February 23, 2012

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Keeping Your Gadgets Going

With the intense amount of focus presently being shown towards smartphones and their wide range of capabilities, it can be sort of easy to forget that other gadgets exist out there. Whether you’ve made the leap to a smartphone or not, this gadget is likely to garner your interest if you have the range of toys such as an mp3 player, cell phone, e-Reader, GPS unit, and a USB camera. What do all of these have in common? They offer their services in a portable package that requires battery power.

If there is one common denominator – or Achille’s heel – to electronic gadgets, it is that they all use batteries. Rechargeable batteries are great because they offer portability, but they require charging at some point. Often that point comes at inconvenient times, in inconvenient places where power isn’t readily available. Fortunately, a multi-gadget power solution exists in the form of the xeMini hybrid charger.

This handy device can charge two devices at a time, which is pretty sweet right off the bat. Then, consider that the built in battery of the charger allows you to charge your devices on the fly – essential when you need to keep moving, but need power. Think about when you’re using your GPS to navigate to a job interview, and you’ve forgotten to charge it up beforehand. The xeMini could be a lifesaver, getting you to the interview on time with feathers unruffled. Forgot to charge the xeMini too? Don’t worry, it comes with a solar charging feature as well, so you really won’t be left out in the cold.

Filed Under: eBooks, Famous Books Tagged With: , ,

Publish Your Own Books

Publishing your own books can be as easy as downloading a program. For the Kindle or Nook software, these are free formatting software publishing techniques that take a simple afternoon to learn how to use. They are available all over the web, and writers are now enjoying the freedom of writing, editing, and publishing their own work. Many have found that once they do publish their work, they can post their books online as e-books on such sites as Amazon, or Ebay.

Amazon Kindle 2

Image by peteg via Flickr

How it Works

The process of getting an e-book assembled for publishing is as easy as typing. The programs used to place text into a Kindle format or Nook format is like using a word processor. Users can simply open up the program, and begin typing. The header, footer, and page numbers are already inserted based on the information provided before writing begins. This information can be edited at any time, but it just makes things easier to have a defined way to work.

The other aspect to the software is that writer can see their text form in the exact way that it will appear on an e-book. This means that the user experience is seen right away, and writers can make changes or modifications based on what they see and read, just like a reader would. The other nice part is that changes can be made at any time. This means that updates can be republished at a later date, and this would give customers automatic updates to their purchase.

Filed Under: eBooks, Reading Tagged With: , ,

How to Encourage Teen Readers

Some parents believe that it is acceptable to have a teen who loathes reading and because of this belief they find it difficult to pass their love of reading onto their children. Having teens that read will ensure that we have teens who learn and comprehend better in school. How can you encourage your child?

Make it a family affair

Read as a family. Having family readings at night before bedtime may just become your child’s favorite time of the day. Of course it will take time for them to get used to it but if you take turns reading and allow teens to ask question and share their incites, they may surprise you.

Give it time

Even in the midst of hectic schedules we make time for what we value whether that is eating dinner as a family or watching our favorite television program. If having teens that read is important then time must be given to that cause. An hour of technology free time (no phones, t.v. or I-pod) will give teens the quiet they need to focus on a good book. At first it will definitely seem like torture but in time perhaps teens will come to look forward to this hour of peace and quiet curled up with a good book.

Make it interesting

Having poetry recitals and performing scenes from Shakespeare will give reading a new twist. It may also help teens connect with writers from the past and relate to the classics. Making reading a chore is the easiest way to push teens away from reading. Instead liven it up a little and watch your reluctant readers come alive.

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Ebooks Or Traditional Books? Who Choose? Let Your Child Read All Types Of Books

A Picture of a eBook

Image via Wikipedia

Is it wise to introduce your child to electronic books? Should you go in for an electronic book reader like Kindle or should you download books on your computer for your child? If your child is spending more time on the computer instead of perusing through the pages of a book, your decision to go in for ebooks may very well prove beneficial in the long run.

However, it can also backfire as your child may refuse to read books even when it is available on the computer. As far as the long term perspective is concerned, teaching your child to read on the computer screen is a smart move. However, you will admit that the experience of reading books in traditional paper format is unique and enjoyable.

The best way to proceed is to strike a balance where your child gets to do a bit of everything. As time goes by, chances are high that your child will be more comfortable with electronic books. However, this does not mean he or she will be virtually incapable of reading traditional books. Give equal exposure to both and let your child decide how he or she wants to proceed. Your job is to provide a firm foundation.

If your child is finding it difficult to get used to computer books, you can gift traditional books and then proceed to purchase electronic versions of the same book. Now that your child knows the plot and understands the story, he or she may position to grasp the book better despite reading it on the screen.

If you are worried about negative impact on your child eyes, you can go in for anti glare devices for your computer screen. Further, make sure your child applies water into his or her eyes to keep it moist when watching the computer screen for long durations.

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Celebrated Authors to Sell Digital Books

Many major authors are bypassing the publishers and selling their books as a digital version. Odyssey Editions is Andrew Wylie’s brainchild, offering 20 modern classics as ebooks through Amazon.com. They are all being priced at Amazon’s rate of $9.99 per ebook. Some of these books are Midnight Children by Rushdie, The Enigma of Arrival by Naipaul, and Portnoys Complaint by Roth. These authors share Wylie as an agent as he was dissatisfied with terms offered by publishers for the ebooks. Some titles from dead authors are also included such as, William S. Burroughs, Saul Thompson, and John Updike.

This deal made exclusively with Amazon, will last two years and removes from the equation, all other booksellers. As this market grows, ebook readers will have access to best classic literature the world offers. This move is concerning to publishers and they feel that they hold an exclusive right to the digital books. The rights that were not expressly given to publishers are retained by the authors as stated by the Authors Guild. A spokesman for Random House said  that their publisher “was disappointed by Mr. Wylies actions”, and sent a letter disputing the legal rights of Amazon to sell the titles. Tension continues to grow between authors and publishers, and novelist and historian Tom Holland said the deals authors were asked to sign were “not remotely fair”.

Other celebrated authors that have chosen to be found via the electronic editions are London Fields by Martin Amis, Junky by William Burroughs, Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich, Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh and The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer. The best selling books of John Updike, like Rabbit Run, Rabbit Redux, Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest are optionally sold electronically, as well as many more. You may be able to look for this to be a future trend amongst the most popular authors, depending upon the feasibility of the option.

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An E-reader Saved My Back

Are you an avid reader? Do you read different things according to your mood? Are you an information hoarder?

With overflowing bookshelves, it quickly becomes obvious who the book lovers are in this world. A different type of book for each of your moods; various titles within each genre; and a backache from carrying them.

If you don’t already own an e-reader, it’s time to invest. Amazon started the trend with the Kindle and it has grown ever since. Barnes & Noble followed up with more features with its Nook, and Sony added the Sony Reader to its product offerings. Some not so well known versions of the e-reader, which are strong competitors to those previously mentioned, include BeBook, Kobo, and Pandigital. An issue that plagues the better known versions is the lack of open source as they are all nearly exclusive to its individual ebook store. The others do not have such a source and allow for more exploration and formats. In fact, the BeBook is compatible with nearly every ebook format in the world. Pandigital offers a color touchscreen and book lending capabilities. When not being used as a reader, it can transform into a digital picture frame (hey, why not?).

Ebooks can be found in various places, including free versions of both new releases (author gifts) and classics at sites such as www.getfreeebooks.com and www.ireaderreview.com. Another site (www.thenovelnetwork.com) offers unlimited access to thousands of books, comics, and newspapers for a onetime fee of $49.95. This fee is nominal considering the average price of each ebook download on Amazon or Barnes & Noble is $9.99 per book.

So, why would you carry around a few magazine and books when you can carry around your daily newspaper and nearly unlimited books in one compact device? That answer should come easily. The hard decision is which reader to get.

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Travel Books to Go

You can go anywhere, anytime with a good book of fiction that lets your imagination run wild. But what about books that help you go on actual, real-life, adventures? This is the world of travel books, and they are more than a good read.

There are several well-established names in travel literature. A few of the most popular and trusted are Fodor’s, Lonely Planet and Frommer’s. All of them publish guidebooks to help you find your way to and through almost any destination on the planet.

Eugene Fodor of Hungary wrote his first guide book in 1936, titled On the Continent. The Entertaining Travel Annual. It was one of the first tourist guides to include information on local culture and practical advice such as tipping standards, as well as the usual lists of attractions and places to stay. Today it is the largest publisher of travel information in the English language.

Frommer’s was one of the first companies to introduce Americans to affordable international travel. It was started in 1957 by a young U.S. Army corporal named Arthur Frommer. He started by writing a travel guide for his fellow GI’s, and then decided to write one for civilians, entitled Europe on $5 a Day. Today his daughter Pauline carries on the legacy, and publishes over 350 guidebooks to major metropolitan areas around the globe, as well as such titles as Frommers With Kids, and MTV Travel Guides.

Lonely Planet travel books take you a little further off the beaten path. It was started by two young lovers, Maureen and Tony Wheeler, who decided to spend their honeymoon crossing Europe and Asia in their beat-up old car. At the end of the trip, flat broke but inspired, they wrote about their experience and titled it Across Asia on the Cheap. It was an immediate success and their new company Lonely Planet was born.

Whether you choose to go with one of the major guide series, or a more personal account, a good travel book is always a fine companion on any trip. Don’t leave home without one.

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Subscription.com: A One Stop Reference Guide to All Subscription Needs

My senior thesis: "The Internet is...&quo...
Image by eszter via Flickr

It’s all about information and knowledge. If you look at all the patents that exist and the academic papers that are published each year, you know that human knowledge is expanding at a constant rate. Knowledge in nanotechnology doubles every two years, while the knowledge base for other sectors could take up to 20 years to double. Whatever is said about the vast body of knowledge that humans have, documenting and disseminating this knowledge is serious business. The Internet has made it easier to aggregate, synthesize, and disseminate knowledge, creating new opportunities for people to collaborate.

However, it becomes daunting to classify and reference information from such collaborative efforts. Everyone experiences getting lost while surfing the Internet. You land on a particular page, browse the information you find there, and navigate using hyperlinks to different pages and websites. You might even forget where you started! Such is the nature of the information and data that are available today. Proper synthesizing and referencing of such information is vital. Really useful websites compile reference materials and information in a single place for users. A good example is subscription.com, which offer users a one-stop shop for all their subscription needs. Here, all relevant information about the subscription marketplace is available in one place. The site has done the job of aggregating and referencing similar information about various subscription services.

Without proper referencing, searching for information would be like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack. Such one stop shops are of great value to consumers who would otherwise get lost in the deluge of information that’s available. Users are very likely to end up wasting their time sifting through vast amounts of data that may be useless to them. Referencing, be it online or offline, is very crucial. That is why search engines and domain specific websites are very popular these days.

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