Pocket PC eBooks Watch - eBook and beyond  
 http://cebooks.blogspot.com 

It's a Wrap Up
2002 Top 5 EBook Events
1. DRM5 MS Reader has been cracked by a 32K program
2. Not Guilty for Elcomsoft in providing a crack program for Adobe eBooks for "Fair Use"
3. More mainstream ebooks are available
4. eBook sales hit records
5. eBook goes to Campuss
Thanks to the people who already emailed me to nominate 5 of the most memorable ebook events in 2002
See you next year, I am taking my vacation.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Free eBook
The Best of Slate
A few weeks ago we asked Slate's writers and editors "What have you done that was good this year?" They responded with a fantastic list of favorites, including everything from a lesson in wine spitting to the diary of a new father. We've gathered many of those favorites together in this month's club edition; an eBook substantially larger and more diverse than our usual downloads. It's the first installment of what we hope will become an annual tradition, the "Best of Slate."

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/26/2002

Sex and the eBook
Four Blondes
Blonde Ambition. Candace Bushnell created a sensation with her first book, Sex and the City, spawning an HBO series that has become a phenomenon. With her sharp insight and uncensored observations of the mating rituals of the Manhattan elite, Bushnell has become a celebrity in her own right--on television, on the newsstands, and in bookstores across the globe. In a new collection of stories, 4 Blondes, the romantic intrigues, betrayals, victories, and insecurities of four modern women are told with Bushnell's keen wit and sardonic eye.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Byebye
F'd Company: Spot the Owl
DigitalOwl.com: Ebook company, DigitalOwl.com, just bit the dust after three years of operation and burning through $11 million in venture investments.
Interesting comment from the discussion forum: "These are supposed to be *books*, if you think you can charge the same price (or higher) as printed-on-paper with these things, you are *doomed to failure*. With *any* form factor, you *will not succeed* until you make this type of "content delivery" *cheaper* than print."

posted by Jerry permanent link

So you want to know why even honest e-book buyers will cherish software to help them crack encryption schemes? Read a horror story that we just ran across from a victim, er, user, of the Microsoft Reader. He didn't have to resort to cracking, thanks to e-books in a Palm format that worked on his PocketPC-type machine, but first he went through his own little hell because Microsoft had moved on to a different verson of its reader software. Adding to his frustrations? Win XP. Microsoft's tacky treatment of early owners of the PocketPCs, when it come to reading protected books, is old news. But this particular account has a special bite to it. See the TeleRead Web log for a few more thoughts.

posted by David Rothman permanent link

  12/25/2002

Backward West II: Guilty by Suspicion
Consumers set to do battle over digital copyrights
Book reviewers at Blogcritics.org try to give readers a sense of an author's style by quoting a brief passage. Music reviewers will soon offer sound snippets. But for DVD movies and bonus material, site editor Eric Olsen says he's out of luck.
The 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act bars Olsen and others from overriding copy-protection measures used on DVDs, even for commentary and other legally permitted ``fair uses.''
Researchers complain that the law inhibits their ability to fully study encryption and computer security. Preservationists say they can't make archival copies. Educators say they can't incorporate digital clips into presentations.
Copyright holders say the law is working as designed and has made them more willing to release e-books, movies on DVDs and software over the Internet.
Fritz Attaway, executive vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America, said nothing would stop Olsen from including clips -- if he were willing to accept a degradation in quality. ''All you have to do is take a video camera and take a screen shot of it,'' Attaway said.
Pocket PC eBooks: Comparing to the DVD situation which Olsen took short video clip; In the case of DRM5 ebook: honest buyer are not allowed to do "copy text" from the ebook pages, the DMCA suggest us to dictate and type again the word by ourselves, rather than using the widely available "DRM5 cracked" to downconvert the lit ebooks.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Bono No
Eldred v. Ashcroft
This site collects material related to the constitutional challenge of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, which extended by 20 years both existing copyrights and future copyrights.
Eric Eldred is the lead plaintiff on the case (for other plaintiffs, click here), and on May 20, 2002, opening briefs were filed in the Supreme Court. Arguments will be heard October 9th, 2002, and a decision is expected next spring. Watch here for the latest news, and click on "how you can help" to join our (e) campaign.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Essential eBook Download
Holiday Handbook 2002
Download and install this fun, Free, festive Holiday Handbook 2002 (MS Reader) and you'll have instant, in-hand access to:
· Lyrics - sing along with confidence, even in Latin! Includes more than 10 traditional Christmas carols!
· Complete Roast Beef Feast - shopping list, recipes, detailed instructions, plus serving suggestions for: Perfect Prime Rib, Pan Gravy, Traditional Creamed Onions, Sweet Maple Glazed Carrots, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Old Fashioned Apple Pie
· The complete story "The Night Before Christmas" - read aloud to kids of all ages!
· Wine basics - red, white and fortified wines
· Terrific Toasts for bringing in the New Year
· Holiday Decorating Tips - quick and simple!
· New Year's Resolutions made easy!
· Gift giving guides to gemstones and colors
Compliments of Palmtop Publishing
Joy to Jorgen Dybdahl who found this link

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/24/2002

Merry Christmas to All Christian Readers.

Christmas-themed eBooks
Deck your PDA or PC with Christmas-themed eBooks! From the classics to romance, from religion to science fiction and more, the holidays are filled with good reading.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/23/2002

ElcomSoft
Advanced eBook Inscriber
Advanced eBook Inscriber, or simply AEBIN, is a program to convert Sealed eBooks in Microsoft Reader (.LIT) format to Inscribed ones. Sealed eBooks can be created with Microsoft Reader Content SDK (available for free) or various 3rd party tools; AEBIN allows to add any purchaser-specific information (such as purchaser's name or order number) to the Sealed eBook, so that information will be shown on the cover page of the book when it is opened in Microsoft Reader. This reinforces honest usage by consumers.

posted by Jerry permanent link

InterTrust vs. Microsoft
Can Victor Shear Bring Down Microsoft?
Imagine you had a nickel for every compact disc that's ever been made. The patent holders of the CD technology do have nearly all those nickels. Sony Corp. of America and Royal Philips Electronics get 3 cents for every CD manufactured, plus 3% of the price of every CD player sold.
That's a pretty good revenue stream--several hundred million dollars annually--as is the one that flows to the ten companies that hold the key patents on the DVD. Even the subversive, intangible MP3--that symbol of piracy triumphant--generates money for its patent holders; Thomson Multimedia and the Fraunhofer Institute of Erlangen, Germany, split 75 cents per MP3 player and $3.50 to $5.00 per ripping device.
Now there's a new set of technologies whose royalty stream may eventually swamp those of all its forebears: the so-called trusted systems and digital rights management (DRM) technologies that enable secure transmission of valuable files--audio, video, or text--across digital networks.
InterTrust is seeking an injunction barring distribution of about 85% of Microsoft's product line. (Though the DRM and trusted systems technologies form only a piece of each product, they have been, in Microsoft's trademark fashion, tightly integrated into these larger programs.) InterTrust seeks damages too--which could be trebled if Microsoft were shown to have acted willfully.
Stop fighting for that useless DRM5, which has been unlocked with a small wonder 32K program

posted by Jerry permanent link

Chicken
No News on DRM5 Cracked?
I am still wondering how come none of the major media is reporting the DRM5 Cracked cased? No words yet from Wired, CNet, Reuters, Slashdot or even Pocket PC Thoughts.

posted by Jerry permanent link

All in Love is Fair
Fair Use Foes Lose Another Battle
Last week, a very important victory for those who want to stem the loss of our Fair Use rights. ElcomSoft, a company that was being prosecuted for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA), was found to be not guilty by a jury.
Today, there was another set back for the those companies who wish to control how and when you use content and software you legally purchase. Reuters is reporting that a deadline in Europe has passed with most EU countries having neglected to enact that body's version of the DMCA. This means that the media empires will have to start anew in their efforts to get legislation passed throughout the EU.
"A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair, Stevie Wonder"

posted by Jerry permanent link

Essential Travel Gear
American Airlines and DuoCash Partner in Promotion Featuring eBooks from Rosetta Books
DuoCash, a New York City-based payment technology company, has announced a promotional program with AMR Corp’s American Airlines (NYSE: AMR), which will offer its customers a complimentary DuoCash-enabled prepaid phone card. The cards also can be used to purchase ebooks, which can be downloaded from Rosetta Books’ Web site directly to the traveler’s laptop or PDA.
The promotion is being launched in the New York metropolitan area, with $10 cards being distributed to key corporate travel customers, as well as at the American Airlines Admirals Clubs at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports.
“We’ve seen that travelers are becoming increasingly dependent on their laptops, PDAs and other wireless devices, making them essential travel gear,” said Chuck Imhof, American Airlines Regional Director of Passenger Sales. “In response, we’re adding more amenities for the wired business traveler, including downloadable schedules, electronic flight notification, airport lounges with WiFi connectivity, and of course More Room Throughout Coach so they have the personal space to open and use their laptops. We also thought it would be a good idea to offer them some great books that they can enjoy while they’re plugged in at the airport or in flight.”

posted by Jerry permanent link

PDF vs XDocs
Microsoft, Adobe in document showdown?
And Adobe, with more than 500 million copies of the software in circulation, hopes to keep it that way. The company's Acrobat software turns any document into a PDF (Portable Document Format) file, which can be read or printed from any device with the original formatting intact and all text secure from revision. Free Acrobat Reader software allows PC owners to view and print PDF documents.
Now, Adobe plans to expand the Portable Document Format behind Acrobat Reader into a multipurpose business tool over the coming months.
At the same time, however, Microsoft is moving ahead with plans for software that could nibble at the edge of Adobe's market.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced plans for XDocs, an extension of its Office software intended to allow workers to easily create basic online forms. Initially hailed as a potential PDF killer, it has lost much of its luster among analysts. They now mostly see XDocs as potential competition for only part of Adobe's business.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/22/2002

DRM5 Cracked Report
DRM5 Cracked since September 2001?
Someone named Rick stated in Pocket PC Passion's Forum that DRM5 has been cracked at that time:
"Also when you try to make something so bullet proof, you invite people to crack it so your "bullet proof copy protection" becomes a mute point to over seas pirates that want to sell your content without your permission anyways. DRM5 has ALREADY been cracked. So why hassle the consumer, use simpler copy protections schemes, still make money and make everyone happy. You can't stop pirating. You can only minimize it or like with DRM5 go to great lengths and hassle the honest consumer to no end - all for nothing."

posted by Jerry permanent link

DRMetaphore
Small copyright win
Common sense on copyright law won a small victory last week when a jury cleared Moscow- based Elcomsoft on charges that it had violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
It's like banning radios because someone might tape a song off the air.
"Under the eBook formats, you have no rights at all, and the jury had trouble with that concept," the jury foreman said.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/21/2002

eBook for the Soul

Christmas in My Soul
There are dozens of Christmas traditions that bring family and friends together. One of the most beloved is the sharing of stories, and Joe Wheeler has helped to preserve and perpetuate this wonderful tradition in the classic Christmas in My Heart series as well as the Christmas in My Soul volumes. His extraordinary talent for finding stories that embody the Christmas spirit sparkles again in Christmas in My Soul. The seven stories here reveal the true meaning and hope of Christmas. Selected with care by Wheeler, a veteran English professor, a father, and a grandfather, each one rings with a message that is both honest and inspiring. Whether read to a child or enjoyed in peaceful solitude, they will make readers smile, bring tears to their eyes, and touch their hearts. Delightful antique woodcuts add to the old-fashion look and spirit of the book and make it an especially appealing gift for the holiday season.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Read: Pocket PC eBooks Watch at Teleread.org

posted by Jerry permanent link

DRM5 Watch
Critics Weigh In on Copyright Act
The responses, published Friday by the U.S. Copyright Office, are the result of a month-long inquiry concerning sections of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Highlights of the comments are:
Robin Gross, executive director of IP Justice, applied much the same argument to e-books. Because many e-book publishers only allow works to be read on a single device or platform, buyers who want to move a file to a laptop or PDA are often unable to do so, which Gross believed was unfair.
Many based their arguments upon the legal principle of fair use, which allows copying of snippets of copyrighted works for research, teaching or other purposes.
Advocates for the blind were also deeply critical of the prohibition on technologies used to manipulate files in ways publishers didn't expressly authorize. Often, such tools are necessary to make content accessible to blind and visually impaired users, wrote Paul Schroeder, vice president of governmental relations for the American Foundation for the Blind.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Avantbought
AvantGo Purchase by Sybase Sends Shares Soaring
Business software maker Sybase Inc. (SY.N) on Friday agreed to buy mobile software developer AvantGo Inc. (AVGO.O) for about $38 million in a bid to expand its presence in the wireless market, sending AvantGo shares soaring.
Sybase Chairman and Chief Executive John Chen said the merger was aimed at the market for ``mobile middleware,'' or software that enables wireless devices to communicate with each other, company servers and content providers and to send and receive e-mail.
That market, which is about $700 million presently, is expected to reach $1.5 billion in 2006, Chen told Reuters.
The cash deal is expected to close in the first quarter next year and AvantGo executives holding about 25 percent of AvantGo's outstanding shares have approved the transaction.
Sybase said it intends to operate AvantGo under its iAnywhere Solutions subsidiary, which develops software for the mobile market.

posted by Jerry permanent link

MiS Reader
Ongoing DRM5 Cracked Discussion at MS Public Pocket PC eBooks
I guess more and more people realize the wonder of this 32K program.
It is not only downconvert but also being able to dismantle the DRM5 .lit file into htmls with its JPG covers.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Non DRM5
What can you do with Downconvert Lit eBook?:
1. Allow blind people to turn on text-to-speech fuction in MS Reader.
2. You can read your ebook in your old Pocket PC 1.0
3. Share the ebook with your family member using the same computer but different log in name.
4. Make reasonable copy text in the page for your research quotation.
5. Hard Reseting your Pocket PC is not a problem anymore, forget about running out of activation quota.

posted by Jerry permanent link

DRM5 Cracked Report
Downconvert DRM 5: Does it work or not?
Since I called the program fake and I can't find it work in my computer, anonymous people started to email me and teach me how to work it out:
"The discussions have been on alt.binaries.e-book and to a lesser extent on alt.binaries.e-book.d. Much of the talk of DRM5 stuff was on the undernet irc networks.
I have been looking at the program to some extent, but it is a lot to disassemble. Since I wrote you, I have gotten this to work with the (DRM5) FiercePajamas.lit free ebook from mslit.com.
The Blackbox error is what I viewed when I move "cxlit.exe" away from cxlit-exe-manifest.sig file. I think it only tries to find the file in the same directory, if so your .sig file should be in c:\test as well.
The cxlit-exe-manifest.sig file, oddly enough, is identical to the msreader-exe-manifest.sig in the reader directory, so the name is probably significant somehow."
And then I tried again to convert the DRM5 ebook to a nonDRM5, and....
It Works!
It cracked the DRM5!
This is the screen capture of the process

dir
Volume in drive C is DRIVE_C
Volume Serial Number is 7456-1F03

Directory of C:\test2

12/21/2002 06:08 PM DIR .
12/21/2002 06:08 PM DIR ..
12/12/2002 06:01 PM 932 cxlit-exe-manifest.sig
12/13/2002 07:22 PM 31,232 cxlit.exe
11/13/2002 11:28 PM 293,447 drm5.lit
3 File(s) 325,611 bytes
2 Dir(s) 62,283,755,520 bytes free

C:\test2>cxlit drm5.lit nondrm5.lit
Converted "drm5.lit" --> "nondrm5.lit".

The nondrm5.lit is the perfect copy of the drm5.lit.
Amazing after all, now I can backup my purchase ebooks, and please don't ask the copy, it is illegal to distribute the downconvert version. Use it fairly (Fair Use) and only for your back up. Prove to them, that honest buyers do not cheat.
And please don't ask me to send you that small program.

ConvertLIT (Version 1.0)
This program has two modes of operation:
First, is ** EXPLOSION **, or the expanding of a .LIT file into it's component parts.
To explode, you type: cxlit litfile.lit \directory to explode into\
For Example:
cxlit dmr1.lit explode\
If the directory doesn't exist, you MUST place a trailing \ or / after it!

Second, is the DOWNCONVERTING of a .LIT file down to "Sealed", or DRM1 format for reading on handheld devices.
To downconvert, you type: cxlit litfile.lit newlitfile.lit
For Example:
cxlit drm5.lit drm1.lit

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/20/2002

Top 5 most memorable ebooks event in 2002
eMail me and nominate the event

FYI Top 5 ebooks happening in 2001 are:
1. Cancellation of DRM5 for original Pocket PC users, so leaving most users tobecome Get Lost Pocket PC generation.
2. Pocket PC eBooks Watch's hits becoming 500+ / day
3. Free Acrobat Reader by Adobe for Pocket PC
4. Lots of free quality ebooks in the internet
5. The facts that DRM5 will not stop printed books' illegal scanning in alt.binaries.e-book

posted by Jerry permanent link

Year End Special
Fictionwise Store-wide Sale
From now through December 31st, all Fictionwise eBooks are on sale. All MultiFormat eBooks have been marked down 20% and all Secure eBooks are discounted 10%

posted by Jerry permanent link

Bullywood
Hollywood Sues Maker of DVD X Copy
Call it "Hollywood Strikes Back: Episode II."
The Motion Picture Association of America is countersuing Missouri software firm 321 Studios, alleging that the company's DVD-copying software violates anti-copying laws.
(Link from PocketPCThougths)

posted by Jerry permanent link

Apology Duh Be
So sorry Adobe urges more DMCA busts
We erred on one important detail in our summary of the Elcomsoft verdict on Wednesday. We wrote that Adobe had urged the authorities not to prosecute Dmitry Sklyarov or his employer Elcomsoft for circumventing the encryption in its eBook software to allow fair use.
That's not true - and Adobe's FAQ about the prosecution sets this right.
The FAQ says:-
" Adobe withdrew its support for the criminal complaint against Dmitry Sklyarov, we respect the grand jury's and federal government's role in prosecuting this case. However, we are in complete agreement with the government's decision to prosecute the company, ElcomSoft and, as a law-abiding corporate citizen, Adobe intends to cooperate fully with the government as required by law. The indictment returned in this case clearly reflects the grand jury's agreement with the U.S. government that a criminal prosecution is warranted in this case…

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/19/2002

Archives Error
We encounter Archives error.
Hope it will be fixed by blogger soon.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Fair Game
Fair use principle saves Elcomsoft in digital copyright test case
The defence successfully argued it merely enabled owners to exercise rights to 'fair use' usually embedded in copyright law.
Defence attorney Joe Burton said afterwards the government had failed to prove Elcomsoft intended to violate the law.
But he predicted there would be more prosecutions. He said: "I don't see (the case) as throwing a blanket on DMCA. It will take another case to test that."

posted by Jerry permanent link

Free eBook from PerfectBound
Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman
Three shotgun blasts in a trailer bring Officer Chee and Lt. Leaphorn together for the first time in an investigation of ritual, witchcraft, and blood.

posted by Jerry permanent link

It's Honor that David Rothman of Teleread.org has joined the Team of Pocket PC eBooks Watch...
Thanks and Welcome David.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/18/2002

David Rothman's
TeleRead:The backwards West?
One of the reasons why TeleRead favors national digital libraries, plural, is that different countries have different values. Certain Americans, for example, would consider many Moslem countries to be backwards and blame the religious environment for the poverty of the typical Arab.
But who says that the West is in all respects the paragon of intellectual freedom? ... A reverse brain drain is happening. Some Western scientists are coming to China for greater freedom within their niche. Bottom line? More economic power for China in the long run at the expense of the States--thanks to our backwards policies toward even therapeutic cloning. So much for the stereotypes. What's more, centuries ago, certain Moslem rulers were far more enlightened than Christian counterparts at the time, as shown by Islam's treatment of Jewish intellectuals and merchants in Spain...

posted by Jerry permanent link

Liar Liar
Catch Me if You Can
The Amazing True Story of the Most Extraordinary Liar in the History of Fun and Profit
Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. Now recognized as the nation's leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale is a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades, and ingenious escapes--including one from an airplane--make Catch Me If You Can an irresistible tale of deceit. The uproarious, bestselling true story of the world's most sought-after con man currently in development as a DreamWorks feature film.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Goodfellas
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit corporation founded on the notion that some people may not want to exercise all of the intellectual property rights the law affords them. We believe there is an unmet demand for an easy yet reliable way to tell the world "Some rights reserved" or even "No rights reserved." Many people have long since concluded that all-out copyright doesn't help them gain the exposure and widespread distribution they want. Many entrepreneurs and artists have come to prefer relying on innovative business models rather than full-fledged copyright to secure a return on their creative investment. Still others get fulfillment from contributing to and participating in an intellectual commons. For whatever reasons, it is clear that many citizens of the Internet want to share their work -- and the power to reuse, modify, and distribute their work -- with others on generous terms. Creative Commons intends to help people express this preference for sharing by offering the world a set of licenses on our Website, at no charge.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Here Comes the Sun
Dan Gillmor: Copyright verdict, new technology are reasons to hope
The past several days have brought good news on two fronts in the copyright war. An unjust prosecution has ended in acquittal, and some pro-freedom activists launched some useful new technology.
In a case that may have enormous implications, a federal jury in San Jose brought back a not guilty verdict against a Russian software company charged with violating copyright law. The company, ElcomSoft, had sold a tool that gave purchasers of electronic-book software more flexibility in how they could use e-books but which also broke the e-books' copy protection.
In theory, this law gives absolute control to the copyright holder, and the shaft to the customer and to society at large. The ability to quote freely from other people's work -- something you cannot do with a DVD, for example, without breaking the law -- has been a foundation of creative growth.
The DMCA also has been misused by companies to threaten researchers who wanted to publish information about flaws in products. But the ElcomSoft prosecution was a ratcheting up of the pressure -- another step toward an industry-government goal of banning any tools that even might be used to infringe on a copyright, no matter how many legal uses there might be for the same tools.
Fighting to overturn or change a bad law is a long and difficult process. Finding ways to bolster the flagging public domain takes innovation in other domains.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Copy2PC
Verdict Seen As Blow to DMCA
Critics of a controversial U.S. copyright law applauded a jury's decision Tuesday to acquit a Russian software firm charged with creating an illegal encryption-disabling program. The verdict, they say, will make prosecutors more reluctant to pursue similar cases.
By exonerating ElcomSoft, DMCA critics say the jury showed an unwillingness to convict a company merely for creating a program that others might use to commit acts of copyright infringement.
"The chief problem with the government's case was that these guys weren't pirates," said Fred von Lohmann, an attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which provided legal assistance to ElcomSoft.
"I think it was hard for the jury to believe that these people should be treated as criminals simply for creating a tool," von Lohmann said.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Film Script
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
Transcript from PBS TV series on Islam, include interview with Karen Armstrong, Michael Wolfe, etc. in PDF file.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/17/2002

NOT GUILTY
Code-cracking firm found not guilty
A jury on Tuesday found a Russian software company not guilty of criminal copyright charges for producing a program that can crack anti-piracy protections on electronic books. The case against ElcomSoft is considered a crucial test of the criminal provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a controversial law designed to extend copyright protections into the digital age.
DMCA critics say reform still needed
Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., who in October proposed rescinding part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), said the law remains a problem even though a jury ruled a software maker ElcomSoft was not guilty of willfully violating it.
"As far as the bill going forward is concerned, the need for the legislation is as great as ever," Boucher said in an interview. "While this jury reached a commendable decision, another jury in a future case that involves similar facts could well convict. The law clearly contemplates conviction in circumstances where no infringement occurs but the technology facilitates bypassing a technological protection measure."

posted by Jerry permanent link

Downconvert
DRM5 Cracked?
There are lots of rumours going on now from usenet, about a program that can convert DRM5 ebook to HTML.
The program is a fake, so forget about this program to crack DRM5 MS eBook.
UPDATE: But, someone emailed me the program might works with NON-DRM5 MS Lit. ;-) but what's the point
UPDATE 2: The Program Works, so I have to remove the link to the discussion site afraid of the DMCA stuff, find the program yourself ;)
Thanks to Lynn for the information

posted by Jerry permanent link

The Godfather Part IV
The Godfather of Silicon Valley:
Conway and the Fall of the Dot-coms
Gary Rivlin tells the story of Ron Conway, the man who has placed more bets on Internet start-ups than anyone eise in Silicon Valley. Conway is a reader-friendly way into the realm of angel financing, where independently wealthy investors link up with companies just as they are being born. King of the Angels takes you into this fascinating world on the edges of the financial universe, where the pace is frantic, the story lines are rich, and every moment is perilous.

posted by Jerry permanent link

EnCompass
University Of Auckland Selects Encompass
Endeavor Information Systems and has announced the selection of ENCompass, Endeavor's digital management, organization, and linking tool for the University of Auckland's University Library.
ENCompass will enhance LEARN, the library's online gateway to over 350 databases, 13,000+ ebooks, and 55, 000+ ejournals and the Voyager catalog.
Will it support PDA?

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/16/2002

Limited Time Only!
Star Trek: Nemesis: 75% Rebate
Remus-mysterious sister world to Romulus. A planet where hope surrendered to darkness long ago. A planet whose inhabitants have been without a voice for generations. But that's about to change. Earth--home to Starfleet, where the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E, gathers under the crystal blue skies of an Alaskan day to celebrate the wedding of Will Riker and Deanna Troi.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Officially
The Book of Mormon (LDS official edition),
trans. by Joseph Smith
The chapters are in HTML file, you need to convert them to MS Reader with MS Word Add-In Program.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Update Watch
µBook 0.5f
What's new in µBook 0.5f:
Big Font Reorganization:
No Smoothing for Italics and Bold in Sharp Fonts.
Better Font Sizes (Larger font have been reduced).
Fixed Cleartype Issue for New User Fonts.
Note that older font files will not work anymore, please delete your current PF1 directory before installing.
Added Option to make justification an option.
Yet Faster Paginating.
Bug Fixes (including Copy on PPC, and Add Space between Paragraph).
µBook is a simple and lean, yet powerful ebook reader for Windows and Pocket PCs that can read HTML, TXT, RTF, PDB and PRC (not secure) ebook files. It can read directly from inside ZIP or RAR files, and supports BMP, GIF and JPG images. It offers many customization options including: Portrait and Landscape display, Choice of font type, color and size, etc.... It Also has a resizable/skinnable User Interface. µBook is improving on a regular basis and best of all it's free!
Thanks to MyPDACafe for the info

posted by Jerry permanent link

Open Minded
Popular eBook Beliefs Questioned in Consumer Survey; Consumer eBook Adoption Measured
The Open eBook Forum today announced the findings of the Consumer Survey on Electronic Books. Conducted at New York is Book Country in October 2002, the survey examines consumer preferences towards electronic and paper books. Unique to this study is an attempt to measure attitudes towards eBooks by people who read "paper" books.
Contrary to a commonly held industry belief, results indicate no correlation between computer skills or daily Internet use and downloading an eBook. General readers are as likely to adopt eBook technology as people who have expert computer skills and people who visit the Internet daily.
Factors in consumer willingness to read eBooks in the future were also measured:
67% of respondents agreed that they would like to read an eBook in the future;
62% said they would read an eBook from their library;
61% said eBooks should be priced the same as paperbooks and
70% said that they would buy an eBook if it could be read on any computer.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Just If
The Complete Bible Discussion Guide: New Testament
If you want to keep your group Bible study in focus.... If you wish to add depth to your personal study of scripture.... If you want to spark interest in the class you teach... If you are a pastor or lay leader seeking deeper insights or if you simply desire a greater understanding of God's word ... this valuable digital resource is for you!

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/14/2002

Time Out!
Dave's Record Collection
This is the place where vinyl records that never knew they were funny get a chance to spread their comedy wings and fly. From celebrities who can't sing to ill-conceived children's records to strange corporate propaganda and more, you can spend hours here looking at album covers, listening to clips, and reading wry commentary by "Late Show" writer Steve Young.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Don't Read This at your kicthen
Free Christmas Holiday Recipes
Over 30 Great Recipes for Some Really Fantastic Goodies over the Christmas Holidays.

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Four and More
HarperCollins Launches Four Ebook Stores
HarperCollins Publishers has launched four PerfectBound ebook stores serving the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia. The newly designed perfectbound.com will continue to feature information about ebooks from PerfectBound, HarperCollins' global ebook imprint, and will now also allow visitors to purchase PerfectBound ebooks directly from the site. The move is significant for the book industry because with ebook stores publishers become retailers of their own products.
Visitors to perfectbound.com can purchase and download PerfectBound ebooks in Adobe, Microsoft, and Palm ebook formats.

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eBook's Effect?
Crichton Sales Are Up!
Michael Crichton's Prey, #1 on the national charts, including PW's, was offered by reporters as an example of a big book not meeting sales expectations. Not true! First-week sales for Prey at the three national chains—Barnes & Noble, Borders and Waldenbooks—are ahead of first-week sales for his last hardcover bestseller, Timeline, published in November 1999. In its first week, Prey was also ahead of Crichton's 1996 bestseller Airframe. How much ahead? About 65% each time.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/13/2002

Xmas Free eBook
Fierce Pajamas
Because the holiday season should be a time of joy and laughter, through December 25th, 2002 Microsoft Reader is offering you a FREE copy of the Microsoft Reader edition of Fierce Pajamas, an anthology of humor writing from The New Yorker.
When Harold Ross founded The New Yorker in 1925, he called it a “comic weekly.” And although it has become much more than that, it has remained true in its irreverent heart to the founder’s description, publishing the most illustrious literary humorists in the modern era—among them Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, Groucho Marx, James Thurber, S. J. Perelman, Mike Nichols, Woody Allen, Calvin Trillin, Garrison Keillor, Ian Frazier, Roy Blount, Jr., Steve Martin, and Christopher Buckley. Fierce Pajamas is a treasury of laughter from the magazine W. H. Auden called the “best comic magazine in existence.”
You'll need to have an activated copy of Microsoft Reader to read this eBook.

posted by Jerry permanent link

The Man
by Irving Wallace
The time is 1964. The place is the Cabinet Room of the White House. An unexpected accident and the law of succession have just made Douglass Dilman the first black President of the United States. This is the theme of what was surely one of the most provocative novels of the 1960s. It takes the reader into the storm center of the presidency, where Dilman, until now an almost unknown senator, must bear the weight of three burdens: his office, his race, and his private life. From beginning to end, The Man is a novel of swift and tremendous drama, as President Dilman attempts to uphold his oath in the face of international crises, domestic dissension, violence, scandal, and ferocious hostility. Push comes to shove in a breathtaking climax, played out in the full glare of publicity, when the Senate of the United States meets for the first time in one hundred years to impeach the President.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/12/2002

Information Overloaded Consumers
The 10 Demandments: Rules to Live By in the Age of the Demanding Consumer
Today empowered customers are more knowledgeable?and more dissatisfied?than at any time in the past. The Ten Demandments comes at you from their perspective, to tell you exactly what they want, how they want it, and what they?ll do if they don?t get it. No-nonsense, opinionated, and ruthless?like the marketplace itself-?it is a call to action that will, finally and forever, show you how to satisfy each customer first, last, and always.

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Birth of the Cool
The Rebirth of E-publishing
E-books bombed a few years ago, but they’re back, and now e-periodicals may be the next big thing
By now there are more than 40,000 titles available in various e-book formats, from over 400 publishers. And in the past few months, several companies have introduced library-lending systems for e-books—for the first time making it possible for a public library to circulate e-books with expiration dates (instead of due dates, as with physical books) so that the same title can be lent over and over.
Beyond that, there was also work with magazines and newspapers that suggested new paths for periodicals beyond the current Web site model.
Microsoft is working on a similar publishing technology, specifically for the Tablet PC; several magazines, including the New Yorker and Forbes, are experimenting with that approach. In both cases, most of the content of the publication is “local”—stored on the user’s reading device—rather than flowing in off the Web. This means that publishers can use their characteristic fonts, for example, and fill the entire screen with content, rather than being hemmed in by the browser.
If implemented with live Internet updates, solutions like the “Kent format” or the Microsoft approach may finally create a balance between graphically sophisticated content optimized for reading and the interactivity we expect from the Web. One thing is certain: by the end of last week’s conference, I had the same sense I did in 1986, when Bill Gates demonstrated “the new papyrus.” The earth is shifting beneath the publishing world and ultimately that process will change the way we deliver our words as fundamentally as did Gutenberg. If we keep trying long enough, sooner or later we’ll get it right.

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Digital Appetiser
Free Library launches e-book club
Read first chapters by email, then get book at nearest branch
What makes the Free Library's new Online Book Club unique is its variety of genres and use of modern technology.
After registering for the free service at www.library.phila.gov, club members will receive five-minute portions of a selected book by email every weekday. Once two or three chapters have been shared, a new book will be featured.
This way, members are exposed to many different books and given the option of pursuing each on their own. If members like what they've read of a book, they can borrow it from a branch of the library and finish it.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Pocket Library Watch
Think libraries are passe? Then check out the latest
E-books – which can be downloaded onto a handheld digital devices similar to a Palm Pilot – are probably next to go.
It’s a great concept. You only need to download the books you want – and they all fit into your hand. For example, if you’re going to France and you want some guide books and a couple of novels to take with you, no problem.
“Instead of 20 books to take with you on the plane, you have a handheld Palm Pilot,” Deborah said.
“Libraries into e-books also rent equipment, just like the way we used to rent film projectors. But e-books are not taking off.”

posted by Jerry permanent link

Digital Reality Check
The Rights and Wrongs of the Doctrine of First Sale
For years, we have taken for granted the idea that if we like what we buy to read, we can loan or forward it to a friend, give it away or sell it. It has become a fundamental part of how we share information, and, no matter how difficult or how polarized the views, we should find a way to translate that into the digital age
...It is also interesting to note that in the case of used book sales over amazon.com and other web sites (which, so far, is a digital way of selling a print item), there have been heavy arguments by authors both for and against such practices. Some authors argue in favor of it, going back to the 1909 idea that authors benefit from the distribution because it spreads their work. Other authors argue that almost as soon as the retail copy of their work is available, used copies are also widely available at cheaper prices, thereby undercutting the total sales of new copies. The motive for these arguments in both cases, however, is related to sales and income, not to the fostering of new knowledge.
Further study of this issue is most definitely called for. Various perspectives can be found among the comments filed in response to the Copyright Office Report (Pdf)

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DigitalRight Law
Racing Against Time
By Lawrence Lessig
In 1998, Congress passed the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, which extended the term of existing and future copyrights by 20 years—from 75 to 95 years for corporate works, and life plus 50 to 70 years for literary works by authors. They make it harder for content to be deployed on the Internet; they increase the cost of innovation.
Copyright law is a crucial part of the system of incentive necessary to spur creative work.
But the law affects creativity differently in cyberspace than in real space.
Content owners have been quick to argue that cyberspace weakens copyright protection, since digital copies are so easy to make and distribution costs are so low.
But it is also true that the Internet can strengthen the power of copyright owners far beyond anything imagined by the framers of our copyright act.
Think, for example, about the difference between a book and an e-book.
When a book is published in real space, copyright law controls who may print and initially distribute the book.
All these "uses" of an e-book are within the reach of copyright's regulation, while the very same uses of a book in real space would not be.
It is this difference that creates the worry about extending copyright terms.
Imagine a world where used bookstores would have to pay royalties each time a used book was sold: Would there be any used bookstores?

posted by Jerry permanent link

Uh-Oh
How Companies Lie
Why Enron Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/11/2002

Legit Alt
Piracy is Progressive Taxation, and Other Thoughts on the Evolution of Online Distribution
...A similar data point comes from Jon Schull, the former CTO of Softlock, the company that worked with Stephen King on his eBook experiment, "Riding the Bullet". Softlock, which used a strong DRM scheme, was relying on "superdistribution" to reduce the costs of hosting the content--the idea that customers would redistribute their copies to friends, who would then simply need to download a key to unlock said copy. But most of the copies were downloaded anyway and very few were passed along. Softlock ran a customer survey to find out why there was so little "pass-along" activity. The answer, surprisingly, was that customers didn't understand that redistribution was desired. They didn't do it because they "thought it was wrong."
The simplest way to get customers to stop trading illicit digital copies of music and movies is to give those customers a legitimate alternative, at a fair price.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Techies eBooks
Code Notes
by Gregory Brill
CodeNotes provides the most succinct, accurate, and speedy way for a developer to ramp up on a new technology or language. Unlike other programming books, CodeNotes drills down to the core aspects of a technology, focusing on the key elements needed in order to understand it quickly and implement it immediately. It is a unique resource for developers, filling the gap between comprehensive manuals and pocket references.

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FictionWise Special Offer
SPECIAL GIFT CERTIFICATE PROMOTION: GIVE & SAVE!
Until December 26 you can give your favorite PDA-fanatic the gift of eBooks at a discount! All gift certificates and gift packs are 10% off just in time for the holidays. You can print a certificate to use as a stocking stuffer/card insert, or send an email with the gift code to a far-away friend. (Gift certificates must be redeemed by a person other than the purchaser.)

posted by Jerry permanent link

Conventional Wisdom
Gizmorama: WHAT'S NEXT WITH E-BOOKS
Up until now, most people have dealt with the electronic wonders as fiction or non-fiction texts. But there's been little done with technical or how-to books. That's where we're likely to see some growth.
When the tablet PC becomes a bit more rugged and goes to the shop, tons of DIY books could be converted to e-books and offer the user an unprecedented richness of features.
What kind of features? Let's say you need an e-book on cabinet-making. You could find one that includes illustrations of the various tools along with links to the manufactures. The powerful graphics functions would enable you to zoom in or out on a particular project and it would contain an extensive library of pictures to enhance the verbiage.
In traditional print, each color picture produced adds a great deal to the cost of production. Not so with e-books.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Zzzz
Defense Rests in ElcomSoft Trial
If convicted, ElcomSoft would be the first company found guilty by a jury of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a statute that prohibits making and selling technologies that circumvent copyright holders' protections on digital content.
The U.S. Attorney is charging that ElcomSoft violated the DMCA in July, 2001, when it began selling a product called the Adobe eBook Processor, which enables users to disable encryption on copyrighted e-books.
In testimony this week, several ElcomSoft employees said they did not believe the company violated any law by creating and selling the program.
ElcomSoft attorney Joe Burton wrapped up his case Tuesday by calling up three witnesses, including the software firm's president, Alexander Katalov.
Katalov, speaking without a translator, said he was aware of the existence of the DMCA before he began selling the e-book program, but did not think the software violated the statute.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Size Does Count
TabletPC Seen Helping eBook Adoption
Could the new TabletPC be the form factor that finally ushers in wider acceptance of e-books? It's raising hopes among digital publishing and media executives who gathered here at a TabletPC digital publishing conference.
"Publishers are excited about it," said Nick Bogaty, executive director of the Open eBook Forum, an interoperability standards consortium that organized the one-day conference.
"This will jump-start things, and it will certainly jump-start a lot of the e-book activity that two years ago was supplied by venture capital money," Bogaty said. After the dot-com bubble burst, many venture investors and publishers pulled back on their electronic publishing ventures.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Pocket P2P
Zamar (Formerly OpenNAP CE)
Zamar is a NAP Client for PocketPC. The NAP protocol is a widely used peer-to-peer file sharing protocol used on services such as Napster, OpenNAP, SlavaNap, Napigator, and many others.
FEATURES
Compatible with all standard NAP Servers
Support for any filetypes including .mp3, .wma, .zip, and etcetera
Nick Registration feature
Ability to change the client's VERSION information
Support for multiple server configurations
Complete search and list tool
Support for client-to-client browsing
Complete download manager
Thanks to Larry0405@...com

posted by Jerry permanent link

FYI
Palm Digital Library Format
Just as an FYI, we're not changing the way we sell books on our site. Libraries need that feature, so we've added it for them.
-peter fry - palm digital media

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AMazingo Continue
New Mazingo TV Shows
Mazingo is thrilled to bring you new shows like Extra and Celebrity Justice. Get highlights of these two popular TV shows delivered automatically to your PDA every day!
And since you asked for it, The Weather Channel now offers both New York City and Sacramento local video forecasts!
The new shows are available with a subscription to the Mazingo Digital Video Package. Simply visit the Web site, www.mazingo.net, download the FREE software, select the shows of your choice and sync. Mazingo is fun, easy and affordable with several payment plans including a $6.95 Day Pass.
The latest version of the Mazingo software, RC-6, allows one-click updates from the Web.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/05/2002

eBook Award
The First Annual International CyberRead eBook Awards
This award honors the best selling titles within CyberRead's distribution network in the past year. CyberRead's distribution network includes over 125 retail web sites including Amazon.com, Powells.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

posted by Jerry permanent link

So far this is the best ebook about Islam post 9/11 terror

The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity
by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
"Professor Nasr has put the beauty and appeal of Islam into clear and readable English."--John Shelby Spong, author of A New Christianity for a New World
"This sensitive, insightful and beautifully written book comes as a ray of sunshine."--Mark Juergensmeyer, author of Terror in the Mind of God
"Filled with challenge and insight ... an indispensable text."--Rabbi Michael Paley
"This is exactly the right book ... to counter the demonizing stereotypes of Islam proliferated by the war on terrorism"--Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions
"So far this is the best ebook about Islam post 9/11 terror." --Jerry, editor of Pocket PC eBooks Watch

posted by Jerry permanent link

Happy Eid Mubarak to All Moslem Readers

posted by Jerry permanent link

:-)
Ebooks on track to post record year in 2002
It’s been a good year for ebooks:
* HarperCollins’ PerfectBound ebook arm sold more digital works in five months this year than in all of last year.
* McGraw-Hill Professional eBook 2002 sales were up 55 percent over the prior year.
* Ebook revenues at Random House doubled year-over-year in 2001.
* Simon and Schuster posted double-digit ebook sales growth in the first half of 2002 versus the prior year.
* Ebook reader downloads are growing quickly, Microsoft Reader topping five million copies distributed by mid-year.

posted by Jerry permanent link

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
Palm Reader eBooks Head for the Library
Palm Digital Media, a subsidiary of PalmSource, today announced a new version of the Palm Retail Encryption Server Software. The software provides libraries with an easy way to let patrons check out Palm Reader eBooks. The announcement came at the Open eBook Forum's Tablet PC Digital Publishing Conference held today at McGraw-Hill Auditorium.
The software's Digital Rights Management (DRM) process uses a hardware identification number assigned by the Palm Reader eBook application to a handheld or desktop computer. The server uses this ID to lock an eBook to a specific device and assign an expiration date to the eBook, beyond which the user will not be able to open it. This DRM protects the eBooks against unauthorized distribution.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Is eBook a Book: A Final Cliffhanger
Random House Settles E-Books Lawsuit
RosettaBooks will continue publishing the works, which predate the rise of the Web, and will collaborate with Random House on additional books.
...But the settlement leaves unresolved the issue of whether authors or publishers control rights to e-books when the contract has no specific language about the electronic format. With rights to countless old titles at stake, the publishing industry had followed the case closely.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Library on your Pocket
Viking 512 MB Compact Flash Card for $131.44
Optimized for use in PDAs, MP3 players, or digital cameras
Write speed guaranteed to exceed 1.2 MB per second (8X) with independent test results exceeding 2.25 MB per second (15X)
High quality components guarantee steady performance, the utmost durability, and breadth of compatibility
Individually tested to ensure each product works the first time, everytime
Five year replacement warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee
Original link comes from Pocket PC Thoughts

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/04/2002

Free SF Interview eBooks
The Reality Break Interviews: Volume 0
Culled from the over 200 episodes of his National Public Radio syndicated radio show, this eBook contains fascinating interviews between Dave Slusher and some of the best science fiction, fantasy, and horror authors around.
Included in this free eBook are interviews with; Nicola Griffith, Poppy Z. Brite, Michael Swanwick, Kim Stanley Robinson, Emma Bull, James Morrow, Michael Bishop, Ann Kennedy and Chris Reed, Tad Williams, Jonathan Lethem.

posted by Jerry permanent link

See what I told You?
Adobe: Few eBook copies found
An Adobe Systems employee on Wednesday during testimony in a federal copyright trial acknowledged his company hadn't tracked down any unauthorized eBooks created by ElcomSoft software.
Let me tell you A"duh"be, that's because people who buy legitimate ebooks are the "honest" buyers. Those who love to get pirated copies will get them from alt.binaries.e-book or FTPz sites which originally a "scanned" version of the Pee-Book. Elcom's software is only helping the "honest" paying customer to get rit off your stupid DRM method.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Very Berry Special Offer
50% Off Execubook through January 15th
How would you like to provide your key people with the essence of business wisdom in only 15 minutes a week? Give them access to a year of Execubooks for only pennies a week!
Categorized summaries of top business literature Screen-optimized laptop/desktop, handheld and printable formats Internet/Intranet, email, wireless and downloadable delivery Fully tailored to your organization.
For Half-Price discount email to subscriptions with subject "Seasonal Special" or call 1 866 888 1161

posted by Jerry permanent link

$1.52 Horror
The Playground by Ray Bradbury
Charles Underhill, a widower, would do anything to protect his young son Jim from the horrors of the playground...a playground which he and the boy pass daily and whose tumult and activity brings back to him the anguish of his own childhood.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Future Trend Watch
MIT OpenCourseWare Pilot
MIT and the OpenCourseWare team are excited to share with you a first sampling of course materials from MIT's Faculty. We invite educators around the world to draw upon the materials for their own curricula, and we encourage all learners to use the materials for self-study.

posted by Jerry permanent link

wanna pee-book?
Opening Salvos in ElcomSoft Trial
The trial of a Russian software firm accused of selling an illegal encryption-disabling program got off to a brisk start in federal court Tuesday, as attorneys delved into the question of whether electronic files should be afforded protections not extended to paper documents.
Opening statements and testimony from two witnesses rounded out day one of court proceedings in the case of U.S. vs. ElcomSoft. Federal prosecutors are charging Moscow-based ElcomSoft with illegally creating and selling software that breaks through security features on Adobe Systems' eBook platform.
But in laying out his defense, Burton also asked jurors to consider the relatively generous rights afforded to people who purchase paper books, which he later referred to as "p-books." Buyers of paper books can do whatever they like, whether it be lend them, re-sell them, or give them away.
Unlike a p-book, Burton said, "an eBook seeks to control what the user can do with that book."
Read Also: All Eyes on ElcomSoft Trial

posted by Jerry permanent link

New Club
SkoobeBooks eBook Club
From UK: If you are a patron, you may simply log in and borrow eBooks. You will be able to read your borrowed eBooks using the Mobipocket eBook reader on a PC, or on the most popular handheld devices.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/03/2002

Sonygate
Sony's Death Grip
Sony Entertainment's Japanese division announced a new digital rights package called "Label Gate," which would restrict the ways that pre-recorded CDs could be copied. The music companies, scrambling to explain a multi-year slump in record sales, are pointing to an easy target -- piraters. But recording restrictors such as Label Gate are more likely to aggravate legitimate customers than help sales.
The sorts of problems associated with this type of approach are legion. First off, to be able to save the audio tracks on your PC, you have to register online. You are allowed to decode the tracks and save them once. If your PC crashes; if your spouse or child accidentally deletes the tracks; or even if you have more than one PC, you have to pay again to "unlock" the tracks. Worse still, you don't have the option of just buying the tracks you want -- you have to buy them all, at $1.64 apiece. For the average CD containing 12 tracks, that comes to $19.68. Yes, you pay again for a CD you already own.
Second, suppose you have a portable audio device, such as a Nomad or an iPod, and you want to listen to the music there. If you have a PC, then you may be in luck. Mac and Linux users have no recourse, as the CD won't even play in their computers to begin with. The PC user can use the Sony software, register the CD, and save the song files, but they can only be played back via the Sony software. Sony claims you can copy the files to audio devices that comply with the OpenMG DRM technology, but which devices comply and how this is accomplished are unclear. Discuss this at Pocket PC Thoughts

posted by Jerry permanent link

News Release
PerfectBound e-book stores
HarperCollins Publishers today announced the launch of four PerfectBound e-book stores serving the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. The newly designed perfectbound.com will continue to feature detailed information about e-books from PerfectBound, HarperCollins' global e-book imprint, and will now allow visitors to purchase PerfectBound e-books directly from the site.
Visitors to perfectbound.com can purchase and download PerfectBound e-books in Adobe, Microsoft, and Palm e-book formats. In addition, they can download free e-book excerpts, take advantage of special offers and discounts, and sign up to receive the monthly PerfectBound newsletter. The PerfectBound e-book stores are powered by MIDAS® Technology from OverDrive.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  12/02/2002

Free Custom Kid eBooks
Make your child the star of a book!
At ipicturebooks, we aim to make our books as engaging to young readers as possible. One way to do that is to make the child the star of the book. These two free samples show how full-color printable books can be created on-line with your child's name as the name of the main character. More books, and books with additional features, are coming soon.
To create an ebook starring your child, just type his or her name into the space provided and click the Create Book button under the child's name.

posted by Jerry permanent link

New eBook
Rhapsody for a Unicorn
Rhapsody for a Unicorn is addressed to all who dream of escaping to a place and time where their life was perfect. The totally unexpected ending of the novel will remind you of the magical possibilities in our universe.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Future Trend
Digital Magazine and Newspaper Vendors to Compete at Tablet PC Digital Publishing Conference
For the first time on one stage the leading electronic publishing vendors will be demonstrating how consumers can instantly receive their favorite newspapers, magazines and periodicals - electronically.
In addition to the session where Zinio, NewsStand and Olive Software demonstrate their competing solutions, Microsoft, Adobe and Palm Digital Media will present their competing digital publishing tools that enable publishers to take advantage of the reading enhancements of the Tablet PC.
"PDF versus XML, online versus offline reading, and which business model consumers will accept for digital reading are among the issues that will be presented on Dec. 5th," stated OverDrive CEO Steve Potash who will chair the Tablet PC Digital Publishing Conference. Registration and event information for the one-day conference is available at here, which will be held at the McGraw-Hill Auditorium located at 1221 Avenue of the Americas in New York City.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Geeks (unreal people) are not allowed
Digital rulez OK?
Demonstrating the principles and practice of mobility, New Zealand's Wireless Data Evangelist Luigi Cappel has published his first eBook. 'Unleashing the Road Warrior' is a book full of practical ideas designed to help the reader work smarter rather than harder through the smart use of their PDA, according to author Luigi Cappel. The eBook is aimed at real people, not computer geeks. Technophobes should apply.
Because the eBook has been specifically written for users of handheld computers, it has been published in two formats which can be read on either Pocket PC (Microsoft Reader) or Palm PDA's (Palm Reader which also has Windows and Mac desktop versions). In the book Cappel makes frequent mention about ways of maximizing dead time, those lost minutes commuting, or between appointments and activities which are otherwise often wasted. What better way to use that time than to switch on your handheld computer and read a self help book?

posted by Jerry permanent link

Cartelectornic
Copyright cartel still winning most of the time
By Dan Gillmor
As the war over ``intellectual property'' spreads to new legal fronts, the copyright cartel and its allies are winning most of the battles. Here and there, however, we can find glimmers of hope.
The courts have not been supplying much help so far. Judges mostly continue to ignore free speech and customers' rights as they uphold laws giving copyright holders -- especially the entertainment industry -- absolute control over digital information and the devices that can display or copy it.
This week, for example, a Russian company is going on trial in federal court in San Jose for selling software that let purchasers of Adobe Systems' ``eBook'' technology use what they've bought in unauthorized ways, such as making a backup copy. It's apparently the first criminal case stemming from the infamous 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which grossly tipped the balance of rights against customers in favor of copyright holders.
In a pre-trial ruling, U.S. District Judge Ronald M. Whyte has all but thumbed his nose at arguments that customers might have fair-use rights to go along with Adobe's copyright controls. Fair use has traditionally allowed customers to make personal copies and quote from copyrighted works to create new works.
As always, rather than selling what people want in ways they want it, the entertainment cartel continues to play hardball with its customers and would-be customers. These days, Hollywood and its music-industry cohorts are finding ways to get other people to do their dirty work.

posted by Jerry permanent link