Apple Users Download 35 Million Books

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that iTunes users had downloaded 35 million books  and audiobook on iTunes and is now launching iTunes 10.

Tech blog GDGT quoted Jobs as saying: “People have downloaded over 11.7 billion songs from iTunes, and we’re just about to cross 12b. Over 450 million TV episodes, 100 million movies, 35 million books, and over 160 million accounts with credit cards and 1-click shopping in 23 countries.”   Media Bistro

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Freedom advance reviews have declared it the book of the century

Praise has ranged from Time magazine, who plastered author Jonathan Franzen on its cover with the headline “Great American Novelist,” to The New York Times (The Audio  Book’s So Nice, We Reviewed It Twice). President Obama even chose it as his beach audio book reading on Martha’s Vineyard.

The drumbeat of hype has been so relentless that it has already sparked a backlash, with bestselling authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner – who feel they deserve a bit of the ink splashed on Franzen – arguing that the Times offers such accolades mostly to white males living in New York. Weiner’s Twitter hashtag, Franzenfreude, is pretty funny.  Christian Science Monitor

Chinas Google Offers E-Books, Games, Audiobooks in Search of New Revenue

Baidu Inc., operator of China’s most used website, started an e-book service today and added 500 applications to its website to diversify beyond Internet search.

Readers will be able to read and store purchased electronic books on the website, Chief Executive Officer Robin Li said at a conference in Beijing today. Baidu is offering applications by developers including PopCap Games Inc., maker of hit mobile games such as “Peggle” and “Bejeweled2,” the company said today. Bloomberg

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Browse for books and audio books at Simonandschuster.com

The multimedia section also features audio interviews with authors and offers contests where participants can enter to win a free download of entire audio books. Finally, if you register with the site for free, you can post and read other teen reviews of audio books they have read or particular authors they are hooked on. Kansas City Star

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The Best eReaders Compared Kindle, Kobo, Nook and Reader Throw Down

With Amazon’s recent announcement that digital e-books outsold hardcover books for the first time, and paperbacks destined to a similar fate in the near future, we can safely say the e-book revolution is upon us. That doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that the devices upon which we read those books — digital e-readers, tablet computers, smartphones — are anywhere near their final form. Last December, we took a look at the most popular e-readers on the market, and, while many companies have made only incremental alterations to their lineups since then, a few new additions and serious price-drops among others have vastly changed the landscape.  Switched

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How to react when Social Media Attacks Your Brand

Social media disasters occur for a number of reasons, the first being that your company probably messed up. It may not have been intentional, but something, somewhere down the line, went wrong enough for someone to complain and it was enough for others to vocalize that complaint en masse. One mistake is all it takes for social media to turn against your brand.

Rivals to Apples iPad ready to take the stage

Big-name manufacturers will unveil their answers to the iPad this week as Apple is due to launch a raft of new products.

Samsung and Toshiba are expected to lead a tablet charge at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin on Thursday, hours after a San Francisco media event where an annual update of Apple’s iPod range is expected.  FT.com

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Ten Best Websites For Free Audio Books

Busy times call for some workarounds. One of the distinct advantages of audio books over its more physical form is that it saves time. Audio books take away a sliver of fun from the enjoyment of a book, but if the voiceover is well done, it makes up for it.

With the explosion of personal media players like iPods and even mobile phones which can carry media files, even a routine walk can be turned into an education.  Make Use Of

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Why Ereaders Are Good for Books – People Read More

A growing body of evidence shows that people with e-readers are reading more books. A recent survey found that 40 percent of those with e-readers said they were reading more books than they used to before they had the device, which is consistent with earlier data on e-reading habits. E-book sales climbed by more than 200 percent in the first six months of this year, according to the Association of American Publishers.  Gigaom

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Get some outside help from a P.R. firm

I’ve changed my mind. I think it’s time we get some outside help from a P.R. firm that knows how to promote our brand. I need to stop trying to do everything myself and start surrounding myself with experienced professionals. I have had several discussions with my business adviser to make sure that I find the right firm for our company.  NY Times

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