s publisher explains how he’s wanted to create ebook apps since 1972
With all the blog chatter about myopic and hamstrung publishers, it’s easy to forget about the innovators like Nicholas Callaway…
American Airlines giving away 30 Nook Colors this month
American Airlines is promoting its new Android app by giving away one free Nook Color every day this month until April 28th. To enter, install the free Android app and launch it, or visit AA’s website and submit your email address and name. There’s lots o’ fine print as always, but the main rules are [...]
Expect more educational Kindle apps soon, hints developer
AppleInsider wrote today that the developer for an iOS periodic table app was invited by Amazon to port it over to the Kindle platform: [The developer] contacted AppleInsider to note that Amazon had invited him via email to bring the app to Kindle, noting that the company was especially interested in educational apps. As AppleInsider [...]
Appetites cookbook app is how enhanced ebooks should work
The cookbook app Appetites is one of the best examples of what an ebook app can deliver, and it’s free for a short time.
Create personalized Kindle, Nook and iPad cases at MyEdge
Although no official announcement has yet been made (that I’m aware of), M-Edge has opened its custom cover store. The service lets you create custom covers for your Kindle or Nook ($40) or iPad ($50) using your own images as well as supplied design elements. If you’re not the creative type, M-Edge is offering a [...]