Stephen Hackett of 512pixels.net fame used to work as an Apple Genius and he's chosen to share his exploits and adventures behind the glass, wood, and aluminum curtain in Bartending: Memoirs of an Apple Genius. He's also used his considerable prowess as a writer to do so in insightful, humorous form. Here's the teaser, and it's a good one:

Being one of the most successful companies in the world has made anything Apple-related newsworthy and special, including working in its retail stores. The truth is that selling computers at the Apple Store isn’t that much different from selling them anywhere else, but it is better.

It’s better because Apple is different than most other companies. Despite its monstrous success and growth the last few years, the company has not lost its focus on providing excellent experiences for its customers.

The Apple Store is the place where those experiences are made far better or far worse. Being on the front lines means gathering some great war stories. Stephen is here to share a few of his.

From the opening salvo of a young college student who ruined a MacBook in the most unfortunate way, to the trials and tribulations of being on the front end of the iPhone 3G and the MobileMe launch, Hackett pulls few punches. By the end of the book, the Apple Genius will be a little less mysterious, a little more human, and every bit as impressive.

Bartending: Memoirs of an Apple Genius is available now in Amazon Kindle and ePub (iBooks compatible) formats for just $4.99.

Get it now at GeniusMemoirs.com.

Harry Potter fans everywhere can now enjoy their favorite wizards and witches right on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch exclusively through the Pottermore shop. All seven of the Harry Potter books are now available for download. The first three books in the series are available for $7.99 each while the last four books are available for $9.99. If you'd prefer to purchase all of them, you can save yourself a little bit of money by buying all of them together for $57.54.

While it's great to be able to read the Harry Potter books in eBook format on many platforms, I'd have to say I'm a bit irritated with the process users will have to go through in order to get them on their devices.

Since they're only available via the Pottermore shop, you'll have to download them to your computer and either transfer them to iBooks via iTunes or open them natively from your device (for example, from a Dropbox or Box.net directory) and choose to open them in iBooks. It's not the most convenient way to download a book and definitely a bit more aggravating than just opening the iBooks store and making a purchase with your iTunes account.

The Harry Potter series is also available for many other eBook readers as well. If you prefer using the Kindle app for iOS, you can choose to download them into your Kindle account and access them normally from there. I'd almost prefer using this method as I'd always be able to sign into my Amazon account on a new or freshly reformatted device and be able to access them without going through the iBooks process all over again.

I have a feeling a lot of hardcore Harry Potter fans will probably overlook the minor annoyance of getting the content onto their devices and will just be glad to finally have Harry Potter available in digital format. I'll personally be using the Kindle app as it seems to be the most convenient as of now. Any of you plan on picking up HP in digital format?

Note: The website only seems to work for people in the U.S. and the U.K. right now -- anyone else isn't able to purchase. Anyone know a good avada kedavra curse for prehistoric licensing and commerce models?

Source: Pottermore

Now that you've got your new iPad and you've set it up perfectly, you'll definitely want to check out how awesome it is to read books on the gorgeous new retina display. Text looks better than ever and reading on an iPad has never been more enjoyable. Whether you want to use Apple's own iBooks service, Amazon's Kindle powerhouse, or something different, we've got you covered.

iBooks

Apple's own iBooks and iBookstore are a great way to purchase and read books as well as save PDF documents from the web. Many free and paid books are available directly on your iPad through the iBookstore.

From the latest novels to the best non-fiction to high school textbooks to cartoons like Bloom County and comics from Marvel, you'll think you're looking at digital paper.

iBooks is a free download from the App Store.

Free - Download Now

Once you've got iBooks installed, it's simple to download books.

1. Open iBooks and tap Store in the upper left hand corner. The bookshelf will turn around to show you the iBooks bookstore. You can browse for books from here just as you'd browse for apps or any other type of media in iTunes or the App Store.

2. If you find a book you think you may be interested in, you can download a preview before buying if you'd like via the Get Sample button.
3. Once you've decided to buy, just tap on the price and it'll ask you to tap it again to confirm the purchase.
4. Enter in your iTunes password and your book will begin downloading.
5. When you go into the iBooks app, you'll now see your new book on the book shelf. Just tap into it to start reading.

Kindle for iPad

iBooks isn't the only way you can read eBooks from your iPad. The Kindle app for iPad is a free download from the App Store and if you've already got a Kindle collection built, you'll probably want access to those books. Simply download the app and sign into your Amazon account to access all your purchased books. Best of all, it's just been updated for Retina on iPad.

Free - Download now

Additional resources:

• How to read eBooks as white on black
• How to re-download previously purchased apps, songs, and books in iTunes
• Books, magazines, and comics help and discussion forum
• Everything you need to know about the new iPad

It appears as though Apple's FairPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM) for iBooks has been cracked, allowing iBooks to work on non-iOS ePub readers. MobileRead Forums reports:

It is now possible to remove the DRM from epub ebooks bought in Apple's iBooks store. "Brahms", has recently released a new version, 3.3, of his Requiem software, which has been able to remove DRM from music and videos bought in the iTunes Music Store for a long time. This new version can also remove the DRM from Apple's epub format ebooks.

DRM cracking has been a long standing problem for Apple and other platform owners, originally with iTunes music and video content, later with App Store apps. While Apple dropped FairPlay DRM from iTunes music in 2009, it's remained in place for everything else.

DRM protects authors and other creators from illegal distribution of their content (we all like to get paid for the work we do), though when poorly thought out or overzealously implemented, it can also stop legitimate customers from enjoying the content they purchased.

FairPlay tends to be pretty liberal, allowing up to 5 Mac or Windows PCs to be authorized for iTunes content, and up to 10 iOS devices, including iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Apple TV to access services like iTunes Match.

It's likely Apple is investigating the issue and will have a FairPlay fix put into place via a software update for iTunes and the iBookstore in the near future, but it's a cat-and-mouse game so we probably haven't heard the last of it.

Source: MobileRead Forums via CNET

Apple has updated iBooks Author to version 1.0.1 and it looks like the major change is new language in the EULA (End User Licensing Agreement) that clarifies exactly who owns the books you create, and where they can and can't be sold, and in what format.

Shortly after Apple released iBooks Author for Mac, word started to circulate that content made within the app could only be sold in Apple’s iBookstore. It seemed like content could be given away for free, but not sold anywhere else. Here's the new language:

If you want to charge a fee for a work that includes files in the .ibooks format generated using iBooks Author, you may only sell or distribute such work through Apple, and such distribution will be subject to a separate agreement with Apple. This restriction does not apply to the content of such works when distributed in a form that does not include files in the .ibooks format.

An additional clarification derived from section 2B reads as follows:

[I]f the work is provided for a fee (including as part of any subscription-based product or service) and includes files in the .ibooks format generated using iBooks Author, the work may only be distributed through Apple, and such distribution will be subject to a separate written agreement with Apple (or an Apple affiliate or subsidiary); provided, however, that this restriction will not apply to the content of the work when distributed in a form that does not include files in the .ibooks format generated using iBooks Author. You retain all your rights in the content of your works, and you may distribute such content by any means when it does not include files in the .ibooks format generated by iBooks Author.

So, there you have it. If you create an iBook in .ibook format, you're only allowed to sell it on the iBookstore. If you create an eBook in ePub format, you can do what you want with it.

iBooks Author 1.0.1 is a free download on the Mac App Store.

• Free - Mac App Store link

There's an interesting debate taking place about the merits and virtues of modern electronic books like Apple's iBooks or Amazon's Kindle books and their traditional counterparts -- old fashioned paper bound and proper.

They're qualitatively different, inarguably. The feel of board and cloth and leather is warm and textured compared to the crisp coolness of glass, aluminum, and plastic. The gentle sound of pages flipping is vastly different than a tap or swipe or click. The sharp smell of a fresh new novel or musky scent of an old tome exists in a different dimension from the relative sterility of chips and displays.

Yet the weight, permanence, and nostalgia of traditional books can be a disadvantage when it comes to carrying them, correcting them, and moving the state of the art of knowledge forward once again.

Ben Brooks laments this, almost romantically.

I can tell you from first hand experience that the reading experience is very different on each of the different mediums and that’s why the distinction matters to me. I don’t care which version you bought because it changes what you read, but I do care because it may not be the same as the book I read (sometimes in the minor content differences, but always in experience and layout).

Marco Arment does not, functionally.

When I start reading, the form of the book quickly disappears. Just as I don’t notice the individual letters in each word, I stop noticing the layout, the font, the paper, the binding, and every other physical artifact because I’m focused on the writing.

Dieter Bohn thinks we're getting ahead of ourselves.

With ebooks, we're still looking at the equivalent of the day after Gutenberg printed his first Bible. We need to decide which paper book "specs" are important and ensure that they get recreated in our new digital world. We also need to ensure that these digital equivalents are at least as free and unfettered as paper books are now. We've already surpassed paper technology in a number of areas. However we are not giving nearly enough attention to the very things that made paper books flourish in the first place. The most important specs are the ones you take for granted.

Here's the thing -- once upon a time we passed down our stories between generations. Then we carved them into stone, brushed them on papyrus, illuminated them on scrolls, and eventually pressed them into print. We lost the voices of our parents, the lines of our hand, the power of our art, the uniqueness of our craft. But we gained volume and the democratization of information. Beauty gave way to volume.

Each transition has been painful. Each transition has been decried and denounced. Yet, inexorably, the new has overtaken the old. Even if it's never fully supplanted it. We still tell stories. We still practice calligraphy. We still work at leading and kerning. iBooks and eBooks won't wipe out traditional books any more than non-traditional books wiped out message mediums older than they. Those mediums will shrink, perhaps, and become the providence of craftsman and collectors, enthusiasts and artists, and the very same folk who still enjoy wooden toys, vinyl albums, and pre-iPhone phones.

Meanwhile, iBooks, Kindle books, and other forms of digital books will continue to crawl out of the primordial ooze and make more content more available to more people (and children) than ever before. And perhaps they'll recapture some of the magic of mediums past, the way Audible has voice and InDesign has done digital press.

iBooks, Kindle books, and their ilk are not perfect, not yet and maybe never, but they're the future. Until the next transition.

According to Pew Research, tablet ownership among U.S. consumers nearly doubled from 10 percent to 19 percent over the holiday season.

The Pew project conducted three surveys, one in mid-December and two at the beginning of 2012. The results show a marked increase in ownership of tablets, e-readers, and the hybrids that exist somewhere between those two categories.

Pew and Venturebeat seem eager to credit the jump almost purely to Amazon Kindle Fire and other, similar low-priced entrants. That's not entirely unfair since, frankly, cheap and good-enough sells. These are also U.S. numbers, which is the only market Amazon is competing in at the moment.

Apple will likely give us iPad 2 holiday numbers during their Q1 2012 conference call tomorrow. Amazon so far has declined to give specific Kindle numbers, and that may not change any time soon.

One thing is for certain -- it may finally be a tablet market, not just an iPad market, and a growing one at that. (And Apple hasn't even release the anticipated iPad 3 yet, so stay tuned.)

Source: Pew Research Center via VentureBeat

Kindle has updated their iPhone and iPad app to version 2.9, which now includes support for newspapers, magazines and textbooks. Here's the full update log:

iPad:

• New Design for Magazines: Kindle for iPad customers now have access to the huge selection of over 400 magazines and newspapers that are available on Kindle Fire. Magazines such as Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Popular Science and many more are displayed in rich full-color pages. Customers can buy a single issue or subscribe to popular magazines and leading newspapers and have them wirelessly delivered to the Kindle for iPad app.
• Read print replica textbooks including rich formatting and layout of the print editions and support for notes and highlights, zoom and pan, and linked table of contents.

iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch: - Email documents to your new Send-to-Kindle e-mail address and we deliver them to your device. The documents are automatically archived in the Amazon Cloud and available for re-download on your iOS or supported Kindle devices. - Open PDFs from Mail or Safari, by transferring them from iTunes, or by sending them to your Send-to-Kindle email address. The Kindle PDF reader supports PDF table of contents and thumbnail navigation for quickly jumping through the document. - New library organization allows you to view your Kindle Books, Newsstand, and Docs.

Kindle for iOS is one of the better eBook reading apps out there, which even rivals Apple's own iBooks in a lot of respects. I, for one, personally prefer iBooks, but this update may give reason for those in similar opinion to make the jump into the Kindle eBook ecosystem.

• Free - App Store Link

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

The official biography of Steve Jobs authored by Walter Isaacson has made its way to number one among books sales from Amazon for the entirety of 2011, despite being released late in the year.

Originally slated for release in 2012, the date was moved up to October 24th after Jobs passed away and quickly rose among the ranks. By November it was already the #2 seller for Amazon before taking the top spot in December.



Source: MacRumors via Amazon

According to Bloomberg, the European Union Anti-trust regulators will be investigating Apple, along with five of the major eBook publishers, for possible collusion to help stifle competition within the eBook marketplace.

The European Commission in Brussels today said it opened a formal probe to examine whether the publishing groups and Apple, maker of the iPad tablet computer, engaged in agreements that would harm competition in the 27-nation EU. The probe will examine deals between Apple and Lagardere’s Hachette Livre, News Corp.’s Harper Collins, CBS Corp.’s Simon & Schuster, Pearson Plc’s Penguin and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH.

The commission believes Apple and the publishers may have formed a sort of 'cartel' in the eBook market by practicing price-fixing techniques in order to ensure an ongoing revenue stream for all parties. Apple currently takes a 30% cut of eBook sales from within their own iBookstore.

This announcement comes after the EU conducted raides on a handful of publishers back in March along with a probe held by the U.K. Office of Fair Trading. The publishers, of course, say they haven't done anything wrong and will work closely with the EU to help get to the bottom of it.

Fortune chimed in saying the reason the EU included Apple is because of a deal Steve Jobs set up with the five publishers shortly after the release of the original iPad in 2010, which was followed by a similar investigation in the U.S. looking into anti-competitive behavior with Apple and the publishers to help drive up eBook prices from Amazon.

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out and if the impact, if any, has any direct relation to eBook pricing as it currently stands.

Source: Bloomberg, Fortune

Amazon just let us know that their Kindle Cloud Reader is now live, and lets you read any of their over 950,000 Kindle books right in Safari on iPad, Mac, or Windows, or Chrome on Windows, Mac, or Linux, without needing the Kindle app or hardware.

While there's no iPhone or iPod touch (it tells you your browser isn't supported and you should download Safari or Chrome, though hopefully a better intercept screen is in the works), it's a full HTML5 web app and includes offline storage. I've tried it out on iPad and it works quickly and cleanly. The Kindle Store is built in, so there's no jarring transition to the Amazon.com version of the store, and all the menus and options work really well. Likewise, the text is just a legible as it is in the app, and the WhisperSync works perfectly. Hopefully it keeps up that level of performance when personal libraries get really big.

With the controversy that arose in the wake of Apple's App Store subscription service, and the requirements to match pricing (since dropped) and remove links to external stores (still in effect), it felt like only a matter of time before Amazon would go this route. It will be interesting to see how many others follow.

Details and screen shots after the break. Anyone going to stop using the app and switch to the web app?

[www.amazon.com/cloudreader]

“We are excited to take this leap forward in our ‘Buy Once, Read Everywhere’ mission and help customers access their library instantly from anywhere,” said Dorothy Nicholls, Director, Amazon Kindle. “We have written the application from the ground up in HTML5, so that customers can also access their content offline directly from their browser. The flexibility of HTML5 allows us to build one application that automatically adapts to the platform you’re using – from Chrome to iOS. To make it easy and seamless to discover new books, we’ve added an integrated, touch optimized store directly into Cloud Reader, allowing customers one click access to a vast selection of books.”

Features of Kindle Cloud Reader include: - An immersive view of your entire Kindle library, with instant access to all of your books - Start reading over 950,000 Kindle books instantly within your browser - An embedded Kindle Store optimized for your web browser makes it seamless to discover new books and start reading them instantly - New Kindle Store for iPad is built from the ground up for iPad’s touch interface - Your current book is automatically made available for offline use, and you can choose to save a book for reading offline at any time - Receive automatic software updates without the need to download new software - Select any book to start reading, customize the page layout to your desired font size, text color, background color, and more - View all of the notes, highlights, and bookmarks that you’ve made on other Kindle apps or on Kindle - Sync your last page read across your Kindle and free Kindle apps so you can always pick up where you left off

Kindle Cloud Reader is available for Safari on iPad, Safari on desktop and Chrome starting today. Kindle Cloud Reader on the iPad is optimized for the size and unique touch interface of iPad. Without even leaving the app, customers can start shopping in the Kindle Store and will find a unique and immersive shopping experience built specifically for iPad’s Safari browser.

Kindle Cloud Reader will be available on additional web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, the BlackBerry PlayBook browser, and other mobile browsers, in the coming months.

Despite growing competition as new tablets begin to enter the market, Apple's iPad is still king when it comes to consumer demand and customer satisfaction according to a recent ChangeWave survey.

The new research, which surveyed a total of 3,091 consumers just prior to Apple announcing the iPad 2, confirms the new tablet market has drawn high demand from consumers around the world, with a large majority interested in the iPad specifically. According to the survey, 82% of consumers planning on buying a tablet in the near future will be opting for an iPad, compared to the closest competition, the Motorola Xoom, coming in at only 4%.

On the customer satisfaction front the iPad garnered outstanding numbers among current owners, with 70% being 'very satisfied' with their purchase and 25% being 'somewhat satisfied'. Apple has always done well on the customer satisfaction so we're not surprised with these results. In addition to high customer satisfaction ratings, it looks like the iPad has continued to steal market share from eBook readers like the Amazon Kindle and further suggests the iPad has had a growing impact on netbook and notebook sales.

What does this all mean for Apple? Lack of competition for the original iPad meant their was nothing to stop them from establishing a dominant position in the tablet market. While the survey was conducted just as real competition began to show up, it was also before Apple even announced the iPad 2. So we have a strong suspicion Apple won't have any trouble keeping a strong position throughout 2011.

With the iPad 2 launching tomorrow in the US and other countries shortly after, do you think Apple has anything to worry about going forward? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

[InvestorPlace]

Random House will be adopting the Apple and iBooks-centric 70/30 "agency model" tomorrow, the day before Apple's iPad 2 event on Wednesday.

"The agency model guarantees a higher margin for retailers than did our previous sales terms," Random House said in a statement. "We are making this change both as an investment in the successful digital transition of our existing partners and in order to give us the opportunity to forge new retail relationships."

Coincidence or a sign the iBooks catalog might soon be a little less sparse?

[LA Times]

Apple has issued a statement saying they haven't changed any App Store guidelines in response to rumor this morning concerning the purported rejection of a Sony Reader app for not using Apple's in-app purchase system.

Since this could have a broader impact on apps like Kindle, Netflix and Hulu+. All Things Digital spoke with Apple's Trudy Miller who stated the following:

We have not changed our developer terms or guidelines, we are now requiring that if an app offers customers the ability to purchase books outside of the app, that the same option is also available to customers from within the app with in-app purchase.

According to Apple these guidelines have been in place all along but haven't been enforced until now. Looking further into Apple's App Store review policy shows the following requirements:

11.2 Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an app will be rejected

11.3 Apps using IAP to purchase physical goods or goods and services used outside of the application will be rejected

So the bottom line seems to be Sony, Amazon, and anyone else can keep offering web-based and other outside-App Store content options but users also have to be able to buy the same content via in-app purchase through Apple's iTunes.

Content sellers would have to give 30% of sales to Apple but would receive Apple's hosting, credit card transaction processing, seamless integration, and other benefits in exchange.

Do you think this is a good move on Apple's part, or could it have a negative impact if companies like Amazon and Sony decide not to play ball? Let us know what you think in the comments!

[All Things Digital]

The long rumored Google eBooks service appears to have gone live today... somewhat. The service allows you to not only read books on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, but on the web or on Android phones, Nook, and Sony devices. The iOS webpage boasts over 8,000 titles already available for download.

The only problem right now is the fact that the native app isn't currently available for iPhone or iPad yet. (I'm getting the "The item you've requested is not currently available in the US Store" error but we'll update when that's sorted out.)

Also, Google is using Adobe DRM for their eBooks so while they won't be compatible with iBooks (FairPlay) or Kindle, they will be compatible with other stores and readers that support Adobe Content Server 4.

If any of you guys have tried out Google eBooks, let us know what you think!

Update: Looks like the app is now available in the US app store under Google Books

[Google eBooks](http://books.google.com/ebooks) via Android Central]

Google is expected to launch an online eBook store before the end of the year under the name of Google Editions and that once again puts the head to head against Apple and their new iBooks:

The long-delayed venture—Google executives had said they hoped to launch this summer—recently has cleared several technical and legal hurdles, people close to the company say. It is set to debut in the U.S. by the end of the year and internationally in the first quarter of next year, said Scott Dougall, a Google product management director.

Google will handle their eBook store differently from how Apple or Amazon play the game, opting for a "read anywhere" model where users can purchase an eBook from Google (or an online retail partner) and it's added to an online library tied to your Google account. Users can then access their Google account from a number of devices including smartphones and tablets.

No word yet on revenue sharing (iBooks is 70/30), which publishing companies have signed up, or which partners will come on board. However, Google's reach is not to be underestimated:

Google says it is on a mission to reach all Internet users, not just those with tablets, through a program in which websites refer their users to Google Editions. For example, a surfing-related blog could recommend a surfing book, point readers to Google Editions to purchase it, and share revenue with Google. Through another program, booksellers could sell Google Editions e-books from their websites and share revenue with Google.

Keeping things on the cloud is nothing new for Google and it's worked well for services like Gmail. If Google Editions is successful could it have a negative impact on iBooks but, like Amazon's Kindle app, add value to iPad and iPhone at the same time?

Let us know in the comments!

[ WSJ ]

Apple's iPad is gaining fast on Amazon's Kindle in the battle for eBook reader dominance according to a new survey conducted by ChangeWave Research.

The Amazon Kindle (47%; down 15-pts) is hanging on to a rapidly diminishing lead over the Apple iPad (32%; up 16-pts) among current e-Reader owners.

iPad owners are also consuming different types of content (newspapers, magazines etc) that Kindle owners aren't engaging in, and recently market share for the iPad has doubled while the Kindle has seen a quickening decline. In addition, the survey shows 75% of iPad owners are Very Satisfied with their device, while only 54% of Kindle owners could say the same.

We know the iPad does a lot more than a Kindle but this survey was specific to e-Readers, which makes it particularly impressive given the Kindle's head start and the iPad's much higher price tag. It will be interesting to see how market shares shift between the two devices going forward, especially over this holiday season.

What about you, would you prefer an iPad over a Kindle when it comes to reading eBooks, newspapers or magazines? Let us know in the comments!

[InvestorPlace]

Ever since the iBooks was announced, this is probably the single biggest issue an avid ebook reader will ultimately have to deal with: Kindle app or iBooks. What should you pick? Well, no one can tell you that for certain, but I hope to give you a little insight that might help you decide.

The fundamental difference between the two is the Kindle app has a very large ebook selection by comparison. 750,000 ebooks on Kindle and 60,000 books at iBooks launch (Apple has not released exact numbers). To me, this is the differentiating factor. Both applications support landscape view with two columns and a built-in dictionary as well as syncing of bookmarks, highlights and notes. Let's look at some of the differences of each app beyond how many books they have.

(You can get our quick review of the Kindle app here and iBooks app here)

Kindle

The Kindle app is a free universal app so you can run it on any iOS device. You can tap the left or right of the screen to turn pages and tap the top right corner to bookmark a page. You have several levels of font sizes and colors to choose from to help create your reading experience as good as it can be. You can even sync your annotations to other devices that support Kindle, that includes any iOS device, Mac, PC, Android and BlackBerry as well as Amazon's own Kindle.

There are a couple of innovative features that the Kindle has brought to the ebook table. First the Kindle app displays popular highlights in a book via underlined text while you read. You can easily see what other people have highlighted, quotes or whole passages. Second is data supplied by Shelfari. This content includes summary, character, spoilers and more; not a bad benefit. On the iPad, you can turn on a page turning feature similar to iBooks, but it is not has smooth or pays as much attention to detail as Apple's iBooks. On iPad, you have to different ways to view your library; big icons that can use pinch to zoom to resize as needed or an alphabetical list. I like both options depending on my mood, but what is lacking is a manual arrange function; You only can sort by Recent, Author or Title.

Since Kindle books are in the cloud, there is no need to sync your book on any desktop. Simple navigate to the archive in Kindle and redownload your book and it will then sync your bookmarks and other annotations.

iBooks

These are all very nice touches iBooks. The look, feel and options are fantastic. However, content is king, just like available software for a platform and regretfully, iBooks falls flat on its face. 9 out of 10 books I search for on iBooks comes up empty. This is very disheartening. I remember in the early days of the Kindle, they only had a 100,000 ebooks or so and are now approaching one million. Sadly, iBooks is not even up to 100,00o yet. I have hopes that Apple will forge the relationships needed to foster a growing library.

Alas, at this time, Kindle really is the better choice for content and iBooks is a much better app. In the end, what s more important to you; books you can actually read, or a pretty application?

Apple last updated iLife during the Phil Schiller-led Macworld 2009 keynote but since then, even as iOS, WebKit, and HTML5 have been on the rise, there's been no sign of another update. Enter Mac4ever, which is rumoring:

• iLife '11 will be sold for $79
• Release Date of 08/07/2010
• All applications will be 64-bit
• Improvements in iPhoto faces & places
• Improving the integration of social networks
• IWeb will be totally renewed
• New application (mystery!)
• Disappearance of iDVD
• MobileMe gallery in beta (with faces & places)

If any of this pans out, the social media integration will be cool but it's that mystery app that has us interested. There have long been rumors that Apple would replace iDVD with a WebKit/TuneKit development tool to let users more easily make iTunes LP and iTunes Extras. While those two formats haven't exactly set the digital world on fire, HTML5 is ramping up significantly thanks in some part to iOS devices like iPhone and now iPad.

Adobe is slowly hedging their Flash bet with some HTML5 tools in DreamWeaver, but an uber-easy iLife app to let us create everything from the above-mentioned audio-video experiences to eBooks and digital magazines? Adobe's been doing that with Wired and inDesign, but something that didn't produced huge, static PNG piles but real next generation dynamic content for these next generation devices?

Yes please.

[Mac4ever via Macworld.co.uk via MacRumors]

With the iPhone 4 now available, many people want to use that gorgeous retina display to begin reading books on the go via iBooks. We have looked at iBooks on the iPhone 3GS and on the iPad. How does iBooks compare on the iPhone 4?

The good news is that with the increased speed of the A4 processor in iPhone 4 and the retina display, your reading experience is fast and beautiful with iBooks. Let's look at the processor impact first. Many of us eagerly updated our iPhone 3G and 3GS devices when the iOS4 updated became available and quickly downloaded iBooks from the App Store. Sadly, the performance on of iBooks on 3G devices was, to say the least, very disappointing. So much so that some of our readers uninstalled it immediately and rendered it useless. Others, like myself, had a good experience with iBooks on the iPhone 3GS. Not as zippy as iBooks on iPad, but definitely doable. I even encountered an issue where my impatience led me to believe that iBooks did not rotate into landscape. However, at the end of the day it looked good and performance was adequate.

Now the iPhone 4 steps into the scene. In my use of the app over the last 5 days since the device launch, it runs almost up to par with it's big tablet brother. There is still the initial screen to load the library, but after loading, books open responsively and PDF performance is great. I was able to open many PDFs with large images and file sizes with little problem. Of course, as file size increases, performance may decrease. I don't knock this as a downside since opening large PDF's can take a toll on desktop machines.

Next is the retina display. Does it make a difference? For me, the major benefit of the retina display is zooming in on text. In iBooks, you can't zoom on text in real-time, just enlarge the font. Granted, there are absolutely no jaggies, but does it improve my overall reading experience? I would say yes, but it is not a deal breaker. Where the retina display really shines is viewing PDFs- they are stunning. Zoom in as far as you like and the text looks fantastic. The artwork can too, based on the quality of the PDF. Anything you can do to make the viewing experience more pleasant in a mobile device with a screen size like the iPhone is a bonus. Yes the retina display makes a marginal difference when reading iBooks, but by no means is it a deal-breaker. iBooks on iPhone 4 for PDFs, now that is awesome.  If you are reading iBooks on the 3GS, I feel you have a comparable screen-reading experience- even on the 3G for most things, but the PDFs are heads and shoulders above what theses other device can offer.

Syncing between devices is a breeze. I have an active iPad, 3GS and iPhone 4. After installing the app on your device and you open it for the first time, it asks you if you want to sync. After choosing yes, the device stealthily syncs in the background, you don't have to hit a button or anything. A spinning "gear" appears in the top right corner by the Wi-Fi and signal icons indicating it is doing its work. It takes just seconds for it to sync and you receive the bookmarks, notes, etc from what you have entered in a iBook and is synced to all devices when you open iBooks on that device.

iBooks for iPhone 4 is extremely polished (well except for a minor bug I encountered. It is captured in the video and screens) and the bookshelf looks amazing with all of the book artwork on the retina display. Text looks good too, though not as amazing as you might think unless you are reading PDFs. Performance is zippy and I think Apple is doing great for their first endeavor for ebooks. Now where is my desktop version?

[Free- iTunes Link]

Pros

• App looks beautiful with the retina display
• Very responsive with the new faster A4 processor
• Colors really stand out
• PDF Text looks amazing

Cons

• Can’t export notes
• Can’t copy text
• Occasional bug/error "Failed to load book because the requested resource is missing"

Amazon has announced Kindle Editions with Audio/Video and it looks like the only way you can get it right now is on iPhone and iPad. Kindle Editions with Audio/Video:

allows readers to enjoy the benefits of embedded video and audio clips in Kindle books. The first books to take advantage of this new technology, including Rick Steves' London by Rick Steves and Together We Cannot Fail by Terry Golway, are available in the Kindle Store

"In the new Kindle Edition with audio/video of Rick Steves' London, the embedded walking tours allow customers to listen to Rick as they explore the sites of London," said Bill Newlin, publisher, Avalon Travel. "Rick's narration adds depth to the reader's experience, while listeners can follow the routes more easily with the text."

The Kindle app has also been updated to support iPhone 4's Retina Display. If you decide to try out these new fangled talking, walking eBooks, let us know what you think.

[iTunes link, Amazon PR, Kindle Editions with Audio/Video]

Finally, iBooks for iPhone arrives! I have been enjoying iBooks on my iPad for some time now. With iBooks for iPhone many more people can enjoy portable reading with their phones. How does iBooks measure up? Keep reading to find out!

After updating to iOS4 for iPhone 3GS I promptly downloaded iBooks. Apple has done a fantastic job with the application and it translates very nicely to the small screen. Let's start off with actually getting a book on your device. When you first launch the app, it asks if you want it to sync with other devices to keep bookmarks, notes, etc. in sync. Next, you are presented with a blank bookshelf. The promised Winnie the Pooh book is free, but you have to get it yourself. So to do that, I tapped the store icon and the app rotated in 3D very smoothly to reveal the iBooks store. From here you can find any Featured books, the New York Times Charts, Search and review your purchases.

Tap a book you are interested in and and you can download a sample (the samples typically contain at least one whole chapter, but sometimes more) or purchase the book. So, I went to the search option and looked up Winnie the Pooh. After finding the book, I tapped the "Free" button, the store flipped back to reveal my bookshelf, or Library, and it proceeded to download. About 10 seconds later I had Winnie the Pooh on my iPhone.

To begin reading just tap the book and you are taken to the first page. To go back to the Library, tap the icon in the top left. To view the Table of Contents and Bookmarks, tap the icon next to that. Simply tapping the left to right side of the page turns it. You can't scroll up or down; that's not very book-like. You can tap and hold on any text to bring up a few different tools. Some of the more useful ones are Highlight, Dictionary and Note. You can tap highlight and iBooks applies a highlight to the text. Tap again and you can add a note or change the note color.

If tapping the side of the page doesn't excite you, the page can be manually turned by tapping and holding the bottom right corner and turning the page like a real book. The effect is gorgeous and it really is impressive. At the top of the page you have more choices beyond returning to the Library or the Table of Contents. You can adjust font size, change the font, adjust brightness (especially helpful at night) and a new feature- sepia color. This is particularly nice as it dulls down the very bright background and makes it a little easier on the eyes. Next, you can search within the iBook, but it doesn't stop there. You can also search in Google and Wikipedia right from the search page! When done reading, you can tap the top right corner of any page and place a bookmark. All bookmarks, notes and highlights are accessible from the Table of Contents page.

Another new feature that Apple added with this release of iBooks is the ability to read PDFs. You can add PDFs a couple of ways. First, you can add a PDF in email to iBooks directly from the mail app. Second you can add PDFs to the Books section in iTunes and sync them over. Once a PDF is added, you see a PDF button next to Book on the top of the Library. Tap the PDF button to look at your PDFs and they are beautifully rendered. Scroll your finger along the bottom to view the different pages or Tap the Table of Contents button to get a zoomed out view of all PDF pages. Search, bookmarks, etc., work with PDFs as well.

They only real chink I can find in iBooks armor is there is no option for landscape in iBooks or PDF view. This is disappointing since on the iPad app, you get a two page view. I understand this may not be possible with the screen real estate, but just like the web, sometimes landscape is preferred. Many apologies. I was impatient waiting for my 3GS to rotate. Many thanks to the commenters on this post for pointing this out.

This is a must-buy free app for Apple. You have access to more than romance novels. Technical references abound and can come in really handy when you need them and viewing PDFs is very convenient. If you would like to know more about iBooks for iPad, check out our earlier review.

[Free- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Beautiful layout
• Fast
• Wonderfully animated
• Great tools for navigation
• Easy to use

Cons

• No landscapeI was too impatient with my device for it to rotate
• Can't export notes
• Can't copy text

Apple has released iBooks 1.1 for iPhone (iOS 4 required) and iPad. Shown off during WWDC 2010, it adds some oft-demanded features such as notes, bookmarks, and the syncing of both of those and highlights -- including between devices.

We'll be back with a review later, but here's the boilerplate for now:

• Enjoy a complimentary copy of the beautifully illustrated classic, Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne.
• Download many of your favorite books from the included iBookstore.
• Read a free sample of any book on the iBookstore before making it part of your collection.
• Reorder your books on your bookshelf or browse them in a list sorted by title, author, or category.
• Easily adjust your screen brightness to find the perfect lighting for any environment.
• Change the font size and pick from five included type faces to make your books more comfortable to read.
• Find a word, character, or phrase anywhere in your book with the built-in search feature.
• Quickly find a specific page using the page navigator at the bottom of every page.
• Highlight your favorite passages with the built-in bookmarking feature.
• Add books in the industry-standard ePub electronic book format to iTunes and sync them to iPad.
• iBooks supports amazing accessibility features in iPad, such as speaking the words on a given page.

You trying it out? If so, what do you think? How does it compare to iBooks on iPad? To Kindle or Stanza?

Barnes & Noble has released BN eReader for iPad as an alternative to Apple's iBooks and Amazon's Kindle app. It is an excellent ebook reader and offers many customizations as well as the ability to share books with friends and family.

Reading on BN eReader is a pleasant experience. You can read either in landscape in portrait. In portrait, eReader displays the book as one page. However, in landscape, reading in a two column or one column format depends on what your font settings are (both style and size). If this is not a bug, it is very annoying. I'd much rather see a toggle to turn two columns on or off. You can enhance your reading experience by choosing between one of Barnes & Nobel's five professionally designed themes, or create your own theme by editing the page, text, highlights, and links colors.

One of the big features BN eReader offers that iBooks does not, is the ability to add notes. Just highlight a block of text by dragging with your finger and select "add note". After you've created the note, you can quickly get back to it at any time. In addition, you can highlight text and look up words in the dictionary.

The other huge feature of BN eReader is the ability to share books with friends and family. Barnes & Noble refers to the technology as LendMe. With supported books, you can access your iPad's address book and select which contact you wish to share the book with. Upon accepting the offer, your friend will be able to enjoy the eBook for 14 days. If someone lends you a book, BN eReader will add the book to your library and display the message from your friend.

If you have BN eReader on your Mac, PC, iPhone, and Nook, the last page read will sync across all devices. All notes and highlights will also sync to your PC and iPhone (coming soon).

To purchase a book, BN eReader will launch the Barnes & Nobel eBookstore in Safari. After purchasing a book, you much exit safari and reopen BN eReader; you will see your book automatically add to your library and begin to download. The process is simple, but not completely painless. I'd much rather see BN eReader open an in-app browser because switching between apps isn't very elegant.

Barnes and Noble did an excellent job with their eReader and offers many things that iBooks does not. Having the world's largest bookstore in your hands is definitely a welcomed addition to the iPad.

Video and screenshots after the break!

Pros

• Excellent alternative to Apple iBooks
• Share books with friends and family with LendMe
• Add notes, highlights, and bookmarks
• Customized the look of your book
• Sync across multiple devices

Cons

• Barnes & Nobel bookstore launches Safari instead of an in-app browser
• Depending on font size and/or style, landscape may display as single to double column

YouTube link

The iPad eBooks war just got a bit more interesting with Barnes & Noble releasing their BN eReader for iPad into the App Store today. With the following features we are curious to see what adjustments Apple makes to iBooks, and Amazon with the Kindle in the near future.

• Exclusive LendMe technology that lets you share eBooks with friends using any of our free BN eReader apps or NOOK eBook readers
• LendMe allows you to grab friends’ addresses right from your existing iPad contacts
• Free safe and secure library keeps your eBooks accessible for years and years to come
• Ready to read in your library:
• Ten free samples of current best sellers (with new accounts)
• Three free classics
• Free samples of any eBook
• Adjustable font size so you can make the text as big as you want for reading ( 10 different sizes)
• Multiple font types—so you pick the typeface you prefer
• Background and text color options for easy reading in any light
• Use our professionally designed themes or create your own
• Tap or swipe to turn pages
• Browse your library visually with big, beautiful color covers or in iPad style “list view” (like Apple’s Mail app)
• Synchronize your notes, highlights and current reading position with BN eReader for PC (and our forthcoming update to iPhone)
• 24/7 shopping -- no waiting
• Free Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary is built right in so you don’t leave the page when looking up a word

If you have given this a try let us know what you think in the comments below! Should Apple and Amazon be worried?

[iTunes Link - Free]

According to The Wall Street Journal Google is planning on introducing their very own eBook store as early as this next month, and gearing up once again to go head-to-head with Apple. This news comes just after Apple announced that in just 28 days, iPad users have downloaded over 1.5 million eBooks via iBooks.

"Google says its new service--called Google Editions--will allow users to buy digital copies of books they discover through its book search service. It will also allow book retailers to sell Google Editions on their own sites, taking the bulk of the revenue. Google has yet to release details about pricing and which publishers are expected to participate."

Unlike on devices such as the iPhone, iPad and Kindle, Google's approach will be to allow users access to the digital books from a complete range of websites and over various devices.

Would any of our readers prefer Google's eBooks over Apple's iBooks? Sound off in the comments below!

[WSJ via Mac Rumors]

iBooks on the iPad is the best ebook reading experience I've ever had (though to be fair I only have compared it to the Kindle 2nd Gen, Kindle on iPad, Kindle on iPhone, and various ebook readers on webOS and PalmOS).

Although initially I was a little concerned that reading on an LCD for extended periods of time would cause eye strain, reading for a couple of hours last night wasn't a problem at all. I will have to wait and see if even longer sessions cause problems, but my hunch is that won't be the case. You can adjust the brightness of the screen, the font size, and even the font type right from inside the app as you're reading to ensure that you're not squinting into some insanely bright screen.

You can search an entire book, look up words in the dictionary, jump to chapters, and so on. Bookmarking seems to only work on specific words, not on pages, but once you figure that out you're set to go. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way to enter notes, only to highlight text in one of five colors. In other words, academics can add the inability to add margin notes to the other reasons to shy away from ebooks for now (the others including the fact that you can't trade or sell ebooks and, of course, DRM).

The iBooks Store is in-app and ties into your iTunes account, so you won't need to remember a different password to use it. Book selection seems to be slightly worse than what you can find in Amazon's Kindle store - but this early it's not completely fair to judge on selection. As with iTunes, there are plenty of top-charts like the NYT bestseller list, categories, and the ability to download samples of books to see if it's something you'd really like to read. One nice bit - iBooks uses the ePub standard, so it has the entire Gutenberg Project library

If you were thinking of buying a Kindle, don't.

Video and gallery after the break!

Kindle on iPad is, well, not as good as Kindle on a Kindle or iBooks. That's going to be the bottom line for a lot of people. It works in both portrait and landscape - though curiously I can't find a way to get a two-column book view in landscape. You can do most of the traditional ebook things: change the font size, adjust brightness, jump to any point in the book, have your place saved, etc. On Kindle you can also bookmark pages and add your own notes - all of which get synced up to Amazon's cloud so you can see them on other Kindle devices like your iPhone, a Kindle, etc.

Instead of an in-app store, Amazon sends you to Safari to browse and search for Kindle book - which I don't find especially annoying because the iPad's web browser is so good. Amazon has a slightly better selection of books than Apple does too, though in both cases I often find myself stymied when trying to find a particular book.

With both Kindle and iBooks my basic feeling is that they're good for light reading, but the difficulty of entering and exporting notes means that while I'll use them for entertainment, I won't use them for 'serious' work.

Hopefully Amazon will update this app to support two-column landscape mode soon.

Video and gallery after the break!

If you've got the iPhone or iPod touch version of Amazon's Kindle App [Free - iTunes link] check your updates because the new Kindle 2.0, universal binary version with iPad support is now live in the App Store!

Boasting 450,000 books (for US customers, international availability varies), and Whispersync convenience between Kindle device, iPhone, iPod touch, and now iPad, Apple doesn't seem to have a problem with duplicating iBooks functionality.

It also says you can shop the Kindle store, though whether that means you can do it within the app, like iBookstore, or if you still have to go to the Amazon.com website first... we'll find out tomorrow.

If you're a Kindle Books lover, let us know how you enjoy reading them on your iPad!

AppAdvice has followed up their $9.99 bestseller sneak-peak with more screenshots they claim come from the pre-release iPad iBooks and iBookstore, this time indicating Apple is including that massive Project Gutenberg library of free eBook content right in the app.

We mentioned Project Gutenberg last week and it's 30,000 ePub-format, iBooks friendly public domain titles and figured Apple would just let you drag them into iTunes and move them on over to iBooks. This, however, would mean they're already linked and ready to download.

Whether or not the full catalog is there, or just some subset of popular or editorial choices is unknown, and indeed everything is subject to change before the iPad ships on April 3, but we're hoping this is true and stays put.

It would be the iBooks answer to iTunes' free podcast and iTunes U, and the App Store's free apps section. And t'would be glorious.

Apple CEO and part time CSR Steve Jobs is on a roll replying to the faithful about the state and status of their beloved gadgets, this time giving word on Google Docs to iPad, and a universal inbox for iPhone Mail and a confirmation on free ePub eBook support for iTunes and iBooks.

First up, TUAW tells us:

Late last night, a TUAW reader sent us an email that was reportedly from Jobs. The reader asked if there was a way he could transfer his Google Docs to his iPad through iWork.com or iDisk. Jobs' reply? "Yes."

Reader Julio R. asked Steve if we can expect a universal mailbox on the iPhone. His answer? "Yep."

iPhone 4.0 perhaps?

Also, TiPb Facebook friend Andrea N sent us word that he double checked with Jobs about free ePub books (like those we mentioned yesterday from Project Gutenberg) working on the iPad. The response? Another "Yep".

While the brevity (even terseness) of Jobs' emails entertain at times, it's amazing to see him respond at all, let alone so frequently. (Though we'd love to see Ballmer and Schmidt responding from their BlackBerry Nexus Ones and Windows Phones respectively...

Waiting for Apple's iPad and its iBooks and iBookstore app? The outstanding Project Gutenberg has 30,000 free-as-in-beer-and-and-as-in-speech ePub format eBooks to help keep you start building your library today.

If you're not already familiar with the geeky details, ePub is the open, free-flowing eBook format that Apple is using for iBooks. However, let's caveat that "open" piece -- ePub books bought from the iBookstore will be using Apple's FairPlay DRM (digital rights management) which means that while ePub is a widely supported format, Apple ePub books won't work on other devices, and ePub books using other DRM (like Adobe Content Server) won't work on the iPad. Headache, right? Well, the good news is DRM-free ePub eBooks -- like those from Project Gutenberg -- should work on the iPad and pretty much everything else.

To use Project Gutenberg, just click on the link above and browse or search away. If you're not sure where to start, try their Top 100 list. When you find something you like, scroll down to the EPUB link and download the file.

Apple is also giving us an easy-as-iTunes way to drag, drop, manage and sync free ePub books over to the iPad. (Hopefully iPhone owners will one day get the same ability, though in the meantime we have the powerful if less elegant super-combo of Calibre and Stanza.)

If you know of any other great sources for free ePub content -- or any terrific free eBooks you want to recommend -- tell us about them in the comments.

So after all that pushing by publishers for the 70/30 split "agency model", and bullying of Amazon into raising eBook best-seller prices to $14.99, the New York Times is now reporting that Apple may be allowed to discount the price of those same bestsellers to $9.99 -- the original Amazon price.

Yeah, we're confused too. Amazon used to lose money selling aBooks at $9.99 because the publishers got paid the same amount regardless of price or discounts. Under the new "agency model" and 70/30 split, the publishers get less money, 70%. What they wanted, however, was a higher sticker price for consumers whether or not they lost some money on it. See, it was all about the "perceived value" of eBooks. They don't want us to think eBooks are cheap, and they'll take less money to charge us more. Apple, wanting to compete with Amazon (and liking the consistent 70/30 model they already use in the iTunes and App Stores) agreed to the deal with the launch of the iPad and the iBooks app. Big publishers then started pressuring Amazon to do likewise.

Which brings us -- again still confused -- to the New York Times story:

according to at least three people with knowledge of the discussions, who spoke anonymously because of the confidentiality of the talks, Apple inserted provisions requiring publishers to discount e-book prices on best sellers — so that $12.99-to-$14.99 range was merely a ceiling; prices for some titles could be lower, even as low as Amazon’s $9.99. Essentially, Apple wants the flexibility to offer lower prices for the hottest books, those on one of the New York Times best-seller lists, which are heavily discounted in bookstores and on rival retail sites. So, for example, a book that started at $14.99 would drop to $12.99 or less once it hit the best-seller lists.

So did Apple give publishers everything they thought they wanted, and somehow still keep the ability to charge $9.99 for bestsellers? And if our heads are throbbing from all this, is Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos' near ready to 'splode?

The fine folks at Fictionwise.com (aka eReader.com, or m.ereader.com if you're on your iPhone) are giving TiPb readers 25% off on any eBook purchase until February 28. (Their eReader app for the iPhone is already free -- iTunes link).

Here's the code you need to get your discount:

theiphoneblog25

We should also point out, ALL of their New York Times Best Sellers include 100% Rebates or Rewards, which means if you purchase "Cross Country" by James Patterson for $9.99 (or any other NYT Title), they'll immediately put $9.99 back into your member account to purchase other eBooks.

And if you have any recommendations, drop them in the comments!

It's interesting that, since Steve Jobs announced during his iPad keynote that iBooks would be available for download from the App Store, recently there's been some coverage of this as news -- including that the iBooks books will be using Apple's FairPlay DRM.

That iBooks won't be built in like iPod, Music, or Movies apps, and that it includes the iBooks Store inside it instead of in a separate -- also built-in -- app like iTunes Store or App Store, is what made TiPb assume Apple was intending to compete on equal terms with existing App Store apps like Kindle. Making iBooks built in, and making the store part of the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad would clearly be a sign that Kindle's days in the App Store might be numbered. This way, however, we took it as just the opposite, especially since Jobs went to the trouble of mentioning it.

In terms of FairPlay DRM, while recent media coverage implies that it hasn't been seen since iTunes music went DRM-free in April of last year, iTunes Movies and TV Shows certainly haven't (a point 9to5Mac makes as well), and App Store apps are protected as well. TiPb has always assumed they've been using FairPlay this whole time, since Apple prefers technology they control, especially when they're contractual bound to maintain things like copy protection. (This is why they historically refused to license it to third parties -- it would make it easier to break and harder to re-secure).

So, again, when Jobs announced iBooks Store, we just took it for granted it would be using Apple's DRM system, FairPlay. It nicely sets the stage for a big DRM-free books movement in a few years, doesn't it?

Both Mcmillan and Amazon have issued statements about the story linked to previously, wherein they stopped selling Macmillan e-books after the publisher wanted to raise the price for best-sellers to an agency model $12.99 to $14.99 -- which Apple had already agreed to for iBooks on the iPad.

Mcmillan's CEO, John Sargent's comments ran as a paid advertisement in the Sunday edition of PublishersLunch and read in part:

Under the agency model, we will sell the digital editions of our books to consumers through our retailers. Our retailers will act as our agents and will take a 30% commission (the standard split today for many digital media businesses). The price will be set the price for each book individually. Our plan is to price the digital edition of most adult trade books in a price range from $14.99 to $5.99. At first release, concurrent with a hardcover, most titles will be priced between $14.99 and $12.99. E books will almost always appear day on date with the physical edition. Pricing will be dynamic over time.

The agency model would allow Amazon to make more money selling our books, not less. We would make less money in our dealings with Amazon under the new model. Our disagreement is not about short-term profitability but rather about the long-term viability and stability of the digital book market.

Amazon's response can be found in full on Engadget, but contains:

We have expressed our strong disagreement and the seriousness of our disagreement by temporarily ceasing the sale of all Macmillan titles. We want you to know that ultimately, however, we will have to capitulate and accept Macmillan's terms because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles, and we will want to offer them to you even at prices we believe are needlessly high for e-books. Amazon customers will at that point decide for themselves whether they believe it's reasonable to pay $14.99 for a bestselling e-book. We don't believe that all of the major publishers will take the same route as Macmillan. And we know for sure that many independent presses and self-published authors will see this as an opportunity to provide attractively priced e-books as an alternative.

So what do you think? Will the publishers be able to raise prices or will the market -- or lack thereof for higher priced e-books -- force them back down again?

[PublishersLunch via BoingBoing via Engadget]

iPhone 3G Made Simple comes by way of Martin Trautschold and Gary Mazo of Made Simple book and e-book fame -- likely familiar names to any of our CrackBerry.com friends -- have put their training talents to work on the iPhone 3G and the result? 376 pages chock full of photos and easy to understand guides.

It's available now in e-book (PDF) for $20 and is coming in August in good old printed form (soft cover). For TiPb readers, however, Martin and Gary are giving away 5 free copies of the e-book!

Just head on over to the TiPb iPhone Forum and let us know you want a copy!

Our best frenemy forever, CrackBerry.com's Kevin sent us word that Canadians currently excluded from all the Amazon Kindle E-Book app goodness may just have an alternative. Seems Chapters/Indigo (think Barnes and Nobles with maple syrup, eh?) is getting into the game, and onto the devices, with a new service called Shortcovers.

While Kevin was sickened by the prominence of the iPhone in the above video, we thought it was fantastic. (And if the fugly look of the BlackBerry app compared to the hot sexay of the iPhone version is any indication of how this whole BlackBerry App World vs. iPhone App Store sitch will work out for RIM...)

Any of our readers to the north going to check it out?

Yes, folks, I was one of the suckers eager buyers of the 2nd edition of the Kindle. My pain is your pleasure, though, as you can get some early screenshots of the app already loaded up with books via Whispersync.

As you may have just read in our previous post, Amazon has just released Kindle for iPhone for free in the App Store (iTunes link), you cannot buy Kindle books directly from the app. Instead you can purchase inside Mobile Safari, from your desktop, or from a Kindle

The text is nice and readable (and you can resize as well). The app keeps a "page metaphor," meaning that instead of being able to scroll up and down, you swipe left and right to switch pages. A single tap on the screen bring up a menu to give you back, bookmark, text-size, and a sync button to sync your last page read with a Kindle.

The Whispersync tech works exactly as advertised -- books purchased show up as "Archived" and you can then download them directly to your iPhone.

Head on in after the break for your screenshots!

Amazon's Kindle App for iPhone and iPod touch is now live in the App Store. It allows access to hundreds of thousands of Amazon Kindle format e-books (we assume the whole 200K plus library).

The Amazon Kindle for iPhone app is FREE (iTunes Link), but it looks like books need to be purchased from Amazon directly via PC or Mac and transferred over, or from the iPhone via Mobile Safari. Most e-books should run $9.99. Like with the Kindle device itself, you can sample first chapters for free, adjust text size and bookmark. You can't annotate but you can view Kindle annotations.

Whispersync is also enabled so you can start reading on the Kindle, switch to the iPhone, and basically go back and forth without losing your place. Books you've already purchased for the Kindle, of course, can be placed on the iPhone or iPod touch as well.

Note: Per Dieter, this doesn't seem to be showing up on the iPhone App Store app yet, and -- of course -- it's not available (yet?) in the Canadian App Store (or any international App Store?)

Any Kindle users out there ready to test this out and let us know how it's working?

Yeah, let the speculation continue! No sooner did we blog about Apple's rumored March 24th Special Event being an iPhone 3.0 or even iTablet into, then we came across this wonderful article up at Newsarama.com featuring uber-Apple tech journo, Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun-Times. Most tantalizingly:

"There's something I keep hearing, and I don't think I'd rank it as high as a rumor, but it's an interesting story that I keep hearing, that for awhile, trucks loaded with books would arrive at a loading dock on the Apple campus, and offload big, big, big, big, huge load of books, and then the trucks would leave empty. And Apple does not have a 100,000-book employee library there on the Apple campus," Ihnatko said. "So one is prone to believe that they're doing something with these books, such as turning them into text for some purpose we can only guess at. There's been a long-standing rumor that Apple has been silently preparing to open a bookstore on the iTunes store, and they want to make sure that they have a very large stock of electronic titles when they do open.

The entire article is definitely worth a read, and given the way print media, with associated delivery and distribution costs is going, an Apple-fronted e-Book reader would be good news. An Apple and iTunes Store front e-Comic Book reader could save Marvel and DC from their own current myopia as well.

Of course, even the mighty Amazon has failed to show there's a mainstream market for the Kindle yet (we don't believe they've even hit the magic 1 million sold mark yet, have they?) and Apple has never been one to lead markets, only consumer-ize them, so we'll see...

Meantime, who wants one?

The techeratti love the Kindle -- so what if it's only available in the US, is selling half-as well as the Zune, Apple targeted "reading" in a recent commercial, and Google just optimized their Books service for the iPhone? It's not like Amazon is making an iPhone reader too, is it?

Whoops! D - All Things Digital says Amazon may just be doing exactly that:

“We are excited to make Kindle books available on a range of mobile phones. We are working on that now,” an Amazon spokesman told the New York Times, while offering zero other details. [...] I’ve asked for more clarification, but I’m not hopeful–it’s difficult to get Amazon to acknowledge that the sun sets in the West. [UPDATE: Via email, an Amazon spokesman allows that "we are excited" but nothing else.] The big question is whether Amazon intends to sell titles that can be read on Apple’s (AAPL) handsets.

Makes sense. Amazon is essentially a software and services company, books for your shelves, movies for your player, even food for your fridge. They're not a consumer electronics manufacturer like Apple. Kindle-style E-Books would be a much better revenue generator for them if they -- like audio books -- could play on a variety of platforms. (We don't see Audible making their own proprietary MP3 player, do we?)

I'd love to see the Kindle's market place opened up to the iPhone. How about you? Want the latest best sellers, this term's text books, and the WSJ all beamed directly to your iPhone?

(Thanks to The Reptile for sending this in!)

Sure, we lost iGoogle, but we gained Gmail Tasks, have been promised Google Latitude, and now have been served up a piping hot portion of Google Books optimized for the iPhone.

Authors, no doubt, may continue to have a problem with Google willfully ignoring copyright for their own content lust, while mobile users jump up and down in glee, like one author and mobile accomplisher, Andy Ihnatko is doing on his Celestial Waste of Bandwidth:

Yes, all 1.5 million public-domain texts in the Google Books project are now available to mobile users, behind a fairly awesome, slick interface. [...] And I scroll down a bit and find many titles of interest. I give one of ‘em a tap, and soon I’m looking at a very credible little mobile book reader. [..] Good golly. If Google is evil, then they’re a Doctor Doom sort of evil. What’s a little evil, when the totalitarian dictator takes such wonderful, indulgent care of his subjects?

Indeed. Google is really stepping up to showcase what great WebApps can still do in the post-App Store iPhone world. Any ebook aficionados try this out yet? How does it compare to native apps like Classic and Stanza? And how does the iPhone experience compare to the Kindle for that matter?