Allen Weiner

Every time I read a blog post, like this one, reviewing the Kindle’s arrive in South Africa, I retreat to the notion that the future of ereading is on smartphones. Even with a slightly less optimal reading experience, the ubiquity of smartphones (not to mention carrier subsidized cost) is too glaring an advantage to ignore.

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Author John Grisham talks about the devaluation of books as well as “uncertainty over ebooks” in this insightful interview on NBC’s “The Today Show.”

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Amazon as taken two steps to ensure it has some breathing room between itself and the burgeoning list of competitors in the eBook-ereader marketplace. The company has announced that it is lowering the price of the bestseller Kindle to $259, down from $299 as well launching the Kindle with U.S. & [...]

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IREX Technologies has announced a new entry into the e-reader space that is sure to turn some heads and offer yet another competitive alternative to Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s new product lines. Additionally, the new, 8.1-inch IREX DR800SG, adds Verizon to the list of carriers who sense an opportunity in this emerging space. Verizon will [...]

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A recent survey from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC)  of its U.S. and Canadian newspaper, magazine and business membership to learn more about publishers’ current mobile initiatives and strategic plans underscores the hope publishers see in e-distribution. Close to 58% of all newspaper publishers format their content for viewing [...]

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Somewhere in Seattle, likely over cups of very strong coffee, the powers that be at Amazon are no doubt planning a well-caffeinated response to two recent announcements in the eBook market as well as some well-speculated product and service releases that could come in Q4, just in time for the holiday shopping season. Amazon’s original [...]

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As the wheels turns in every aspect of the e-book market, Amazon, the Seattle retailer who would like nothing better than to dominate all aspects of the emerging value chain (distribution, management, and devices),  is “girding its loins” for the possible entry of Apple into its space. If, as rampant speculation [...]

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This is a story whose draft plot has all the makings of a thriller. Add up these story arcs and see what you come up with:
*Amazon’s Kindle and Kindle 2 are gaining early signs of traction in the e-reader marketplace selling, by some estimates, around 300,000 units
*The Kindle (a single function device) is expensive at [...]

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A few weeks into my ownership of a Kindle 2, I must report that the Amazon e-reader holds great promise as it delivers a very intuitive experience for those who want portability and a virtual library at their fingertips. Adding books (from both Amazon and other sources) to the Kindle 2 is straightforward with the [...]

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In this podcast, I talk briefly about a concept that I have been pondering (and talking about) regarding the notion of a mobile content creation device to facilitate content and audience immediacy. What should it be? What sort of functionality should it have? How much would it cost? Who are the buyers for such a [...]

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