Nice picture
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Friday, 10 June 2011
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Libraries
The British Library is home to an incredible amount of books, containing every text in Ireland and
UK which in figure is: 14 million books, 150 million items, and 625 km of shelving; it is all kept 4
stories underground and visited by millions each year. Growing Knowledge is a scheme to tests ideas for research in coming years. They want the public to suggest what the future of reading in the 21st century will be. They are planning to scan as many texts as possible to be available on the web.1600 are done out of the massive 150 million required.
In standard lending libraries the paper book is giving itself up to digital world, as in 2010 in the UK/USA 5% of books from libraries were digital. A quarter of Libraries are now offering e-lending, audio etc. because they find people are too tired or busy to come in. You can find your library through a browser (Overdrive); search for a book and click to download which has several important impacts- it is open 24/7, no money for staff, no late returns, no damaged copies, no limit of stock. No one would ever need to buy a book in effect, so it worries publishers. Publishers want the lending of the physical model to somehow be replicated. Libraries now have a limit to the amount of texts that can be loaned out and it will automatically expires after the given period. Some libraries have a public reading system through a browser so a book is actually loaned out- however, it is firstly not great for eyes and also if your Internet goes so does your book. As libraries continue to suffer in this crisis, eBooks could be the way forward.
Meanwhile in America,Harvard is leading national efforts to establish a digital library. The Digital Public Library of America hopes to eventually contain every single text ever published. The project in its initial phase is being guided by a Steering Committee at Harvard`s Law School. There are concerns about there being a monopoly power as there was recently a ruling against Google Books Library Project. The DBLA is essentially a collaboration of the following: Harvard, The Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution and The National Archives. This project is hoping to make so much cultural and scientific texts available to all for free. The Alfred P.Sloan Foundation in New York has already given $12,500 to the project as a start-up. Some feel that this project needs to be done quickly but authority inside suggest that it should be eased in over the calendar. The European Library hold digital copies from European Museums, libraries and archives making profits of $71.1/year. Palfrey has claimed that this does not engage in the financial efforts that could cost millions of dollars. Overall the potential project will engage with the public and potential stakeholders.
Earlier this year Amazon announced that new features were added to allow users to borrow Kindle Books. This is called Kindle Library Lending and is operating across 11,000 libraries in The USA. Users can find Kindle books from local libraries and download on to the Kindle itself, or a Kindle app for an Android, Ipad, Itouch, IPhone ,PC, Mac, Blackberry or Windows phone. If a book is checked out again personal notes can still be accessed from before. The Whispersync technology makes life more convenient than writing in a traditional book from a library.The Kindle still has the same range of use as before including:Paper-like Pearl electronic-ink display;
No glare even in bright sunlight;Lighter than a paperback - weighs just 8.5 ounces and holds up to 3,500 books;Up to one month of battery life with wireless off;Whispersync technology wirelessly sync your books, notes, highlights, and last page read across Kindle and free Kindle reading apps, Real Page Numbers - easily reference passages with page numbers that correspond to actual print editions
Amazon is currently working with Overdrive which provides digital content for over 11,000 public libraries in the USA. Kindle Library Lending will be available for Kindle users or those with Kindle app later this year.
UK which in figure is: 14 million books, 150 million items, and 625 km of shelving; it is all kept 4
stories underground and visited by millions each year. Growing Knowledge is a scheme to tests ideas for research in coming years. They want the public to suggest what the future of reading in the 21st century will be. They are planning to scan as many texts as possible to be available on the web.1600 are done out of the massive 150 million required.
In standard lending libraries the paper book is giving itself up to digital world, as in 2010 in the UK/USA 5% of books from libraries were digital. A quarter of Libraries are now offering e-lending, audio etc. because they find people are too tired or busy to come in. You can find your library through a browser (Overdrive); search for a book and click to download which has several important impacts- it is open 24/7, no money for staff, no late returns, no damaged copies, no limit of stock. No one would ever need to buy a book in effect, so it worries publishers. Publishers want the lending of the physical model to somehow be replicated. Libraries now have a limit to the amount of texts that can be loaned out and it will automatically expires after the given period. Some libraries have a public reading system through a browser so a book is actually loaned out- however, it is firstly not great for eyes and also if your Internet goes so does your book. As libraries continue to suffer in this crisis, eBooks could be the way forward.
Meanwhile in America,Harvard is leading national efforts to establish a digital library. The Digital Public Library of America hopes to eventually contain every single text ever published. The project in its initial phase is being guided by a Steering Committee at Harvard`s Law School. There are concerns about there being a monopoly power as there was recently a ruling against Google Books Library Project. The DBLA is essentially a collaboration of the following: Harvard, The Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution and The National Archives. This project is hoping to make so much cultural and scientific texts available to all for free. The Alfred P.Sloan Foundation in New York has already given $12,500 to the project as a start-up. Some feel that this project needs to be done quickly but authority inside suggest that it should be eased in over the calendar. The European Library hold digital copies from European Museums, libraries and archives making profits of $71.1/year. Palfrey has claimed that this does not engage in the financial efforts that could cost millions of dollars. Overall the potential project will engage with the public and potential stakeholders.
Earlier this year Amazon announced that new features were added to allow users to borrow Kindle Books. This is called Kindle Library Lending and is operating across 11,000 libraries in The USA. Users can find Kindle books from local libraries and download on to the Kindle itself, or a Kindle app for an Android, Ipad, Itouch, IPhone ,PC, Mac, Blackberry or Windows phone. If a book is checked out again personal notes can still be accessed from before. The Whispersync technology makes life more convenient than writing in a traditional book from a library.The Kindle still has the same range of use as before including:Paper-like Pearl electronic-ink display;
No glare even in bright sunlight;Lighter than a paperback - weighs just 8.5 ounces and holds up to 3,500 books;Up to one month of battery life with wireless off;Whispersync technology wirelessly sync your books, notes, highlights, and last page read across Kindle and free Kindle reading apps, Real Page Numbers - easily reference passages with page numbers that correspond to actual print editions
Amazon is currently working with Overdrive which provides digital content for over 11,000 public libraries in the USA. Kindle Library Lending will be available for Kindle users or those with Kindle app later this year.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Books and eBooks - what's going on with them
The author of the best selling children's book "The Gruffalo" (Julia Donaldson), has announced that she does not want to turn her stories into eBooks because the electronic devices distract children from what they are reading. This shows that there is still a lot of hostility towards eBooks.
However, JK Rowling, the author of the bestselling "Harry Potter" series, has contrastingly said that the aforementioned series would be allowed to be published as Ebooks. This is a sudden change of stance on Ebooks, which at first she, like Julia Donaldson, had scorned. This shows that although many people now are not fans of Ebooks, their opinions might be rapidly changing.
In the wake of book stores "Angus and Robertson" and "Borders" collapsing, e-books have suddenly become more popular, with eBook retailer Kobo announcing a 30% increase in their site traffic. This shows that e - books are perhaps taking advantage of money shortages in the book industry to increase their sales dramatically, and are perhaps the reason for the bankruptcy of the the two above stores (excepting of course Kobo.)
Lendle, the online eBook lending service, has been killed off by Amazon in an attempt to further increase e -books sales by the latter. This shows that Amazon, who owns the rights to the Amazon Kindle, can get very protective of its eBooks.
The policy of libraries and eBooks (that, like with a normal book, once it is brought, it is forever owned by the library), has now been changed by the publishing firm "Harper Collins." Now, once the eBooks have been taken out a certain number of times, the library has to pay a renewal fee to the publishers. This shows that publishers are realising the importance of eBooks, and so are trying to milk as much money as possible from them.
Some publisher now wish to add more to Ebooks; instead of just copying the text and digitalizing it, they would also add audio and video to it. This could have an up side; for example, as stated by Shane Richmond of the Daily Telegraph, you could read a music theory book, and it would be made so much easier by the music being discussed right there on the page. However, there is another school of thought (which I personally agree with) saying that it would simply just not be a book anymore. Either way really, I don't just see why you don't just buy an audio - book!
Marc Parrish, the executive of American book company "Barnes & Noble", has recently said in a conference that e - book sales were, perhaps in the next 24 months, goiung to overtake normal book sales completely. This shows that some experts of the publishing and book industries share the view that Ebooks will soon overtake normal book sales. This comes with the news that America's Ebook sales have doubled whilst normal book sales have plummeted.
References: http://news.google.co.uk/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=uk&hl=en&q=books+and+Ebooks
However, JK Rowling, the author of the bestselling "Harry Potter" series, has contrastingly said that the aforementioned series would be allowed to be published as Ebooks. This is a sudden change of stance on Ebooks, which at first she, like Julia Donaldson, had scorned. This shows that although many people now are not fans of Ebooks, their opinions might be rapidly changing.
In the wake of book stores "Angus and Robertson" and "Borders" collapsing, e-books have suddenly become more popular, with eBook retailer Kobo announcing a 30% increase in their site traffic. This shows that e - books are perhaps taking advantage of money shortages in the book industry to increase their sales dramatically, and are perhaps the reason for the bankruptcy of the the two above stores (excepting of course Kobo.)
Lendle, the online eBook lending service, has been killed off by Amazon in an attempt to further increase e -books sales by the latter. This shows that Amazon, who owns the rights to the Amazon Kindle, can get very protective of its eBooks.
The policy of libraries and eBooks (that, like with a normal book, once it is brought, it is forever owned by the library), has now been changed by the publishing firm "Harper Collins." Now, once the eBooks have been taken out a certain number of times, the library has to pay a renewal fee to the publishers. This shows that publishers are realising the importance of eBooks, and so are trying to milk as much money as possible from them.
Some publisher now wish to add more to Ebooks; instead of just copying the text and digitalizing it, they would also add audio and video to it. This could have an up side; for example, as stated by Shane Richmond of the Daily Telegraph, you could read a music theory book, and it would be made so much easier by the music being discussed right there on the page. However, there is another school of thought (which I personally agree with) saying that it would simply just not be a book anymore. Either way really, I don't just see why you don't just buy an audio - book!
Marc Parrish, the executive of American book company "Barnes & Noble", has recently said in a conference that e - book sales were, perhaps in the next 24 months, goiung to overtake normal book sales completely. This shows that some experts of the publishing and book industries share the view that Ebooks will soon overtake normal book sales. This comes with the news that America's Ebook sales have doubled whilst normal book sales have plummeted.
References: http://news.google.co.uk/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=uk&hl=en&q=books+and+Ebooks
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Books and e - books - why they're important
The traditional book has been around for centuries, but now a threat has appeared that might result in their downfall; the e - book. This is an electronic book that is digital and can be read on computers of some sort, most often tablets such as the Ipad or Kindle.
These e - books are becoming increasingly popular; in 2010, Amazon, the online shopping centre, announced that it had sold more e - books (through its Kindle) than paperback books. This proves that the e - book is becoming increasingly important as it has already overtaken paperback books in some places. However, this view is overshadowed by the fact that, although the e - books are roughly the same price as the normal books , the tablets themselves are hugely costly. Again however though, Rupert Murdoch, who owns much of the news corporation BSkyB, thinks that soon most people in developed countries will own tablets of some sort, which eliminates the previous down side of e - books.
Another problem though is that many people believe that e - books are not as personal as normal books; you cannot deform an e - book as you can a normal book. Also, when people read books, they are often doing this just before they go to sleep, and it has been proven that electronic screens can negatively affect your quality of sleep if used an hour or less before bed. However, to combat the last reason, the newest Amazon Kindle has been made with special technology that makes it look very dim and almost like a book. However, the Ipad does not have this function, as, unlike the Kindle, it has more functions than providing a screen for e - books, such as a touch - screen work laptop or a portable games console.
Kindle; like a book? Ipad ; nothing like a book.
References: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1521090&highlight&ref=tsm_1_tw_kin_prearn_20110127
https://sites.google.com/a/stpaulsschool.org.uk/4thform-ict-1011/home/goog_726009803
James Bridle (a talk by him in school)
These e - books are becoming increasingly popular; in 2010, Amazon, the online shopping centre, announced that it had sold more e - books (through its Kindle) than paperback books. This proves that the e - book is becoming increasingly important as it has already overtaken paperback books in some places. However, this view is overshadowed by the fact that, although the e - books are roughly the same price as the normal books , the tablets themselves are hugely costly. Again however though, Rupert Murdoch, who owns much of the news corporation BSkyB, thinks that soon most people in developed countries will own tablets of some sort, which eliminates the previous down side of e - books.
Another problem though is that many people believe that e - books are not as personal as normal books; you cannot deform an e - book as you can a normal book. Also, when people read books, they are often doing this just before they go to sleep, and it has been proven that electronic screens can negatively affect your quality of sleep if used an hour or less before bed. However, to combat the last reason, the newest Amazon Kindle has been made with special technology that makes it look very dim and almost like a book. However, the Ipad does not have this function, as, unlike the Kindle, it has more functions than providing a screen for e - books, such as a touch - screen work laptop or a portable games console.
Kindle; like a book? Ipad ; nothing like a book.
References: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1521090&highlight&ref=tsm_1_tw_kin_prearn_20110127
https://sites.google.com/a/stpaulsschool.org.uk/4thform-ict-1011/home/goog_726009803
James Bridle (a talk by him in school)
List of remixes and mashups that had to be taken down
Normal guy vs Edward Cullen; the music was copyright and so had to be swapped for some other music.
A scene from the film "Downfall" was many times remixed with strange lyrics to make fun of Hitler, but this was taken down for copyright reasons by the makers of the film.
Some remixes from OC Remix had to be taken down upon request of the original artists of the footage\music.
A scene from the film "Downfall" was many times remixed with strange lyrics to make fun of Hitler, but this was taken down for copyright reasons by the makers of the film.
Some remixes from OC Remix had to be taken down upon request of the original artists of the footage\music.
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