Find eBook Readers Blog » borrowing library audiobooks

OverDrive to Support Android, Release Integrated Application

Richard — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:56:20 +0000

In a press announcement today OverDrive says that support for Android based devices is finally coming. Once this is in place you will be able to read ebooks with Adobe DRM and borrow library ebooks to read on your Android device. The Android app is the first of a series of new apps that will integrate ebooks, audiobooks, and interactive and multimedia into one application.

From the press release:

OverDrive (www.overdrive.com), a leading distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, and digital content for libraries, schools, and retailers, announced that it will release a series of apps that will combine eBooks, audiobooks, and interactive and multimedia content into one user-friendly application. The apps will be available for both mobile and desktop operating systems, including Windows®, Mac®, iPhone®, iPad®, Android™, Windows Mobile®, and BlackBerry®. Millions of end users will benefit from a single software solution for all OverDrive-supplied content, as well as on-the-go access to eBooks from OverDrive-powered library and retail catalogs.

"The significant investments that libraries and retailers are making in premium eBook collections will have even greater value when users can access titles on their mobile devices," said David Burleigh, director of marketing for OverDrive. "Existing eBook collections, as well as upcoming interactive and multimedia content in a variety of genres, will be compatible with apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and other mobile operating systems."

Android devices will be the first to experience OverDrive’s app with integrated eBook reading features. The app will enable wireless downloads of premium, copy-protected eBooks, as well as enhanced accessibility and usability features such as text-to-speech. This and other mobile apps are being developed under a license agreement with Adobe® and using the Adobe Reader Mobile 9 SDK. All OverDrive apps will support EPUB, PDF, and eBook content protection functionality, including library lending and expiration.

Amazon announced an upcoming Kindle app for Android a few days ago, and today the Financial Times is reporting that in the first quarter of 2010 Android based smartphones outsold those based on Microsoft Windows Mobile for the first time ever.

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OverDrive on iPad

Richard — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:22:21 +0000

On its blog OverDrive says that it has completed testing of the company’s media formats on the iPad. Audiobooks in MP3 and WMA formats can be loaded onto the iPad by using either the OverDrive Media Console for Windows or the Mac version. As for borrowing ebooks from your local library the blog post notes that “As of right now, the iPad does not currently support the eBook formats (Adobe PDF, Adobe EPUB, Mobipocket) supplied by OverDrive.”

Update: OverDrive has released new apps for the iPhone and Android that will support ebooks.

Update 1/8/2011: At CES an OverDrive rep told me that a version of the OverDrive app optimized for the iPad should finally be out by the end of Q1 this year.

Update 2/15/2011: OverDrive released the iPad app today.

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OverDrive Announces Plans for 2010

Richard — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:56:53 +0000

In a press release OverDrive has announced some new digital content distribution services planned for 2010. The press release is quite long, so I will just quote a couple of paragraphs here. You can read the press release in its entirety here.

Interactive Media, DRM-Free eBooks, Periodicals, Streaming Audiobooks, Music, and Video to Join Digital Distributor’s Retail and Library Channels

CLEVELAND, OH–(Marketwire – 02/22/10) – OverDrive (www.overdrive.com), the leading global distributor of eBooks and audiobooks for libraries and retailers, announced today new services that will significantly expand its digital distribution network for copyrighted digital media. New digital book formats, streaming content services, and title discovery and fulfillment enhancements will be available in 2010, which will help OverDrive’s publishing partners, retailers, and libraries capitalize on accelerating market demand. During 2009, OverDrive achieved its fifth consecutive year of double digit growth and profitability by adding hundreds of retail, library, corporate, and school outlets for more than 1,000 publishers’ copyrighted eBooks, audiobooks, music and video in more than a dozen countries. Building on this momentum, OverDrive will introduce new services for 2010, including:

– Content Reserve® Plus: OverDrive’s global distribution platform will
integrate third party digital catalogs to add their eBooks, databases,
music, video, and enhanced multimedia content to OverDrive’s network of
retail and institutional accounts. In March, OverDrive will demonstrate
interactive educational eBook products including "read aloud" features
and DRM-free eBooks in "Open EPUB" and "Open PDF" formats at the Public
Library Association National Conference in Portland, Oregon. OverDrive
is now in negotiation with rights holders of databases, periodicals,
newspapers, music by the track, HD and mobile streaming video, and
reader apps to add their content to OverDrive’s current catalog of over
450,000 copyrighted digital titles.

– OverDrive Reciprocal®: OverDrive’s consolidated bookshelf service will
provide readers a single location for access, preferences, permission-
based contact from publishers and authors across numerous eBook formats,
audiobooks, interactive titles, subscriptions, and suppliers of premium
media. Reciprocal will provide single sign-on (SSO) eCommerce and
membership card support to dozens of eBookstores, libraries, and user
accounts. As a certified Payment Card International (PCI) Level 1
compliant service center, OverDrive will provide SSO for multiple credit
card or debit payment methods from a single bookshelf and their
OverDrive Reciprocal Dashboard.

The read aloud features are necessary for those with vision impairments. Some libraries suspended buying Overdrive ebooks last year when an Adobe software update disabled text-to-speech.

Reciprocal sounds interesting as well, depending on how it is implemented.

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OverDrive Audiobook App Available for Android

Richard — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 06:48:34 +0000

Overdrive has released its audiobook app for Android. Owners of Android based devices can use this new app to borrow or purchase audiobooks from their local libraries and other sources. Audiobooks borrowed from public libraries will automatically expire and are removed from the device when the loan period is over.

OverDrive Audiobook App Now Available in Android™ Market

Android app enables wireless audiobook downloads from libraries and booksellers

(Cleveland, OH) – February 11, 2010 – OverDrive (www.overdrive.com), the leading global distributor of audiobooks and eBooks to libraries and retailers, announced that its audiobook app for Android^TM is now out of beta and available as a full release. OverDrive’s audiobook app for Android enables users to wirelessly download MP3 audiobooks from more than 10,000 libraries and major online retailers, including Barnesandnoble.com, BooksOnBoard.com, and Borders.com. Major devices, including DROID^TM by Motorola®, DROID Eris^TM, and Nexus One^TM, can now be used to access OverDrive-supplied MP3 audiobooks on the go. To install OverDrive® Media Console^TM for Android v1.0, visit the Android Market on your device or download directly from http://overdrive.com/software/omc.

Android users can visit http://search.overdrive.com on their devices to find libraries that offer MP3 audiobook downloads. With the zip code search, users can find a local library’s mobile-optimized download website. Using the ‘Advanced Search’ feature, they can browse for audiobooks in the MP3 format. Users will then be able to check out an available title with their library card and download directly to their Android device with OverDrive’s audiobook app.

Via No Shelf Required