I am a willing subscriber to The Wall Street Journal's online edition. It's $100 a year, which is a lot for online content, especially considering that you can generally find a way to get for free. But I'm a professional writer, and times are hard for all of us. I consider it a professional courtesy to pay, even handsomely, for excellent work. What I won't do is pay for twice. Unfortunately, that's what the WSJ wants me to do:
I recently downloaded the iPhone app for the WSJ, and discovered that getting access to the stories that I'm paying for already on the Web was going to cost me another $52 a year. And that's the discounted rate for existing subscribers. iPhone and BlackBerry app access is $78 a year if you don't already have either a Web or print subscription. It's only if you subscribe to both the Web and print editions of the WSJ that you get iPhone app access for "free."
No, I don't think so.
(Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET)This is madness. I'm paying for online access to the stories. Why on earth should the publication charge me for it twice, or differently, just because I want to view that content, sometimes, on another connected device?
A Dow Jones spokesperson replied, "Each platform or device provides a different experience, and our model reflects that."
By this logic, I'm surprised the WSJ doesn't try to charge me an additional fee for reading stories on a second computer. At least a WSJ Web password can be used on any browser, including the browser on the iPhone.
But what if I want to read on yet another device, like an e-book? Actually, and sadly, Amazon's Kindle content delivery system seems to take a play from the Journal's book. If you're already a subscriber to the WSJ in any form, don't ask about the Kindle version of it. You don't want to know. The Kindle system is so divorced from its content producers that people who subscribe to electronic editions of one service, such as The New York Times' Electronic Edition at $175 a year, must pay again to get that same content delivered to their e-readers. In the case of the Times, that's another $167 a year. For the same stories, except stripped of color.
Granted, for most papers so far there are no corresponding non-Kindle payment plans. You only have to pay for USA Today if you want it on your Kindle ($144 a year), but it's still completely free over the Web; even the iPhone app gives you the content for nothing, save the crossword, which is a paid app.
Here's a better idea for Amazon, the Journal, and the Times: Set up a way for users to subscribe to a content service, and let them get that content electronically wherever they want. Kindle, iPhone, Web, whatever. It should be a right: if you have to pay for content, it should follow you around like a devoted puppy. (To be fair, let's let newspapers charge extra for actually delivering newspapers, since printing and distribution does incur non-trivial additional expenses.)
This idea is already working its way through the television industry. It's called TV Everywhere. In a nutshell, it says that if you pay for certain shows or networks via your cable bill, you should be able to watch what you're paying for online as well, even when you're not on the cable company's network.
Another emerging idea that augurs for this is the concept of the "digital locker." We can hope that Apple's purchase of Lala.com will mean that the music you purchase from iTunes, as well as the tunes you upload from CDs you own, will be stored by Apple for you, to be streamed when you want, to wherever you are, for as long as Apple stays in business.
That's the way to do it. Paying for content that's restricted to a platform is an analog anachronism that should die in the digital age. It's not fair nor sustainable, since delivery methods and platforms shift all the time. It is fair for content providers to charge for their work, but they should sell the content itself, not the media that holds it or the connections that transmit it.
Amazon already has a free Kindle iPhone app. And soon it will have a free Kindle app for Windows PCs.
While the new app won't be available for download until next month, Microsoft demonstrated it at the Windows 7 launch event in New York City on Thursday. Like the iPhone app, Kindle for PC turns your PC into another reading device that can be linked to a Kindle account (you don't have to own a Kindle to set up a Kindle account). You can then choose to send Kindle e-books and periodicals to your PC via a wired or wireless network connection. Also, you can read an e-book on your PC while at home (or elsewhere), then send that same e-book to your iPhone or Kindle and pick up reading where you left off.
"Customers have told us that they want access to a wider variety of content and an increasingly diverse set of form factors," said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Windows Platform Strategy at Microsoft. "With the announcement of Kindle for PC, Amazon is making its massive selection of Kindle books available on the world's most widely used platform."
Both Amazon and Microsoft are quick to note that Kindle for PC takes advantage of capabilities in the new Windows 7 OS, including Windows Touch technology. Also, the app isn't compatible with Windows 7 machines only, but will also work with Windows XP and Windows Vista computers.
Here's a list of features:
- Purchase, download, and read hundreds of thousands of books available in the Kindle Store
- Access your entire library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon's servers for free
- Choose from over 10 different font sizes and adjust words per line
- View notes and highlights marked on Kindle and Kindle DX
- Zoom in and out of text with a pinch of the fingers (Windows 7 users only)
- Turn pages with a finger swipe (available in a future release for Windows 7 users)
And what about a Kindle app for Macs? Well, Drew Herdener, Amazon.com's Director of Communications, tells us, "We will be coming out with Kindle for Mac in the next few months." Herdener also confirms that Kindle for Blackberry will debut soon.
To receive an e-mail when Kindle for PC is available for download, sign-up at amazon.com/KindleforPC.
Comments?
In an apology, Amazon has offered to redeliver copies of George Orwell novels that were mistakenly deleted from Kindle owners' libraries, or provide a gift certificate or check for $30.
Kindle owners who lost their copies of '1984' and 'Animal Farm' in July are now entitled to a replacement copy or $30.
(Credit: CNET)In July, Amazon received a torrent of criticism--not to mention a lawsuit--over its decision to delete copies of "1984" and "Animal Farm" from Kindles after it discovered that certain versions of those e-books were added to the Kindle library by an unauthorized publisher. However, the move to erase lawfully purchased copies of books written about the overreaching hand of a central authoritarian government struck some as funny, and others as outrageous.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos apologized for the move in an e-mail to Kindle owners on Thursday, a copy of which was provided to CNET News by a reader.
"This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle. Our 'solution' to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we've received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission," Bezos wrote.
Those who purchased the deleted copies can e-mail kindle-response@amazon.com to declare whether they would like another copy, or the $30 gift certificate or check (include your address if you want a check). Amazon said the copies would be returned with annotations, perhaps in hopes of satisfying the student who filed a lawsuit against Amazon after he lost his class notes when the e-book disappeared.
Shmoop, an online learning tool designed for high-school students, has unveiled several new categories and a whopping 115 iPhone apps.
The site now features study guides on poetry, bestselling books, civics, and biography. It already offered in-depth information on U.S. history and literature.
The timing on Shmoop's announcement is certainly appropriate. School is about to be back in session. Students will be needing Shmoop's online offerings to help them get through class.
But just how they use Shmoop's features is up for debate.
The basics
Shmoop is basically a study guide, although the site's founder Ellen Siminoff, said that it aims to become the first online textbook for high schools all over the U.S. In either case, it provides in-depth information on topics ranging from the basics like what's in the Bill of Rights to more obscure topics like the U.S. Gilded Age. The site does remind me of a textbook on topics like U.S. history, biography, and ethics.
Shmoop provides in-depth information on great novels.
(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)But I'm not necessarily convinced that Shmoop is as useful to educators as the company wants everyone to believe. Siminoff was quick to point out that several teachers have been using Shmoop in the classroom. But when pressed about the possibility of students using its material to help them cheat or not complete assignments, Siminoff said that her company's focus on reading battles that.
"Shmoop starts out every section with a 'Why you should care,' item," Siminoff said. "We sell reading the book."
I'm not convinced of that. Although Shmoop does provide a nice resource for kids who have already read a book for literature class, it also provides a fine resource for kids who decide they don't want to read the book and would rather use Shmoop to learn all about it.
Each book listed on Shmoop's site includes a basic summary, in-depth analysis, themes, and other information that practically every teacher is referencing when they ask students to write essays on those topics. Similar to CliffsNotes, Shmoop can be used as a free alternative to actually reading the book. It's an intrinsic issue with Shmoop that I just don't see the company fixing. It's a necessary cost of doing business for a site like this.
Information overload
Outside of that, Shmoop's content is extremely informative. In fact, the company hires Ph.D. and master's students to write the content on the site. Siminoff wouldn't say how much they pay those students, but once they write an in-depth analysis, all ownership is transferred from the graduate student to Shmoop, so it can do what it wants with the content.
Shmoop features some interesting biographies.
(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)As good as the content is, it's limited. You won't find math help. You won't see any science topics. So far, the company has decided to stick to novels, poetry, and general history, including biography and civics. That's a problem. Until Shmoop can offer all kinds of subjects, the chances of it gathering significant support from the educational community are limited.
I also wonder if Shmoop will eventually expand its focus. The company currently only caters to high-school students. Some of the content, Siminoff claims, can also be used in first-year undergraduate programs. I believe it. Considering the sheer breadth of the content the site offers on important topics, I could see a freshman U.S. history class analyzing some of the content the site offers. But what about younger kids? Middle-school students are just as much in need for this kind of service. Hopefully Shmoop will offer content for them, as well.
I was also surprised to learn that Shmoop, which already features study guides for the Kindle, has delivered 115 apps for the iPhone. Those apps offer the same basic function as the site--study guides for great novels. Considering Apple's troubles with developers in the past, getting 115 apps in its store is quite a feat. It underscores Shmoop's desire to bring its offering to as many places as possible.
Shmoop is on the iPhone too.
(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)Looking ahead
Shmoop is a fine study guide for students, but it also has the potential of being an assistant for those who don't want to study. It has interesting content, but its content won't appeal to many people outside of high-school age. And its coverage is great for history and literature buffs, but math and science lovers are left out in the cold.
So it seems that Shmoop is a little perplexing. On one hand, it has the features users want. On the other hand, it's lacking many other features those same users are looking for. But since Shmoop is still in its early stages, it's hard to fault a company that has provided so much great information to students. From the common topics to the obscure, Shmoop provides every last detail. That counts for something.
If you're a parent or a teacher, Shmoop is worth checking out. Just make sure to monitor your students to ensure that they're not using it for anything other than a study guide.
A 17-year-old from Michigan has filed a lawsuit against e-commerce powerhouse Amazon after it deleted a book he had purchased for his Kindle device.
The high school student, Justin D. Gawronski, filed suit in a Seattle court along with California resident Antoine J. Bruguier, and they are seeking class action status.
Amazon forcibly (and ironically) recalled copies of George Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm" earlier this month after it was revealed that they were unauthorized. Justin Gawronski's complaint alleges that he was reading "1984" as summer reading for an advanced-placement class and had to turn in "reflections" on each hundred pages. With the loss of the digital book, Gawronski claims his page count was thrown off and his notes were "rendered useless because they no longer referenced the relevant parts of the book."
Amazon has declined to comment on the lawsuit, which appears was first reported late Thursday by The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog.
While buyers received refunds for the recalled copies of the Orwell books, the fact that no advance notice was given threw many customers off and created an uproar against Amazon. The lawsuit, for one, alleges that Amazon did not make it clear enough to customers that remote book deletions were a possibility. It also alleges, as do critics, that the company violated its own terms of use.
"The power to delete your books, movies, and music remotely is a power no one should have," the lawsuit quoted Slate's Farhad Manjoo as saying in an opinion piece following the book deletions.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos put out a public apology shortly after the fiasco unfolded, but it's not clear how the company's policies will (or won't) change in the future.
On Monday, Amazon.com put out a small tweak to its Kindle application for Apple's iPhone (iTunes link) that takes users to an iPhone-optimized store when they click on the "get books" button.
There's now a page that lets users search either by title, author, keyword, or category. It also lists some of the New York Times best sellers, and items that have been recommended based on past purchases and browsing habits. Previously it would simply offer up a link to the desktop version of Amazon's Kindle Web store, which required a whole lot of pinching and zooming around to find what you were looking for.
Despite the change, the application still kicks users out to the Safari application instead of implementing the browsing experience within the Kindle app itself. It's safe to assume this will change in the next iteration, since Amazon acquired the company that created the popular Stanza eBook reading application in late April, which includes a built-in catalog of books that users can purchase.
There's also the soon-to-be-released iPhone 3.0 OS update, which will allow developers to add in-app micropayments--something that's perfect for eBooks. As it stands you still need to handle that end of the transaction on Amazon's site, instead of on the Kindle app.
Clicking on the "get books" button in Amazon's Kindle app for the iPhone now takes users to a thumb-friendly version of Amazon's storefront. However, clicking any of these options will kick you out to Amazon's Web app in Safari.
(Credit: CNET)
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos shows off the Kindle DX
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET News)NEW YORK--Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled the much-anticipated large-screen Kindle e-reader in a lecture hall Wednesday at the downtown Pace University. Called the Kindle DX, the new device is geared toward readers of personal and professional documents, newspapers, and magazines--and textbooks, a potentially huge target market.
The debut of the bigger Kindle wasn't exactly a secret: rumors of a larger-screen Kindle had been around for quite some time, and concrete reports began to surface earlier this week.
Amazon's Kindle DX
(Credit: Amazon)According to Amazon's Kindle DX page, the device has the following:
• A 9.7-inch display with 16 shades of gray. (The standard Kindle has a 6-inch display.)
• Capacity to hold up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents.
• An auto-rotating screen to show either portrait or landscape views.
• A built-in PDF reader.
• 3G wireless network support with no monthly fees or annual contracts.
• Battery capacity to "read for days without charging."
• Text-to-speech abilities to read publications aloud.
Several of those features are shared with the current Kindle 2, but several are unique to the Kindle DX: the native PDF reader that doesn't require the files to be converted, the rotating display, the 3,500-publication capacity compared to 1,500 for the Kindle 2, and of course the larger screen.
... Read moreCalibre is a cross-platform, open-source library for your e-books that can also sync them to your e-book reader. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, it offers a massive range of individual book customizations, as well as format conversion and newspaper-style RSS feed grabbing, but lacks a slick interface that would go a long way toward convincing skeptics that it's a powerful tool.
Calibre's lackluster interface is nevertheless replete with features.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)The number of things that Calibre can do for your digital book collection is stunning. You can view books in a basic spreadsheet layout or with an adaptation of Apple's Cover Flow. Cover Flow here lacks a default image, and the sudden white rectangle where the book cover should be is jarring. It can be toggled with the big, white arrow icon in the bottom-right corner of the main window--an equally awkward placement.
... Read moreBy now, you know you don't need a Kindle 2 to read books electronically. You can use the new Kindle for iPhone app.
But Kindle's not the only way to read books on a iPhone or iPod Touch. There are two other readers well worth checking out:
The apps
eReader
eReader's slidebar makes flipping pages easy.
(Credit: Don Reisinger/CNET Networks)eReader is designed extremely well, and it makes flipping through pages of your free books or premium titles easy. If you want to skip to a certain page, you can use a slidebar above the text to flip through the book. It's a simple feature, but you shouldn't overlook it; this is an ideal way to skip pages that more eBook readers should adopt.
eReader has great features. When you decide to stop reading for a while, it remembers the page you are on in each book you have in your account, and it allows you to wirelessly transfer eBooks to the iPhone's local memory so you don't need to worry about a Web connection to keep reading.
That said, I was a little disappointed with the eReader's dictionary integration, which is too difficult to use. And while the program allows you to change font styles and sizes, I found that the bigger the text size, the worse the experience. And due to the fact that the iPhone has such a small screen, it was somewhat difficult to see default text at times, so I found myself playing with the font size often in an attempt to cut down on scrolling left and right to read the book.
The selection of books offered in eReader is outstanding. Believe it or not, there are over 60,000 titles available to purchase, which include authors ranging from Stephen King to Howard Stern. And much like Stanza, you can buy those titles from Fictionwise.com. If you don't want to pay for the books, you can get some titles for free from Project Gutenberg. Regardless of whether you want new titles like Artie Lange's "Too Fat to Fish" or classics like "Romeo and Juliet," eReader has it all. And the sites are constantly updated with new titles, so you won't be missing out.
If eReader was a paid app, I'd be hesitant to recommend it because of how difficult it can be (at times) to read certain books. But since it's free and offers a slew of titles at no cost, it's definitely worth trying out and using if you don't want to buy a Kindle 2.
Stanza
Stanza makes personalizing the text quick and easy.
(Credit: Don Reisinger/CNET)Unlike the Kindle for iPhone app, Stanza allows you to read much more than just books. In fact, the program also lets you access newspapers and online sites, and supports MS LIT, epub, Mobipocket, and PalmDoc eBook formats. You can even view Word documents and PDF files in Stanza.
Buying books and getting them into Stanza is simple. The easiest way to access titles and start reading them is through the Fictionwise Reader Store, accessible within the app. It claims to have over 50,000 titles. In my search, it had everything I was looking for on topics ranging from history to sports to fiction. I didn't have any trouble getting those books and reading them with the app.
Reading eBooks in Stanza is easily the most appealing when compared with its competitors. The app provides for multi-column views or standard book layout view. And by swiping the screen, you can move up, down, left, and right. You can flip pages with just a tap on the screen. You can also change the color, size, and font of your text with a slidebar. Combine those options and you can easily create an experience that can be tailored to your liking.
Much like eReader, I was impressed by the selection Stanza offered. If you want newer titles and you're willing to pay for them, Stanza allows you to download books from Fictionwise.com. If you want free titles or those you simply can't find elsewhere, you can also use Project Gutenberg. That may not help Stanza differentiate itself from eReader (the selection is practically the same), but I found that with both services at your disposal, you won't be wishing for more titles. In fact, I found books from Stephen Ambrose, Edger Allan Poe, and a slew of other writers. Suffice it to say that, like eReader, Stanza's title selection is outstanding.
The real value of Stanza goes beyond books you can buy or those you can get for free from Project Gutenberg. Because it supports periodicals and Web sites, Stanza is the closest you can get on the iPhone to using the Amazon Kindle--the real Kindle, not the iPhone app. And although it's hobbled by the iPhone's smaller screen, it still provides an outstanding experience (for free, no less) that you definitely should try out in place of Amazon's device.
Kindle for iPhone
Kindle for iPhone is good, but not great.
(Credit: Don Reisinger/CNET)Getting going on the Kindle for iPhone application is a snap. When I loaded it for the first time, I was prompted for my Amazon username and password. Once entered, I was brought to the Amazon front page, which featured all of the books that I had purchased for the Amazon Kindle device prior to this review. Since I already purchased those titles, I was able to quickly access them and start reading. And much like the eReader app, Kindle for iPhone remembers where I left off, so I never needed to flip through pages to find my spot.
I was generally impressed by the experience Kindle for iPhone created. Turning the page is achieved by swiping your finger across the screen, and as on the Kindle itself, you can bookmark pages, change font size, and sample the titles before you decide to buy.
But one feature is conspicuously missing: the Kindle application does not support newspapers. You'll be forced to read only books in the application. And if you want to read articles from the newspaper, you'll be forced to do it the old-fashioned way by using Safari.
You also can't buy any books in the app. Instead, you'll be forced to use Safari on the iPhone to go to Amazon's Kindle Store and buy a book there. It's annoying and a confusing decision that makes the value of this app decline significantly. However, you can't beat the selection of current titles that Amazon has available for download.
Reading books on the Kindle app was appealing, and I was generally impressed with the experience. Amazon did a nice job of making the iPhone feel like the Kindle. Kindle for iPhone is free, so you won't need to worry about dishing out any more cash than what's necessary to buy books for the device. But since it's difficult to buy those books and you can't read newspapers, I'm hard-pressed to recommend this program. If you really want a Kindle, don't use this app; buy the device.
Books as apps
You don't need an Reader to read Shakespeare.
(Credit: Don Reisinger/CNET)The App Store has a relatively limited number of books for sale as apps. Since you don't need an additional e-book reader to read through them (the books have reader software built-in), it's an affordable way to get into the e-book market.
I downloaded a few titles on my iPhone and found that, generally, the experience was about the same as you would expect from any other reader on the device. That said, you won't be able to customize the way the books are displayed as easily and each title is a standalone, so you can't have multiple books housed under one icon, like you can with eReader or Stanza.
Overall, the reading experience was fine when I picked individual books and each title remembered where I left off. Swiping to the left allowed me to go to the next page and the "pinch" feature let me zoom in on different parts of the page. It made reading intuitive, but once again, trying to find the sweet spot that balances both font size and readability was difficult.
Individual book pricing is all over the map. Some titles are free in the App Store and others cost more than $20. It all depends on the book. But you probably won't be blown away by the selection. And at $20--given the price of "real" books--I'm not convinced that it's even worth it.
Cream of the crop
If you don't want to switch to the Kindle 2 and you want to use your iPhone to read eBooks, try Stanza first. It's free, it's full-featured, it offers the best reading experience, and it does much of what the Kindle can do in a smaller (and more affordable) package.
(Credit:
Screenshot by Eric Franklin/CBS Interactive)
In our continuing milking of Kindle 2 hype, here's another e-reader story for your reading pleasure.
Bookworm is an open-source ePub reader that allows you to upload, organize, and read your e-books from the Web on your computer, as well as from Web-capable mobile devices including the iPhone.
Once you've downloaded an ePub book, simply upload it via Bookworm's site, and you'll have access to it from your computer or mobile device. If you have an iPhone, there is an option to view in the book in the e-book reader Stanza, if you have that application installed. You'll also be able to pick up where you left off reading as you move across devices.
O'Reilly Labs recently invited principal Bookworm developer Liza Daly to bring the open-source software into O'Reilly Labs' research-and-development space.
Liza had the following to say about the opportunity: "Most importantly, core Bookworm code will remain open-source. If you would like to use Bookworm code, even commercially, you're encouraged to do so."
She continued: "As part of the Labs project, we may add some features that won't be part of the core open-source package. Most other changes will be free and BSD-licensed. We're just beginning to think about where we can take this project."
