We have learned a little about e-readers and we have read reviews about some of the major e-readers that are out there. Some of us may have a desire to convert a book; either a book that we have written or a book that we own. The process of changing or converting a book to an e-book is explained on many websites. The explanation provided on the website for the company Convertabook seems to be very clear (even though there are some terms that may require some additional research, which I am happy to provide if needed or that can be looked in the company’swebsite as well).
How to do physical book to e-book conversion
“With the ever-increasing popularity of e-readers, more and more literature is following the physical book to e-book trend. Don’t be left behind. Here’s how you can jump on the bandwagon and make the physical book to e-book change.
Step 1. Prepare to scan. To start physical book to e-book conversion, you must get your book ready to be scanned. The simplest way to do this is to cut off your book’s binding, leaving the pages loose. Trim the pages well so they will not get caught in a document feeder. Then load
these loose pages onto a scanner with an automatic document feeder.
Step 2. Scan your book to a digital format. The next step of the physical book to e-book conversion is to scan your book. To have a successful physical book to e-book change, scan your pages at 300 DPI at minimum. For most physical book to e-book formatting, you will want to createdPDFs from your scanned images.
After your images are scanned, they may need editing. Take a look and crop, rotate, adjust brightness, and de-skew your images as needed. Some software may allow you to make these edits in batches; other software may require that you change each page individually.
Step 3. Use OCR. The third step of physical book to e-book conversion involves Optical Character Recognition, or OCR. OCR is a way to translate the scanned images from your physical book into printed text in your e-book. This then allows you to search for words or phrases and
edit text within your e-book. It also compacts your book files, saving you a lot of memory space as you go from physical book to e-book. OCR capabilities are included in multiple software programs and can even be found online.
While OCR is very effective in the physical book to e-book translations, errors can occur. It will be necessary for you toproofread your digital pages after applying OCR.
Step 4. Enjoy your read. By following steps 1–3 of the physical book to e-book conversion process, your book will ready to read on your e-reader. During this physical book to e-book process, however, keep in mind which e-reader you will be using. For example, Amazon’s Kindle employs a different format than do most e-readers.”
There are other explanations out there that could complement this explanation or that may be slightly different since there are different forms to do it. The website www.convertabook.com offers very good insight for different things related to the conversion of books as well as explanations about how to get books on the market, if what you are looking for is to market your book.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Review of the HTC Evo View 4G (by owner)
The HTC Evo View 4G is my first tablet. In my search for a tablet that suited me I knew I wanted a fairly powerful device that was relatively inexpensive. With the HTC Evo View 4G I received both.
PROS
Speakers- The two rear facing speakers of the tablet are amazing. The full volume of the device is sufficient to allow me to listen to music from another room.Honeycomb - Although it comes shipped with Gingerbread Android, the OS can be upgraded to Honeycomb, specifically designed for tablets.Screen- The screen automatically adjusts to the light you are in, to provide better visibility.Size - The 7 inch screen makes it ideal for reading and it is very light weight, not much heavier than an average book.Scribe Pen- This tablet features HTC Sribe technology which allows you to use a battery powered stylus which is quite responsive and fun to play with.Battery- I use the tablet throughout the day with wifi turned on and still by the time I plug it in each night there is still around 40% battery left.Camera - The camera takes great clear photos!
CONS
Occasionally I need to perform a reset on the tablet because it has slowed down and the apps have become very unresponsive. Flash videos on web pages don't always load properlyOnly a very few apps I wanted were not available for this tablet
Note: I don't have the Sprint contract so I'm only using wifi(which has worked great), but wouldn't know how the 4G service is.
PROS
Speakers- The two rear facing speakers of the tablet are amazing. The full volume of the device is sufficient to allow me to listen to music from another room.Honeycomb - Although it comes shipped with Gingerbread Android, the OS can be upgraded to Honeycomb, specifically designed for tablets.Screen- The screen automatically adjusts to the light you are in, to provide better visibility.Size - The 7 inch screen makes it ideal for reading and it is very light weight, not much heavier than an average book.Scribe Pen- This tablet features HTC Sribe technology which allows you to use a battery powered stylus which is quite responsive and fun to play with.Battery- I use the tablet throughout the day with wifi turned on and still by the time I plug it in each night there is still around 40% battery left.Camera - The camera takes great clear photos!
CONS
Occasionally I need to perform a reset on the tablet because it has slowed down and the apps have become very unresponsive. Flash videos on web pages don't always load properlyOnly a very few apps I wanted were not available for this tablet
Note: I don't have the Sprint contract so I'm only using wifi(which has worked great), but wouldn't know how the 4G service is.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Review of Nook Color (by owner)
The Nook Color for graduate students of the humanities - a review
As I looked into an ereader or tablet as a possible tool for graduate school, I
looked at everything from the Kindle to the iPad. Money was a factor, so the
iPad, for all it's coolness was out. On the other end, the e-ink Kindles and
Nooks looked attractive, but videos of their pdf support has me less than
impressed. So, I paid a bit more ($250, still half the price of an iPad), and
went for the Barnes and Noble Nook Color. This review will focus mainly on its
usefulness for me as a graduate student of the humanities (Spanish in
particular).Reading BooksThe Nook Color has a sharp
7-inch lcd touchscreen. Compared to e-ink, this has the disadvantage of "washing
out" in direct sunlight, but I really don't ever read outside. I have turned the
screen's brightness all the way up, and had no problem seeing the screen while
outside in the shade with the sun shining. Color and contrast are great, and
since you can adjust the brightness, I have found reading comfortable in a range
of lighting conditions. The screen size is also nice, as the entire device is
about the same size and shape as a trade paperback.As for reading, the
Nook comes with access to Barnes and Noble's ebook store, and you can load up
any epub file you download online. However, you can "root" the Nook, which
allows you to access the Android operating system that Barnes and Noble's
software runs over. This essentially makes the Nook Color an Android tablet, and
allows you to install Amazon's Kindle app as well, making both marketplaces
available to you. In the vast majority of cases, Barnes and Noble and Amazon
sell the same books for the same prices, but I have found that the Kindle store
has a better selection of free public domain books.As a graduate student
in Spanish, I do have to admit that the selection of ebooks in Spanish has a way
to come, but it appears to be getting better. My reading list includes a lot of
public domain books, so it's great being able to download those free, but the
more recent books are lacking. It seems that some new books are being put out in
ebook as they are published, though. For example, Edmundo Paz Soldán's latest,
Norte, is out for Nook, even though it has only been published in Spain.
It looks like I'll be able to save a lot on a book or two a semester this way,
but I expect the selection to keep getting better.One nice thing is that
you can highlight the text and make notes in both the Nook and Kindle apps, as
well as search for specific words or phrases. This is quite nice, but if you are
going to be writing a paper on a specific text, you'll still need a physical
copy, at least until the MLA recognizes ebooks and has a way of citing them. I
can see myself search the text, then seeing what chapter I'm in to find it in
the physical book for citation.PDFsOne of the main
reasons I have the Nook Color is to view PDFs. I was tired of printing off reams
of paper to read once, so being able to read it comfortably on a screen seemed
attractive. The native PDF reader is OK, but I highly recommend springing 99
cents and getting the app ezPDF. Pinch to zoom makes adjusting to different
kinds of pdfs (one or two columns, etc.) easy, which was one of the big
advantages over the e-ink readers. You can highlight, make notes, and such, and
if the PDF is one of the good ones with selectable text, you can read the PDF in
reflowable text rather than its PDF formatting. A lot of my PDFs are bad scans,
so even though you can't select the text, you can highlight by drawing a box
around the parts you want to remember.Other Good
StuffOther than that, if you root it, you can install all sorts of
other apps. I have Netflix and Youtube running on it, games like Cut the Rope
and Angry Birds, and the screen is great for surfing the web. Even though I
mainly use it as an ereader, there are lots of other uses for it.
As I looked into an ereader or tablet as a possible tool for graduate school, I
looked at everything from the Kindle to the iPad. Money was a factor, so the
iPad, for all it's coolness was out. On the other end, the e-ink Kindles and
Nooks looked attractive, but videos of their pdf support has me less than
impressed. So, I paid a bit more ($250, still half the price of an iPad), and
went for the Barnes and Noble Nook Color. This review will focus mainly on its
usefulness for me as a graduate student of the humanities (Spanish in
particular).Reading BooksThe Nook Color has a sharp
7-inch lcd touchscreen. Compared to e-ink, this has the disadvantage of "washing
out" in direct sunlight, but I really don't ever read outside. I have turned the
screen's brightness all the way up, and had no problem seeing the screen while
outside in the shade with the sun shining. Color and contrast are great, and
since you can adjust the brightness, I have found reading comfortable in a range
of lighting conditions. The screen size is also nice, as the entire device is
about the same size and shape as a trade paperback.As for reading, the
Nook comes with access to Barnes and Noble's ebook store, and you can load up
any epub file you download online. However, you can "root" the Nook, which
allows you to access the Android operating system that Barnes and Noble's
software runs over. This essentially makes the Nook Color an Android tablet, and
allows you to install Amazon's Kindle app as well, making both marketplaces
available to you. In the vast majority of cases, Barnes and Noble and Amazon
sell the same books for the same prices, but I have found that the Kindle store
has a better selection of free public domain books.As a graduate student
in Spanish, I do have to admit that the selection of ebooks in Spanish has a way
to come, but it appears to be getting better. My reading list includes a lot of
public domain books, so it's great being able to download those free, but the
more recent books are lacking. It seems that some new books are being put out in
ebook as they are published, though. For example, Edmundo Paz Soldán's latest,
Norte, is out for Nook, even though it has only been published in Spain.
It looks like I'll be able to save a lot on a book or two a semester this way,
but I expect the selection to keep getting better.One nice thing is that
you can highlight the text and make notes in both the Nook and Kindle apps, as
well as search for specific words or phrases. This is quite nice, but if you are
going to be writing a paper on a specific text, you'll still need a physical
copy, at least until the MLA recognizes ebooks and has a way of citing them. I
can see myself search the text, then seeing what chapter I'm in to find it in
the physical book for citation.PDFsOne of the main
reasons I have the Nook Color is to view PDFs. I was tired of printing off reams
of paper to read once, so being able to read it comfortably on a screen seemed
attractive. The native PDF reader is OK, but I highly recommend springing 99
cents and getting the app ezPDF. Pinch to zoom makes adjusting to different
kinds of pdfs (one or two columns, etc.) easy, which was one of the big
advantages over the e-ink readers. You can highlight, make notes, and such, and
if the PDF is one of the good ones with selectable text, you can read the PDF in
reflowable text rather than its PDF formatting. A lot of my PDFs are bad scans,
so even though you can't select the text, you can highlight by drawing a box
around the parts you want to remember.Other Good
StuffOther than that, if you root it, you can install all sorts of
other apps. I have Netflix and Youtube running on it, games like Cut the Rope
and Angry Birds, and the screen is great for surfing the web. Even though I
mainly use it as an ereader, there are lots of other uses for it.
Review of Kindle Touch (by owner)
I was pretty opposed to owning any eReader, being a wanna-be librarian and preferring the feel of a book. Ultimately, I decided to purchase one in order to take advantage of the library loans as my actual library is very small, but their ebook collection has much more variety. I chose the Kindle Touch because I own an iPhone and knew that not being able to use the screen to maneuver would drive me crazy. I like the simplicity of dealing with two buttons (the menu button and the power button) and just tapping on the screen to make my reading choices. I borrow more ebooks from my local library than I purchase from the Kindle store at the moment, and it is as easy and convenient as I hoped it would be. Purchasing from the Kindle store is even easier as there is an option that takes you straight there (via Wifi or 3G) from the Kindle menu. It's easy to search and purchases are downloaded immediately to your Kindle. It is also easy to navigate and search within a book while reading on the Kindle Touch. The operating manual (already loaded on the Kindle when you purchase) is clear and concise when explaining where and how to touch the screen to get the options you would like to use. Another reason I chose the Kindle Touch, is for the screen itself. I needed a screen that was not back-lit and read more like paper. The draw back to this feature is that you need a light in order to see the screen, but the strain on the eyes is not as bad and getting a book light is relatively inexpensive. I love having an eReader for work, travel, doctor's office visits, etc. It is compact and the battery life is long and lasting. I've only had to charge it fully twice in the last four months and I use my eReader almost every day. My only major concerns have been that the screen responds to any touch (unlike an iPhone, which only responds when it's touched by your finger), this means I've lost my place a couple of times when my Kindle has been in my purse, accidentally turned on, and hit against my wallet and other items. This could probably be avoided by using a cover, but it can be a hassle. Overall, I have been very happy with the Kindle Touch and it's features.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Review of Kindle Fire (by new owner)
KINDLE FIRE
I’m not the most tech-savvy person in the world, and techy things aren’t really my cup of tea. I figure that’s why I married a guy who LOVES all that stuff. So he can do all the research and then buy me whatever he thinks is best. Heck, I won’t know the difference anyway! Since
I recently had a birthday, and since I’m an avid reader (like 3-4 books at a
time), I had been toying with the idea of getting an e-reader. I figured I’d tell my husband I wouldn’t mind having one and then I’d leave the idea in his very capable hands. That’s what I did and surprise! I am the brand new owner of a Kindle Fire!
There are two things you should know about me: 1) I REALLY like to read and 2) I REALLY hate
to spend money on “unnecessary” things.
So, I was hesitant to take the plunge and get a Kindle Fire because I
spent $0 dollars a month on books before a Kindle, and I didn’t want my book
budget to go up and out of control just because I had a new fancy gadget. So, once I had my Kindle in my hands, I went to work downloading FREE e-books. I’ve
got to say, I’m not too impressed with the collection. Granted, I have not searched that hard, and
I’m pretty picky in my selections, so maybe it’s my fault. But I expected there to be thousands of
interesting books out there just free for the downloading; not a major bummer,
but just a little let-down. Otherwise, I love my Kindle.
PROS:
I love that you can play games on it, check the internet, access Facebook…it’s like having a little laptop that can go with me anywhere.
Not to mention the reading….oh the glorious reading! I’ve had it about 2 weeks and
I’ve read 6 books. It feels like I’m reading super fast because of how often you’re “flipping” pages.
I like the fact that I can touch a word on my screen and it will be defined for me.
I can make notes and highlight interesting parts too!
It was imperative to me that my e-reader be back-lit, since I wanted to be able to read it anywhere. I love that I can adjust the brightness to suit my needs, whatever they may be.
I like that I can watch videos!
The battery seems to have a pretty decent life to it. I’m not on my Kindle for hours a
day, so I only have to re-charge it every few days.
There are some other features that appear to be really cool that I haven’t even touched yet.
There is a music tab, a documents tab and a video tab that I have yet to explore.
CONS:
I hate the fact that I can never find the “sweet spot” to pull up the tool bar at the bottom to return to the home screen or to see my progress in a book. I end up touching everywhere along the screen, sometimes inadvertently turning pages until I find the right spot.
It also bugs me that sometimes the page-turning seems a little under-sensitive. Again, I either have to find the right spot to tap or I have to drag my finger dramatically to get it to respond.
All in all, I’m in love. It’s lightweight and portable and provides
endless hours of entertainment! What I most appreciate is that I no longer have to lug around a backpack of books every time I travel. I don’t even have
to take a book to the park or the beach….I just pop my Kindle in my purse and
go. I love the convenience of it, the versatility and the sheer fact that it’s gotten me reading more than I have in years. Overall, I would highly recommend the Kindle Fire to anyone thinking about it.
I’m a believer!
I’m not the most tech-savvy person in the world, and techy things aren’t really my cup of tea. I figure that’s why I married a guy who LOVES all that stuff. So he can do all the research and then buy me whatever he thinks is best. Heck, I won’t know the difference anyway! Since
I recently had a birthday, and since I’m an avid reader (like 3-4 books at a
time), I had been toying with the idea of getting an e-reader. I figured I’d tell my husband I wouldn’t mind having one and then I’d leave the idea in his very capable hands. That’s what I did and surprise! I am the brand new owner of a Kindle Fire!
There are two things you should know about me: 1) I REALLY like to read and 2) I REALLY hate
to spend money on “unnecessary” things.
So, I was hesitant to take the plunge and get a Kindle Fire because I
spent $0 dollars a month on books before a Kindle, and I didn’t want my book
budget to go up and out of control just because I had a new fancy gadget. So, once I had my Kindle in my hands, I went to work downloading FREE e-books. I’ve
got to say, I’m not too impressed with the collection. Granted, I have not searched that hard, and
I’m pretty picky in my selections, so maybe it’s my fault. But I expected there to be thousands of
interesting books out there just free for the downloading; not a major bummer,
but just a little let-down. Otherwise, I love my Kindle.
PROS:
I love that you can play games on it, check the internet, access Facebook…it’s like having a little laptop that can go with me anywhere.
Not to mention the reading….oh the glorious reading! I’ve had it about 2 weeks and
I’ve read 6 books. It feels like I’m reading super fast because of how often you’re “flipping” pages.
I like the fact that I can touch a word on my screen and it will be defined for me.
I can make notes and highlight interesting parts too!
It was imperative to me that my e-reader be back-lit, since I wanted to be able to read it anywhere. I love that I can adjust the brightness to suit my needs, whatever they may be.
I like that I can watch videos!
The battery seems to have a pretty decent life to it. I’m not on my Kindle for hours a
day, so I only have to re-charge it every few days.
There are some other features that appear to be really cool that I haven’t even touched yet.
There is a music tab, a documents tab and a video tab that I have yet to explore.
CONS:
I hate the fact that I can never find the “sweet spot” to pull up the tool bar at the bottom to return to the home screen or to see my progress in a book. I end up touching everywhere along the screen, sometimes inadvertently turning pages until I find the right spot.
It also bugs me that sometimes the page-turning seems a little under-sensitive. Again, I either have to find the right spot to tap or I have to drag my finger dramatically to get it to respond.
All in all, I’m in love. It’s lightweight and portable and provides
endless hours of entertainment! What I most appreciate is that I no longer have to lug around a backpack of books every time I travel. I don’t even have
to take a book to the park or the beach….I just pop my Kindle in my purse and
go. I love the convenience of it, the versatility and the sheer fact that it’s gotten me reading more than I have in years. Overall, I would highly recommend the Kindle Fire to anyone thinking about it.
I’m a believer!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Good article!
I find this to be very helpful. I will be shortly talking about prices and the different kinds of e-readers out there but thought that this article is a good introduction!
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009738-1/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009738-1/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy/
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The invention of the tablet.
Surfing the internet, a quick search will show you the many tablets that are available to purchase
either online or in stores (if you are detailed and want to know everything about a tablet before you buy one, you will probably spend a couple of hours researching, making your search not so “quick”). The options seem to be infinite, depending on what you are looking for. There are a couple of them that are the most popularly known, which we are all familiar with; the iPad 1 and 2, the Kindle and Kindle Fire, the Nook, and the list goes on and on. Even though many- if not all-e-reader users are not concerned about who invented the tablet, my curiosity took me to do a little research to find who invented such magnificent devices.
I have to admit that before doing my research I “knew” that the tablet had been invented by that
technological genius that was Steve Jobs and Apple (and I believe many out there thought and are thinking that as well). So I only wanted to confirm that I was on the right track. To my surprise, the more I look to find some information the more I see the name of Stanley Kubrick, and many articles point him as the inventor of the tablet and not Steve Jobs or Apple. This has created some problems between Apple (creator of the iPad I and iPad II) and Samsung (creator of Samsung Galaxy among other products).
Stanley Kubrick was a movie director, screenwriter, producer and cinematographer. In his movie 2001: A Space Odyssey Kubrick showed what could be interpreted as a “tablet” (even though the more I see the images the less it seems to me to be a tablet). The idea is the same (at least
according to what Samsung claims). In the battle that Apple is having against Samsung in the search of the real inventor, the images of the movie previously cited are the argument of Samsung to claim that Apple did not invent the tablet. It seems a vague argument in my opinion because first as I said what is shown in the movie is not even close to what the tablet is today, and secondly because what is pictured in the movie never was real (at least not in the research I have done) and we can’t even prove that it worked. Obviously I might be missing information regarding intellectual rights, etc. that would probably make a difference.
The truth at least until August 24th, 2011 (the day that most articles talking about this issue are dated) Steve Jobs was the first person presenting and the one that patented the tablet, being the iPad I. It is interesting to notice and mention that all these problems between Apple and Samsung came as a response from the Korean company after they were prohibited from selling the Galaxy 10.1 in Europe (this prohibition was later lifted and the Galaxy 10.1 was sold in Europe).
The conclusion then, is that as of right now, Apple and Steve Jobs are recognized as the inventors
of the tablet, even though it seems that this might not be the final answer, and we will need to keep an eye out, if we want to know who invented the tablet. For now, you can just keep using you tablet (even if it is a Samsung Galaxy) since knowing who invented it will not affect its features.
either online or in stores (if you are detailed and want to know everything about a tablet before you buy one, you will probably spend a couple of hours researching, making your search not so “quick”). The options seem to be infinite, depending on what you are looking for. There are a couple of them that are the most popularly known, which we are all familiar with; the iPad 1 and 2, the Kindle and Kindle Fire, the Nook, and the list goes on and on. Even though many- if not all-e-reader users are not concerned about who invented the tablet, my curiosity took me to do a little research to find who invented such magnificent devices.
I have to admit that before doing my research I “knew” that the tablet had been invented by that
technological genius that was Steve Jobs and Apple (and I believe many out there thought and are thinking that as well). So I only wanted to confirm that I was on the right track. To my surprise, the more I look to find some information the more I see the name of Stanley Kubrick, and many articles point him as the inventor of the tablet and not Steve Jobs or Apple. This has created some problems between Apple (creator of the iPad I and iPad II) and Samsung (creator of Samsung Galaxy among other products).
Stanley Kubrick was a movie director, screenwriter, producer and cinematographer. In his movie 2001: A Space Odyssey Kubrick showed what could be interpreted as a “tablet” (even though the more I see the images the less it seems to me to be a tablet). The idea is the same (at least
according to what Samsung claims). In the battle that Apple is having against Samsung in the search of the real inventor, the images of the movie previously cited are the argument of Samsung to claim that Apple did not invent the tablet. It seems a vague argument in my opinion because first as I said what is shown in the movie is not even close to what the tablet is today, and secondly because what is pictured in the movie never was real (at least not in the research I have done) and we can’t even prove that it worked. Obviously I might be missing information regarding intellectual rights, etc. that would probably make a difference.
The truth at least until August 24th, 2011 (the day that most articles talking about this issue are dated) Steve Jobs was the first person presenting and the one that patented the tablet, being the iPad I. It is interesting to notice and mention that all these problems between Apple and Samsung came as a response from the Korean company after they were prohibited from selling the Galaxy 10.1 in Europe (this prohibition was later lifted and the Galaxy 10.1 was sold in Europe).
The conclusion then, is that as of right now, Apple and Steve Jobs are recognized as the inventors
of the tablet, even though it seems that this might not be the final answer, and we will need to keep an eye out, if we want to know who invented the tablet. For now, you can just keep using you tablet (even if it is a Samsung Galaxy) since knowing who invented it will not affect its features.
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