Product Launches

FastCompany's Kit Eaton reported today (on the technology blog at FastCompany.com) that two new tablet PCs are hitting the market, ahead of Apple's much anticipated but still rumored Tablet.

Nearly 34 percent of Americans are cutting down on the number of books they purchase due to the economic downturn of the past two years, according to newly released data from PubTrack Consumer.

Starting Friday, Dec. 11, Sony will make offer its inventory of e-books in EPUB format only.

Dow Jones Newswires reported today that "Swedish buyout firm EQT is set to buy Germany's Springer Science and Business Media within the next few days.

200 Number of Waldenbooks mall-based stores that Borders Group Inc. will close in January. One-hundred-thirty mall locations will remain open. According to a Borders press release, the retailer hopes the closings will result in “a smaller, more profitable mall chain in fiscal 2010.”

Unexpected Good News from Book Publishers' 3Q Reports

The "Best Book Publishing Companies to Work For" list is Book Business’ annual ranking of companies that embody the philosophy that a company’s employees are the key to its success, and that employee happiness translates to a more motivated, productive workplace. Many companies on the list show that being a great company isn’t just about offering an attractive benefits package (though that certainly helps). The companies that made this year’s list create environments where employees are valued and respected professionally, and they also work to help enhance employees’ personal lives. Whether it’s through profit sharing, ample paid time off, telecommuting options, childcare services, fitness facilities, adoption assistance or pet-friendly policies, these companies go the extra mile to keep their employees happy—and it shows.

It was known as the Green Room, a relic of 1960s-era decorating—felt walls and all—that served for decades as prime meeting space on the first floor of Philadelphia health sciences book publisher F.A. Davis Co. While nobody mourned its passing when it was finally renovated two years ago, it was believed that the demise of the groovy grotto warranted the creation of a commemorative plaque, handed out around the office at the holidays. Amid photos and an actual mounted green wall swatch was engraved a promise to hereby “stop meeting like this.”

At the Frankfurt Book Fair, LibreDigital presented new data on how readers have sampled book content online over the past 18 months. According to LibreDigital, it has powered more than 500 million page views of sample book chapters and content for publishers, authors, retailers and social-networking sites.

"The market for digital books … has been roughly doubling every 18 months,” says Andrew Savikas, O’Reilly Media’s vice president of digital initiatives. “Follow that line out, and in less than a decade it’s 64 times the size it is now.”