Kindle News, lots of it, 10/13/10

The 11 items mentioned below include a few that are mainly links w/short descriptions for those interested in following the links, as there is a lot of news this week and you can follow these when you have time.  The others probably contain too much information but I wanted to see community responses to some of the news.


1. STAPLES
Staples's display area for the Kindles.  Note the larger Kindle on the desk?  I didn't THINK they have the DX Graphite in stock but it was said that they'd be in stores in November.

  At this point, they only have pre-programmed demo models although they call them "interactive"... the article drips with sarcasm, but I wish Amazon felt they could afford to have one model in each store that people could actually try for an idea of how the Kindle  (UK: K3) actually functions.

  In the article's Comments area, someone writes back in similar vein but with a different viewpoint:

  "I got my grubby paws on one of these devices last year, and actually quite liked it.  I found out that you can use the free 3G internet access to surf the web, anywhere on the planet that has 3G cellphone coverage.
  Oh, and apparently you can read books on them as well. "

2. COWEN AND CO.'S DIGITAL BOOK MARKET SURVEY
The L.A. Times Entertainment blog reports on estimated sales based on a survey by Cowen and Co.:

' Not only are sales of the Kindle device expected to grow 140% this year to nearly 5 million units from 2009, but digital book sales via the Kindle store are on track to grow 195% to $701 million in 2010, according to Cowen and Co., which released a report Monday on the digital book market.

...according to the report, written by Cowen analysts Jim Friedland and Kevin Kopelman. "In fact, we think the adoption of tablets will boost Kindle e-book sales."

...For 2010, Cowan estimates Apple will have 5% of the market for digital books, compared with Amazon, which is projected to have 76% of the market.  But by 2015, Cowan estimates Amazon will have 51% of the market and Apple with 16%.

3. AMAZON SINGLES
When I first saw the PR release at MarketWatch, I thought Amazon was expanding into the Dating-Services area, but instead:

' Less than 10,000 words or more than 50,000: that is the choice writers have generally faced for more than a century--works either had to be short enough for a magazine article or long enough to deliver the "heft" required for book marketing and distribution.

But in many cases, 10,000 to 30,000 words (roughly 30 to 90 pages) might be the perfect, natural length to lay out a single killer idea, well researched, well argued and well illustrated--whether it's a business lesson, a political point of view, a scientific argument, or a beautifully crafted essay on a current event.

Today [Oct. 12], Amazon is announcing that it will launch "Kindle Singles" -- Kindle books that are twice the length of a New Yorker feature or as much as a few chapters of a typical book.  Kindle Singles will have their own section in the Kindle Store and be priced much less than a typical book.
  Today's announcement is a call to serious writers, thinkers, scientists, business leaders, historians, politicians and publishers to join Amazon in making such works available to readers around the world.

  "Ideas and the words to deliver them should be crafted to their natural length, not to an artificial marketing length that justifies a particular price or a certain format," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Kindle Content.  "With Kindle Singles, we're reaching out to publishers and accomplished writers and we're excited to see what they create." '

Nick Bilton of the NY Times points out that

' This medium-length format has traditionally been difficult for writers to sell to publishers as it doesn’t fit into the mold of a printing-press distribution model.

  In a digital distribution system, those pricing structures no longer exist, and a digital price can be adjusted accordingly.

  By promoting this new format, Amazon can also avoid upsetting publishers who were frustrated with the company when it introduced its own self-publishing product, allowing writers to price and directly sell their content on the Kindle platform. '

Engadget's Joseph L. Flatley refers to these as "really, really short books"

  To Engadget's mostly tongue-in-cheek analysis - "It looks like Amazon has finally admitted what we knew all along: most books are too long. And boring.
  We need more e-publications that reflect our torn jeans, frayed hair, coffee swilling, ca. early-1990s slacker lifestyle.
  Kindle Singles, as announced by "the man" in an ironic blast of "PR," are described as e-books anywhere from twice the length of a Maximum Rock'n'Roll feature article to a few chapters in a typical book...."

  In the Engadget comments area, Nick Sweetman writes:

' Have you ever heard of this thing called attention span? It's when you actually get to '

  IMHo predicts:

' Mark my words: in 2020 they will come out with Kindle Fractions, for page-and-a-half publications, because by then singles will be considered long and boring :) '

  And, on a more serious note, jtnoel adds:

' Amazon is one of Dime Novel Publishing's distribution channels.  In fact, we currently have close to 30 titles published (although Amazon does not provide publishers the ability to offer texts for free...unless you are one of the big guys).

  The issue is about getting noticed. Publishers pushing short/serialized content through Amazon are, in short (no pun intended), lost in the shuffle.  By breaking this out into its own model, there is a great opportunity for authors/publishers like us to get some real marketing push from Amazon. '

 Dingus is amusing:

' The "Amazon Singles" name is all about branding.  Because calling them "Amazon Short Stories" sounds like a comic from the '50s.
  Also the acronym might not fly. '

 And, on a note that might please Amazon and Singles-authors, Mark points out why this might work:

' There are probably a lot of awesome short stories by authors I love, that I don't read.  Why?  Because I don't want to buy compilations with other short stories I am not interested in reading. '

zippycart.com makes some good points:

' ...Others view Kindle Singles as a new revenue source [for writers].  Writers can now take a different approach, and create smaller books that have a more narrow focus.

  It might take a year to write a traditional book, but Kindle Singles could be easily produced in two weeks to a month.  This quick turn around time could allow writers a chance to sell more digital work, so they can have the money to allow them to spend time focusing on bigger books.

  Other writers, on the other hand, may look at this as a new opportunity to carve out a unique niche, where they produce dozens of 30 to 90 page books.   Either way, this new addition to the Kindle Store provides a great deal of opportunity for many. '

Technorati's Laura Zavelson writes:

' If viewed through a magazine/newspaper lens, this could be the first step in letting journalists and writers produce their own work rather than having to be on staff or go through the tedious pitch process.  While the press release did not discuss the business model, there is also the possibility that writers might even be able to earn more for their work by going straight to distribution and bypassing the publishers.

  ... The newsstand price of a top consumer magazine runs about $5. What if you could spend less and just buy the articles you're interested in?  Would you do it? '

4. ZORK FOR KINDLE AGAIN
Geek.com's John Brownlee writes that while he feels the Kindle is 'worthless' for any games (of the action type, definitely), Zork is another matter:

' Given how extremely dedicated and talented the text-adventure community is even today, this seems like an absolutely wonderful development for the Kindle, transforming it from an e-reader into an affordable handheld console for a type of game not really supported on other systems.  Roll out support for A Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and I’m there. '

5. AMAZON TO SELL KINDLE IN CHINA?
In an article in Investor's Business Daily, by Doug Tsuruoka, about Amazon and sales of mooncakes! in China, I saw this:

' Amazon operates under the name Joyo Amazon in China.  Market research firms in China say Amazon is doing well selling books.  There are unconfirmed reports in the Chinese press that Amazon will soon start selling its Kindle e-book reader in China. '

Probably true.  In the July 28 blog entry, I wrote that the Global Times, China reported that

' Despite claims by Amazon that its E-book reader, Kindle, has no timetable for entering the Chinese market, its Chinese branch, Joyo, is in what is believed to be preparations to launch the device, media reports said Wednesday.

  An industry insider disclosed that Joyo has initiated recruitment of distribution managers and personnel via recruitment organizations, which leads industry analysts to believe this is a prelude to launching.  Information on talent-recruitment is available on Joyo's official website. '

And a couple of days later came the news that the new Kindle now handles Chinese characters.

6. QUALCOMM'S MIRASOL DEMO AT AMERICAN MAGAZINE CONFERENCE
ChicagoNow's yearley reports that the color but e-paper-like Mirasol display (that can do video) for future e-readers was demo'd at American Magazine Conference.  The part that most interested me, in a long article explaining Mirasol technology, was this:

' The Mirasol is a "color display that future E-Readers will be able to integrate for a different viewing experience from the present offerings...There is currently a dedicated fab facility, special factory that produces the displays, in Taiwan which increases its production reach and will be able to supply demand given a deal is reached soon for an E-Reader... [Emphases mine, as usual.]

The display can show images and video as a clear XGA format at 1024 x 768 screen resolution with 223 pixels per inch.

...The final question on everyone's mind is perhaps what E-Reader devices the Mirasol display might be a part of in the near future and if it will be in other mobile devices besides E-Readers.  However, that was the one question that could not currently be answered and [they] were not able to say at the present time to anyone.  Though currently Qualcomm is in the process of working on deals with major players in the E-Reader market.

The CEO of Barnes & Noble was present at the American Magazine Conference, so perhaps he caught onto some ideas after previewing the Qualcomm Mirasol display and will decide to bring it to the Nook, along with Mirasol's full color and video capabilites. '

See far more info on this promising (but muted-color) display at ChicagoNow.

7. TOM'S HARDWARE WEBSITE NOW IN KINDLE BLOG EDITION
Kindle Edition of Tom's Hardware mobile The popular and highly-regarded "Tom's Hardware" site is now available in a Kindle Edition for 99 cents a month.

8. AMAZON AND BEST BUY WORKING ON TABLETS?
Yet another rumor, this time from androidandme.com, about a possible Amazon tablet in the works (I'd not mentioned any of the other Amazon tablet rumors).

  They point out that

' TechCrunch "was the first to post the rumor that an Amazon tablet was coming and it makes perfect sense when you really think about it. Amazon’s site attracts nearly 80 million visitors each month and they have demonstrated their ability to move a branded device like the Kindle e-reader. If Amazon takes their moneymaking Kindle brand and slaps it on an Android tablet, they now have the perfect mobile platform to push their growing video-on-demand library, while also using their killer recommendation engine to sell apps and games. '

Just a rumor and not a strongly-based one though it makes sense it might happen someday.  And Amazon's Lab126 has had job postings for positions requiring experience in video and animation.

9. RELUCTANT EBOOK ADOPTER DETAILS HOW HE FELL FOR THE ENEMY
How I got a preview of the Kindle 3 – and totally geeked out - by Christopher Sutton, a "reluctant ebook adopter."  The link for this delightful read was tweeted to some Kindlers by @mikecane.

It's a long piece by a guy who's always loved physical books and strongly resisted the idea of an e-reader (does this sound familiar?).  He explains his slow turnaround, to the extent he wound up in the new Amazon video, "What Customers are Saying".  Seen just under "The Reviews Are In -- where this link takes you, though it takes a bit to load -- the video also includes a couple of appearances by Jesslyn who runs the information-focused blog My Kindle Stuff - Info, How-To & Book Resources at http://mykindlestuff.com.

10. FOR EDUCATORS - a recommended article
The Chronicle of Higher Education's Jeffrey R. Young asks, As Textbooks Go Digital, Will Professors Build Their Own Books?.  It wouldn't be that easy, for many reasons.

11. GOOD READING ON THE FUTURE OF THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
BookBotics - The Future of Publishing, at http://www.ebookbotics.com/
  "BookBotics features commentary and analysis about the future of books, reading and publishing business models in an era of digital media and convergence technologies.  While BookBotics focuses on these issues in particular, it also provides information on legal issues in the publishing industry as well as the many technological developments and curiosities that have become part of our digital culture."


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   DX Graphite

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

Clues to new Kindle capabilities at end of year

StrategyEye has been looking at Amazon's Lab126 job ads and reports that Amazon may be planning to improve the Kindle web browser, as they posted an ad for an engineer to design new features on an "innovative embedded web browser."

The article reports fears that Kindle customers who are newspaper subscribers could just go to a newspaper website for free (specifically mentioning the NY Times) and then cancel their newspaper subscriptions.  It's not clear to me that StrategyEye knows that Amazon Users can already web to the NY Times online.

We can already read the NY Times online in its full-text format, which I have a link to in the downloadable file of mobile-device-optimized websites described and available at http://bit.ly/mobiweb.

We can also go to the regular website but that would be masochistic as that is very slow.  The text-optimized NY Times though is fully available.

Wireless use drains e-readers quite a bit, but a full-throttle web-browser would drain it very quickly.

StrategyEye reports that some believe the planned improvements are "part of a damage control exercise in prepararation for next month's release of the iPad."

  But in no way would a new version be ready by that time anyway, unless one is thinking about e-readers that are rushed to market and unreliable.
  There ARE obviously plans for a touchscreen to be ready by the end of the year and almost surely some kind of color screen with it, from all that I read (rumors are heavy about both Touchco which Amazon now owns and Mirasol, the latter dropping hints but also trying to entice all e-reader makers with their impressive technology although the colors are somewhat muted and there may be less contrast).
  EInk/PVI has stated that they could also have color ready by the end of the year also.
  So, I think any web browser improvements would be slated for a new Kindle near the end of the year.

  In the meantime it would be very good if they could improve the current model's web browsing so that it's faster and handles 'https' links. But, as StrategyEye worries, a faster browser will eat up more bandwidth, especially when people use a much faster browser much more and then 24/7 web browsing would likely be put on tiered pricing.

  StrategyEye writes that "A better browser would open up the internet to Kindle users and could put serious strain on the AT&T network."  The Kindle is already open to the Internet and is the only e-reader that gives (free) cellular wireless for this -- the other e-readers confine customers' web access to their own stores.

  And there they note the possibility that "Kindle customers could potentially cancel their subscriptions to publications such as the New York Times and access the paper's website for free."
  Certainly, with the iPad, the publishers should worry about that even more, as they could access the regular web pages of the NY Times as opposed to accessing, more practically and slowly, the mobile-unit optimized text pages of the NYT.

I've always been patient with the slow Kindle browser because it's free and I need that kind of access outside only for quick lookups.  I imagine that any decent speed capabilities will bring tiered-browsing plans, so I'm not over-excited about this.

Amazon buys Touchco - UPDATE2

Amazon has acquired Touchco, a New York-based start-up specializing in touch-screen technology.  We all know what that means.  This, coupled with the Mirasol stories about something happening with Qualcomm's color display and Amazon's Kindle (with hints from Qualcomm reps), indicate we may see an additional, quite different Kindle by September-October or so, at which time the non-touchscreen models will likely go down in price.

The NY Times story by Nicky Bilton and Brad Stone reports that the staff of 6 for that start-up will merge with Lab126, Amazon's Kindle hardware division, which has recently had ads for 40+ new technical employees)

Like the Mirasol technology, this one will be somewhat less expensive (relative to similar items of their types) for makers also.  The report says that

' Touchco uses a technology called interpolating force-sensitive resistance, which it puts into displays that can be completely transparent and could cost as little as $10 a square foot. The capacitive touch screens used in the iPad and iPhone are considerably more expensive. Unlike those screens, the Touchco screens can also detect an unlimited number of simultaneous touch points.

Touchco’s technology uses resistors that are sensitive to different levels of pressure. It has said its screens can distinguish between the touch of a finger and the pressure of a pen or similar pointing device. The company had designed its technology to work well with full-color LCD screens, similar to those used in the iPad and Hewlett-Packard’s coming line of tablet PCs. The technology could allow Amazon to introduce a full-color touch-screen Kindle, raising the question of whether the device’s current displays, which are made by a company called E Ink will play a role in the next round of reading devices. '

The caption under the photo describes a feature not mentioned in the body of the article: "Touchco’s technology is fully flexible, as pictured here, which would allow for a more robust Kindle."

UPDATE, 2:48 PM - Original posting made 2:32 PM
Eric Engleman of TechFlash reports that "Amazon nabbed Microsoft Windows executive Mike Nash for its Kindle team."  He'd worked most recently as corporate vice president in charge of Windows 7 platform strategy.

Engleman also sees that the Lab126 ads have increased to 50.

UPDATE2, 3:04 PM - Extremely brief video (a few nanoseconds)of an example of the Touchco GUI - involves moving an object, in this case, on a remote screen.
Other company videos once at youtube are no longer available there.

Kindle to get Qualcomm Mirasol? - Update3

Qualcomm's Mirasol color technology to be put on the Kindle later this year?

UPDATE 1-3   - Good video - the others are done in poor light.  Maybe a color Kindle in the Fall 2010 if quoted statements are accurate.

See my earlier blog article with more information on the technology, and voicing a hope.

This is what FoxNews Science and Technology writer Clayton Morris writes today:

' Exclusive: Tech Behind Next-Gen Kindle Revealed?

I'm floored by Qualcomm's new display technology, Mirasol...

Imagine three solid weeks without recharging your device! The company boasts that its display uses a "low power, video capable, sunlight viewable, color display that will shake up the e-reader market and open new doors for publishers."

Sound like a hefty proposition? Perhaps not.

When pressed about who its partner might be in 2010, a company spokesman asked me, "You know that device that everyone reads books on?  Well, it's going to be a game changer on a device we all know."

Like tens of thousands of other people, I read ebooks on a Kindle. Is the Mirasol color screen coming to a Kindle near me? One can only hope.  What other eReader would someone assume I use? '

I hope it's true, and if it is, maybe Jeff Bezos may be surprised a partner would give this hint. Or maybe not -- it could be a "The Kindle won't be killed" thought.

Qualcomm's 2010-2011 color e-reader

Slash Gear's Chris Davies reports on Qualcomm's mirasol team, which is "now showing off a 5.7-inch display capable of full color and video playback, with minimal impact on battery life. They’ve set themselves the target of having color ebook readers with mirasol panels on the market by the latter part of 2010, and are working with OEMs now to achieve that."

This technology uses
'...tiny flexible membranes that react to electrical charges, overlaid onto a mirrored surface.  Light reflected back out through those membranes is refracted so that interfering wavelengths create colors, and because the membranes used are bistable, once they have been set to display a certain color they require virtually no power to maintain it, only if it needs to be changed.  The system also needs no color filters, no strong backlighting to be visible in direct sunlight and no polarizing lenses.

Amazing.

They point out that what we see is an overall, non-functioning mockup except that the display panel is an actual, working unit and that they are working with unnamed OEMs on a variety of e-reader devices.  The cost is on a par with the cost of current e-reader devices.  Battery life is said to be terrific and readability very good in normal light but best in bright lighting.  Qualcomm promises an "e-reader with color and video but no battery sacrifice."

More photos at the SlashGear site.