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Sound off! Do you use any speed-reading apps?
Speed-reading apps seem like the new weather apps. There are tons of different examples to choose from and they tout benefits that range from better memory retention to more free time and even healthier, shinier hair (one of those may not be totally true). So, have you used one to take your reading skills from average speed to ludicrous speed? Head over to the Engadget forums and share your experiences.
US book publishers now make more money from online sales than physical stores
Brick-and-mortar book stores have clearly been on the decline for a while -- just look at Barnes & Noble's rocky finances. However, there's now some tangible evidence that the pendulum has swung in favor of internet-based sales. BookStats estimates that US publishers made more money from online orders and e-books in 2013 ($7.54 billion) than they did from old-fashioned physical retail ($7.12 billion). While the difference isn't huge, it suggests that a large chunk of the American population is content with buying books that it hasn't seen in person.
Amazon's updated Kindle apps let you seamlessly switch between text and audiobooks
It's a hulking behemoth now, but let's not forget that Amazon got its start peddling books. It never really forgot those roots, either: somewhere along the way it built its own e-reading platform and snapped up a pricey purveyor of audiobooks. Now the e-commerce titan is trying to blur the lines between those two properties even more thanks to a new update to its iOS and Android Kindle apps. The changelog is a pretty lengthy one, but the addition of Whispersync for Voice is the real standout here -- now book buffs can leap between words on a digital page and a professional audio recording without having to leave the Kindle app proper. The upside for Amazon is clear: if it can make it easier for you to jump back and forth between reading and listening, it's got a decent shot at selling more audio recordings. Synergy, folks! If that somehow improves your reading experience along the way, well, that's just peachy too. Just be warned that not every book available from Amazon's virtual shelves has an Audible equivalent -- the company has said there are about 45,000 book/recording matches out there.
Funding push would put Reading Rainbow on phones and game consoles
LeVar Burton had no trouble crowdfunding Reading Rainbow for the web; now, he'd like your help bringing it to living rooms and pockets everywhere. His team has announced a $5 million stretch goal that, if reached, will port his literary initiative to mobile devices, game consoles and set-top boxes. Yes, that would return the program to TV (if not quite in the traditional sense) after an eight-year hiatus. The goal would also expand free student access to from 1,500 classrooms to 7,500. Burton already has over $3 million as we write this, but there's still some distance to go -- if you're interested in putting Reading Rainbow on your kid's Android tablet or Xbox, you'll want to make a pledge at the source link.
Backers pledge over $1 million to bring Reading Rainbow to the web
Few things in this world are as moving as a potent mix of nostalgia and passion. Don't just take my word for it: just look at the more than 22,000 people who backed LeVar Burton's vision of bringing Reading Rainbow to the web on Kickstarter. That's more than a million dollars raised in less than a day, and it's all to help kids realize that theeeeeey can be anythiiiiiiiiing.
Pocket's new paid service gives you a permanent reading collection
Read-it-later apps like Instapaper and Pocket are handy for digesting large articles, but they're really just pulling up optimizing internet links. What if your favorite story disappears a few years from now? Pocket now has a solution to that long-term problem. Its new Pocket Premium service saves a permanent copy of any article you flag, giving you access even if the host site goes down or changes the content.
Comixology is giving away free comics for 20 days
If you're an iOS user, you're no doubt unhappy that Amazon made Comixology pull in-app purchases on your platform of choice. However, the service is offering a nice consolation prize: it's giving away 20 free comics over 20 days, regardless of what technology you're using. You only need to "buy" a freebie within 24 hours to add it to your collection. You'll have already missed out on the first offer as we write this (sorry!), but there's 19 more to be had through June 14th -- that should be enough reading to keep you busy on your big vacation.
Windows Phone 8.1's new apps let you make reading lists and bite-sized movies
The perks for Windows Phone 8.1's early users just keep on coming. Microsoft has posted versions of two desktop Windows 8.1 apps, Movie Moments and Reading List, that are built solely for its new mobile OS. Reading List is arguably the bigger of the two releases -- you can now save articles on your Windows Phone to digest them later on any synced device, whether it's the handset or your PC at home. Like its full-size counterpart, the mobile app both highlights articles in its Live Tile and lets you pin favorite reading categories to your home screen.
Medium's new iPhone app helps you read (but not write) long articles
We can't say we know all that many people who routinely digest articles posted through Medium's social publishing platform. However, the readership is bound to go up now that the service has released an iPhone app. The mobile client is more of a story curation tool than anything else. It automatically fetches stories from both your Twitter friends and any collections you follow, optimizing the reading interface beyond what you'd normally get in your web browser. You won't want to plan on writing any diatribes, though, since the iOS app has no editing tools -- you'll have to retreat to a PC when inspiration strikes. If you don't mind that limitation, Medium's client is ready and waiting in the App Store.
Barnes & Noble to drop its Nook app for Windows in revised Microsoft deal
We hope you weren't too attached to the Nook app for Windows, because it's going away -- well, sort of. Barnes & Noble's Nook Media subsidiary and Microsoft have amended their partnership with terms that let Nook Media stop distributing its Windows e-book software. The company won't leave bookworms completely stranded, though. Instead, it will steer them toward "Microsoft Consumer Reader;" ZDNet believes this is a previously rumored e-reading app that will support both Nook content as well as generic text. The updated pact also lets Nook Media scrap progress on a Windows Phone app, although that's not as big a loss when the client hasn't reached the public. We don't yet know how the revised deal will affect Windows-bound Nook fans, but let's hope that Microsoft does a good job of picking up any slack.
CNN's Flipboard rival now belongs to... Flipboard
CNN bought the news-aggregation service Zite to get a fast track in the mobile space, but it never gained much ground versus Zite's archrival, Flipboard. Accordingly, the TV broadcaster is throwing in the towel -- it just sold Zite to Flipboard for $60 million. The deal brings a raft of previously unavailable CNN content to Flipboard's news-curation platform, ranging from articles to video feeds for shows like Anderson Cooper 360 and Inside Politics. The network has also agreed to produce custom magazines (shown here) that go beyond what you'd normally find online. CNN's content is available today, and it's launching alongside a big Android app update that lets readers sign in with Google, control article density, curb their data use and attach photos to custom magazines.
Instapaper update for iOS lets you send media to your Kindle and TV
Instapaper's already broad device support has just grown a little bit broader. The service's updated iOS app lets you send articles to Kindle for reading on one of Amazon's devices, and you can push videos to your big-screen TV through AirPlay. Even if you're happy with catching up from your iPad or iPhone, you may also like a new option to auto-renew your Instapaper subscription. It's not the most life-changing Instapaper update we've seen. Stay tuned, though -- the developers promise that their next release will be the biggest since Betaworks acquired the app last year.
Oyster now offers all-you-can-read children's books, including Disney titles
Got a kid with an insatiable appetite for books? You may want to sign up for Oyster, then. The subscription e-book service has just launched a children's section, giving young readers all the titles they can handle. The deal also brings Disney Publishing to Oyster's catalog, so little ones can keep up with the adventures of Mickey and crew on their iPads. Parents who want to foster digital literacy at an early age -- or just need a fresh source of bedtime stories -- can learn more at the source link.
Report: Microsoft building Xbox-branded interactive reading app
Microsoft is hiring software engineers to work on a new, interactive reading app from the Xbox-branded the Music, Video and Reading team, according to a job listing and confirmed by The Verge. The project is described as "a groundbreaking interactive reading app on Windows, which incorporates books, magazines, and comics." The MVR team has already shipped two Xbox-branded apps for Windows 8. Microsoft's current Reader app for Windows 8 opens PDF, XPS and TIFF files, and allows users to search texts, take notes, fill out forms, print and share. In Microsoft's Kickstarter Week video released in November, one team shows off a magazine interface that may hint at the Xbox reader app's direction, as spotted by eConnected.
Flipboard launches direct sharing on iOS, makes magazines from your friends' suggestions
If you've ever stumbled across a Flipboard article that you just had to share with the world, you'll want to grab the iOS app's latest update. The new version lets you share articles directly from the app, delivering notifications to friends if they're already Flipboard readers. All shared articles now show up in a central area, and you can turn this list into a magazine if your friends have impeccable taste. Flipboard hasn't said when Android and Windows users will get to spread the literary wealth, but we'd expect a corresponding app upgrade before long.
Medium brings design and photo improvements to its social publishing platform
Medium is debuting a slew of new look-and-feel tweaks designed to let would-be columnists pretend they're working for a well-designed print publication. The site says that one of its initial goals was to empower writers with "dead simple" tools to present their work without a trip to art school. In addition to spacing and typography improvements, now users can add giant cover images and scalable, dynamic photos for each post. Curious to see how everyone can use these tools? Medium has set up a "Beautiful Stories" collection in the hopes of inspiring you to get a little more visual.
Medium opens its social publishing platform to all Twitter users
Twitter's Ev Williams started Medium to simplify and socialize online article writing, but the service's invitation-only nature has kept many folks on the sidelines. Today, things are opening up: Medium's now accessible to anyone willing to sign into Twitter and verify an email address. Would-be auteurs still have to publish from Chrome, Firefox or Safari on a computer, although plans are afoot for mobile versions. Those eager to share their (mid-sized) masterpieces with friends just need to visit the source link to get started.
Oyster's subscription e-book service for iPad open to all
Oyster has a fascinating proposition for avid readers -- unlimited e-books for one low subscription rate of US$9.95. In the past, you had to request an invitation to be added to the service, and the only device you could read your e-books on was an iPhone. Today, the company is announcing that it has not only launched a universal (iPad and iPhone) app to make devouring those e-books a bit easier, but also that the app and service are now open to anyone. The app is free to download, and the company offers access to "more than 100,000 titles" -- that's enough to keep anyone busy during a handful of beach days on vacation. Many of the titles provided by Oyster come from HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and a variety of smaller publishers. Oyster also provides a social component that shows what your friends are reading on the service at any point in time.
Oyster's subscription e-book service launches on iPad, goes invitation-free
Oyster's unlimited e-book service has been more of an exclusive club so far; you've had to read on an iPhone, and request an invitation just to get in. Both of those barriers are disappearing today. The company has just launched an iPad app that offers a more comfortable reading experience, with a dark backdrop optimized for night sessions. Customers also don't have to wait to get started -- Oyster is making its apps public, letting anyone sign up on a whim. There's no word of support for Android and other platforms at this stage, but iOS-bound readers can trial the service for free at the source link.
Scribd launches subscription e-book service for Android, iOS and web
Many of us associate Scribd with embedded documents on websites, but the company has been quietly building an e-book platform -- first by selling content and later by soft-launching a subscription service. The company is now making its strategy clear by formally launching the e-book service and introducing content from HarperCollins, its first major publisher. Subscribers worldwide can pay $9 per month for access to both HarperCollins' back catalog and independent releases through apps for Android, iOS and the web. Customers can also buy any books outright, including HarperCollins' newer titles. Like with any Scribd document (and Kindle for the Web), customers can both share what they're reading and embed books into websites. If you like the prospect of all-you-can-read services like Oyster but want broader platform support, you'll want to take a close look at Scribd's new offering.
