So, everyone is making their own mobile devices these days. At least, that’s how it seems. Connecting a hand held device to the web and enabling it with Wi-Fi seems to be enough reason to make one’s own mobile device and sell it for an exorbitant price. Yet the ability to use these mobile devices to run various platforms could entice developers, build out a growing marketplace, and become the new way of doing business. Companies such as Amazon are looking to move in on Apple’s turf in order to get a piece of this pie.

Apple’s iPhone still dominates on the mobile app scene. It’s cell phone has won the hearts of millions around the world, with the iTunes App Store attracting countless developers, publishers and buyers to its mobile marketplace. The growth f an entire industry is looking to mobile as its future, and Apple is starting to see more and more competition from others seeking a comparable platform approach to the mobile app forum.

Amazon, for example, has the Kindle. It was launched as a mobile book reader, and has seen some good numbers in the couple of years it’s been out on the market. As a mobile device that is able to connect to the web, however, it has much more potential beyond that of an e-book reader. According to BusinessWeek, Amazon is looking to expand by launching a platform where developers can create apps to run on the Kindle.

It makes sense for Amazon to move in this direction, especially as Apple continues to launch mobile devices that support its growing selection of apps. Enabling developers to create apps for an open platform supported by Kindle could mean additional revenue streams for the online retailer. The best part, is that Amazon gets to maintain its position is a relatively intangible retail service, moving deeper into the mobile app industry and being able to provide access to more virtual products.

Industry-wide, Amazon’s move will also spur further growth in the mobile app space. Google has already begun to impede on Apple’s territory with its Android platform, which is run on multiple devices and is more open than Apple’s own platform. Amazon could learn from the existing battle between Google and Apple in this regard, as the two platform extremes demonstrated by Google and Apple represent two sides of the regulation spectrum.

The concern is that Apple is too strict with its review process, without having a transparent system for developers to navigate. Google, on the other hand, could let malware creep into its Android Marketplace, as it’s more lax with its approval process. Reaching a middle ground could be a good way for Amazon to launch an app store for Kindle, encouraging the developers right off the bat.

Additionally, the ensuing war against Apple’s app domination is being taken up by more than just Google. Several mobile devices from several companies (i.e. GPS navigation service Garmin), will be looking to make some extra money through mobile apps and the ownership of a platform that runs on their self-distributed devices. While this breaks up the industry a great deal, it also gives developers and publishers more options for distributing content.

Against Apple in particular, apps running on Amazon’s Kindle could be for music or television content, which could cost less than what we find on Apple. Amazon already made a similar move when releasing its own mp3 download service, though this didn’t seem to make much of a dent in Apple’s jurisdiction. Specifically towards the price wars, consumers are less likely to see extreme differences amongst different devices this time around, as it’s clear that industry-wide changes are capable of being made.

Whether or not this oncoming variety of devices and content distribution will remain consumer-centric remains to be seen. With so many of the big players being involved, the standards established around the mobile app industry could end up evening out in favor of companies like Apple, Google and Amazon. I think it’s important to keep the consumers in mind when developing competing platforms and methods of mobile app distribution, so hopefully we’ll see some efforts towards this direction as well.

by Michelle Lentz

For me, 2009 was the Year of the Suitcase. I traveled more, for both business and pleasure, than I ever have before. That trend looks like it will continue into 2010, which is pretty exciting. In fact, my 2010 kicks off next week with a trip to Las Vegas for CES 2010, where I’ll probably find new gadgets to lust after. Until then, however, I’m thrilled with several of the gadgets that have gotten me through the last year of travel. Some of them aren’t as new as they possibly could be, and some of them are pretty basic, but they all serve their purpose.

Amazon Kindle 2: I pre-ordered this last February. It was my first big gadget purchase of the year and I don’t regret it for a second. Sure, I occasionally lose a lot of patience with Amazon, considering that it won’t read the ePub format. I am a big proponent of ereaders, Kindle or otherwise, and evangelize them to everyone. See me in an airport and want to play with my Kindle? No problem. It has made traveling a lot easier (I used to pack tons of books and now I just pack the Kindle) and I still end up reading myself to sleep by the light of a booklight attached to the Kindle cover.

Sennheiser PXC 250 Noise Canceling Headphones: There are probably better options out there, but these Sennheisers fold up rather small and slip into my purse or briefcase. They block out just about everything, which makes flying so much easier. They’re also a whole lot cheaper now than when I purchased them, currently coming in at $62.66.

Luggage Scale: Without fail, I tend to both overpack for a trip and shop once I arrive. This means I’m always checking one bag, despite the ridiculous fees. To keep myself on the safe side of 50 pounds, I rely 100% on a portable digital luggage scale. These things retail for around $13 and have routinely saved me on excess fees and helped control my overpacking and shopping urges.

Wine Diapers / Wine Skins: Being a wine blogger, I can’t seem to travel anywhere without a bottle of wine, and I also tend to buy wine where ever I end up. This means that I not only need to pack the 750 ml of liquid in my checked luggage, but I need to keep it from breaking and turning a white designer sweater pink en route. I’ve been testing out the Wine Diaper, which works well and has the benefit of being reusable, but I rather prefer the Wine Skin.

Dell Mini: I ordered the Dell Mini 10v rather cheap (<$200) from the Dell Outlet. Not only that, I was able to score a pink one, which I quickly outfitted with a pink mouse and pink USB stick. I purposely bought a lower-end Mini, the 10v, which has the VGA port. Why? Because when I present at conferences, I need it to be as easy as possible with a low-barrier for whomever is setting me up / letting me use the equipment. The Mini 10 (no V) includes fancy items such as GPS and an internal TV tuner. I loaded up the Mini 10v with Windows 7, Word and Powerpoint, Thunderbird, Acrobat, and Firefox. With just that amount, it’s perfect for presentations, email, and surfing. However, a few weeks ago I had to write an RFP while traveling. Don’t buy a 10-inch netbook for your primary machine if you need to write anything more intensive than a basic blog post. At that point, the 10-inch screen is a hindrance. But for travel and presentations, the machine is a dream.

Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go: To complement the Mini 10V, I also picked up the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go stick. After doing some price comparisons, it seemed the best option. Most of the places I go actually have wireless. However, occasionally the broadband or wireless in a hotel will be ridiculously expensive or just a poor connection. Sometimes I even find myself at conferences where I don’t have wireless available in the sessions rooms. Remarkable, but true. To combat this sometimes-but-not-always problem, I went with the pay-as-you-go option. I tried it out for the first time last week in Key West and it worked beautifully. I was able to do everything from surf the Web to uploading files. I bought a $20 card, which got me 250 MB (the equivalent of 2 hrs browsing, 1 hour web video, or 25,000 emails).  It was a leisure trip, so I wasn’t online much, but I still have about 150 MB left. The catch is that your data allowance expires anywhere from 10-30 days after purchase, depending on how much you buy. But if you buy strategically (in my case, before every trip), it shouldn’t be an issue. The initial hardware purchase will set you back $99 and there is a lot of freedom in being able to get online anywhere, anytime.

Motorola Droid: I realize I just got my hands on this in November, but it’s quickly become a huge part of my life. Now that I have service everywhere I go (unlike my last two years with AT&T), I am constantly tweeting, texting and emailing. I realize that might not be a good thing, but my ability to be connected has greatly increased. The keyboard makes everything easy for me and I have no problem finding free apps I like and need from the Android Marketplace. I can’t say that the Droid has changed the way I communicate. But it enhances my communications and allows me to communicate in ways I couldn’t with my iPhone.

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Cheers!
Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

When I heard that Cushing Academy had decided to remove their school library in order to move into the digital age, my heart broke a little bit. The Boston Globe piece shares that what used to be a library on campus will now be a learning center with everything from e-readers and big screens for data viewing to a $12,000 cappuccino machine.

I have never been to Cushing Academy but I am an avid reader who values the feel and weight of a book in my hands. Of course I say this only a few hours after I started to seriously think about purchasing the Amazon Kindle. The problem with being an avid reader is that I have stacks and stacks of books since my bookcases are filled to capacity. The stacks are getting a little overwhelming so I am looking for a solution.

There are so many advantages to the use of an e-reader. Cutting back on printing and shipping are good for the environment and drive down the cost of the text that is transmitted to the device. It’s a great way to cut down on the pain and strain of carrying a heavy book or two in a purse or backpack. I also love the idea of downloading the book instantly instead of going to the bookstore or ordering from an online vendor.

The convenience is also a double-edged sword. As I’ve learned from iTunes, easy access can lead to  impulse purchases (yep, I admit it, you’ll find a little Miley Cyrus in my music collection). There’s also something to be said for the ability to write in your book and make notes and highlight passages you want to come back and read again. I’ve also mentioned how much I love the weight of a book in my hands and after a full day in front of a computer screen, it’s nice to enjoy something that isn’t digital.

That’s my dilemma, am I ready to go that digital. Withe so many enthusiasts on both sides of the debate, I mentioned my interest in purchasing the device on Twitter. Bub.blicio.us contributor, Michelle Lentz, had the best tip on how to enjoy the best of both worlds*:

*Yes, that was an intentional Miley Cyrus reference

Back in July, Amazon got all Orwellian and removed George Orwell’s 1984 from Kindle devices. The irony was lost on no one. The Digits blog (Wall Street Journal) is reporting that Amazon is now trying to make up for it. They are offering a return of the book, including any annotations made by the consumer, or $30 in either a gift certificate or a check.

The full text of the notifying email is below:

Hello,

On July 23, 2009, Jeff Bezos, our Founder and CEO, made the following apology to our customers:

“This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle. Our “solution” to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we’ve received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission.

With deep apology to our customers,

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO
Amazon.com”

As you were one of the customers impacted by the removal of “Nineteen Eighty-Four” from your Kindle device in July of this year, we would like to offer you the option to have us re-deliver this book to your Kindle along with any annotations you made. You will not be charged for the book. If you do not wish to have us re-deliver the book to your Kindle, you can instead choose to receive an Amazon.com electronic gift certificate or check for $30.

Please email Kindle customer support at kindle-response@amazon.com to indicate your preference. If you prefer to receive a check, please also provide your mailing address.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

The Kindle Team

I’m not sure what took Amazon so long to offer this solution (which is supposedly not in response to a pending lawsuit about the incident). Is it enough or is the fact that Amazon reached into people’s Kindles just a little too 1984?

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Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

CoolerBooks.com is now billing itself as the world’s largest eBookstore. It was announced today that CoolerBooks has paired with Google to include over 1 million public domain books from Google Books.

Starting today, COOLERBOOKS.com will feature a Google API with out of copyright works from the Google Books index, accessible for free via the COOLERBOOKS.com website, and the COOL-ER ereader. With this partnership, COOLERBOOKS.com becomes the largest ebookstore in the world, with over one million titles available for purchase or free access.

CoolerBooks also produces the Cooler eBook reader, which looks sort of like a giant iPod. The eBook store carries 19 different file formats, including PUB and PDF, and MP3.

This is sort of a direct hit at Amazon who, again, carries books only in the AZW format for it’s AZW-reading Kindle.

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Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

Sony held a press conference today announcing a new addition to it’s eBook Reader family, as well as some interesting partnerships.

Earlier this month, Sony announced the adoption of the ePUB format for its stores, making me seriously consider switching from the Kindle. Now Sony has upped the ante a bit. There are now several eReaders in the family.

The Pocket Edition has physical buttons and is smaller, sporting a 5 in display and 512 MB internal memory. It’s a perfect candidate for someone’s first foray into eBooks and is priced at $199. The Touch edition has a touchscreen, 6 in display, 512 MB internal memory and a slot for a Memory Stick Pro Duo SD card. It also includes an audio player and picture viewer. The Touch is priced at $299. Both of these devices are available now (and were actually announced earlier this month).

The big news is the Daily Edition, announced today and available by the holidays. The  Daily Edition is the top of the line, selling for $399 and is comparable in many ways to the Kindle DX. That includes 3G access via AT&T but unlike the Kindle, you can’t surf the web, just the Sony store. The Daily Edition includes a 7-in touchscreen and can be used in portrait or landscape mode. I’m not sure of the exact specs, but the press release states that the reader “has enough internal memory to hold more than one thousand standard eBooks and expansion slots for memory cards to hold even more.”

If I understand correctly, these devices are in addition to the existing Digital Book PRS-505, which sells for $279, but I suspect they may be phasing that one out and replacing it with the similar Pocket edition.

The really excellent news is Sony’s deal with the public libraries of the world. Believe it or not, your public library most likely has an eBook library available. For example, I have access to the Ohio eBook Project. Unfortunately, because my Kindle won’t read DRM’d .mobi or ePUB files, I can’t read any of the books available to me. Sony is making sure that its users can easily access the libraries and check out books, all from their eBook device.

Thousands of libraries in the OverDrive network offer eBooks optimized for the Sony Reader, and visitors can now find these libraries by typing their zip code into the Library Finder. Through the selected library’s download website, visitors can check out eBooks with a valid library card, download them to a PC and transfer to their Reader. At the end of the library’s lending period, eBooks simply expire, so there are never any late fees.

Sony has another major advantage over Amazon – it has physical stores. It’s one of the reasons that I am constantly asked about the Kindle in airports. “Is that a Kindle? Can I see it?”  Sony makes it easy. Not only can you walk into any SonyStyle store in your local mall to play with an eBook reader, you can also wander into any Borders to experience one. eBook Readers, whether Kindle or Sony, are hard to explain until someone actually has one in their hands, sees, the eInk, and “flips” a few pages.

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Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

I’m not loyal to my electronic devices and brands. I’m happily leaving behind Apple to grab a different mobile phone. (This week I’m playing with a Blackberry Tour, but I still want to get my hands on a Pre.) And now, I’m considering leaving my Kindle behind to pick up a Sony eReader sometime this year. After all, I can sell the Kindle on eBay.

In the same way that Apple has irritated with iPhone/App Store quirks, Amazon is irritating me with Kindle quirks. In the last 6 months I’ve been rubbed the wrong way by several things:

• Inability to read formats other than DRM-free MOBI, DRM-free PDF, and AZW (Amazon). This keeps me from using the eBooks from my local library, all available in ePub and DRMed MOBI files.
• Amazon lowered the price of the Kindle 2 by $100. Yes, I paid $400 for the thing back in February. I should have waited a few months and saved some case.
• Amazon took back the George Orwell book. Now, I didn’t have it on my Kindle to begin with, but it does make me sort of shudder. Please don’t Big Brother my eBook Reader.

Today comes the news that Sony will be adopting the ePub format for their digital store. ePub is the open standard for eBooks and its a great sign that Sony is moving to the format. According to the New York Times,

After the change, books bought from Sony’s online store will be readable not just on its own device but on the growing constellation of other readers that support ePub. Those include the Plastic Logic eReader, a thin device that has been in development for nearly a decade and is expected to go on sale early next year.

“There is going to be a proliferation of different reading devices, with different features and capabilities and prices for a different set of consumer requirements,” said Steve Haber, president of Sony’s digital reading unit. “If people are going to this e-book shopping mall, they are going to want to shop at all the stores, and not just be required to shop at one store.”

Sony is going out of its way to let other readers into its store. It smartly sees the value in selling the books and not just the device. Wait a minute. Haven’t we gone through this before with music players? It’s worth mentioning that Sony will be switching to the Adobe DRM. Just because these are ePub, does not mean that they will be DRM free. But they are available for other devices, which is key.

The ePub format will be compatible with all of Sony’s available eReaders, including the PRS-500 (1st generation), which my husband happens to own. See? No brand loyalty in this house.

Amazon needs to get in the game. They cannot play the Apple card in the eBook field and hope to survive. Not with so many low-cost readers heading to market within the next year, all of which support the open ePub standard.

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Cheers!

Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

This is a rumor folks, but what a juicy one it is.

Gizmodo points us to an article in today’s Financial Times about the rumored launch of an Apple tablet just in time for the Christmas Shopping Season this year. The  device sounds an awful lot like a giant iPod Touch, so I’m not sure how much credence I put in this. I’ve travelled a lot lately, so my mindset is sort of “How could I use this on a plane?” and that would be pretty handy for movies. (Although the iPod Touch/iPhone takes up a lot less space.)

This will compete directly, I would think, with the various “netbooks” that are out there. Apple has done enough with touchscreens to be able to support a tablet, and the keyboard would be more usable to those of us with fat finger syndrome.

According to the Financial Times,

Apple is racing to offer a portable tablet-sized computer in time for the Christmas shopping season, in what the entertainment industry hopes will be a new revolution.

The device is expected to be launched alongside new content deals, including some aimed at stimulating sales of CD-length music, according to people briefed on the project. The touch-sensitive computer will have a screen that may be up to 10 inches diagonally.

The article takes great pains to mention that this could also be a competitor to the Kindle, with book publishers already interested. My thoughts on that? Unless it’s e-ink, which is easy on the eyes, I don’t see it as a challenge to e-Book Readers like the Kindle and/or the Sony.

Estimated pricing is between $600-$1000 (did I mention it’s a rumor?). Would you buy an Apple tablet in that price range or is this just another random tech gadget?

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Cheers!
Send Michelle technology news at Michelle at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.