Vellum 3.4 publishing software is out: $200+ but worth it - TeleRead

Today, Panzer made a trip to the TeleRead site. There he found a post about Vellum software.

Ebook distribution used to be easy.

According to David Rothman's post, the new Vellum 3.4 is now available. In his review Vellum is his choice for making epub versions of his books. While Vellum is for Macs only, he does include some software recommendations for the Windows operating system. The post includes links to all the recommended software products.

Panzer says, "We don't have a Mac so this little kitty is glad he included software for Windows too."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie (you can never have too much chocolate) for reading this post. If you plan to follow all the links in the post, you'll need to decide what to bring to eat and drink while you read.

To read the post tootle over to Vellum software

Google will soon begin enforcing in-app purchase fees for all apps that sell digital content - TeleRead

 Today when Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere, he found a post at TeleRead about Google's new app sales fees.

Will Amazon play nice in Google's sandbox?

The post at TeleRead by Chris Meadows, says Google just announced they will be charging fees to app developers. Google's announcement says all apps sold in the Google Play app store which sell digital goods in the apps will be required to pay 30 percent of the money they earn to Google. To ensure Google knows how much an app makes from the in-app sales, developers are "required to use Google Play's billing system." The post also discusses the Amazon, Nook and Kobo ebook apps available in the Google Play store. There are several links in this post, including one about Fortnite being removed from the Google app store.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This little kitty wonders who can afford to give Google 30 percent of their sales money."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a thermos of tea and six muffins for your reading experience today.

To read the post tootle over to Google

Internet Archive Open Library lawsuit moves forward; arguments set for November 2021 - TeleRead

Panzer hasn't been to the TeleRead site in a long time, so he decided to make a stop there today. With no digging at all our inquisitive kitty boy found a post about the Internet Archive Open Library. Panzer's last update on the publishers' lawsuit against the Internet Archive (IA) was when IA asked the publishers to drop the suit and negotiate.

According to the post by Chris Meadows, in the copyright infringement lawsuit by four publishers filed against the Internet Archive (IA) the judge has agreed to a one year discovery process. This means both sides of the lawsuit will have one year to gather information and put their cases together. The suit should be ready for arguments in November 2021. The publishers filed the lawsuit after Internet Archive refused to stop making scanned copies of copyrighted books and letting people download the scanned copies. IA said it was legal because they were a library. Instead, publishers said IA is a pirate site because the site doesn't have the publishers' or authors' permission to copy the books and neither are paid for the copies. There are links to previous TeleRead posts, to a Publishers Weekly post and a The Digital Reader post about the lawsuit included in the TeleRead post.

Repeat after me: "I will not steal your book."

Panzer says, "It's a long post with all the links, but it explains what's happening and why the publishers filed the lawsuit against IA."

Note: This is a very long post. Bring a glass of ice tea and a  large muffin for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the links, bring two thermoses of tea, 12 muffins, 12 chocolate chip cookies (biscuits) and 12 brownies.

To read the post tootle over to Internet Archive Open Library
To read Panzer's previous post tootle over to Internet Archive Lawsuit


 

Book distributer Ingram continues to operate during coronavirus shutdowns ... but should it? - TeleRead

Panzer decided to make a quick stop at the TeleRead site today. With no digging at all out brave kitty boy found a post about Ingram Content Group continuing operations during the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

Of course books are essential.

According to TeleRead's Chris Meadows, Ingram Content Group has been designated an essential business and allowed to remain in operation during the Covid-19 outbreak. Ingram is a major book distributor in the U.S. In the post Chris Meadows discusses the pros and cons of the essential business designation for book distribution. He quotes extensively from a Publishers Weekly post about Ingram Content Group and the designation. By the end of the post it appears he agrees with the decision book distribution is an essential part of the supply chain. There's a link to the Publishers Weekly site included in the post.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... The only humans who don't think books are essential are the ones who don't know how to read."

Note: This is a very long post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Ingram

Audible to give away 12 million audiobooks to settle class action lawsuit - TeleRead

Panzer was taking a well-deserved nap when he was shaken awake by clapping and cheering come from the Catosphere. Hopping into the Panzermobile out brave kitty followed all the raucous noise to the TeleRead site. There he found a post about audible.

Six months?

According to Chris Meadows of TeleRead, Audible has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit rather than go to court. The lawsuit concerns the Audible audio book credits. If a customer's credits were cancelled due to the six month time limit or because the customer cancelled their account, they qualify for the settlement. A customer can get at least one audio book based on their Audible credit circumstances. Included in the post is a link to the class action settlement notification.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This little kitty thinks Audible should change the length of time the credits can be used too."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a chocolate chip cookie (biscuit) for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Audible

Ultraviolet to close down ... but it need not take your movies with it - TeleRead

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he decided it was time to make a quick visit to the TeleRead site. With a little digging around in the posts our inquisitive kitty found one about Ultraviolet.

No time to waste. I have to do it now.

According to Chris Meadows, the Ultraviolet site is shutting down. Ultraviolet is the site where if you bought a movie on a DVD/disc you also got the digital copy . Since the site is shutting down, you can save your digital movies from going to the movie cemetery by linking your account to one of five other services/sites. The five services/sites and other options are all listed in the post.

Panzer says, "Vudu is one of the sites listed and Mom has an account there, so I better get those accounts linked."

Note: This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post. Bring a thermos of tea and a dozen muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Ultraviolet

New column on free and low-cost books: Robert's Roundup of Ebook Deals - TeleRead

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he decided to stop in at the TeleRead site. With just a little digging around our inquisitive kitty found a post about a new place to find links to free or low-cost cost ebooks.

According to Robert Nagle, he's started a new column where he locates free and low-cost ebooks. There seems to be a wide range of fiction and nonfiction ebooks included in his lists. He does admit in the preface that he hasn't read the books on his lists. The post begins with links to his first three columns. There's a lot of good information in the post after the links, so you might want to finish reading the post before you go to the columns.

Christmas is only five days away.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Free ebooks just in time for Christmas."

Note: These are long posts. Bring a thermos (or two) of cocoa and a dozen muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Robert's Roundup of eBook deals

New waterproof Kindle Paperwhite with brighter six-inch screen: You can pre-order today - TeleRead

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when the Panzermobile was buffeted by cheering and clapping. Following all the hullabaloo took our inquisitive kitty boy to the TeleRead site. With no digging at all he discovered a post about Amazon's newest Kindle Paperwhite was causing all the noise.

Dead battery? Makes a good doorstop.

According to David Rothman, Amazon has announced their new Kindle Paperwhite is available for pre-order. The new Paperwhite will start shipping on November 7. Prices range from $129.99 for the basic model to $249.99 for the top of the line model. The new Paperwhite has a six-inch scratch resistant screen and is waterproof. The post includes a link to the Amazon store for more information and to place a pre-order.

Panzer says, "Umm ... The charger is an extra $20.00? What good is it without the charger?"

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and half a muffin for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the link in the post, bring an extra half a muffin.

To read the post tootle over to Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle will now let you install custom fonts: A how-to - TeleRead

Panzer hasn't been to the TeleRead site for a while, so he decided to stop in there today. It's a good thing our inquisitive kitty did. With no digging at all he discovered a post with an important announcement about the Amazon Kindle ereader.

According to the post by David Rothman, there's a long overdue improvement for the Kindle ereader. Amazon now allows the download of custom fonts to their ereaders. The post uses a screenshot from a Kindle Paperwhite as an example, but other ereaders have the same capability now. The post includes a link for the update. If you don't know what generation of ereader you have, there's also a link included to determine which it is. There are instructions for an update for older ereaders as well at the Amazon site. Some updates need to be downloaded manually, so it's important to check the site to make sure your Kindle continues to work.

Her Kindle is way older than me.

Panzer says, "This little kitty can hardly believe it. We followed the links and found out Mom has a third generation Kindle. She got it as a gift when it was brand new. It's so old she can't download new fonts to it. Lucky for her she has got a new Paperwhite for Christmas."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Kindle

Is Google abandoning Android? - TeleRead

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to the TeleRead site. There our inquisitive kitty pilot found a post about Google.

Let's watch it together.

According to the post by Chris Meadows, Google hasn't been making any changes to the Android tablets since the Pixel C. The post explores the question of the possibility that Google is switching from Android to Chrome OS for the tablet. It also addresses the lack of business apps for Android. While there's no conclusion or answer to the question in the post's title, it does contain pertinent information about the situation. The post opens with a link to and quotes from a post by Ryan Whitwam.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This little kitty thinks it will be interesting to see what Google does with Android."

Note: This is a longish-medium length post. Bring half a thermos of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Google

Serial Box serial e-publisher snags $1.65 million investment - TeleRead

Panzer's trip into the Catosphere today took him to the TeleRead site. There with just a little digging our intrepid kitty traveler found a post about Serial Box.

Where's my $1.99 a week?

According to Chris Meadows, Serial Box just got a $1.65 million investment from Book Rocker Media. No one seems to know exactly what Serial Box will do with the money. In Serial Box's service a reader pays $1.99 per week for Serial Box's post of one episode in a story. The stories are from 13 to 18 episodes long. There are links included in the post to other posts about Serial Box and the $1.65 million investment.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... An episode a week? I do one Panzerism a week. I'm willing to do an audio version too."

Note: This is a short-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Serial Box

Is the e-ink reader dead? And does it matter? - TeleRead

Panzer barely had time to lay down for his nap when he heard howling and growling. Our brave kitty boy jumped in the Panzermobile and headed into the Catosphere. Following all the noise took him to the TeleRead site. There he found a post about the death of the e-ink reader.

According to Chris Meadows, it appears the e-ink reader (also known as Kindle and Nook et al) are in their death throes. While ebooks are still thriving e-ink reader sales are not. With the increase in smart phones and tablets as reading devices the e-ink reader has suffered. There are several links to other sources included in this post.

Now for my nap.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Mom has a Kindle, a Paper White and a tablet and she reads on all three."

Note: This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post. Bring a thermos of tea and a dozen muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to e-ink reader

Boldface now in OverDrive's Libby ebook app for library patrons: How to use it - TeleRead

Panzer's trip into the Catosphere today took him to the TeleRead site. With a little digging our traveling kitty boy found a post about OverDrive's Libby app.

According to TeleRead site founder David Rothman, library ebook provider OverDrive has added the boldface fonts option to its Libby app. Library users will now be able to choose to read an ebook in boldface fonts. Boldface makes it easier for those with visual contrast impairments to read their library ebooks. The boldface feature is available in iOS and Android. The post includes a sample of the boldface font and instructions about how to turn on the boldface feature in your Libby app.

My ebooks are in the library.

Panzer says, "This little kitty thinks it's about time OverDrive added this feature."

Note: This is a long post. Bring half a thermos of tea and half a dozen muffins for today's reading feature.

To read the post tootle over to OverDrive's Libby app

Freda ebook app now out for Android devices: Attn. public domain lovers - TeleRead

Mmm ... Good ... I love turkey day.

Today, Panzer waddled his way into the Panzermobile for his trip into the Catosphere. He's still recuperating from Thanksgiving turkey so his trip was a short one. Our hefty kitty pilot stopped in at the TeleRead site. Luckily there was no digging necessary to find a post about the new Freda app.

According to the post by David Rothman, the new Android version of the ebook reading app Freda is now available. While the heading on the post says public domain users will love the app, the post says it will work for "small publishers" too. The post includes instructions for using various features of the app. Android users can get it free in the Google Play store and there's a direct link in the post. Freda is made by Turnipsoft and they welcome suggestions for improvements and new features. The post also includes information on the paid app Moon+.

Panzer says, "My work here is done and this little kitty is ready for a nap."

Note: This is a long post. Bring half a thermos of cocoa and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Freda for Android

Fire HD 8 first look: Google Play installs easily! - TeleRead

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to the TeleRead site. There with a little digging our adventuresome kitty found a post about the new Amazon 16 GB Fire HD 8.

Where did Mom hide that credit card?

According to the product review by Chris Meadows, the new Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet comes with some small improvements and one large one. The small improvements include two cameras, two speakers and more memory.  The large one is the ease of installing the Google Play Store app. Amazon has the Fire HD 8 on sale for Prime members with a $25 discount on the $79.99 regular price. The sale expires September 16. The post includes exact instructions on how to install Google Play.

Panzer says, "Shh ... Don't tell anyone ... But ... If you're not a Prime member ... you can sign up for a free 30 day trial membership."

Note: This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post. Bring two thermoses of tea, two dozen muffins and a sleeping bag for a nap in the middle.

To read the post, tootle over to Fire HD 8

10 kinds of Barnes and Noble cafe customers: Read and laugh - or weep - TeleRead

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard guffawing and weeping.  Following all the confusing noises took our brave kitty boy to the ReTelead site. There he found a post about Barnes and Noble bookstores and cafes.

Don't forget they've added restaurants too.

According to the post by Chris Kubica, after on-site research he has decided there are ten kinds of customers who frequent Barnes and Noble's cafes. Depending on your level of support for Barnes and Noble bookstores, these cafe customers will either make you laugh or cry. None of these cafe customers from The Never Buy to The WiFi to The Divorced Dad to the seven other kinds will ever buy anything in the Barnes and Noble retail bookstores. So, laugh or cry about them, these are the Barnes and Noble cafe patrons.

Panzer says, " Ummm ... This little kitty can't decide whether his eyes are leaking because he's laughing so hard or because he's so sad."

Note: This is a medium-longish post. Bring a cup and a half of tea and three muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Barnes and Noble cafe customers

Oh Lord, please don't let Google Book Search be Misunderstood - Teleread

Be like a cat. Don't fight. Take a nap.

Panzer was just tootling around in the Catosphere minding his own kitty business when the Panzermobile got buffeted by all kinds of noise. Following the cacophony took our brave traveling kitty boy to the Teleread site. There he found a post about Google Book Search.

According to the post by Chris Meadows, the brouhaha about Google Book Search is heating up again. Panzer told you about a post at Backchannel by Scott Rosenberg about Google Book Search having gotten "lost" in the decade it was embroiled in a court action, but that it's still scanning books. It appears Mr. Rosenberg's post got bloggers posting their rebuttals and opinions to his post. Mr. Meadows posts that all Google Book Search is is an "indexing tool for a search engine." The post contains links to other posts involved in the back and forth postings.

Panzer says, "This kitty will never understand humans. The court decided over a year ago ... So ... Non of it doesn't matters anymore."

Note: This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post with links to other posts. Bring a thermos of tea and a half dozen muffins. If you plan to follow the links to other posts, bring a second thermos of tea and another half dozen muffins and a sleeping bag for a nap.

To read the Teleread post, tootle over to Google Book Search

To read Panzer's post about Scott Rosenberg's Backchannel post, tootle over to How Google Book Search Got Lost

The risks of avoiding Amazon: The All Romance E-Books bankruptcy - TeleRead

I really enjoyed the holidays.

Today, Panzer was planning on taking another vacation day, but he couldn't sleep through all the noise coming from the Catosphere. Following the sounds took our big bad kitty boy to the TeleRead site. There he found a post about the recent closing of All Romance E-Books.

According to the post by Chris Mathews, All Romance E-Books closure is leaving behind unpaid bills with authors and publishers who worked with them. The beginning of the post deals with the ARe closure with links to other posts about the closure and a bankruptcy. The second half of the post explores Amazon's impact on indie authors, publishers and All Romance E-Books and similar sites.

Panzer says, "This kitty is very happy he didn't have anything to do with All Romance E-Books."

Note: This is a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g post and even l-o-n-g-e-r if you follow all the links. Bring a thermos of hot cocoa, a dozen muffins and a sleeping bag for a nap half way through your reading today.

To read the post, tootle over to All Romance E-Books bankruptcy

Amazon is hiring for its new bookstore in Boston - TeleRead

Today, Panzer's trip into the Catosphere took him to the TeleRead site. After a little digging around our big bad kitty found a post about Amazon.

This needs watching.

According to Nate Hoffelder's post, Amazon is currently hiring employees for its new Amazon Books bookstore in the Legacy Place mall in Dedham, Massachusetts. The employee job descriptions seem to make it evident that the new store will carry the same books and electronics products as the original Seattle, Washington, bookstore.

Panzer says, "Amazon seems to be opening stores in fast succession since this is to be the fifth bricks and mortar store."

Note: This is a short post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading session.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon bookstore

Allan Ahlberg Says No To Booktrust Prize Sponsored By Amazon

Hmmm. Never heard that one before.

Panzer has more Amazon-Hachette dispute fallout news for you today. In a post by Paul St John Mackintosh TeleRead reports that children's author Allan Ahlberg has refused the Booktrust Lifetime Achievement Award.

Why?

Because Amazon sponsored the prize.

What?

He doesn't like Amazon's multinational tax treatment of its earnings or its treatment of Hachette.

So ...

He said "No" to the award.

To read the full post, tootle over to Booktrust Prize