More e-book & p-book milestones

Exciting new milestones the world of e-books and p-books include online giant Amazon.com’s recent announcement of plans to allow students to rent textbooks through its Kindle service.  According to the company, renters can save up to 80 percent compared to the cost of purchasing a physical book.  Users can choose the exact length of a rental, from 30 days to a full year. Rentals can subsequently be extended by the day, if needed, or else converted into a purchase.

 http://www.printaction.com/News/20110719-amazon-rental.html

Additionally, my June-2011 column for PrintAction details the new e-book and p-book solution launched by Montreal-based giant Transcontinental Printing in partnership with

De Marque, a developer of international platforms for digital content, based in Quebec City.
https://www.box.net/shared/unr54aj9akns9igvy8f8

A print-scented candle for nostalgic e-reader users

A new scented candle tries to emulate the smell of ink on newsprint for people who prefer the convenience of e-readers but miss the aesthetic qualities of print.
http://www.printaction.com/News/20110628-candles.html

Bank of Canada unveils new plastic $$$

Starting in November 2011, Canada will replace the paper-cotton substrate on which it presently prints its folding currency with a laundry-friendly, Australian-made polymer.

http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110620/boc-money-unveiling-110620/20110620/?hub=OttawaHome

U.S. study shows Internet discussion groups = popularity contests

A 6-year study of online discussion groups by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia shows that 2 percent of online discussion-starters received a disproportionate 50 percent of replies.  Additionally, those with many online connections received "preferential attachment" over people with smaller followings.  http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/10/internet-a-popularity-contest-study

Amazon will release ad-supported Kindle

This week Amazon announced it will be releasing a new version of its Kindle e-book reader which will be cheaper to buy but will display advertising on the screen when the device is not in use.  Priced @ $US25 less than the basic Wi-Fi model, the new device will broadcast special offers from both Amazon and 3rd-party advertisers.  The advantage of the Kindle and advertising is that the display draws no power when it is not refreshed and is always on.  
http://www.printaction.com/News/20110412-kindle-with-ads.html

Landmark 400-year-old printed Bible found in English village church

Some people still get plenty excited about printed books:  for instance, a 4-centuries-old King James Bible that turned up recently in St Laurence Church, with a parish of 60 people, in the village of Halmarton, Wiltshire, England. Fewer than 200 original printings of the King James version of the Bible are believed to exist. A tell-tale printing error has been used to authenticate Halmarton’s example as a second edition.

The King James Bible is one of the first translations of Christian scriptures into English, ordered by King James I of England in 1604 and completed by 47 scholars of the Church of England in 1611. This year marks its 400^th anniversary.

The King James Bible Trust affirms that surviving examples like Halmarton’s preserve not only a priceless historical record but also a cultural landmark, since the book transformed how people spoke English as well as how they understood God.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12647043

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110331/lf_nm_life/us_britain_bible

http://www.kingjamesbibletrust.org/

New York Times erects paywall

The New York Times has launched a pay-for-content model via digital subscription on March 24th in Canada and March 28th in the U.S.A.  Non-paying users will be able to access 20 articles per month at no charge before being asked to subscribe.  Their costs for digital subscriptions range from US$15 to US$35 every four weeks, depending on application (Web, smartphone, tablet, or several combined.)  
http://www.printaction.com/News/20110322-nyt-paywall.htm