Library Stuff

CNET – “If you own a Kindle, you also own a mobile Web browser. But chances are you never use it. That’s because it’s a lousy experience and one Amazon does its best to keep away from users (hint: look in the gadget’s “experimental” menu). But maybe Amazon is ready to rethink the Web.”

ATD – “Amazon’s Kindle strategy has two prongs: Tether its e-book store closely to its own devices — but make sure buyers can also read their purchases on other platforms, if they really want to. That will be important when Apple’s iPad (AAPL) launches, since Amazon will have an app that works on that device. And it’s already relevant for users of both iPhones/iPods and PCs that run Microsoft Windows (MSFT). And as of this morning, some BlackBerry users.”

NYT – “In a sign that Amazon wants to upgrade its Kindle e-reader to compete head-on with the Apple iPad, Amazon has acquired Touchco, a start-up based in New York that specializes in touch-screen technology, a person briefed on the deal said Wednesday.”

Scott Douglas – “Before it was even released, the hype surrounding the iPad already helmed it a Kindle killer; whether or not it is, doesn’t really matter because it’s cool, so people will obviously buy it, and thus it will no doubt give Kindle a run for its money. My bet is Amazon is going to respond come summer with something that tries to one up the game.”

CNET – “Authors worldwide can now self-publish Kindle versions of their books, Amazon.com said Friday. Amazon also said that its Digital Text Platform will now support books written in German and French.”

Macleans – “The e-book reader available in Canada isn’t Amazon’s top-of-the-line device”

BBC – “An Israeli hacker claims to have broken the copyright protection on Amazon’s Kindle e-reader, reports say. The hack will allow the ebooks stored on the reader to be transferred as pdf files to any other device.”

Times Daily – “Their names conjure cozy, images of curling up with a book or newspaper in a wing-back chair next to a crackling fire. Yet the reality is e-readers offer not a dog-eared page in sight. Their names could serve as an example of how print and technology coexist, yet their struggle to maintain harmony remains to be seen.”

National Post – “The news that Amazon’s e-reader was now shipping to Canada was greeted with the same jubilation normally reserved for freed hostages. Eager to learn if the hype was justified, I borrowed one from our tech reporter, Matt Hartley, on Monday.”

From her blog post – “If we try to serve everyone equally, we will succeed in serving everyone in a mediocre way. Never good or even great. Again, we must choose the best way to spend our money to make the greatest impact. The libraries that have chosen to circulate Kindles did not choose to do so because they wanted to discriminate against a particular group; they wanted to serve their population with a new service. Toddler story times do not serve every constituency of a library either, but no one is suggesting we get rid of them. To me, this is just another service that is meant to serve a part of the population. We can not limit ourselves to things that only serve every single person that walks through our doors. That is not a realistic expectation.”