The rise of e-reading in America

28% of Americans age 18 and older own at least one specialized device for e-book reading – either a tablet or an e-book reader. The holiday season saw a huge boost in ownership for both e-readers and tablets. Both jumped 9%, meaning that nearly one in ten Americans received a device over the holidays. The …

Nerdist Channel – you have to have an excessive knowledge of nerd culture

This is one of the most entertaining press conferences I’ve ever seen. “You have to have an excessive knowledge of nerd culture, a little bit of desperation, and I believe there is an element of being socially ostracized.”   The Nerdist Channel   Featured shows: Ain’t It Cool with Harry Knowles – the TV version …

Epic art work – from this weeks comics and posters

Here are 10 images from the comic books I bought this week. I’m particularly proud of Batgirl #1, at the bottom. My first attempt at female characters written by a female; not something you see a lot in the comic book world. The posters (Tale of Sand, Mouse Guard, Walking Dead) come from Trinity Comics. …

Scholastic joins the e-book revolution – new app for children’s books

The kids’ e-book market is still nascent, with e-books making up just about three percent of children’s book sales. That could change now that Scholastic, the world’s largest children’s book publishers, is digitizing much of its list and releasing an e-reading app, “Storia,” that includes a large e-bookstore and lets kids read e-books based on …

Top 10 reasons to read comic books

10. Fun To Read 9. Spark The Imagination 8. Inspirational 7. Pretty Pictures 6. Literacy 5. Educational Tidbits and Nuggets 4. Cool Factor 3. Better Than The Movie 1. Good Ol’ Fashion Values via Top 10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Read Comics   I totally agree with the list, though I think ‘fun’ and ‘inspirational’ …

Will Apple’s iBooks Author open the door for a new form of journalism?

As a journalism instructor, it’s iBooks Author that has me most intrigued…because it’s not just for textbooks, and not just for textbook publishers. It is a fantastic tool for communications professionals, including journalists. Let me cut to the chase: I think iBooks Author could be the platform for a whole new form of rich-media, long-form journalism. …

Will Apple's iBooks Author open the door for a new form of journalism?

As a journalism instructor, it’s iBooks Author that has me most intrigued…because it’s not just for textbooks, and not just for textbook publishers. It is a fantastic tool for communications professionals, including journalists. Let me cut to the chase: I think iBooks Author could be the platform for a whole new form of rich-media, long-form journalism. …

Will books ever be the same again? – the best enhanced e-books of 2011 from iTunes Rewind

What is an enhanced book? An enhanced book is an e-book that includes special features, such as: Videos Audio/music Interactive sections (like animated maps) Gigabytes of photos/illustrations Multiple storylines with quests and achievements Expanded annotations (like whole speeches) They are designed for tablets like the Kindle Fire and Apple’s iPad. On a personal note, these …