O'Reilly Drops eBook DRM, Sees 95% DECREASE in Sales

The world's largest book publisher of tech books, O'Reilly, stopped using DRM on its books 18 months ago. Since then it's seen it's own sales of eBooks increase by 104%. When you think of DRM and tech books you might think "Wouldn't these types of people be copying these books and not be paying? They all seem to crack every other bit of software out there."

Seems like that theory is true.

If you look at US wholesale eBook sales from Q1-Q3 of 2009 you'll see that sales have increased nearly 200% compared to Q1 - Q3 of 2008 according to IDPF. O'Reilly is well behind the industry trend here.

It looks like DRM vendors will now have some useful information at their hands to show that without DRM you'll likely lose out on sales due to copied books.

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Now, I'd just like to point out how even though all these figures by themselves are true, it is all how you put them together to tell the story that then creates mis-information. Someone else may look at these figures and say that O'Reilly eBook Revenue is up 104% if you compare their numbers from the year prior. Well that's what O'Reilly did. And then Boing Boing decided to write about what they said and before you know it people start believing what is told without questioning it.

If you have enough figures, you can tell any story you want.

A Day in the Life of a Beta Application

Since finally upgrading from Windows 7 build 7100 to a full fledged version of Windows 7 Ultimate, I've started searching out quite a few beta applications to install on the new system. Below is a list of the one's I've come across so far and installed. I've also included some that are just trial versions rather than Beta. The main link is as close as you can get to the download before actually downloading it and you can always navigate back from there to find more info on the product.

Are there any other great beta applications out there worth a look at? Let me know



Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 Beta

I just installed this a few hours ago so I haven't had a chance to start using the programs to get an idea for what's new in the software. But with 2010 the addition of MS Office Web Apps is probably one of the most unique differences. This of course coming about all because of the rise of Google Apps, something of which I use very often now. Microsoft has quite a bit of catching up to do in this area.

To see all the other benefits of the 2010 offering head over to the Microsoft site.


Mozilla Firefox 3.6 RC 1

This new release is built on Mozilla's Gecko 1.9.2 web rendering platform and adds quite a few new features over previous versions. One of the noteable benefits that isn't mentioned in the standard release notes is the improvement for those of you running Firebug. Previously when Firebug was installed the high-performance Javascript JIT compiler that speeds things up was disabled even if you weren't running Firebug on that page. This is now fixed on 3.6 and you can read more about it here.

Some of the release notes to make note of include:

• Changes to how third party software to integrate with Firefox in order to prevent crashes
• The ability to run scripts asynchronously to speed up page load times.
• Users can now change their browser's appearance with a single click, with built in support for Personas.
• Open, native video can now be displayed full screen, and supports poster frames.
• Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness and startup time.
• Support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies.

Google Chrome 4.0.288.1

The latest and greatest Google Chrome version can be found by downloading the dev version as found on the early access release channels page. You can also follow all the updates on their blog entitled Google Chrome Releases


Adobe Lightroom 3

I picked up this one the other week after reading through through the HDR tutorial over at Stuck in Customs. Along with Photoshop this seems to be one of the must haves for photo management.


Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta 2

One of the first problems I saw with this was that when going to TweekDeck to download the software, I was told to update my Flash player. I had to find the download elsewhere and then just install it as an Air application. I'm not going to list all the Adobe Beta applications but you can find the rest of them by going to their Labs download page.


Microsoft SQL Server 2008
or
Microsoft SQL Server Express 2008

I've had to get SQL Server for a trial install of AspDotNetStorefront that I'm working with from time to time on projects. The full version is available on a 180-day trial whereas the Express version is its own product available for free.


Microsoft .Net Framework 4 and Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2

Whilst I was downloading the above products I stumbled over here to get the newest .Net framework and the new Visual Studio Suite to go along with it. To read about 6 things that might surprise you about what .Net 4 has to offer head over here for a read.


Skype 4.2 Beta 3

One thing about Skype for me, I hate it as an application for chat. The main problem I have with it as a use for this is the lack of integration of a chat history. This is why I prefer using Google Chat for all means of instant messaging. I do however use Skype for calls and even have a dedicated Skype phone on 3 mobile bundled with an unlimited calling plan to the States for under £2 a month.

My Android Apps - Year in Review

I've had my G1 for just over 1 year now (13 Dec 08) and have seen the Android Market develop from an all free service into what it is now at over 20,000 applications. I thought I would put together a little review of all the apps I currently have on my phone along with a few that I've uninstalled. Finally, I tossed in a few that I haven't had a chance to use but that look promising.

Let me know if you have any others that are perhaps better choices that the ones I'm using now. Or maybe there's a killer app out there that I'm missing. Let me know.


Communication
PdaNet free edition - June Fabrics Technology
Status - Installed

This is essentially my internet connection at home right now. The newest 2.15 version is a big improvement over its predecessors. Although, it still is a bit buggy on my phone and has crashed a few times both on the phone and on the PC. I hope this one will just improve over time and become more stable with another release or two.


Skype Lite Beta - Skype
Status - Uninstalled

This is the biggest disappointment out of any app I've tried yet. Quite surprising from a large company like Skype. The program never stays logged in, doesn't offer true Skype use as you would expect. (It’s not free as it uses up your local minutes to make calls)

I've ended up buying a dedicated Skype mobile phone with 3 and that is working very well.


Google Voice - Google Inc.
Status - Uninstalled

I managed to install this on my phone when I was in the States back in August. I tried it out whilst there and it seemed to work quite well. I suspect if I were over there I would be using it and have it still installed.


Phonalyzr - Martin Drashkov
Status - Uninstalled

I remember this being one of the first apps I installed back in December last year. It provides some interesting data into your phone usage and provides it in a graphically appealing way. Don't remember if there was an export option but that would be an ideal option.


Finance
Finance - Google Inc.
Status - Uninstalled

A fantastic app that allows you to track your portfolio from your Google finance page. I've only uninstalled this as I never used it much but if it were something I needed it would surely be installed.


Health
CardioTrainer - WorkSmart Labs Inc.
Status - Installed

This is by far one of the best apps I've downloaded. They have really developed this over the year and added a lot of useful features. It's just over 3mb so it can be a bit heavy on the resources but it's a fantastic app that lets you track your movement during sports and also whilst in vehicles.


GoalHappy - Paul Bibby
Status - Installed

Great little program that lets you set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. It's quite new to the market only coming out the other week. I'll be looking forward to future developments and hopefully see it develop a bit more. It still needs to support landscape display and could use with a bit of graphic design to really make it stand out. Hopefully the developer will have some more time to develop this one.


Multimedia
imeem Mobile - imeem, inc
Status - Uninstalled

This is the first music app that I started using. It won't allow you to choose the exact track you want to listen to but streams music similar to the track or artist you first chose. I've since not reinstalled it but probably would if I needed some free streaming music.


Spotify - Spotify
Status - Uninstalled

If I wasn't a cheap skate I would be using this premium application. I use it all the time on my desktop but after finding out it needs a monthly subscription I uninstalled it. I've went many a year without paying for music and I think the trend will continue to live on.


News & Weather
TV-Guide UK (free) - Jersey Productions
Status - Installed

A well rounded app here for the basic stations you'll find on freeview. It has a reminder feature where you can set a timed alarm before your favourite shows come on. For the future, perhaps integration with a full featured website would be nice to allow for easier mass scheduling of reminders.


BBC News - Jim Blackler
Status - Installed

If you want to see the BBC news feed then this is the app for you. It allows viewing of all the news feeds that you would see on the website but in a faster way.


Productivity / Tools
AnySoftKeyboard - Menny Even Danan
Status - Installed

A couple weeks ago I decided to swap out all the keys on my laptop and configure them into a Dvorak keyboard. This app allowed me to add a softkeyboard onto my G1 as well so that I could keep the practice up. I still haven't mastered it yet, but I can see the massive potential of a Dvoark keyboard over a typical QWERTY one. I just wish I had started learning on a Dvorak from the beginning.


Any Cut - Jeff Hamilton
Status - Installed

Great program that's been on my phone since the beginning as well. It provides you with the ability to create shortcuts to directly dial or sms a person for example.


Download Crutch - ouroborus.org
Status - Installed

Vital app to allow you to download any file from the web on the android. By default you'll find that almost everything doesn't download properly, but this app does the trick!


G-Mon - C. Knuetter
Status - Uninstalled

A pretty powerful WarDriving app that constantly scans available networks and places them in into a csv or kml file for processing. It is able to display all access points including all those with the same SSID.

I've had it hang and not process a large kml file before and had to force close the app. I would continue to use this though despite the problem if I needed such a thing.


IcViewer for PDF,Word,PS - Derie Li
Status - Installed

This app will upload a file attachment and create a readable format for your G1. I've had some issues this this app with it hanging and then crashing from time to time. The file will need to just be re-opened and then it's viewable. Any better options out there?


mAnalytics - mugitek
Status - Installed

A very thin integration with your Google Analytics account. It will give you the basic stats of any of the accounts you have linked to your login. Hopefully further development will open up more stats that you can view in this app.


MountUSB - BK Mobility
 Status - Installed

Quick one touch key that will connect your phone as a removable drive on your PC. Certainly a necessity that I constantly use without fail.


NewsRob - Mario Kamp
 Status - Installed

This app integrates into your Google Reader account and lets you read your feeds in a bit easier way than using the Google Reader mobile website. It's a bit basic but does the trick.


Voice Recorder - Mamoru Tokashiki
 Status - Installed

Install the widget to your home screen and you have the perfect little button to start recording at a touch of a button.


White Noise Lite - TMSOFT
Status - Installed

A nice little app that I use to listen to the sound of the beach at night. It has a few other not so pleasant sounds as well but does exactly what I want it to with the beach sound. It takes me back to the evenings spent sleeping on the beaches in the Greek Islands.


Shopping
OI Shopping List - OpenIntents
Status - Uninstalled

From what I recall this is a pretty thinly featured shopping list app that will help create your shopping list. I'm sure there are some other full featured apps out there.

I recall seeing some that already have built in items where you don't need to type much. Also, sharing of the list with other people so that you can tick off items on the same list. Ideally an app that has a website with a full set of features would be ideal rather than just a dedicated android app. What is the best shopping list app out there?


ShopSavvy - Big in Japan, Inc.
Status - Uninstalled

All the talk on the street is that this is one of the best apps out there to compare an item you see in the store. I've not had much use for this as all my shopping is done online anyways but suspect this can be a great tool for anyone doing a lot of shopping in stores to find a good deal.


Pkt Auctions eBay - Bonfire Media, Inc
Status - Installed

If you trade or buy on eBay this is a must have app. The most recent update now includes messages as well. The app is coded to work from the eBay API so there's a lot of features this one can present to you.


Social
Foursquare - Joe LaPenna
Status - Installed

This has got to be one of the most talked about new sites out there right now. Even though I don't live near one of the 100 or so supported cities, I'm adding locations to my town frequently but it registers as the biggest city supported next door to me, Bristol. I think I would get more use out of it if I were back in London but I can see the potential for this to soon be in nearly every city.


Swift App for Twitter - Sebastian Delmont
Status - Installed

I've started using this app just recently in the last month or so. I like the looks of this one and seem to prefer it over Twitdroid. A new release was just made that included some useful additions like conversation following and img.ly support. It doesn't allow viewing of any lists you may have created yet or the option for multiple accounts. I suspect future development will see some of these and other features included.


Facebook for Android - Facebook
Status - Installed

This recently had a complete facelift and reconstruction to it. Lots more built in functionality but there's still more to expect over the iPhone app that's out there. Let's hope to see some more leaps forward with this one.


Travel
London Underground - Visual IT Limited
Status - Installed

I use this just for the tube map it provides. My next one is for actual tube status and line closure information. This does also have a tube status feature built in, but it keeps it in a menu option which I find annoying when I just want to see a list of the statuses. It does have a great route finder built into it though so it's not all just about the map.


iTubeStatus - Julfikar Damani
Status - Installed

I use this for exactly what the app is named for, TubeStatus. Open it up and you're immediately presented with a list of all the tubes and great visual indicators letting you know which lines have delays or service bulletins. Just remember to fire this app up before you go underground as you're likely not to get reception down there.

UK National Rail Train Live - lochmagic
Status - Installed

If you travel in London on the trains then this is the best app I've found so far. It tracks all the trains coming and going at the stations. It even pulls up stations nearest you based on your location which makes it easy to find the stations without typing in a search query.


Others
Screen Crack - Laan Labs
Status - Uninstalled

Another one of the early apps I installed. I even managed to convince a few techie friends I really did crack the screen. Mind you, I don't recommend doing what I did and actually dropping it on the floor and picking it up with the program activated. It might have very well been a real cracked screen if I was unlucky.
I've used but uninstalled

OpenTable - OpenTable, Inc.
Status - Uninstalled

I used to use OpenTable all time when I lived in Chicago. If I was dining out more frequently and back in London I'm sure I would be using this app to find all the 1,000 point opportunities it has for restaurants.


Mobile GA - Actual Metrics
Status - Uninstalled

I tried using this app as it seemed far superior than mAnalytics but could never get it to even connect to my account. Fail


Never Installed
last.fm - Personal Radio - Last.fm Ltd.
Status - Never Installed

A very popular service, although it’s one that I've never used though. I wonder how it compared to the likes of Spotify, Pandora or imeem.


Mobile Defense - Mobile Defense
Status - Never Installed

This looks like a full fledged app to add an additional level of safety to your phone. It gives you a lot of options to safeguard your phones data in the event of loss.

I would really like to have the opportunity to install and test this app out. But currently it's only available in the United States.

Watching 4oD without the Adverts

I've started watching more shows online these days rather than sitting in front of the TV and flipping through the channels. I began with BBC iPlayer watching Spooks, Paradox, Merlin and a few others. I then started watching some shows over at 4oD last night. I quickly became annoyed at the amount of adverts! I remember back when 4oD used to be a program on your PC and you could download the show and watch them advert free. These days have changed I've soon found out.

Because I connect to the internet on my laptop by tethering my G1 phone to it, my internet sometimes gets lost and I have to reconnect. If this happens when I'm watching 4oD, the show will have to be restarted and I'll have to go through the 3 adverts at the start of the show. If I was far enough along, the 2nd set of 3 adverts would then also have to reload.

Being that this happened a few times I needed to find a fix to this problem. And I have...

The FAQ page on the 4oD site gives some advise to those people using Ad-blocking software and a way to check to see if they're having problems with it. What this also does, is provide some vital information that we need to easily block the ads from showing on the shows.

Some of you may be familiar with what a HOSTS file is. For those of you that aren't, it's your computers first point of call before it travels out to the internet to a DNS server to translate the URL you type into a  set of numbers computers can communicate with. Think of it as a complex form of turning a phone number like 1-800-COLLECT into 1 800 265 5328

Essentially, what this would allow you to do is to tell your computer that when you type www.google.com for it to go to www.bing.com instead all the time. In this case however, we want to tell our computer to look at our own computer for the answer, yielding no result at all.

1. Locate your hosts file (you will need to have administrator rights and change it from read-only)
• Windows - C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\
• Mac - /private/etc/hosts
2. Add these 2 entries on new lines at the end of the file
• 127.0.0.1 realmedia.channel4.com
• 127.0.0.1 imagec16.247realmedia.com

I've just finished watching all 6 episodes of The IT Crowd flawlessly with absolutely no adverts on it at all.

Sorry 4oD

Summer in Review "Part 1 - Lyon to Morocco"

I last left the adventures in the southern region of France, just before I was heading off for continent #3, Africa. The 3 weeks, with the 2 guys
NederBoyz I met back in Verona in October '06, were packed with a few interesting events.

* A 3 day journey into the desert was filled with synchronized diving lessons
Syncro Diving, some fun spinning around on playgrounds
Fun getting dizzy, visiting the local petting zoo
Moroccan Petting Zoo (WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT), the customary ride on the camels
Camel Ride, and a lot of driving. One of our camels, Gert, went a bit crazy at one point and got loose in the camel caravan
Camel Caravan we were riding in. After an exciting few minutes, David almost jumping off and nearly in tears, and Booy just a few inches short of getting his leg bit, we were back on track. Arriving at our oasis
Saraha Oasis, we were later welcomed by the Sahara with 8 hours of constant rain. In the morning, I carried up the snowboard to take a ride down the massive mound of sand
Sandboarding. Had it not been for our quick thinking guide that threw a wet mattress I would have ended up running into a concrete hole with 2ft rebar protruding from itself.


* We just returned from our 3 day desert trip and the boys and I went to the local football match
Football African Style between Kawkab Marrakech and Olympique Safi. After narrowly getting involved in a fight just 5 rows behind us
Rumble in the Stands and a rather poor match, we figured we could head over to the Hostel International place they stayed at the other day...turns out they were booked. We went into the center of town and after finding out 10+ hotels were booked on a Saturday night around 12am we were a bit worried. We found someone on the street that was willing to take us back to his house for 100 dirham each, but after about 20min of consideration we declined the offer. We wandered around a bit more and stumbled upon Hotel Central Palace
Hotel Central Palace which we thought was full before, and were able to get it for a bargain of 50 dirham each. It had a wonderful rooftop terrace with a view of the D'Jemaa el-Fna.

* One thing to be aware of is the low sign postings. I failed to see this one
Dangerous Moroccan Road Signs when I was sending a sms to our host.


We continued on our way to enjoy the wind swept Essaouira coast, the coastal metropolis of Casablanca, and the developing coast or Rabat. Of the 3, I think we all would agree that Essaouira was the most relaxing. We hung around a few days longer than we first planned for, making sure to get in some games of sand football.
Football on the Beach

We made our way back to Chefchaouen where the boys visited before I met up with them in Marrakech. It was a nice little town known for it's blue-rinsed houses.
True Blue City

We then made our way to the Tangier port to head off to Spain. We had heard conflicting stories about Tangier, some loved it, some hated it. We didn't stick around too long to get a definitive self evaluation of the town, but.... When we exited the taxi at the port, we were greeted by a very helpful man that wanted to offer us assistance on finding out correct ferry to take across to Spain. As the boys had come from Spain to get to Morocco they were going to do quite well on their own they told him. He persisted of course, as did we that we wouldn't be in any need of his help, but he followed us around the entire port and handed us yellow customs forms to help us in our journey. These are available to anyone for free of course when entering/exiting the country, he however, felt that they commanded a fee because he was the one that gave them to us. Even after he had given up in trying to get money from us, a fellow friend of his tried one final time to try and persuade us into giving him something for them, we kindly declined...again.

This leads us back to Europe, and the town of Tarifa, Spain, where I'll pick my story in "Part 2 - Tarifa to London".