Kobo App Easter Egg

It looks like this:

Click = big

All I know is that exists. I don’t know how to call it up, and still don’t have an iPad myself.

iDevice Kobo App With DRM-Free ePub

Well, standing here embarrassed as all hell over my huge error in that last post, I’ll come back for more.

Here are directions from the Mobileread Kobo Reader Wiki on how to add DRM-free ePub and PDFs to the Kobo reading app on an iDevice.

How do I ‘side-load’ PDF and unencrypted epub files into the Kobo application using iTunes?

Kobo Books: Read Adobe DRMed ePub On An iPad

MAJOR CORRECTION!

That’s what the man of Kobo Books just said:

@mikecane You’re absolutely right re: Desktop Reader. My error. Side-loading live for iPhone, iPad, eReader, still in dev for Desktop ReaderFri Sep 17 21:01:16 via webMichael Tamblyn
mtamblyn

That is MAJOR.

That means that reading public library loans of ePub eBooks dipped in Adobe DRM will work on the iPad!

UPDATE: Bad parsing by me of what is in the Kobo Blog post:

You should definitely be able to add in unencrypted, unDRM’d stuff. It would be even better if you could get DRM’d books from other vendors in. (We’re part way there now. Side-load PDFs, un-DRM’d ePubs into our Desktop Reader (Oops! Not yet! Working on it. — MT), Kobo eReader, iPad and iPhone apps. Add Overdrive library books on the Kobo eReader. More to come…)

(The mention of “eReader” up there is for the Kobo Reader hardware.)

My huge error.

Adobe DRMed ePubs will, however, work on the Kobo Reader hardware.

All the rest can use only DRM-free ePub.

Get the Kobo software and try it! DRM-free ePub. (Which, alas, is what iBooks can already do… so, you know, never mind!)

Additional:

Sony Reader 101: Borrowing Public Library eBooks — an all-purpose primer for borrowing ePub eBooks from public libraries
OverDrive Search (click on Search for a Library tab)
Sony Library Finder (easier; no tab to select)

Grrrrrr, Part Three

iPad just-slightly insufficiently futurey

I got an iPad a few weeks ago, and it’s really pretty amazing.

This is a big reversal, since I scoffed at those things when they came out. “Why would I want an iPhone that’s too big to put in my pocket?” I thought they were useless and stupid, until I used one, and now I’m totally sold. It’s an instant-on appliance with a real web browser and real mail reader on a real screen.

I will never use a laptop again.

Grrrrrr, Part Two

So I broke down. After returning an iPad I ordered when they first came out, after seeing some app demos, I got a new one today. I know.Thu Sep 02 23:56:44 via TweetDeckDon Linn
DonLinn

Don is one of the people I Follow who had an iPad very early on.

Frankly, I was shocked that he returned it. I can’t find his original tweet about it (you disappoint me, Topsy!), but I think he mumbled something about it not being a solution to any problem he had. He then threatened to cut with a knife said the subject was closed and he wouldn’t discuss it.

Now this!

Grrrrrr

Twitter for iPad is freaking me out. I’m wondering if iPad will become my main PC after Apple releases iOS 4.2 in November.Thu Sep 02 15:41:23 via Tweetie for MacJoe Wilcox
joewilcox

And I was thinking just last night, if I had decided to go for the WiFi-only iPad, I would have had it and the kittens would not have prevented its purchase. Timing is everything, dammit.

Hmmmm….

Either something went wrong with WordPress or I wasn’t paying proper attention.

I might have accidentally deleted the latest post that was here.

And I no longer recall what it was.

Anyway, no conspiracy. You’re not seeing things.

Purely stupid accident — if one did get deleted.

iWork Adds ePub Export

I was busy watching a live video session of an Android tablet and so ignoring Twitter.

When the video was over, I got hit with several tweets about Apple updating iWork’s Pages desktop app with ePub export capability.

Right now, these are two links to look at:

Test-driving Apple Pages with ePub export

ePub export comes to Pages in iWork 9.0.4 update

More about this at another time as I learn more.

Samsung Galaxy Tablet Looks Fast

Engadget embedded a problematic video. Someone ripped it and posted it on YouTube. Now I’ve embedded that one here.

Of course, every demo video looks wonderful. But unless they played with the video speed, this thing looks like it’s wicked fast.

No telling what additional APIs Samsung might have thrown in there to make devs have to crank out a GTab-specific version of their apps, though.

If they price this over $350-$400, it’s dead in the water for most of the public, though.

Apple To Kill Samsung’s Galaxy Tablet Day Before Debut?

Apple Issues Invitation For September 1 “Special Event”

Gee, is there anything happening on the 2nd?

I think Apple did this deliberately. It’s been prepping this announcement all along, had it all ready to go, but have been waiting to see who they could stab with a pre-emption.

I thought they’d announce on September 8th. And some people today said September 7th.

I wouldn’t expect any 7″ iPad Mini to be available immediately. But all they have to do is “preview” it as One More Thing and that will kill all competitors and pretenders to the iPad throne.