‘Heroes Get Hired,’ A Free eBook For Veterans From NBC Publishing & Citi

February 20, 2013 – NEW YORK – A free eBook and guide for veterans, Heroes Get Hired: How to Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview, has been released today by NBC Publishing. Sponsored by Citi and produced in collaboration with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN), this free enhanced eBook by Michelle Tillis Lederman provides a resource to aid veterans in the difficult career transition from military service into civilian employment. Featuring an introduction by Medal of Honor recipient and NBC News and MSNBC military analyst Col. Jack Jacobs (Ret.), as well as editorial input from IAVA and MSCCN, two leading veterans service organizations, the invaluable information provided in Heroes Get Hired includes specialized advice and coaching designed to meet the unique needs of veteran job-seekers and their families. Lederman’s eBook includes job search and interview tips, real-life success stories, and instructional videos that feature IAVA member veterans interacting with seasoned human resources professionals in order to visualize and demonstrate key concepts.  “As a part of NBCU’s continued commitment to veterans, NBC Publishing is proud to create a project that gives something back to all of the servicemen and women that have done so much for our country,” says Vice President and General Manager of NBC Publishing, Michael Fabiano, “It was an incredible collaboration between many organizations and individuals and really focuses on very practical methods to prepare for the interview process.” Citi’s support for Heroes Get Hired underscores the work of Citi Salutes™, a firm-wide initiative that focuses on career opportunities for veterans and their families, partnerships with veterans service organizations through Citi Community Development, and the development of Citibank financial products and services tailored to the greater military community. “Citi employs more than 2,000 military veterans, many of whom faced the challenge of transitioning directly from active-duty service to the civilian workplace,” said Suni Harford, Citi’s Regional Head of Markets for North America. “Through our support of this free e-book, Citi aims to make the job search process less daunting and more likely to end positively: with a great job and a long, successful career that builds on the qualities and talents of our service members and their families.” Heroes Get Hired: How to Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview is now available in both enhanced and non-enhanced versions as a free download for e-reading devices such as Kindle, Nook, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Sony Reader, Kobo, and Google Nexus. For veterans and family members without access to a dedicated e-reader, Heroes Get Hired: How to Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview will also be available in full, free of charge, at HeroesGetHired.com. # # # About the Author Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of The 11 Laws of Likability, is the founder of Executive Essentials, a training company that provides communications and leadership programs, as well as executive coaching services. She has delivered seminars internationally for fortune 500 companies, universities, high schools, and nonprofit organizations. She has been quoted in the New York Times, The Star Ledger, Working Mother and Real Simple magazines, US News & World Report, on MSNBC, and Monster.com among others. Her book, articles, quizzes and videos have been featured on USA Today, AOL, Forbes, CNBC, and About.com. Visit www.michelletillislederman.com for more information. About NBC Publishing NBC Publishing is a division of NBCUniversal Media, LLC that focuses on developing digital publishing projects from content created within the NBCUniversal and Comcast family of properties, as well as publishing original works with outside authors and publishing partners. Visit www.nbcpublishing.com for more information. Aabout Citi Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com and www.citisalutes.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://new.citi.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi

For more information contact: Marie Wicht NBC News e: marie.wicht@nbcuni.com

Nook & Kobo: eReaders with a Touch of Innovation

I recently had an opportunity to play around with the Nook Simple Touch Reader and the Kobo Touch Edition, both which came out this past June.

Overall these new eReaders are vast improvements over the previous models and here's my experience using each device:

Nook: The Simple Touch Reader

The first thing you notice is the complete overhaul of the design, which looks nothing like the Nook 1st Edition. This time Barnes & Noble decided to abandon the dual screen approach and focus on delivering a solid product with minimal bells and whistles. I have written about the first Nook and was not a fan of the hybrid approach.

The second thing you notice is how it feels in your hands. The exterior has a nice, gentle, rubbery feel, and the back is somewhat concave, making it really comfortable to hold. Taking a page from Apple, it has very few buttons that seem to disappear since they're beautifully integrated within the wide border that surrounds the screen. And that border contributes to the comfort factor, inviting the user to hold the eReader with two hands. But this Nook is incredibly light, so holding it with one hand is no problem.

The third thing that becomes immediately apparent is the touchscreen display. I'm really impressed by the responsiveness and you can effortlessly page through and bring up navigation with either a tap or a simple touch of the main button. This eReader truly lives up to its name. The quality of the display is very good, but unfortunately not great, and that's the only negative thing I have to say about this latest Nook.

The 6" Pearl eInk display is meant to rival the Kindle 3 (which is not touchscreen), but I'm sorry, it does not. In a side by side comparison the difference is obvious. It might be due to the additional layer necessary to make the screen touch sensitive, but the latest Sony Readers look just as sharp as Kindle 3 and those are touchscreen devices as well, so I'm not sure what happened here. For me, that's the only disappointment because if the display was killer, the device would be too.

But overall I believe B&N has done great job of taking the eReading experience to the next level by keeping things simple and offering an affordable device that any devotee of the bookstore chain will want to own.

Kobo: Touch Edition

I've written before about the Kobo eReader and have always been a fan. It's consistently been a good, portable, lightweight device that hasn't tried to be anything more elaborate than that. And I mean this in the best way possible.

You could load Kobo with a bunch of books and take it just about anywhere without worrying whether or not this inexpensive eReader fit in your carry on, was dropped, got sand on it, or whatever. The body was made of plastic, but didn't feel cheap, and the ingenious quilted back made it a pleasure to hold.

Now we have the touch edition and overall it's very much the same cute, lightweight, easy-to-use eReader the Kobo has always been except, (you guessed it), its got a touchscreen!

I found the screen to be sensitive and the response time pretty fast. The navigation is simple and intuitive and the big toggle button found on previous models has been replaced with one slender home button. All nice developments for sure, but again, the 6" Pearl eInk display has less contrast than the Kindle 3 or the Sony Readers. And again, that's disappointing, because like B&N, Kobo misses out on delivering the "wow" factor.

I've read other blog posts that point out how both the latest Nook and Kobo should've been released with displays that not just attempted to match, but instead surpassed that of Kindle 3. That's hard to dispute since this fall Kindle 4 will most certainly include an improved Pearl eInk screen with touch capability and even higher contrast. And you can bet these latest models from Amazon will be aggressively priced, so they're going to be hard to beat as the eReader of choice as we head into the holiday season.

That said, Barnes & Noble has the advantage of synching the Nook with in-store promotions at locations throughout the U.S. and Kobo, a Canadian company, is working hard to establish an international presence. Kobo also includes a social media feature called Reading Life that awards quirky badges to users in the spirit of FourSquare and GetGlue. Time will tell whether or not these efforts will attract customers away from Amazon, the current leader of the pack.

Touch: The Future of eReading

It's great to see both Barnes & Noble and Kobo introducing innovations to the eReader market and word on the street is that Sony will soon be releasing a new line of their touchscreen devices, which is good news since they usually add something inventive to the mix. There is no doubt touch is here to stay and any eReader that doesn't feature this functionality will instantly feel archaic, like the recently released "Google integrated" Story from iRiver.

Regardless, if you're seriously thinking about purchasing a dedicated eReader this year, you'd be "touched" not to wait until the new Kindles are announced. By then there'll be plenty of devices to choose from and surely one will meet all your digital reading needs.

If not, there's always the (rumored) Amazon tablet ;-)

A Look at the New Nook: Now In Technicolor!

I've been using the new Nook Color from Barnes & Noble for a few weeks and must say I'm very impressed...and relieved.

You see, I was one of those who added to the chorus of disappointment in the original Nook when it was released about a year ago. But this new device really delivers and it's great to see B&N introduce a product that rightfully puts them back in the e-Reader game in a big way!

The design of the device itself is quite attractive, though I still don't quite understand what the purpose of the open bottom-left corner is, other than giving it a distinguishable look (which ain't a bad thing I guess). It definitely can't be intended for hanging it on your backpack or keyring 'cos one thing you'll notice the moment you pick this baby up is that it's got a little bit of heft, especially if compared to the weight of a Kindle 3, which is significantly lighter.

That said this 7" e-Reader is by no means a burden to carry and when placed within a nice leather protective case you'll find it very comfortable to hold.

And Nook Color is SO much faster than the first Nook, which after several software updates is still a bit sluggish and quirky due to its hybrid attempt at having both Android color and E-Ink screens. But this new Nook is all Android with a gorgeous full color screen and navigations that are thoughtful and intuitive.

If you're concerned about the LCD screen and reflection issues, all I can say is there's a film layer that does a good job of cutting down on light interferences and seems to have no negative effect on the response of the touchscreen.

If you're concerned about glare that might tire your eyes, all I can say is the background color options for the pages can really make all the difference. And we're not just talking black with white text for nighttime reading or sepia to imitate paper of olden times, but also mocha, gray, and one I've come to appreciate called butter.

Best of all the Nook Color delivers simple functionality. Features such as sharing, highlighting, note taking, bookmarking, looking up word definitions, and changing font size are easy to master, and all with the touch of a finger.

Yes, yes, you can also surf the web, read magazines, play chess, listen to music, and much more, but these are not the kind of bells & whistles to care about if what you're looking for is a great reading experience. If those types of things are most important, then I suggest getting yourself an iPad. ;-)

If you do decide to buy a Nook Color or receive one as a gift, be sure to take advantage of the special promotions B&N feeds to the device everyday. And don't forget to bring it with you whenever visiting one of the superstore's locations because you'll benefit from unique in-store opportunities as well.

Already own a Nook Color? If so, what do you think of it?

Blio Reader: Bliss, Blah, or Somewhere Between?

There's been a tremendous amount of anticipation and speculation over the past year about Blio, a reading technology that promised to be a great new way to read books on computers and portable devices, especially titles with graphics. So when Blio finally launched about a month ago, I immediately wanted to check it out.

The first thing one discovers is that the initial release is for Windows based PCs only. Not Mac, not iPad, not Android, and not for any smartphone, though their official press release states it will be available for those platforms soon. As someone who enjoys reading on the iPad, this was pretty disappointing, for I was certain Blio would cover all bases at launch. And yet I was eager to give this new software a try, so I downloaded it to my desktop and promptly created an account, all of which was quick and easy.

When I first began using Blio I was quite underwhelmed. That's because the reading layout is pretty similar to Zinio's and the virtual bookshelf that organizes your collection is reminiscent of Kobo's. However, the more I continued playing with the program it became apparent there were some nice aspects to the general functionality. For example: Browsing the store and downloading free public domain titles such as Moby Dick was a snap and within 30 seconds I was reading Melville's classic. Turning pages, zooming in and out, and looking up definitions of words also performed smoothly.

But it's the other enhancements, like reading titles in multiple views (including 3D), watching video, and adding notations that can be exported for future reference that makes Blio different from other electronic reading experiences. These features could potentially be even better when executed on a tablet device like an iPad or the soon-to-be-released Samsung Galaxy Tab, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Unfortunately the folks at Blio described the capabilities of their software as "revolutionary," which only set them up for ridicule, especially since Zinio, iBooks, Kindle, Nook Color, and Kobo offer reading options, like text-to-speech, that are pretty similar (in way or another), if not exactly the same. Granted the way Blio integrates video, audio, and the option to search using Google and other engines without having to leave the page provides a convenience competitors currently lack. But describing the 3D page turns as "realistic" is off the mark when compared to reading an iBook, for example. Blio's approach to 3D page turning reminded me a little of an older technology from the 90s called RealRead - (Remember them?). They were one of the first to introduce three-dimensional reading but it just never caught on.

Another reason expectations were high is because Blio was developed by K-NFB, a company founded by futurist Ray Kurzweil, a man with an esteemed reputation for inventing incredible technologies. Here's a video of Kurzweil explaining Blio at the Tools of Change conference earlier this year. Kurzweil Technologies and the National Federation of the Blind (K-NFB) has a long history of assisting those with disabilities such as blindness, dyslexia and ADD, so it seems logical they expect to continue working with educational communities. Plus the partnership with Baker & Taylor, a global media distribution company, will certainly help reach a variety of channels, including libraries where there's likely to be wide adoption.

But to my mind things start to get tricky for Blio on the consumer level. As a first attempt, they've arranged for the software to come pre-loaded on all Toshiba laptops. This certainly might gain some new users, but it will take a much more aggressive marketing and publicity campaign to have any measurable impact.

Overall, it's easy to discount many of Blio's innovations when using the software on a PC because in that form it seems like old hat. But if the iPad version fully takes advantage of the swipe and touch capabilities, then I think Blio just might win over the critics.

Have you tried Blio yet? If so, what do you think of it so far?

A Tablet a Day: iPad Rival Remedies or Real Pills?

In a recent Blog post I talked about some of the new multi-purpose devices that will soon be available at affordable prices, each featuring a way to buy and read e-Books. However most, if not all, were created by companies that, shall we say, are not necessarily considered top in their field. So with this in mind, I'd say those should be considered risky purchases.

And though some new digital device seems to hit the market just about everyday, two intriguing tablets have recently been announced that definitely deserve some attention and will most likely be viable alternatives to Apple's iPad.

Now it's no secret I love using my iPad for just about everything, especially reading, but I can't deny the following 7" devices look like they might deliver excellent user experiences for those who've been in "wait-and-see" mode. And that's because these tablets are made by Samsung and
RIM, two great companies with reputations of introducing innovative products that continually push the envelope.

Let's take a look:

The Galaxy Tab by Samsung looks like a smaller iPad and features just about the same level of functionality, and in some cases, even more. But what I'm interested in is what it's like to read on this 7" color screen and from what I can tell from Samsung's promotional video, it looks pretty good. The e-Book technology is called Readers Hub, which was developed by
Kobo specifically for Samsung. Here's one video that shows how it looks (The e-Book demo is about halfway through and looks very similar to iBooks so I think what we're seeing is by ePubBooks, but others I've seen looked more like Kobo's current App). The O/S driving this device is Android and it will initially feature four e-Bookstores, including Kindle. And for the guesstimated price of somewhere between $200 to $299, this slick tablet is sure to be a popular gift during the holidays. (I wonder if the release of the Galaxy Tab means the death nail for this other e-Reading device from Samsung?)

The Blackberry Playbook by RIM seemed to come out of nowhere. It's another 7" device, but the angle here is that this is the "professional" tablet. We heard that once before from the creators of the now defunct Que, the large E-Ink Reader that was supposed to be meant for serious business people. The vast difference of course is how RIM is already supported by thousands of companies who currently use Blackberry smartphones for all their employees (though I must say, I find it hard to imagine typing comfortably using a virtual keyboard on a 7" screen, even in landscape mode, but we'll have to see). Many will be very comfortable with the idea of using this tablet for both it's familiarity and anticipated quality. I say "anticipated" because there haven't been any reviews of the Playbook yet, but from the look of this video, it just might be a winner. As far as reading e-Books goes...the Playbook will launch pre-loaded with the Kobo e-Bookstore, but word is that Amazon will also be making their App available for this platform shortly after it's released. Priced somewhere between $300 and $350, I think it's safe to say this stealthy looking device has the potential to be a huge success.

One thing's for sure, as more and more tablets like these enter the market, they'll only help increase the discovery of books through the various number of e-Bookstores available as Apps or on the web. And this is just the beginning...

What do you think? Have Samsung and RIM developed real challengers to the iPad?

Sony: No Baloney or Too Little Too Late?

A new suite of Sony Readers will soon be available and the big question I've been grappling with is whether or not this is Sony's last chance to be a competitive player in the e-Reader showdown.

With Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook making major inroads it's no stretch to conclude Sony has to work harder than ever to hold on to what slice of market share they have (had?) in the U.S.

It's too bad because Sony was one of the first to provide a well designed, fully functional e-Reader back in 2006. However, it never quite had a robust or easy-to-use online Bookstore to support it. Unfortunately, all these years and several models later, the latest devices still don't, especially when compared to Amazon's vibrant Kindle store. Even the valiant effort Sony has made aligning its e-Book program with big players like Google to expand their e-catalog with free public domain titles or Overdrive to enable digital "checkout" from local libraries, hasn't really seemed to capture the interest of consumers the way Amazon and Barnes & Noble have managed to do in recent months. And when Sony tried to develop a strong alliance with Borders to place devices in stores so people could try them in person, the effort simply fell flat. Yes, you can still purchase a Sony Reader from Borders, but then again, you can buy one from Amazon too.

Over the years I've owned several Sony Readers and although each scored points for having a sleek design, they've consistently fell short due to mediocre functionality and a fairly poor interface. Part of the problem is that each time a new device is released, the redesigns and navigations tend to change so dramatically, that one has to re-learn how to use it. And this can be frustrating. Apple has demonstrated time and time again how to balance the new with the familiar. In other words, if I already own an Apple product, whether it be a iMac, MacBook, iPod, iPhone, or iPad, there is a consistency to the way I'd expect to control each platform. The navigation is simple, intuitive, and new features are typically welcomed as opposed to puzzling.

Now I confess so far I haven't actually held one of the latest Sony Readers to take it for a test run, but I've watched enough demos to determine when it comes to choosing one comparable e-Reader over the other, I would guess most folks will gravitate towards purchasing a Kindle 3 or Nook.

But even for those who were/are considering one of the new Readers, I imagine the higher price tags (the lowest priced model is $179, $40 more than the Wi-Fi only Kindle) have put the kibosh on any enthusiasm they may have had. Sony publicly claims their own studies show people are not overly concerned about price point when deciding what matters most before purchasing a dedicated e-Reader. I find this surprising 'cos I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't consider cost before purchasing electronics (unless it's made by Apple). So what's going on here?

Well, one explanation might be that throughout parts of Europe and Asia, Sony Readers are quite popular and firmly established as the e-Reading device of choice. But as the Kindle expands beyond American borders, this may or may not continue to be the case. Regardless, one would expect Sony to do everything it can to attract American consumers during these tough economic times, especially as we head into the holiday season.

What do you think? Is Sony still in the e-Reader game?

March of the Color e-Readers: Kindle Kompetitors or Krazy Kolts?

This month we saw the release of Kindle 3, Amazon's latest e-Reader, and so far the reviews have been pretty positive. You can watch a video demonstration here to see the new features and improvements.

Yes it has a new look and is faster than ever, but I'd say the most noticeable, and in my opinion, significant improvement would have to be the sharper contrast of the E-Ink screen. To date, practically all popular e-Readers, whether it be a Sony Reader, Nook, or Kobo, have had displays that appear grey or in the case of the Sony's, more on the greenish side due to an additional screen layer for touch functionality. But honestly, as much as the promise of E-Ink was to mimic the appearance of the printed page, none of the devices using this technology looked like the real thing. In fact, by comparison, the early days of E-Ink didn't appear that much different from that of the old Rocket-Book, one of the first e-Readers introduced in the late '90s.

Without a doubt, the brighter, clearer screen of this newest Kindle succeeds in bringing us that much closer to matching the experience of reading a physical book, but with the added conveniences only such a digital device offers. And sure enough the Sony Readers, Nooks, and Kobos will get better too (and soon!). And as they do, it should be no surprise when people rapidly embrace the improved technology and begin downloading their favorite e-Books from retailers and local libraries around the world.

But for now I think it's safe to say that Kindle is currently king and the aforementioned competitors have some real catching up to do. So why then, with the obvious challenges facing these entrenched, well-known entities, would other companies believe there'd be any interest by consumers in yet another e-Reading device? Well, for that answer you'd have to ask the likes of The Sharper Image, Aguen, Velocity, and Pandigital, just to name a few, for each has recently announced (somewhat) dedicated e-Readers of their own...but with color screens.

Here's a look:

The Literati - This device from The Sharper Image will have a 7' color LCD screen and will also be sold at retail stores like Macy's, Bed, Bath & Beyond, JC Penny, Best Buy, and more. In other words, the places where people shop everyday for the kind of electronics everyone uses like TVs, stereos, and MP3 players. The Literati is powered by the Kobo e-Bookstore. There are four video demos to watch on the official website.

The Book - Not to be confused with Vook or Nook, this e-Reader from Aguen proclaims itself as "the book" and hey, why not. What's most interesting about this device is how you can purchase e-Books from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders/Kobo, and other e-Bookstores. It can be bought at stores like K-Mart, but oddly enough, I learned about it from my cable company. Here's a video review.

Cruz Reader - More multi-purpose tablet than e-Reader, this device from Velocity looks pretty interesting and a lot like a small iPad! It has a 7" color screen and the e-Bookstore is powered by Borders/Kobo. Hmmmm, anyone seeing a pattern developing? Here's an official video demo.

Novel - From Pandigital, the company mostly known for its digital picture frames, comes this multi-function device that's also iPadish, but with a 7" color screen. However, this baby is powered by Barnes & Noble's e-Bookstore, which means besides having access to 1 Million e-Books, you can also read magazines and newspapers. Watch a video review.

I must confess, I'm not quite sure what to make of either one of these digital slabs, and I just can't imagine why anybody would purchase one except out of pure curiosity.

If you're thinking of finally taking the e-Reader plunge, then my recommendation is to get the Kindle 3 if you want to own the best overall e-Reading device, the Nook if you happen to shop frequently at your local Barnes & Noble and enjoy the benefits the in-store promotion offers, or the Kobo if you don't need any tech frills like Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity and like to show support for the underdog. Though you may want to wait until November because prices will most likely drop again in time for the holiday season.

In the meantime, would you consider buying one of the new color e-Readers mentioned above instead of a model with an E-Ink screen?

Kobo: The Little eReader That (Pretty Much) Does

The eReader market is beginning to get very interesting due to a recent price war that erupted when Barnes & Noble lowered the cost of their Nook to $199. Not to be undersold, Amazon then reduced the Kindle to $189 within just a few hours.

Additionally B&N also introduced a new, Wi-Fi only, affordable version of the Nook for $149, doing their best to aggressively take market share from Amazon and Apple.

But there's another low priced eReader that's entered the circle of E-Ink devices called Kobo, which will be prominently sold nationwide at Borders Bookstores and directly online.

The Kobo is irresistibly cute and feels great to hold. It's super light and has a nice, bright, easy-to-read screen. Part of what makes it feel so good in your hands is a quilted rubber back, which was a terrific design idea and kudos to whoever came up with that concept. There are simple buttons located on the lower left edge to navigate through the various options, like browsing your library, selecting the font size, and more.

There's also a big blue rubber button that feels like it's covering a toggle for changing pages and moving up and down on the screen. I found this feature a bit difficult to use at first, but after some time I got used to it.

But what I like most about the Kobo is how they made it out of plastic and rubber, yet somehow managed to make it not feel cheap. It feels crafted and solid and well worth the price point.

The Kobo also comes preloaded with 100 public domain classics, such as Moby Dick, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Anna Karenina, and other familiar staples of literature. This is a very nice bonus, but oddly enough there doesn't seem to be a way to remove any of these titles from the device itself, which might miff some users.

What the Kobo doesn't have is Wi-Fi or 3G network connectivity and you know what...who cares!?! Millions of people have been hooking up their iPods to computers for years and have seemed to manage just fine. This strategy represents something close to what marketing thought-leader Seth Godin recently recommended to Amazon: To forget about all the bells and whistles but instead release a simple version of the Kindle with a $49 price tag, making reading digitally possible for just about everyone.

Just like with Kindle and Nook, you can download a very nice Kobo App for Apple's iPad to enjoy purchased titles, which was a very smart move since this amazing tablet (yes, I'm biased) has just surpassed 3 Million devices sold and there's no sign of that ending any time soon. You can also access your Kobo account across other platforms, which makes purchasing and reading very convenient. The dedicated App and online store for browsing/purchasing is clean and simple and overall seems to work well. However, some of the navigations are inconsistent and not 100% intuitive, but I suspect they'll be making improvements based on customer feedback in the months ahead. Watch this video to learn more about all the options.

But one peculiar move by Borders was the decision to immediately undercut the price of the Kobo with another eReader called the Libre. I understand the desire to provide customers with choice, but now is the time to put their focus and energy on promoting the hell out of Kobo so it resonates with the general public. I mean the Borders e-Bookstore is "powered by Kobo" so a little synergy wouldn't be a bad thing at this moment in time. If I were the Kobo/Borders team, I'd figure out a way to aggressively price this appealing gadget at $75 and shout it from the rooftops.

The one glaring thing that's most disappointing about the Kobo is how it deals with PDFs. Basically, it really doesn't beyond attempting to magnify the text to its best technical capability, which is quite poor, and honestly it's a feature that should've been kept off until ready for prime-time. Fortunately for Kobo and Borders, my impression is that most people won't be purchasing this device for business use.

Other than that, consider me a fan of this small and well-made eReader that looks great, feels great, and overall works great. Previously I had written about how I love reading on my iPad, and I still do. But the Kobo is the eReader I plan to use when reading outdoors in sunlight, especially at the beach.

Do you think Borders' new e-Book initiative with Kobo will gain market share?

Another Look at Nook: After Upgrade #3

This past weekend my Barnes & Noble Nook received a software upgrade, which would make this the third since the launch of this e-Reader.

In two previous Blog posts, part one and part two, I gave my impressions of the Nook and discussed the positives and negatives. Throughout I kept mentioning how an additional upgrade could significantly make this a better device.

So I was glad to learn of this latest download and had high hopes regarding its impact.

Unfortunately, instead of an improved reading device, what I got instead was the addition of games like chess and sudoku, the option to surf the web, and a few other revisions. You can read about all the new features here.

Now I don't know if there's been any huge demand from Nook users for such applications, but as far as I'm concerned, even if there was, B&N should have ignored it. This was an opportunity to once and for all address a number of key negatives plaguing this e-Reader. Most notably the refresh rate between page turns, which does now appear to be a tad faster, but still suffers from an odd meshing of the text as it changes from one page to the next. It's kind of hard to describe, but for a split second the page you're reading and the page you're about to read blend together displaying a black blob. It's really disappointing that upgrade #3 didn't at least manage to improve this experience so it would be as good, if not better, than when reading on Amazon's Kindle.

But let's talk about the Chess and Sudoku for a moment. The question here is why. Why bother adding these features when what most people are looking for is simply a great e-Reader. It would be one thing if the Nook was a device that was more like an iPad with a full color screen, but instead the chess board or the sudoku boxes appear in both the E-ink screen and the narrow color screen making for a dual experience that is split in two and ultimately unsatisfying. Plus the chess board is not fully visible on the color screen, so you have to constantly scroll up and down to view and move the pieces, which is very awkward. However, even within this small view size, the color looks so much better than the grey and white display above that the comparison just illustrates how visuals like these long to be in color and will have you wishing the screen above was just as vibrant.

But, playing the games is not nearly as awkward as trying to surf the web. I know technically this device can access the Internet, but it should be kept a secret because the experience is extremely clunky, difficult to navigate, and visually unpleasant. This attempt to position the Nook as a multi-purpose device was a poor decision and should've been reconsidered. All these new features do, in a world where Apple's iPad exists, is shine a big spotlight on the shortcomings of the Nook's capabilities. And I say this with no joy because I believe this device has real potential and could be a very good e-Reader that has an advantage in that it can be improved every few months with software refinements, but NOT if this trend continues.

Barnes & Noble wisely took a page from the iPhone by releasing an e-reader with minimal buttons so that 98% of the functions would be executed on a small color touch-screen, where the look and navigation can be changed dramatically. But this wise choice is not being used to their benefit. Instead of wasting precious programming time on games and poor web browsing, there should be much more focus on developing a great reading experience so all future upgrades are viewed as true improvements, not distractions. Being able to change the way the device works without requiring customers to invest in a new version of the Nook gives B&N the opportunity to recognize the customer's needs and deliver them over and over, each time gaining consumer confidence and loyalty.

My conclusion is such enhancements are meant to justify the current $259 price tag for the Nook, especially when it won't be too long before multi-functional devices like the iPad and Dell's Mini 5 Tablet will be priced competitively.

And now two new Nook devices are on the way? I have to say it's difficult to get excited about such an announcement when the current version has a few key remaining issues that need improvement.

Anyone else tried the Nook after this latest upgrade? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Enhanced e-Books: What's All the Hubbub!?

This week I attended the Tools of Change conference (TOC) in Times Square, NYC. If you're not familiar with this event, it's a gathering of publishing and technology pros who come together to discuss the current and possible future of books and reading habits. Overall, I thought it was a very good show and was glad I had the opportunity to be there. In addition, I was a speaker taking part in a presentation called "Ten Secrets of Digital Publishing (They Won't Tell You About)", which was given to about 250 people. It was great to see so many folks in the room.

There were several sessions going on simultaneously covering important issues currently facing book publishers such as e-Book formatting, digital printing, social media marketing, etc., bookended by a number of morning and afternoon Keynotes. Some were good, some not-so-good, but each seemed to have one hot topic connecting them in one way or another. And that burning curiosity on the minds of just about everyone there was e-Books, e-Books, e-Books, or more specifically: Enhanced e-Books.

So what exactly is an enhanced e-book? Well, that depends on who you talk to, but generally, it's a reading experience that includes additional bells & whistles such as video, audio, images, and added functionality like the ability to shake, zoom, and more, depending what digital device you're viewing the book on. At the moment, devices using E-Ink technology like the Kindle, Nook, and all Sony Readers, cannot include video. However, these e-readers can display black & white photos, play audio, and also include features like being able to look up the definition of just about any word within the text, which is pretty cool. Obviously you can't do this with a physical book, so even on a basic level, text read on a monochromatic device capable of such a feature is in fact "enhanced." However most, or more likely none, of the titles available from Amazon, B&N, Sony, and others, allow publishers to add things like an exclusive audio of an author reading, or say a photo gallery of locations mentioned in the storyline, which is too bad, because this would emphasize how even reading a book in shades of black can offer more. You can listen to audiobooks on all these devices and the Kindle does use something called text-to-speech technology, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I believe small but effective enhancements like these that don't cost an arm and a leg to incorporate would be appealing to readers and possibly enough to be perceived as adding value.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the idea of developing enhanced products like Apps that offer a vast array of multimedia features, but overall, there really isn't any strong proof that the average consumer wants all this extra stuff. Can it be that people just don't realize they want it? Maybe. No-one really knows but we publishers are spending a good amount of cash to find out. There are lots of products available now in the App store produced by companies like Vook, Enhanced Editions, KiwiTech, and many, many others created in conjunction with the publishing house, or in some cases directly with an author, and it's all very interesting to watch. I've been involved in putting together a few Apps: one meant to be a fun, free marketing vehicle, the other a work of fiction by David Morrell called The Spy Who Came for Christmas that includes a book trailer, video interview, audio interview, radio spot, complete audiobook synched with the text, as well as the complete text of an earlier work by the author, all for $15.95, the price of the tradepaper edition. The other I had the pleasure of demonstrating during the TOC conference is called Cathy's Book by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman, an intense, content-rich App for teen girls, that's kinda difficult to describe, but here's a video that demonstrates all that it does. And though it's terrific fun and artistically rewarding to work on projects like these, we as publishers need to ask ourselves whether or not the amount of money spent to create books with such interactivity is worth it. In other words...will we make back what we invest?

I can tell you first hand that it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to make a really great App chock-full of good content. By the time you plan, conceive, gather assets, edit, program, and triple-check your work for quality assurance, 6 to 8 months may have quickly gone by. Plus at the end of all the blood, sweat, and tears there could be a $20K (or more) price tag still to be paid. Honestly, this process has given me pause. And for me the three days I spent at TOC confirmed the most important thing we should do as publishers is to make sure our e-Book files, whether they be .pdf,.ePub, or whatever, are formatted properly, meaning they look as close as possible to the way they do in print. I know of a number of publishers that already take this to heart, but plenty don't, and it's not for lack of concern, but more about lack of awareness. The thing is, if we don't make the basic act of reading digitally a pleasure, why would consumers believe an enhanced version will be any better?

But this isn't easy to do and just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

We're talking about having to focus our efforts on delivering fully formatted files so we know in advance exactly how they will appear on each popular e-reader in the marketplace. We cannot depend on the e-retailers to do this for us. Note I said "popular" e-readers because I've yet to see one person in the real world using a Cool-er, iRex Reader, Alex, or Que, and don't expect to anytime soon, so the immediate need is generally about preparing files for Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader. But even with just these three main players we're still facing procedures that are extremely time consuming, require additional resources, not to mention production staff members with real editorial sensibilities. Unfortunately sending the exact same .ePub file to B&N (Nook), Sony (Pocket, Touch, Daily Edition), Apple (iPad), isn't going to resolve the issue because each device has it's own way of interpreting the file and most times the text just doesn't look as originally intended. It's enough to make you want to run out of the room screaming! Be that as it may, we have no choice but to address this head on if we expect to build a new digital future for books, whether the landscape be dynamic or monochromatic.

I mentioned the iPad and as you might imagine it was the reading gadget that most everyone wanted to talk about at TOC simply because of all the amazing things publishers are expecting it to do. And with the promise of this incredible tablet looming, one presentation given by inventor, futurist, and author Ray Kurzweil, that really resonated was all about Blio, an eReader software program that displays books three dimensionally and with plenty of enhancements (if desired). But even sans multimedia, this 3D experience developed by the author of The Age of Spiritual Machines, is sure to look great on all tablet computers and may end being one of the best ways to present enhanced e-Books, since Blio can also be used on desktop computers, laptops/netbooks, and mobile devices like the iPhone. Keep your eye on this. It's poised to get a tremendous amount of attention by consumers and the academic community.

I could go on and on and will be revisiting this topic, but in summing up:

1. Publishers need to make sure "straight" (aka vanilla) text e-Book files are properly formatted for ALL e-readers.
2. With great "vanilla" e-Books we can then begin to explore pushing the boundaries of E-Ink devices.
3. Leave the bells & whistles like video, audio, graphics, etc., for Apps and channels like Blio and Zinio.

What do you think?

P.S. - There's another great industry conference that took place this past January called Digital Book World, and if you haven't heard of it, then I recommend you check it out. Much of the above was covered there as well, plus I had the pleasure of being a guest panelist to discuss the ins and outs of online marketing.

The e-Book Revolution Will Be Quiet, Slow, and Integrated

I'm a Google fan and like most, use it as my primary source for information when I search. I also use Google products like Gmail, Docs, YouTube, Maps, News, AdWords, and Chrome on a regular basis. Hell, I'm using Blogger for this Blog! And we all know millions from around the globe engage with other great Google services like Picasa, Earth, Voice, Etc., everyday.

Now Google Buzz, one of their latest efforts to break into the world of social networking, seems to be off to a rocky start, but regardless we're all paying close attention. Why? Because the Google name, like Apple, suggests innovation and the possible introduction of a new tool that'll enhance how we connect within one another. I mean it's Google so there must be something to it right? Especially since Buzz was released with such fanfare. But we'll just have to see how things develop 'cos Buzz is either going to be a terrific new addition to Gmail or it might go the way of Orkut, Knol, and Gears, which never really seemed to catch on with a wide audience.

BUT one thing coming this June that's expected to release in typical Google fashion, (meaning with quiet integration), is called Google Editions, and many folks in Publishing, including industry heavies like Evan Schnittman and Mike Shatzkin feel it's going to have a significant impact, and I couldn't agree more. Other than Apple's upcoming entry into e-bookselling next month, Google's emergence into this space will be the most competitive challenger to Amazon's Kindle Store and as a marketing guy who promotes digital content, I'm pretty excited about this.

If you like to read about the latest in technology or the book industry then you're fully aware of the controversy that's been brewing for years, and continues to, around the Google Books program. But I'd like to focus on what Google's entry into the marketplace as e-bookseller will most likely mean for current owners of dedicated e-reading devices and also the publishing industry as a whole.

Let me start by pointing out that I've always supported the participation by publishers and authors in what was originally called Google Print, now Google Books, because of the incredible discoverability of new, and more importantly, older titles within Google's core search. I've reviewed the results week after week for the past five years in reports provided by Google listing the books that come up in search results relating to people's entries and the number of times someone "discovers" a title by The Perseus Books Group is consistently impressive. We're talking about titles that are usually several years old that would not likely be found on bookstore shelves. So Google Books is prolonging the life of these volumes in a way previously unimaginable. Soon Google Editions will begin selling those same titles and making them instantly available to read on any electronic device with a Web browser. Note I didn't say "available to download" because there will be no downloading since purchases are stored for you on a virtual bookshelf. In other words, sitting in a cloud courtesy of Google. This sort of thing tends to make people nervous, but let's not forget, e-books purchased from Amazon and downloaded in their proprietary format also live in a cloud for instant access or in case you lose your Kindle. Personally I'm fine with this scenario. We could debate what it means to really "own" a book, etc., etc., but I don't want to get into that here right now. Instead, let's focus on the fact that a Google Edition means reading e-books on tablets like the iPad, JooJoo, or HP Slate; smartphones like the iPhone, Droid, or Storm; plus netbooks, laptops, and even the iPod Touch. In other words, with a device like any one of these and a Google account, you'll be reading in a snap!

Throughout the coming year we'll see tablet computers running on the Android platform from well-known companies like Dell, but it's hard to imagine that Google isn't planning to produce an incredible tablet of their own expanding on the impressive O/S behind the Nexus One smartphone. At the right price a Google tablet could be a real alternative to the Apple iPad and the device that takes advantage of everything Google has to offer and more. Plus Google has an opportunity to rapidly grow its Apps store and organize it in a way that allows true browsing. I love iTunes, but its App store is unwieldy and not necessarily strong on introducing new content beyond the initial splash pages.

But the key to everything is how Google Editions will continue to match book content with people's interests while searching a multitude of subjects, presenting opportunity after opportunity for titles to be discovered, bought, and accessed anytime from just about anywhere. This will be especially powerful for non-fiction. I relish this approach and believe it'll be enthusiastically embraced by the general public resulting in a wave of new readers who previously hadn't considered buying e-books in the past because they didn't want to shell out the money for a dedicated e-reader such as the Kindle, Sony Reader, Que, Skiff, or Nook. And if you already bought a dedicated device then you won't be attending the Google Editions party anytime soon. With this in mind doesn't it make sense that the dedicated e-reader option will lose it's appeal? Clearly this is why the teams at Kindle, B&N, Kobo, and Zinio made the wise decision to introduce Apps and software for the smartphones and computers as well as to secure a presence on devices like the iPad. Will Sony soon follow suite? Maybe, but will either of them ever be nimble enough to sell enhanced e-books (with video, audio, etc.), book content in portions (aka "snacks"), or mash-ups (customized products) anyway? It's to soon to tell, but this is where I believe Google Editions can truly distinguish itself from the pack.

I have no idea whether or not the Google Books team is thinking along these lines. Perhaps it's initially too complicated to even consider ideas like these due to all the licensing/rights issues, title availability, technical challenges, and whatever else might make it possible for such diversity. But I do know shortly after Google Books was first launched improvements have been introduced about every 6 to 8 months, small and large, resulting in a better user experience. So I'm convinced they'll strive to ensure the act of purchasing e-books will be a good one and that any kinks will be addressed rapidly. This might be "uberly" optimistic, but I'm hoping by December 2010 I can search for information on say, Teddy Roosevelt, discover a number of available biographies, and either buy one in full or have the choice in determining that chapter five is all I need...and then buy it; or that I have the option to buy chapters "one through three" from one biography and "four through six" from another to create my own customized e-book on the life and times of TR. Once I've gotten the content my way I'll be reading it on my iPad while commuting on the train, continue reading on my iPhone while standing on line at the post office, and later that week access my Google Editions account from my brother's computer to show him the book I've been reading. Unless I'm mistaken, I'll also be able to let him use my account so he can read the book too. And because it won't matter what type of gadget he'll use to access my account, his reading experience will be the same as mine. Talk about really lending a title to someone you trust with minimal hassle. Yes!...I'm fully expecting Google to innovate here by introducing this and additional new ways of consuming e-content relating to books that haven't been considered before.

And there's something else worth mentioning. Using a simple string of code, any website or Blog will be able to embed a Google Editions widget, which will essentially give anyone the opportunity to easily sell e-books. This will contribute to the growth, branding, and consumer awareness of Google Editions, just as we've seen previously with Google AdSense, Books, and more.

It's great to see services like Kobo already getting people familiar with the multiple device concept and Amazon as well as B&N, both with strong brand recognition, are doing what they can to give customers the ability to read books, magazines, and newspapers beyond the Kindle and Nook. But will their Amazon customers stay loyal and patiently wait for a color, touchscreen Kindle that will deliver rich content like Apple's iPad? Perhaps at first, but over time, I'd be surprised. And will B&N even consider going beyond E-Ink and invest in a next generation Nook? It must be acknowledged that Amazon has done a very good job avoiding tech talk whenever possible by making e-book purchases as easy as they could. This is extremely important because we have to get past talking about ePub, DRM, and Operating Systems to the average consumer since they don't care about such things, nor should they have to. Reading digitally has to replicate the ease of renting a movie-on-demand from the cable companies. There's no explanation about the nitty-gritty of how it's being delivered, because all anyone wants is for the movie to begin so we can sit down with our bowl of popcorn and enjoy it. I anticipate Google Editions will deliver a signature experience and surpass all other e-booksellers by making reading on devices the best it can possibly be. Let's just hope they do a better job with customer service issues then they reportedly did supporting the Nexus One! ;-)

What's your opinion?