Amazon may make audio books searchable

One of the key innovations Amazon (AMZN) implemented on its way to becoming the largest online book retailer in the country was to allow its customers to preview snippets of books they might want to purchase. “Try before you buy” was hardly a new concept, but in Amazon’s hands, the “search inside this book” feature became a core component of a successful business model. PCSpeed.net

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Are free Audio Books and ebooks good for books?

At present only 8% of the reading public in the US use free audio books of some sort, but among the 2,775 US adults in the survey 12% said they were thinking of getting one in the next 12 months.

Owning an eReader also made people more likley to buy books. About 20% of eReader owners admitted to buying 21 or more books in the past year, which is double the rate for the general public. The best interpretation of these results is that avid free audio books buyers also buy eReaders. However ebooks still only make up 3% of total book sales – but this is expected to quadruple in the next four years.  iProgrammer

15 free audiobooks you must read this fall

The season’s most anticipated title — Jonathan Franzen’s “Freedom” — has already landed, with great fanfare from Time magazine (free audiobooks) and President Obama (his vacation pick). Celebrity scientist Stephen Hawking has stirred up controversy (and fired up sales) by denying the existence of God in “The Grand Design.”

Not far off are audiobooks from a Rolling Stone (Keith Richards’ “Life,” Oct. 26) and a former president (George W. Bush’s “Decision Points,” Nov. 9), plus journalist Bob Woodward’s super-classified report on “Obama’s Wars” (Sept. 26). Along with these buzz magnets, here are 15 titles on our must-read list as the days grow shorter.  Freep

Audible releases an Android app for free audio books

You can browse through chapters, bookmark favorite places in the audiobook and earn badges along the way. Moreover, there are insider information about author events and more with the Audible Newsfeed. Finally, social networking integration is included, meaning you can share what you’re listening to with your friends via Twitter.  PCSpeed.net

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Libraries to loan out free audiobooks

Public library system began offering its patrons downloadable digital rentals of free audiobooks, ebooks and vids. Patrons must download and install a software program, the OverDrive Media Console for audio and Adobe Digital Editions for e-books, to access the library’s digital collections   PCSpeed.net

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Apple Lifts Restrictions for free audio books App Approvals

In an about-face, Apple announced Thursday that it would change some of the strict and perplexing rules for developers creating content for the iTunes App Store.

It is unclear why Apple abruptly decided to change the guidelines.

In a news release posted on the company’s Web site, Apple said it is “relaxing all restrictions on the development tools used to create iOS apps, as long as the resulting apps do not download any code.” This means app developers will be able to use third-party tools to create applications for the iOS platform, something Apple has steadfastly denied in the past. PCSpeed.net

Listen free Audiobooks via iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch

Audiobooks are a great help to people who want to read a book while being able to perform other tasks. iOS device owners probably use their computers to transfer audiobook files to their devices. But with “Audiobooks App” there is now a much easier way. Make Use Of

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Comparing Audible.com and iTunes for free Audiobooks

Buying audiobooks or listening to free audiobooks on Audible is frustrating, and iTunes wins that battle easily. To buy a book on iTunes, just go to the iTunes store, search for the book, and download it. To buy a book on Audible at the best price, it is generally best to go to Amazon.com, search for the book, and then click “audio download.” That link takes buyers to Audible.com, and the Amazon.com price will show as a promotional price. Otherwise, audiobooks are often more expensive on Audible than on Itunes.  Suite 101

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Tablet PCs to Replace Digital Book Market

Samsung, the world’s largest technology company by sales, believes that the emerging tablet PC will eventually drive electronic book (e-book) readers from the market and become a dominant platform for reading.

“The digital book market will be replaced by tablet PCs,” Choi Gee-sung, the chief executive officer of South Korea’s most valuable company, said in a meeting with reporters in Berlin. PCSpeed.net

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Barnes and Noble Predicts Big Books for Fall

Barnes & Noble today announced that it expects an outstanding title selection for fall 2010 in both fiction and non-fiction with strong titles ranging from thrillers, paranormal romance and mystery, to political memoirs, historical biographies and a strong line up in teen and young adult titles. Market Watch

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