Apple

A consumer rights class-action law firm today announced it has filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that Apple and five of the nation's top publishers illegally fix prices of e-books

With companies such as Twitter, Financial Times and InMobi all recently committing to HTML5, the technology-in-the-making appears to be picking up steam at a faster pace.

HTML5 is actually a loose term referring to a group of new technologies – many not launched yet – that are intended to improve the Web browsing experience through richer interactivity. While the belief has been that HTML5 is several years off, the fact that a growing number of companies are embracing it now brings this into question.

While Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) grab most of the headlines these days, Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) lingers like a sleeping giant. But not for long. What Amazon has planned could challenge both tech giants in one fell swoop.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that Amazon will release a tablet PC by October. As more details emerge, we get a clearer picture of what Amazon will offer.

… There are even rumors surfacing … that Apple may be considering acquiring Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Is Facebook about to get into the e-book business?

On Tuesday the social network announced that it was acquiring Push Pop Press, a digital book maker that specializes in interactive books for the Apple iPad and iPhone. The e-books built by the publisher feel like movies; interactive graphics with words sprinkled about cross the page.

Could we expect Facebook to start making and selling e-books on its Web site where it would go head-to-head with Apple, Amazon and Google?

How is the e-book revolution playing out in that beloved bastion of literary fandom, the book club? That's just a recent survey sought to find.

Following recent App Store policy changes imposed by Apple, Kobo  announced today that development is underway on an HTML5 eReading web app.

Kobo has expanded its international footprint with today’s launch of the new Kobo eReader Touch Edition in German.

Amazon's recent ad-supported Kindle isn't just the future of e-readers. It may also be a look at the future of how people buy electronic gadgets: with a reduced price, subsidized by advertising.

Since April, Amazon has offered an ad-supported version of its Wi-Fi-only Kindle -- "with Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers" -- for $114, or $25 cheaper than its standard Kindle. More recently, it has added an ad-supported version of its 3G wireless-enabled Kindle for $164, also $25 cheaper than the standard version.

Book Business asked several industry executives who have hiked the mobile mountain successfully to share their insights on how to develop a successful mobile strategy.

This week, the iPad app world is frantically sorting through some recent changes in its environment. Apple has quietly altered its app approval policies in a way that will make publishers – in particular, subscription-based publishers like The New York Times – much happier.

Specifically, Apple has relaxed its control over whether apps can access content paid for outside of the App Store’s purchase APIs. The company has also given control over pricing content back to publishers, allowing them to price however they want, both outside and inside of the app.