Archive for the ‘Blio ereader software’ tag
Baker & Taylor Axis 360 platform gains accessibility features no comments
Book distributer Baker & Taylor has released a new version of its Axis 360 digital media distribution platform for libraries that makes its ebook catalogue fully accessible to visually impaired users.
Baker & Taylor worked closely with the National Federation of the Blind on the development of the service, which makes Axis 360 fully compatible with the leading assistive screen-reader technologies that blind people use to interact with computers and the World Wide Web. These include: JAWS (Job Access with Speech), Window-Eyes, NVDA (non-visual desktop access) and System Access To Go. Now, the entire digital library experience – from discovering new titles to checking them out, to reading them on the Blio ereader – is available to blind patrons and students, and to others with reading disabilities, in accordance with the mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Baker & Taylor’s Axis 360 platform is a competitor of OverDrive’s distribution system and is meant to be used with the Blio ereading app. OverDrive has its own Library eBook Accessibility Program (LEAP) that gives qualified patrons access to accessible ebooks via Bookshare.
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Libraries are required by law to ensure that their digital collections are accessible to those with print disabilities. The Free Library of Philadelphia is currently being sued by several blind patrons (with the assistance of the National Federation of the Blind) for planning to purchase Nook ereaders (which, unlike the Kindle ereaders, do not include accessibility features like TTS and spoken menus) for loan to senior patrons.
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Baker & Taylor to distribute ebooks from Gardners no comments
Baker & Taylor has reached an agreement to distribute ebooks from Gardners Books Limited. Gardners is Britain’s leading book wholesaler and currently offers ebooks from almost 1,000 publishers.
The new ebook selection will be available internationally over the Blio platform. As part of the agreement Gardners will manage the Blio ebookstore in the UK.
While Blio may not be my favorite ereading app, it is at least available for most devices.
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Blio for Android now available no comments
The Blio ereading app is now available in an Android version for smartphones and tablets running Android 2.2 or higher. Readers who have an existing Blio account will have access to their libraries once they log into their account from their device.
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Blio iOS app released no comments
Blio has made its ereading app available in a version for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The app itself is free at iTunes and will sync to your existing Blio account. To purchase Blio ebooks from your device you will need to point your device’s browser to http://mobile.blioreader.com.
The app lets you make annotations and seems to have a robust search function. There are five font sizes, but the largest is not large enough to work for readers with visual impairments. There is a read aloud feature, but to enable it you will need to purchase a voice pack at iTunes; there are several voice packs available — at $10 each. If you lookup a word the app will open Wikipedia (by default — you can change this to Britannica) or Dictionary.com in a browser window.
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Baker & Taylor unveils Axis 360 – digital media distribution for libraries no comments
Baker & Taylor, which is the world’s largest book distributer, has developed a
new digital media distribution platform for libraries. The new platform, Axis 360, is being shown off at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference currently happening in New Orleans.
Axis 360 will promote the use of the Blio ereading software, which currently only works on Windows computers. But B&N and B&T have announced a collaboration that will result in Nook ereaders also being supported by Axis 360-powered libraries.
Beginning this fall libraries can use Axis 360 to offer both audiobooks and ePub books to their patrons. The system will also include full-text book reviews from the Library Journal and School Library Journal.
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Blio to come pre-loaded on T-Mobile devices no comments
Digital and physical book distributer Baker & Taylor and K-NFB Reading Technology, developer of Blio, announced today that the Blio ereading app will come pre-loaded on future Android-based devices from T-Mobile. The Blio ebookstore is powered by Baker & Taylor.
From the press release:
"We are delighted to partner with T-Mobile, which is known for delivering premium bonus applications to its customers," said Bob Nelson, President of Baker & Taylor’s Digital Group. "Blio brings e-books to life, in vivid color and with a variety of enhanced features, including audio read along, Web browsing from inside the book and its patented Read Logic technology."
Planned for availability on future Android-based devices, Blio will provide T-Mobile customers with access to a new set of enhanced titles, including feature rich full-color e-books, perfect for children and families. And as part of T-Mobile’s bonus apps program, T-Mobile customers will have the exclusive opportunity to download featured titles from some of today’s top publishers and brands.
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Baker & Taylor and De Marque to distribute French Canadian content via Blio no comments
Today Baker & Taylor and De Marque announced that they have partnered to distribute French Canadian ebooks worldwide via the Blio ereading application.
Baker & Taylor is the world’s largest distributer of physical and digital books and powers the Blio ebookstore. De Marque is a leading Canadian distributer of ebooks from Quebec and French Canada.
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Also regarding Blio: Quark will be releasing QuarkXPress9, the latest version of its digital publishing software, in April, 2011. The new version will provide direct support for the Blio format.
I fired up Blio for the first time today since it first came out. Blio was one of those products that is hotly hyped and then proves to be something of a disappointment when finally released. After installing the most recent update Blio does seem a bit better on my desktop than I remember it being when first launched. It is still not very usable on my netbook, however.
Blio was supposed to be releasing iOS and Android versions of its ereading app as well. I would like to try it on the Xoom if and when that happens.
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eReader & Tablet News – 9/15/2010 no comments
Kobo Wi-Fi ereader incoming? The confidentiality agreement with the FCC for a new Netronix ereader has just expired, making a number of case photos viewable, including one for Kobo. The shell looks the same as the current Kobo ereader.
Wi-Fi will be a good step for Kobo, especially if the new ereader has some other new features as well, but how will Kobo price it? Their current ereader is $129, while the Kindle Wi-Fi is only $10 more.
(via The Digital Reader)
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If you have been feeling left out because your local Best Buy doesn’t carry the iPad, there is good news for you. Best Buy has announced that beginning September 26 the iPad will be available in all 1,093 US stores.
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Blio has announced that its ereading application will be available for download on September 28 at Blioreader.com. Initially only Windows-based devices will be supported, but versions for iOS and Android should be following soon.
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E Ink Holdings, which makes the e-ink displays in our ereaders, is expected to see a 70 percent sequential jump in revenue for Q4 this year. September revenues could jump by over 50 percent sequentially. This is according to a Chinese business newspaper as reported by Digitimes.
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Another new mobile media company has been launched to make interactive book apps for children. Former head of children’s books at Simon & Schuster Rick Richter has formed Ruckus Media Group. The company will focus on children’s story apps for various devices and expects to have more than 26 titles available by the end of the year.
From the press release:
Ruckus Mobile Media is developing original apps with bestselling and award-winning authors and illustrators including Jon Scieszka, Rosemary Wells, Sandra Boynton, Andrew Clements, Patricia MacLachlan, Alan Katz, David Carter, Kevin Lewis, Mike Austin, and Caitlin Friedman, among several others, to create interactive works not possible within the pages of a printed book.
The Ruckus launch list of apps will include the award-winning Rabbit Ears Library of classic children’s tales told by top Hollywood celebrities (including Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Robin Williams, Denzel Washington and many others), now digitally re-mastered and optimized for mobile applications and with several added interactive features.
The company’s first apps for iPhone and iTouch (sic) will be available for $3.99 each from the Apple App Store beginning September 28 and include the Play-Read-and-Record-Along animated stories Tom Thumb and the Knights of the Round Table, told by John Cleese with music by Elvis Costello, and The Velveteen Rabbit, told by Meryl Streep with music by George Winston, among others. All Ruckus apps will be iPhone and iPad compatible and will enjoy frequent upgrades. Droid apps are planned for release later in the fall.
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The first interactive pbook? Author Lynn Manning Ross’ new book, How to Develop a SmartPlan for Your Business will include 2D barcodes that readers can scan with their smartphones to access further information and view videos, webinars, listen to related podcasts, etc. The book is at Amazon (link above), so you can see samples.
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The iPad hasn’t killed dedicated ereaders after all. According to research firm In-Stat ereader shipments will grow from 12 million this year to 35 million in 2014, while tablet shipments are expected to reach 58 million by 2014.
"Tablet PC shipments are taking off, fueled in particular by the Apple iPad introduction. Yet, there will still be a revenue opportunity for e-reader suppliers and OEMs since tablet PCs and e-readers target different consumers," says Stephanie Ethier, Senior Analyst, In-Stat. "Standalone e-readers will address the needs of avid readers, to whom the reading experience is central. Tablets are better suited for consumers who prefer a stronger multimedia experience, and only light reading."
In-Stat also expects to see a $99 ereader by the end of the year. Well, the jetBook Mini is already there.
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eReader & Tablet News – 9/4/2010 no comments
Some of the happenings this week which I have not covered elsewhere.
The Kindle DX is back in stock, but the shipping date for new orders of the 6-inch Kindle 3 has been pushed back to September 20. I was hoping Amazon might release a Wi-Fi only Kindle DX, but this didn’t happen.
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Toshiba’s libretto W105 7-inch dual touchscreen laptop is 
now available at Amazon. Recently the W105 made a very brief appearance before quickly selling out.
The libretto W105 has twin 7-inch screens in a clamshell design and runs Windows 7. The two screens can be configured in different ways – you can stretch a single window across both screens or have each screen display a different window. You can also use one display as a virtual keyboard.
Toshiba’s ebook store has not opened yet, but when it does the libretto W105 will be using a reading app powered by Blio to read any ebooks purchased there.
The bad news about the W105 is its price – $1100. It is also rather heavy at 1.8 pounds, and battery life is under 3 hours. Laptop Mag has reviewed the W105 and found that the Kindle for PC app worked better for them than the Blio powered app that comes with the libretto.
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Losses continue to escalate at Borders while online sales grow. Borders reported that in its second quarter ending July 31, 2010, sales were down by 11.5 percent from the same period a year ago, with comparable store sales declining by 6.8 percent. Meanwhile online sales at Borders.com were up over 56 percent over the prior year.
It is good to see that the digital initiatives at Borders are helping, but there is still a long ways to go before they can offset the loss of in-store sales.
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Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear and friends have launched the serial ebook they announced a few months ago. The work is titled The Mongoliad and is available on a subscription basis priced at $5.99 for six months or $9.99 annually. From the press release:
Bestselling authors Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear, along with Subutai Corporation, announced today the launch of The Mongoliad, the first digital novel on a social book platform. A speculative fiction novel set against the Mongol invasion of Europe in the 13th century, The Mongoliad follows a small band of warriors and mystics in a ripping tale of action and adventure set at a time when the Mongol horde’s conquest of Europe seemed inevitable. Key to the development of this tale is the unique collaboration between the authors and the audience through PULP, Subutai’s new platform, which provides a participatory experience only possible in today’s connected digital world. To experience The Mongoliad, visit www.mongoliad.com.
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NASA has launched an HD version of its mobile application which is standing by to touchdown on your iPad. The new 
NASA App HD features live streaming video from NASA Television, an interactive map with links to all the agency’s field centers, quick links to feature stories and launch schedules, a scrolling "alerts banner," and a "NASA Featured" link. The first featured link focuses on women in space.
Free at iTunes.
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meBooks, which is New Zealand’s only dedicated ebook conversion and retail service, is now offering MOBI versions of all titles available through its online ebook store. This will provide support for the Kindle 3, which is now available for order to New Zealand.
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Que Publishing has announced the launch of its new USING series, which includes a free Web edition with each title. The Web version of each book will contain multimedia and will be updated with new content so that it is kept up-to-date.
USING titles are available in all major eBook formats, including Adobe PDF, Amazon Kindle, and ePub.
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Nuance Vocalizer – Helping Blio to Find its Voice 1 comment
Nuance Communications and K-NFB Reading Technology Inc. announced today that the Nuance Vocalizer text-to-speech (TTS) technology will be available as a downloadable accessory to the Blio eReader Software when it launches next month.
Readers will be able to choose from Nuance’s “Samantha” and “Tom” voices. Nuance’s TTS technology will also be available to manufacturers who are equipping their devices with the Blio software.
“We designed Blio to offer the eBook market a device that fully maintains the integrity of printed media by offering a rich and visually-compelling experience to consumers. However, we wanted to ensure that these visual elements could be enhanced through the power of today’s sophisticated speech technology,” said Ray Kurzweil, voice-recognition inventor and founder of K-NFB. “With Nuance’s speech technology, Blio can now bring words and characters to life in a way that makes the eReader experience even more enjoyable and accessible for book and magazine aficionados everywhere.”
Nuance Vocalizer supports more than 30 languages and is optimized for integration with a wide variety of platforms, creating an exciting potential for fully speech-enabled consumer electronics. Nuance’s speech technology is featured in the market’s most popular consumer devices, including personal navigation devices, smartphones, mp3 players and a variety of PC software applications, including Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and the “voice” behind the popular Ford SYNC. Nuance’s broad mobile portfolio of speech and predictive input solutions are changing the way consumers interact with their mobile devices, and ship on more than four billion devices – a result of its extensive relationships with every major mobile OEM and carriers around the world.
