Google robbing from the poor and giving to the rich

It has been awhile since my last blog, I have been off work for a couple of weeks due to a slipped disc...yet again. I feel like an old man sometimes, once again heading for physio for what seems like the millionth time. Enough of my complaining I hear you say! A lot has happened since I have been away; we are close to signing a major contract in the digital education sector and one we are all excited about. There are a few book fairs coming up with efforts being directed towards that and in particular the first one the London Book Fair taking place in Mid April. Currently we are developing some promotional material in time.

The digital publishing world is heating up more and more everyday and with the iPad around the corner it isn’t going to get any cooler. Along with Apples iPad which is set to change how we read books, Google is set to change the accessibility of books. As I am typing this there is a project team known as Google Books Library Project copying and storing millions of out-of-copyright books to a digital library. What does this mean for us, the reader? Well, it would mean millions of books available all at the click of a mouse. This sounds great but what about the publishers and authors who have worked hard on their material only for it to be offered up free online. They will not see one cent of the income while Google makes money of advertising. Sounds like a rich man’s Robin Hood to me...stealing money from the poor to feed the rich!

However, this availability will depend on the outcome of a lawsuit by the Authors Guild and its ‘merry men’ accusing Google of “massive copyright infringement”. It will be interesting to see the outcome as I believe it will set a precedent for future digital mass copyright infringements. One thing is for sure, it may sound like a good idea to have all this material available, but who is going to write the books if our Authors don’t get rewarded for their efforts?

iPhone app developer to transmedia producer

This entry is from Friday...unfortunately the net was down. Wow...has this week gone fast or what? Time has seemed to fly-by. I have had a pretty productive week making a few contacts with possible clients in both Australia and in the US. On Wednesday was the start of the O’Reilly Tool’s of Change for Publishing Conference 2010 in New York. This was a great conference with a lot of new information and ideas being put forth. One particular speaker ‘Jeff Gomez’ spoke about transmedia being the new business paradigm. Transmedia is the coming together of a number of different mediums to create one format.

It got me thinking...isn’t that what we do here at Kiwa Media, using a number of different mediums through touch-to-spell, touch-to-hear and swipe-to-read. He spoke of it as if it was this technology that was revolutionary...and I’m sitting watching it thinking to myself...we have that technology here! It is nice to know that what we are doing at Kiwa Media is world class and I can’t wait for the whole world to know. Anyways enough on that!

Kennedy Faimanifo, known a ‘Ken’ to the team here at Kiwa is having his last day; he has been our go to man with the graphics and is off to greener pastures! I would just like to wish him all the best for his future and his company Kenworx Studios. He is holding a fundraising event on the 19th March at Massey Universities Ferguson Bar. It would be great for you to come along and support him in his future endeavours. You can check out his work at http://www.kenworxstudios.blogspot.com/.

It’s a short blog this week as it’s a Friday...yes lame excuse but an excuse nonetheless.

My Quote of the Day:
“To be or not to be? That is the Question”

Let's NOT e-liminate progress

Some people just hate progress. I have heard it so many times from my dad “Back in my day...” those four words make me automatically tune out. Yes dad back in your day things were different, but you know “You are not in Kansas anymore, you are on Pandora”. Things change its called evolution. What has brought on this rant...an article written by a student at Indiana Daily Student wanting to ‘e-liminate digital books’, how ridiculous don’t you think? What the hell is this person thinking?

Firstly, they argue that there will be no such thing as a physical book? Wrong...there will always be a place for a physical book, it’s just that the demand for them will decrease...but that doesn’t mean it will be replaced. As for your ‘sliding beauty and the beast library’ I am sure Greenpeace would be happy that some trees are saved.

You say society is lazy...aren’t you the one sitting on your arse typing on a computer...looks like you have joined the ‘lazy’ club too. Why not carry one simple device that can carry a whole bookshelf in your palm, it gives people the option to access a wide range of books without needing to be at a library. I am no magician but if you can show me how to fit a hundred books into my backpack please do....oh wait...that’s right they call them e-readers.Digital readers do encourage people to read. It gives accessibility to those would have never had the opportunity or access. You say price and weight is not the reason some people refuse to read? It is not the only reason, but part of it, lower prices and a 10oz object in your hand compared to a physical hardback book certainly encourages reading.

I suggest you get off your laptop...resort to that pad and pen. Stop taking the car or bus and start walking. In fact, stop doing anything that could result in progression and go live in a cave. No doubt you will contact me via e-mail...how ironic.

Testing times for publishers

With the announcement of Apple’s iPad and the introduction of Apple into the ebook market through iBookstore it has opened up further competition for the digital book business. As soon as that announcement was made Macmillian where content on trying to take back control by demanding they charge more for book titles or wait six months for new titles.

Amazon has been undercutting e-books selling them at $9.99 losing out at $5 a book. The reasoning behind this is future control of the digital book market. It is a good ploy by Amazon, trying to get users onto their Kindle platform, but this can only last for so long. Surely, Amazon would have seen this coming from Apple. If they had any sense they would have seen this and started planning ahead. Adopting the Agency strategy where publishers set the pricing and online bookstores receive a certain percentage of the cut.

This is an interesting transition for the book industry as once readers go digital they won’t go back. At the same time book publishers have to find a balance between pricing in the traditional format and adapting to the digital world. With Amazon, Apple and Google all vying for a piece of the e-book market it looks set to be a fierce battle. Amazon for now is out in front, with Apple looking set to pounce. The darkhorse could be Google, with their large user base. I’m picking Apple to take it out, like Usain Bolt a slow starter but once moving unstoppable.

Kiwi company takes interactive storybooks into the digital arena - Sunrise - Video - 3 News

Kiwi company takes interactive storybooks into the digital arena - Sunrise - Video - 3 News

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The Death of Steve Job’s

Steve Jobs the profound computer revolutionist who co-founded Apple Inc, one of the leading manufacturers in consumer electronics and computer software. Job’s has been a major influence in Apple’s continual drive for success into design and understanding the role aesthetics play in user appeal. The new buzz the iPad has challenged the boundaries of technology, confronting the new and the old. But what would happen if Job was to die? You know...just to put it out there. What would become of Apple?

To outsiders Job’s is the front man of Apple, the one who leads his troops into battle. Remember Braveheart, William Wallace standing their ready for battle. Job’s in a similar since is leading his troops albeit substituting the sword for an iPad, and time after time winning the battle of consumer electronics.

Without a leader troops are lost for direction, motivation that inspiration, and without Job’s I fear that Apple would lose a lot of direction and drive forward. I recently had this argument with a friend who told me that Job’s is just a small cog in a big team of designers, developers and engineers. Yes, there are other components to the team, but what Job’s brings is the oil to drive the cogs smoothly together. You cannot underestimate the value of a good leader, don’t underestimate Job’s. Period.

R.I.P Steve Jobs = R.I.P Apple

Children get out your iPad's

Wow! What a busy couple of weeks it has been. The web went into a non-stop frenzy since Steve Job’s announced his latest creation the iPad on the 27th Jan. For the team at Kiwa Media, we were very excited about the announcement. QBooks on a large screen had some of the team oozing with excitement at the prospect.

I for one can’t wait, it’s just exciting to be a part of something that is going to change the way children read. It wasn’t that long ago we were banging the dust from the chalkboard, now we are cleaning the screen of our iPads?

Recently I came across an article by Warren Buckleitner from the New York Times about the iPad and how they have created the ultimate device for children. I have to agree with Warren, kids love interactivity, touching, swiping, turning, flicking all made possible with the iPad. No longer is there a controller separate from the screen, Apple have brought these two elements together giving users complete control.

It’s affordable (well...said to be around $500US) and is going to open up the door for a number of advancements, with one of them being education. Already in Texas, universities were giving away iPhones’ as a way to keep students engaged. I can see this happening with younger children through the iPad; it’s bigger, almost like a laptop but not quite there.

However it’s perfect for children and one that I believe in the years to come is going to revolutionise the way our children learn. Those against the idea should try it before they knock it, as those before them would have knocked their idea. Be open to new ideas, it’s amazing what we can achieve...just look at Apple.

Who needs a library anyway...?

Digital publishing is spreading to a library near you. Overdrive a leading global distributor of eBooks, children’s eBook, audiobooks and now the addition of downloadable video content of over 10,000 titles. With the expansion of this it continues to open up content to library users, having already supplying it services to over 10,000 libraries, retailers, and schools worldwide with the ability to support formats of PC, Appl, Mac, Sony Reader, Nook and Android.

The introduction of videos to libraries is a big plus from an education view point. The ability to have video downloads available 24/7 on the web along with eBooks and audiobooks is going to provide children with a number of tools including children’s books in developing reading skills and improve reading comprehension.

Children can access all the free digital content via their library log-on via an internet connection from anywhere. They can download it to their personal computer or iPhone creating versatility. The access to this content gives not only children different tools to aid literacy development but the content is free which a plus is for parents.

The days of going to a library just to read are fading, time management for today’s generation is all about ’now’. Will libraries fade away or expand their membership?

Universal App for content, will it really work?

Into the second week...which is typically a lot harder than the first. Im getting use to the idea of full-time work and loving the fact that when I get home I don’t have to think about uni assignments to do. The team at Kiwa are coming along nicely with the IT Department making good progress, the Design and Marketing team coming up with some wicked adverts and designs for our ‘QBook Newsletter’ to which you can subscribe to and win an iPod Touch. Last Friday Roger and I went to a meeting with the team at Penguin to discuss the PR campaigns and what strategies we are going to use.

It was a successful meeting and Penguin are very excited about QBooks and what it can offer, such as improving reading comprehension and developing reading skills. With the first week going by quickly it was finished with a game of Call of Duty in the office and a few beers at the end of the day!

I stumbled upon an article by a blogger on Zinio and its iPhone App and how it could pay off big for publishers looking into the digital world. The idea around a middleman for the publishers who create the content and emerging devices (mobile apps, e-readers, tablets) that can feature the product. Now this sounds like a great idea...the use of a middleman to serve as a distributor for publishers who then are able to have their content distributed on a wide range of devices.

However, I see one major problem with this, the devices themselves. Companies nowadays want exclusiveness; they want to be the one and the only one that particular content is on. If publishers have their content on every source it decreases the brand value of the major players in the market such as the iPhone. There would be no need to purchase an iPhone if they can get all their content on another device. Why would Apple and Windows want to share content? Automatically the pull towards one product over the other is gone.

Zinio have a great App but its vision of executive Vice president Philippe Guelton of being “in as many stores as possible and be on as many devices as possible.” Sounds good in theory, but they key will lie in the super powers of digital devices.

It's Just the Beginning!

Blogging...I never thought I would have ended up doing blogs! But here I am attempting my first ever blog. Why write a blog...?? Well as a marketer I want to explore social networking and one of those ways is through blogging getting your name out there. I will try to update this blog as often as I can containing my thoughts about digital publishing and the recent news and topics around that whilst also giving you an insight into my progress at Kiwa Media.

I guess first you want to know who is behind these blogs. Kaleb’s the name, I’m a 21 Year old....fresh out of university. I started my degree at Massey University in Auckland doing a Bachelor of Business in Sport Business Management and Marketing Communications. I loved the uni life and it was a great experience and I am sure going to miss the lifestyle. Late in 2009 after graduating I found out about an internship opportunity at Kiwa Media working with Roger Shakes the Vice President of Business Development. I got the opportunity to work for 3 months with Roger and the Team, headed by Rhonda Kite.

Kiwa Media is an exciting business that I feel has plenty of potential (Yes I know...of course I am going to say this...but really it does!). It’s a New Zealand based company that produces multiple digital language content, creates IT solutions and develops products and services for digital publishing and the entertainment industry. For me I will be working on the QBook and the online marketing side of things. It’s exciting times for me personally as well as I get to do something practical instead of the usual sitting in lectures learning about theory. The QBook is the world’s first touch enabled read-along for kids, allowing kids to read along with the story, have words spelt out to them and even record their own voices. Exciting I know...I can really see the potential with this. Imagine kids learning to spell and read through a hand held device, but for me I think the main thing is it being interactive. For me as a kid I was one of those people that would want to do it themselves and really get my teeth into it, rather than sit back and hear about the theory behind it. Kids don’t want to just read it, they want to hear it, see it and touch it helping bring a number of their sensors into play to develop, providing a great tool to enhance their education. Now to promote the product...was this degree helpful...I have a piece of paper but what does that mean? Well to be honest I believe it only gives me a look in with employers for a graduate’s position, however coupled with experience and you can go far. So im here at Kiwa Media looking to gain some valuable experience! So keep blogging and feel free to leave any comments and idea.

Catch you soon.

Kaleb

Appl iTablet - The Great Color Ebook

Is Apple’s iTablet a game changer for Publishers? The launch of the much anticipated iTablet is due for release in March/April 2010. It’s been suggested the Tablet will have a host of cool features including a camera at the back so the Tablet operates like a window. But what impact will it have on the publishing world?

Firstly, like all Apple devices, it’s full color allowing magazine publishers the opportunity to expand the market for paid content. Book publishers who have plenty of titles which include color pictures will now have a device that will enhance their offering. It also provides scope for publishers to treat their books more like media content by adding media rich content like audio and video within a publication. Publisher of children’s picture books can now enter the market and offer their titles on a platform that will certainly enhance the experience for both adults and young users.

Above all, Apple already have in place an elegant delivery system with their iTunes store. Enter your details once and simply click to buy content. With an expanded book store with royalty rates that benefits publishers and authors, Apple may well have all the elements in place to offer consumer the opportunity to make micro payments for specific chapters rather than purchasing the entire book. This model will appeal to the education sector who are always looking for the latest reference information and if that can be supported by enriched media, the purchase of an chapter could signal a change in behavior of both the consumer and the publisher.

What is certain is that children growing up today will experience a whole new way of accessing information. The Internet will never be far away and media rich content is likely to be a standard offering. How long before everyone on the planet has a device on which they can buy a book? Isn’t this one way to reduce climate change and save the planet? I bet there’s an ebook for that – in full color.