A new trailer for Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett will air during the Superbowl. The film opens in May in wide release and looks fantastic. Take a look:
Bluewater Productions has made a comic book about Robert Pattison called Fame: Robert Pattinson The 32-page comic traces Pattinson's career from his first performance in Tess of the D'Urbervilles at London's Barnes Theatre to his role as Edward in the Twilight series.
"I love having the ability to introduce high-profile people to readers through an unexpected medium that is both written and visual," says Kim Sherman, the author of the Pattinson comic book. "These biography comics are designed to illustrate interesting tidbits to fans about their favorite figureheads, and inspire them to learn more. I chose to conceptualize A-lister Robert Pattinson from a unique perspective, immersing the reader into the life of the talented actor beyond his most famous role."
The Rpatts comic book will be available in May. Bluewater also published a comic book about Twilight author Stephenie Meyer. Bluewater's Fame series will also include comic biographies of Lady GaGa, 50 Cent, Tiger Woods and David Beckham.
You will be able to read ebooks on Apple's new iPad. During his keynote presentation on Wednesday, Steve Jobs touted Apple's new iPad as a great device for reading ebooks. He complimented Amazon.com's Kindle and said they are going to "stand on their shoulders" with the iPad. The iPad comes with an iBooks app that displays your available books in a virtual bookshelf. Like other ebook readers, the iPad will offer access to a digital bookstore. Apple says the iPad provides a "high-resolution, LED-backlit screen displays everything in sharp, rich color, so it's easy to read, even in low light." You can see Apple's iBooks software in the video below from appleinsider.com.
So, will current Kindle owner desert the Kindle for the iPad? It seems unlikely.
The iPad lacks the e-ink technology that makes digital print on ebook readers look like regular paper. The iPad is also much more expensive than the Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Noble's Nook. Another big problem with Apple's iPad ebook plans is that Apple plans to charge a lot more for electronic books than Amazon.com does. Amazon.com charges $9.99 or less for most of its digital books, but Apple reportedly plans to charge $14 to $15 for ebooks. That's 40% to 50% more than Amazon.com. Apple plans to throw in extras like videos of interviews with the authors, but we don't believe that most readers are willing to pay extra to see an author interview or visit the author's website, when such content is available online for free. We think the most important point here is price. Remember the book wars over Christmas between Wal-Mart and Amazon.com? Readers want to read Dan Brown's book at the cheapest price available. The publishers want to charge more for ebooks, but that ship has sailed in our opinion. Amazon.com set the base price and in consumers' minds that's now the price for an ebook. Price increases aren't going to fly.
None of this means that people won't read ebooks on their iPad. We love our Kindle and our iPod Touch and read ebooks on both. With WhisperSync Amazon.com figures out what page we stopped on and automatically goes to that page. We just sync up our Kindle and our iPod Touch and we always have our library with us. It just depends on how big our handbag is that day. The iPod Touch is our top choice when we need something that fits in a pocket and we'll have access to WiFi.
Amazon.com has said previously they will make a Kindle app for the iPad. They already have a Kindle app for the iPhone/iPod Touch that is avaialable in the iTunes store. Apple says that "almost all" iPhone apps will be available for the iPad but it is unclear if they are going to let apps be used that compete directly with its new iBooks software. So, will Apple allow iPad users to download a Kindle app? If so, we'll use it. If not, no way. We won't be tied to the iTunes store for expensive books and fewer book selections than Amazon.com offers.
Amazon.com's recent news that the company has sold millions of Kindles means it has an enormous head start on Apple. We really hope that Apple allows customers to use the Kindle app on the iPad. There is no question they will sell more iPads if they do so. This one is a dealbreaker for avid readers, especially in light of the fact that the iPad doesn't allow you to view movies in widescreen format and doesn't allow you to see Flash, which eliminates the ability to watch TV shows on Hulu or play the 70% of games that are created in Flash. This is essentially a portable multimedia device: Apple needs to make it easier -- and cheaper -- for consumers to view media, in order for the device to be a success.
The Detroit Newsreports that Borders is cutting 164 corporate jobs, including 88 at its Ann Arbor headquarters. Borders sales fell 14% during the 2009 holiday season.
The layoffs represent less than 1 percent of the company's total work force of 22,500, said Borders spokeswoman Anne Roman. The cuts are in response to weak 2009 sales, including the recently ended holiday period. Borders' sales for the 11-week period were $846.8 million, down nearly 14 percent from 2008.
Borders sales have fallen as competition from online retailers and discounters has heightened and consumers have cut spending.
The company is "the brutal victim of shifting demographics," said Kenneth Dalto, a retail analyst in Farmington Hills. "Half the people who bought at Borders 10 years ago are buying online."
There have been reports of concern over Borders financial stability. Borders CEO Ron Marshall resigned yesterday. Hopefully, the struggling bookseller will be able to turn things around this year.
Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos finally gave a figure for Kindle sales. He told analysts yesterday that "millions of people" now own Kindles. TechCrunch thinks the number of Kindles sold is around 3 million and that doesn't include the newest model.
We've checked with our sources, who have been amazingly accurate on the number of Kindle's sold over the last couple of years. The total number of all types of Kindles out there in users hands hit 3 million sometime in December, says a source close to Amazon. And that was before the new model with worldwide data hit.
If Amazon.com has already sold that many Kindles it puts them in a very strong position against new ebook reading devices like Barnes and Noble's Nook and Apple's new iPad.
In About Face, Scott Barnes shares what he has learned during his career as a make-up artist working working with A-list celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Aniston. The guide includes step-by-step photos detailing makeup techniques and products. It also explains beauty rituals and must-have makeup items.
Jennifer Lopez graces the cover of Scott Barnes new book. Scott Barnes has been Jennifer's make-up artist for years. She was out to help Scott Barnes promote the launch of his new beauty tips guide. In this Extra interview, Jennifer Lopez shares her top beauty tip, sleep. Take a look:
Yen Press is publishing a graphic novel version of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. The graphic novel was illustrated by Young Kim and features refreshingly different versions of Bella and Edward than those seen in the film. EWinterview author Stephenie Meyer about the graphic novel and Twilight. She told them she may not be completely done with the series.
"I can't say that I am done with Twilight forever. I'm not working on anything new Twilight-related now, and probably not for a while. But there's still a possibility that I’ll go back and close some of the open doors."
The graphic novel will not go on sale until March 16, 2010 but it can be preordered form Amazon.com for a discount.
The New York Times has announced that it will begin charging readers for content once again. The last time the Times tried this, readership for its top columnists plummeted and the experiment was eventually scrapped. This time, the newspaper will allow readers to read a certain number of articles, then charge them if they want to read more.
The New York-based publisher said in a statement today that it will give users access to a set number of articles a month for free on NYTimes.com and charge a fee for further reading. Subscribers to the New York Times print edition won't be charged for Web access.
The so-called metered model mirrors that of the Financial Times, owned by London-based Pearson Plc, which allows users to access 10 free articles monthly before charging at least $3.59 weekly to continue. The Web site of News Corp.'s Wall Street Journal is subscription-based.
"A metered model is a good option for them because you can still bring casual readers in to the front page, but you can monetize the dedicated readers," Barry L. Lucas, a Rye, New York-based Gabelli & Co. analyst who rates Times Co. shares "hold," said in an interview. "They've needed to do this for a long time because they’ve been giving away their content."
The publisher has been studying paid models for its free site since at least February 2009, when Executive Editor Bill Keller said in an online question-and-answer session that he was considering charging for all or some Web content.
Times Co. experimented with charging users for some opinion and editorial content in a service called Times Select that ran for two years through 2007. At its peak, 200,000 users paid for Times Select and it generated $10 million in revenue, Keller has said.
According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations newspaper readership is down 11% across the board. The Times' print circulation is down 7.3% to its lowest number since 1985, with 927,851 paid subscribers.
We hate the whole micropayment concept. It's annoying, especially if a lot of sites go to this model. If they're going to make people subscribe, then they should do it on a yearly basis. That simplifies the accounting.
The New York Times is reporting that Scholastic plans to relaunch Ann M. Martin's series of books called The Baby-sitters Club. The relaunch will include slighty revised versions of the first two volumes in the series as well as a new book, a prequel called The Summer Before by author Ann M. Martin.
The move follows Scholastic's 2008 resuscitation of "Goosebumps," another of its most popular series. For now Scholastic and Ms. Martin only have plans for the one prequel, although the publisher will release three more reissues of the original series later next year.
"The Baby-Sitters Club," which ran from 1986 through 2000, garnered an ardent following among preteenage girls throughout its run of 213 titles, with the publisher ultimately printing 176 million copies. The series, which followed the baby-sitting adventures and friendships of four 12-to-13-year-old girls — Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia and Stacey (the cast expanded to eight main characters later in the series) — spawned several spinoffs, including a mystery series and a collection of books about Kristy's little sister. All of the books are now out of print.
The relaunched series and new prequel novel will hit stores in April.
M-Edge Accessories announced the launch of its waterproof case for the Kindle at CES 2010. The case called The Guardian provides a watertight seal around the Kindle by utilizing a dual-hinge, integrated gasket and four-latch closure system. The company says they had feedback from readers who want to read at the beach or the bathtub. This case would keep your Kindle safe in case it was accidentally dropped in the water. The case will be available in Spring, 2010. Take a look:
Helen Mirren and James McAvoy talk about their new film, The Last Station, which is based around the life of Leo Tolstoy. The film follows the love story of Leo and his wife Sofya who were married 43 years. But at the end of his life, Tolstoy is persuaded to change his will and cut out his wife and child in favor of the party movement. James plays a young follower sent to document Sofya's outbursts to justify leaving her penniless.
Helen says that she never liked Tolstoy's treatment of women in his novels and James says he's actually never been able to make it through War and Peace. The film, Helen says, is about love and marriage. And it's certainly true that the real Tolstoy treated his wife shamefully. She had plenty of reason to be angry. James plays Valentin Bulgakov, Christopher
Plummer plays Leo Tolstoy and Helen plays Leo's wife Sofya. It looks quite interesting. Take a look:
Plastic Logic's Que reader was one of several ebook readers announced at this year Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The thin black and white 8.5 x 11 inch touchscreen device comes in two different models. The 4QB Que model comes with WiFi and holds up to 35,000 documents and costs $649.00. The 8GB Que model comes with WiFi and 3G and holds up to 75,000 documents and $799.00. Plastic Logic is promoting its electronic reader as the best reader for use in business.
Unlike other ebook readers, the Que also lets you can work on Microsoft Office documents include Word and Excel documents. The Que has a electronic bookstore with Barnes and Noble where books and magazines can be ordered from.
You can read the press release about the Que reader here. The Que also its own website and Twitter account. The Que can be ordered here from barnesandnoble.com.
Usreports that Lady Gaga is starring in a new comic series called Fame. The first issue of the comic book series will be available on May 5th.
"Fame gives us the ability to tell more interesting stories about a wider variety of notable personalities," Bluewater president Darren G. Davis said in a statement. "Conversely, it allows us to focus the scope of our other biography titles to more socially and political important figures."
Bluewater -- the publisher of the Female Force biography series that has featured the likes of First Lady Michelle Obama, Princess Diana, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Twilight scribe Stephenie Meyer -- is also launching more series of "culturally relevant" celebs.
Qualcomm launched its new color ebook reader at the Consumer Electronics Show.
The Mirasol ebook reader uses ambient light to generate images and colors using ambient light. It displays videos, as well. It will hold a charge for two weeks, according to Qualcomm. Take a look:
It's hard to see the brightness of the colors from this video, but the PC World journalists said it knocked their socks off.
Rachel McAdams talks about playing adventuress Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes. Irene Adler appears in only one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about Sherlock Holmes: she is the only person to have outwitted the famous detective. Rachel got to do a few martial arts moves in the film, which thrilled her to no end. Take a look:
We quite enjoyed Sherlock Holmes: it's great fun. Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law are amazing as Holmes and Watson. Guy Ritchie did a fantastic job of recreating Victorian London: it's really a remarkable achievement.
The Detroit News 
The New York Times is 
