Google throws a spanner and a hammer into the e-book machine

Posted on by Alex Blackman
Digital Rights Management and booksEarlier this year, following a panel discussion held by Random House, Google announced that they were planning to open their e-book store, Google Editions, this summer. Summer feels almost over here in Brighton, and the store has not yet launched. However, with the imminent launch of the service, we thought it was important to take another look at its implications for publishers. Incontestably the move sets Google on a collision course with the major consumer e-book distributors, Amazon, Sony and Apple. But with Google’s irrefutable business clout, not only does the e-book market look set to change, so too does the entire e-book marketing model. Continue reading →

S3UG 2010 – Project management with a mobile twist

Posted on by Alex Blackman
S3UG 2010 - Introduction SlideThis year’s Semantico User Group Event in Oxford was a practical and forward-looking day, with presentations from Semantico’s staff and clients. Originally held as a means for informing customers about the technical development of Semantico’s products, the event has since grown to become a forum for knowledge sharing and debate about a wide range of issues around online publishing. S3UG 2010 focused primarily on project management with a secondary theme on the growing importance of mobile devices and the future of publishing. Continue reading →

Not the only store on the block

Posted on by Alex Blackman
Mobile Phone App ChoicesThough Apple arguably achieved a significant first with the launch of its App Store in July 2008 it is certainly not the only company currently with their own App store (interestingly the word ‘App’, coined by Apple, was accepted into the Oxford English Dictionary as long ago as 1985). Since its launch, the App Store has enjoyed tremendous success. There are now over 100,000 Apps in the store, which logs over 10,000 downloads a day. But the market for smartphone apps is heating up. So let’s take a look at some of the contenders who are going to be snapping hard on Apple’s heels. Continue reading →

Optimise your WordPress site for smartphones – the quick way!

Posted on by Alex Blackman
Web traffic from mobiles is estimated to be growing eight times faster than that from UK PCs (Deloitte, 2009). Gartner predicts that by 2013, mobiles rather than PCs will be the most common web access devices. As this trend continues, the challenges for companies wishing to make their sites not only functional but also usable and even aesthetically pleasing for users of mobile devices becomes ever more pressing. So here’s one good piece of news for those whose blog or website, like the Discovery Blog, is based on WordPress: a plugin that does the job simply and well. Continue reading →

Penguin opts for Apps

Posted on by Alex Blackman
Following on from Richard Padley’s recent post on apps vs e-books, it has emerged that one publisher at least, Penguin Books, has made the choice. Up until now the battle has been pretty one-sided, with both Apple and Amazon releasing their e-Books using the no frills e-Pub format. However, Penguin has now planted its flag firmly in the ‘app’ camp; choosing a format which will enable them to embed audio, images and even animation and video into their e-book apps. ‘The definition of a book itself … is up for grabs,’ said CEO of Penguin Books, John Makinson. It’s a decisive move, but is it a wise one? Continue reading →