Disney Exits OpenAI Deal After AI Giant Shutters Sora - The Hollywood Reporter

I can only take so much excitement in one day. 

As Panzer was heading home in the Catosphere the Panzermobile was suddenly hit by the sounds of crying and yelling outside. Following all the noise took our brave kitty to The Hollywood Reporter site. There he discovered the demise of the Sora app was the problem.

 

According to Alex Weprin's post, OpenAI announced the closing of the Sora app with more news to come at a later date.

 

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This little kitty wants to know why they're shutting down Sora."

 

Note: This is a very long post. You'll need to decide what to bring to snack on.

 

To read the post tootle over to Sora AI Video App 

Why You Might Not Want to Use Wire Transfer or Payment Apps to Pay For Publishing Services - Writere Beware

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to the Writer Beware site. The post our inquisitive little kitty boy found there is about the payment systems scammers use to defraud writers.

 

I didn't know any of this.

Victoria Strauss' post exams how payment systems work and the rules governing them. She also covers which of the systems offer the best protections for authors to recover their money in a fraudulent transaction. Several links to other information about the payment systems are included in the post.

 

Panzer says, "Every author should read this post."

 

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of cocoa and a muffin for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the links in the post, you'll need to decide what to bring to eat and drink.

 

To read the post tootle over to wire transfer or payment apps

Apps and tools authors can't live without - Build Books Buzz

Today Panzer made a quick trip to the Build Book Buzz site. With a little digging in the posts our busy kitty found one about apps and tools for writers.

Word and Scrivener are listed too.

Site owner Sandra Beckwith's post contains apps and tools for writers to make their work easier and save them time. The post contains descriptions and recommendations for 20 apps and tools. Sandra Beckwith asked assorted authors in her Facebook Group about their favorite apps and tools. The list is alphabetic and starts with Book Brush and ends with Word Swag. Some of the apps and tools have free version options and others don't.

Panzer says, "Mom and this little kitty have used some of these, but I've got to admit I never heard of the Save the Cat one."

Note: This is a long-medium length post. Bring a cup of cocoa and a large muffin for today's reading. If you plan to follow the links to the different products, you'll have to decide what you want to bring to eat and drink.

 

To read the post tootle over to apps and tools

Bad Contract Alert: ByteDance's Reading/Writing App - Writer Beware

Panzer was shaken from his afternoon nap by crying and the gnashing of teeth coming from the Catosphere. Our brave kitty boy hopped in the Panzermobile and headed out. Following all the chaos took him to the Writer Beware site. There he found a post about the newest contract writers need to avoid.

 

I'll have nightmares about this.

According to Victoria Strauss' post, there's a new readers' app looking for writers. The app is ByteDance's  Fictum. You might recognize ByteDance as TikTok's parent company. The post dissects Fictum's writers' contract. The contract states on the first tier writers are expected to produce 1,000 words per day per month. That's 30,000 words per month. For this, the writer will be paid $200 per month. In total the writer is to produce 200,000 words. The post points out other problems with the contract including cancellation clauses, royalty payment clauses, copyright clauses, right of first refusal for anything you write during the contract, and there's even more. There are several links to other posts included.

 

Panzer says, "Everybody says cats aren't good at math. ... But ... 30,000 words for $200 is only $0.01 per word, right?"

 

Note: This is a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g post. Bring a big glass of lemonade, three chocolate chip cookies (biscuits) and a brownie. If you plan to follow the links, you decide what to bring.

 

To read the post tootle over to bad contract

Overdrive Retires Libby Windows app - The Digital Reader

3 days left

Today Panzer decided to make a stop at The Digital Reader site. With a little digging in the posts there he found one about Overdrive.

 

According to site owner Nate Hoffelder's post, Overdrive is retiring the Libby Windows  app. Overdrive gives users access to library books. The Libby app in its various incantations allows users to use/read Overdrive on various devices. With the discontinuation of the Libby Windows app, Windows device users won't have access to read library books through Overdrive.

 

Panzer says, "Is there a Windows ereader device?"

 

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

 

To read the post tootle over to Overdrive

'MeowTalk,' an app that translates cat sounds, is a pet project for this former Alexa engineer - GeekWire

As Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere he heard laughing and guffawing coming from outside. Following all the jocularity, took our adventuresome kitty to the GeekWire site. With a little digging in the posts he found one about a new app called MeowTalk (That's right, there's no space between the words.) was causing all the happiness.

 

According to Kurt Schlosser's post, Javier Sanchez has developed an app called MeowTalk which allows people to understand what a cat wants when it meows. Although the app comes with ten pre-loaded cat translations, you can make changes to them and, also, make additions. The post includes links to other posts/sites with information about the app.

It's easy: Feed me. Pet me. Mine.

Panzer says, " Why do you need an app? All you have to do is read Cat Wisdom for humans and you'll know exactly what we say and want." 

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of cocoa and two muffins for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the links, bring a thermos of tea and six muffins.

To read the post tootle over to MeowTalk app

 

 

 

 

 

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

Microsoft's new foldable Android-based Surface Duo goes on sale Sept. 10 $1,399 - GeekWire

Today as Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere, the Panzermobile was suddenly shaken by oohing and aahing coming from outside. Following all the noise took our brave kitty boy to the GeekWire site. There he discovered a post about Microsoft's new Surface Duo was causing all the excitement.

Don't forget it costs $1,399.

According to the post by Taylor Soper, Microsoft has opened pre-orders for it's new Surface Duo. The phone will have dual screens which will fold closed. The two screens allow you to run two apps on the Surface at the same time. It comes with a camera and 15.5 hours of play time. You can also use it as an ereader for Kindle ebooks. The post explains all the uses and has screen shots and short promo videos of the uses.

Panzer says, "Oh yeah. It can be used as a phone too."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea, a muffin, a brownie and a macaroon for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Microsoft's Surface Duo

It looks like Google's going to launch a podcast app - The Verge

Panzer's trip into the Catosphere today took him to The Verge site. It took a little digging for our inquisitive kitty to find a post about Google's podcast app.

In the post at The Verge Shoshana Wodinsky explains why it's likely Google will launch a podcast app. The post speculates the app will actually be an extension of the existing Google Search on Android. There are several links to other sites for information on Google Search and podcast information included in the post. If you follow the links, you get a better understanding of Google's plans.

You can listen to a podcast where ever you are.

Panzer says, "Be sure to read the Comments section too. There are some interesting opinions about Google apps in general there."

Note: This is a long-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the links included in the post and read the Comments section, bring a thermos of tea and a dozen muffins.

To read the post tootle over to Google podcast app

iBooks reading app has been renamed Apple Books in iOS 12 - engadget

Today Panzer made a quick trip to the engadget site. There our quick kitty found a post about iBooks.

Maybe there's something here.

According to the post by Nathan Ingraham, Apple has announced iBooks will become Apple Books with the introduction of iOS 12 this fall. The store itself will also be revamped, but information is limited now.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This little kitty says this seems like an announcement about an announcement that will be coming in a few months."

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

To read the post tootle over to ibooks

Kindle for PC 1.23.1 Adds New Font Options, Multi-Column Option - The Digital Reader

Panzer's trip into the Catosphere today took him to The Digital Reader site. With a little digging around our traveling kitty found a post about the new update for the Kindle for PC app.

According to The Digital Reader site owner Nate Hoffelder's post, Amazon's Kindle for PC update has added six new fonts, an image viewer, math equations, and a multi-columns feature. Included in the post is a screen shot of the multi-column feature, showing three columns across the computer screen. The Changelog at the end of the post includes the app changes with descriptions of the features. There's also a link to the Kindle for PC update.

Now, where did I put her Tablet.

Panzer says, "Guess I better update Mom's tablet."

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

To read the post tootle over to Kindle for PC

Barnes & Noble Launches Browsery™ — The First Mobile App to Talk About Books the Way Readers Do - Business Wire

Panzer had barely woken up from his afternoon nap when he heard oohing and aahing coming from the Catosphere. Hopping into the Panzermobile he followed all the noise to the Business Wire site. There he found a post about Barnes and Noble's new Browsery mobile app.

According to Business Wire, Barnes and Noble has a mobile app for their book customers named Browsery. Browsery users can discuss their book recommendations with each other, post book questions and answers, post author questions, and make book purchases. The app is available for Android and iOS devices. It's available for download at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It's free to download and use. If you go almost to the end of the post, you'll find links to Barnes and Noble's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Want to ask this kitty author questions?

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Sounds like a fun way to talk about books with your friends."

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

To read the post tootle over to Barnes and Noble Launches Browsery™ — The First Mobile App to Talk About Books the Way Readers Do | Business Wire:

StreetLib Releases eBook App for iOS, Android, and the Web - The Digital Reader

More distribution for my ebooks.

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard oohing and aahhing. Following all the noise took him to The Digital Reader site. With a little digging around he found a post about StreetLib.

According to site owner Nate Hoffelder, ebook distributor StreetLib's new app is available for iOS and Android. The new StreetLib Read is cloud-based, so your ebooks can be read on multiple devices. The app is available through StreetLib, Google Play and iTunes. There's a link in the post to the StreetLib site.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Another ebook distributor for you to use."

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

To read the post tootle over to Streetlib

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

Amazon Rapids And the Dumbing-Down of Reading - Book Business

Panzer made a short trip into the Catosphere today. Our intrepid kitty traveler stopped at the Book Business site. There he found a review post about Amazon's new reading app for children called Rapids. A few days ago Panzer told you about the introduction of the Rapids app.

He really, really hates it.

In his review Joe Wikert takes issue with the fact the Rapids app only uses text messages between the characters to tell the story. He believes there's no value in the stories at all. In fact, he goes on to say the app itself is worthless. He bases this on his opinion that Amazon is dumbing-down the reading experience for children.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... I thought it was a good idea ... Short ... Fast ... Reads."

Note: This is a very short post. Bring half a cup of cocoa for today's reading selection.

To read the review post, tootle over to Amazon Rapids

To read Panzer's original post about the Rapids app, tootle over to Amazon children's books

Amazon reinvents the children's book: New Rapids app shows stories in the style of a messaging app - Daily Mail.com

Today, Panzer made a very long trip in the Catosphere to the DailyMail.com site. There our kitty pilot found news about Amazon's new app Rapids.

Whew! That was a long read.

According to the post by Stacy Liberatore, Amazon has a new app called Rapids. The app is exclusively for children 7 through 12 years old. The stories for the app are put together with the characters texting back and forth. There are already hundreds of stories available for Rapids. The subscription price is $2.99 a month with an annual fee also available. Sample screen shots and a video accompany the post.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Now where did I put Mom's credit card?"

Note: This is a l-o-n-g post. Bring two cups of tea and a muffin and a cookie (biscuit) for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon app

"Amazon without Amazon": one-hour book delivery service launched - The Guardian

It's an interesting concept.

Panzer stopped in at The Guardian site today. With no digging at all our big bad kitty found a post about a new Amazon rival service called NearSt.

The post by Alison Flood explains about the start-up NearSt's London book order and deliver service. About 40 London book stores are currently using the platform. The customer places a book order either at the NearSt online site or by Smartphone app. In minutes the order is processed and ready for pickup at the store or one-hour delivery to the customer which ever the customer wants.

Panzer says, "Hmmm ... They don't have to stock inventory because the bookstores have the books. They just have to pay the delivery people. That means pretty low costs to the company. Let's watch this company and see what happens."

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

To read the post, tootle over to book delivery service

TaleHunt Taps Flash Fiction Trend, Publishing Stories 250 Characters Long - Book Business

Panzer stopped in at the Book Business site today. There our intrepid traveling kitty found a post about TaleHunt.

The post explains TaleHunt is an app for mobile devices. Writers can post their 250 character stories there for users of the app to read. Currently, there are 10,000 users of the service. If the writer of the 250 character story has a book available on Amazon and readers are interested in purchasing it, the post says they can use the app to do it.

Remember: Read the fine print.

Panzer says, "The post was written by Aby Mathew who is CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) and a co-founder of the company ... So ... If you plan to become a user of the app and/or post your work there, read the contract."

Note: This is a medium short post. You'll need a cup of tea and a doughnut for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Talehunt

A new app is trying to get India to read more by being the Netflix of books - Mashable

I lost my smartphone.

Panzer's trip today was a fun exploration in the Catosphere. Our brave kitty stopped in at the Mashable site. With just a little digging he found news about a new startup app company called Juggernaut.

According to the post by Sonam Joshi, a new smartphone app by Juggernaut is launching in India. The initial offering will be small at only 100 titles. The price per ebook will be between "Rs 10 (15 cents) and up to Rs 150 ($2.25)". For easy smartphone reading, the ebooks are less than 25,000 words. Currently, the books are commissioned. Juggernaut compares their service to Netflix. If the company finds the right approach, there appears to be a huge smartphone reading app market in India.

Panzer says, "This kitty will be watching Juggernaut to see how it goes."

Note: This is a l-o-n-g-ish post. A cup of tea and a muffin should be enough for today's reading session.

To read the post, tootle over to Juggernaut