is Roberto Mateu’s geeky blog.
Cory Doctorow, on Doctorow’s First Law:
Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won’t give you a key, they’re not doing it for your benefit.
Although Doctorow is an extremist, he’s a rational one. Most of the things he gets worked up about – not using Macs anymore because of DRM – are things I can understand.
And while I still don’t agree in practice with him, more often than not, I agree in principle.
Amazon finally released the Kindle App for Android.
Very similar to the iOS version, without the new embedded video and audio clips.
Kindle Software Update Version 2.5 Available for GSM Edition →
Although version 2.5 of the software was announced more than a month ago, it’s starting to appear now in the wild.
From Amazon,Kindle Version 2.5 Overview:
Collections
PDF Pan and Zoom
Password Protection
More Fonts & Improved Clarity
Facebook & Twitter Posts
Popular Highlights
Collections (basically folders), is the feature I look most forward to using. Right now I have three pages of books, some which I already read and others which I haven’t started. All of them are in the same level, which ends up being a bit messy.
Update: forget everything below, Amazon published the download links and instructions, or you can wait a few days for the automatic update.
The software update is still not available via automatic updates, but you can update manually using the files below. You have to have a Kindle with serial number B003… for these to work:
/via Engadget, Kindle Boards and MobileRead Forums
Digital Revolution Shakes Foundations of Book Retailing →
Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, on the WSJ.com. Interesting overview on the current state of big bookstores and some of their plans.
Amazon just released the Kindle for Mac application. Mostly useful as a companion to your Kindle. One downside:
Kindle newspapers, magazines, and blogs are not currently available for Kindle for Mac.
Bummer, this could be the only interesting use-case for this app.
David Baldacci 'enriched' e-book on the way →
Hillel Italie, from The Associated Press:
His next thriller, “Deliver Us from Evil,” comes out April 20 as a hardcover, an e-book, and in an “enriched” electronic version which will include passages deleted from the final text, research photos, an audio interview and video footage of Baldacci at work.
Not sure about deleted passages, but the rest sounds interesting.
I haven’t read anything from Baldacci yet, but I would buy an enriched eBook from Neal Stephenson any day.
Rework from 37signals is out →
I think this book is going to be important. Planning on reading it soon.
Making the Case for iPad E-Book Prices →
Motoko Rich, also in the NYTimes.com:
At a glance, it appears the e-book is more profitable. But publishers point out that e-books still represent a small sliver of total sales, from 3 to 5 percent. If e-book sales start to replace some hardcover sales, the publishers say, they will still have many of the fixed costs associated with print editions, like warehouse space, but they will be spread among fewer print copies.
Nobody said innovation is fair - it’s efficient.