E-Readers Across the World

African children usind e-readers teleread.com

Here in the United States we see e-readers as just a new technology or toy put out by companies to make a profit. We take these things for granted. In the countries of Africa, for example, they see these technologies as the way of the future.

Over the last couple decades Africa has fully accepted information communication technology (ICT) more than any other continent. As the internet continues to expand and reach to the farthest corners of the world it opens up new possibilities for the people living there. The farmers in Africa no longer have to practically give away their crops because they have no other offers, the can sell them online!

Now you might ask what does this have to do with e-readers? The answer to that is easy; with internet now available the children in these rural areas can now use e-readers! This means that they can have the same access to books that the rest of us do, which will help their education. In an article for EContent they talk about The Kilgoris Project, which supplies Kindles to rural public schools in Kenya.

David Lemiso, director of The Kilgoris Project, says, "The program, which entails the use of Kindles at Ntimigon Primary School, started in 2008. Since we started the program, we have seen a huge improvement of learning at the school since the children are keen to learn." With the help of these e-readers and these technologies this could be the start of getting these third world countries up to the same level as other countries.

Kilgoris Project Children kilgoris.org

As I stated earlier we here in the U.S. take these opportunities for granted. Children here do not like reading or learning and see it as a waste of time. Where as children in other, less fortunate, countries are thrilled to have the opportunity to have these gadgets and the chance to read books. E-readers will save these schools money in the long run because they are cheaper than text books and do not require shipping more than once.

Also if families have enough money to buy one, they will last longer than traditional books. A child could even have one all through elementary, high school and even college. This could save the child and the family money. Another positive thing is the e-reader battery lasts longer than other gadgets, almost three weeks. This is very good for the rural areas because the electricity grid is not as reliable as ours and is not always available.


We must keep in mind how lucky we are and be aware of how these technologies can influence our world. These children deserve all of the opportunities that we have and now they are getting them thanks to e-readers. This youtube video from The Kilgoris Projects tells about their mission and its accomplishments.

 

E-Readers and the Environment

slate.com

We all know that there is a huge trend towards "going green." Cars are becoming cleaner and more efficient and people are encouraged to conserve energy whenever possible. It seems that on a large scale going digital will be one way we can all reduce our carbon footprints. Is this what needs to be done to help save our planet?

In a News Watch article, I found on the National Geographic website, writer, Brian Clark Howard, says,

"The amount of paper used for books in one year was estimated at 1.5 million metric tons, and each book produced gave off an estimated 8.85 pounds of carbon dioxide. Study groups have found that the carbon released from eBooks is offset after people read more than 14 eBooks."  

These statistics show that switching for traditional books to e-books and e-readers could potentially help reduce the amount of green house gases in our atmosphere and save our planet. Not to mention all the trees that would be saved.

E-Waste ierc.info

Of course when we discuss this topic we must also look at the possibilities of e-waste. E-waste is a short hand way to say electronic waste such as; computers, e-readers, TV's, laptops, and any other discarded electronic device. The chemicals that are in these new technologies are very harmful and we have not yet figured out a way to dispose of them without causing harm to the environment. Even though the e-reader does create a carbon footprint and cause e-waste when discarded they are still more economical that traditional print media.  

Besides books the newspaper industry is one that causes a lot of damage to our environment. In an article from the New York Times they cover a study done by the RAND Corporation, a global research company. This article states that, "Printing and distributing a single newspaper subscription for a year emits 208 pounds of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere." These numbers were estimated by RAND. It seems that the right thing for the newspaper industry to do is to move to an all digital format. However they do not yet make as much on digital subscribers as they do with print copies. It may be a while before we see an all digital world. 

With the advances of technology and this trend towards green products we as consumers have to decide what is right for us. I have said many times in this blog that I prefer traditional books to e-readers, but if it comes down to the planet and a paper book...I personally choose the planet.  

I found this video on YouTube. It seems to be an ad about e-ink but it also has some interesting facts!

Is There a Gender Gap?

Gender Specific Toys squidoo.com

Most have us have grown up with the idea that there are girl toys and boy toys. Girls get dolls and boys get blocks. Of course this is a total stereotype, but unfortunately it is still true in our society. Even when we look at the newest toys for children they are gender oriented.

Leapfrog has created child versions of a computer or iPad and there are pink and purple ones for girls and green and blue ones for boys. But even with all of these societal pressures is there really a difference between girls and boys? Do we view technology differently?

In a study done on middle school kids in Texas researcher, Dara Williams-Rossi, discovered that boys who were given e-readers found them very valuable. But in that same study the researcher found that girls did not feel the same way. The boys found that the e-reader made them value reading more and that they actually enjoyed it where girls valued reading less and had a lower self concept of their reading skills.

 This study is not completely finished. It is a three year study and they are only half way through, so the results may change as technology becomes more important to us. As for now it seems that girls prefer traditional books over digital; and boys prefer digital over traditional. Will we ever agree on anything?

Boys Love 'em! blackandmarriedwithkids.com

This study also found that middle school children read less than younger students. As children get older they view reading as "boring" and would rather be hanging out with friends or playing video games. Maybe by making reading "cool" again with the new digital books children will find it more fun. I hope that children will once again find the joy of reading. It has been such a wonderful thing for me that I want others to experience it as well.

As we move forward into a world filled with technology i hope that our younger generation of girls can embrace it like the boys seem to. If we want a world of equality we all must be able to do the same work with quality results. But in the world of books maybe staying with the traditional is a completely bad idea? I guess we will see!

The New Fashion Accessory?

Showing who you are in your own way facebook.com

Many of us know that an outfit is only as good as the accessories we add to it. Maybe it is the same way with our electronic devices! We have the option of "dressing up" our electronics to match our personalities or to fit our mood for that particular day...or e-cessorize!

We live in an era when being your own individual person is a very popular idea. With all of the possibilities out there you can create your own individual look to your electronics. But these products are being massed produced...what happens when we meet someone who has the same accessories as us? is it the same as showing up to a party wearing the same thing as someone else?

Maybe these accessories are not just to individualize, maybe it is a way to fit in. Is it now the cool thing to do? if you are walking around with your e-reader and you have no case on it and your cell phone is just a phone and your laptop does not have a fancy case are you now considered a loser? I have asked so many questions but i think these are things we need to consider as consumers.

The new term e-cessorize means to show your personality through electronic accessories. An article by Meghan Schiller explains how consumers feel about these products and why they buy them. People in  the article said that they were willing to spend the money have products that would make them happy. Or parents were willing to spend the money to make sure their kids would fit in.

Which ones will you buy? ereadercovers.net

The trend has become so popular that presidential candidates have even begun to make their own accessories. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum both have their own iPhone covers. This new way of expressing yourself seems almost equal to putting a bumper sticker on your car or a sign in your front yard.

It is easy to see that with all of the profits these companies are gaining from the devices themselves and then the profits of all the available accessories on top of that these companies are going to try to keep the trend going. Not all of these accessories are just for looks. There are things you can attach to your phone battery to make it last longer and the e-reader cases protect the devices as well as make it pretty. As a consumer you must decide what is more important to you and how you think your money should be spent. (edited March 22, 2012)    

Are E-reader and Traditional Books Equal?

Which will you choose? blog.sherweb.com

Like most people I assumed that with the invention of the e-reader traditional book sales would go down. And in the beginning they did, but now an article in the Huffington Post is saying that they are equal!

According to this article traditional books are in demand just as much as the e-reader books. There are people in this world, like me, who are avid book readers but will never own an e-readers because we love holding a real book and turning the pages. But for others it is a game of convenience, and let's face it e-readers are convenient.

This article has many testimonials from book readers and authors. Many say that they have both form of books, traditional and e-readers, and read them both about the same. One author, Maddie Dawson, says she believes e-readers are better for authors because it allows readers to go to their sites and learn about their other books and order them instantly. Dawson also goes on to state that she herself will never own an e-reader.Barbie Larimore, BookBundlz.com founder, says that there are equal amounts of traditional book readers and e-readers in the book club.

Does one have to win? speculativebookreview.blogspot.com

Another clue that shows that traditional books are not going away is the news of Amazon opening a physical store. According to reports Amazon has decided to open a store in Seattle, WA. Which is the base of their online operation. In this store Amazon plans to sell the Kindle and Kindle accessories. They also plan on selling traditional books in the store. According to a blog, on pcworld.com, Amazon plans to open this store later this year. This is a trial run to see how customers will react to the idea. If this goes well maybe we will see Amazon stores across the country.

With Amazon opening a traditional store to compete in the retail market and the sale of traditional books staying equal with that of e-readers we can expect to see a future full of books. While e-readers allow the frequent traveler the option of carrying only one device and many books there are others who prefer those many books. Many readers say it is too hard for them to finish a book on their e-reader because they can not stand to look at a screen anymore. For this problem many people buy the e-book and later buy the traditional book at a discounted price. Books are here to stay! (edited March 22, 2012) 
 

E-readers in High Schools

New School Supplies? wired.com

We all remember carrying around our big heavy text books in high school. You were pretty sure you were never going to need them but there was always the fear of being the one kid who was not prepared. Well, as always, things are changing in the scholastic world.

With the invention of e-readers students have now started to bring them to class. with this comes a debate: should they be banned like cell phones or should they be welcomed as a new form of textbook? In an article by Jared McKinney, in a high school journalism site, he debates the pros and cons of having e-readers in the classroom.

 McKinney talk about how e-readers have many features that are beneficial to the classroom. such as: students are able to look up words they do not know right on the device itself, students can also take notes in the book itself and know where to find the needed information. If students read before class they can bookmark areas that they wish to discuss with their teachers.

Along with this of course are the cons to e-readers. Students may get distracted by all of the features that are not school related. Being able to go on the internet, watch movies, play games, and download apps cause a lot of children to not pay attention to the class. These are the things that worry teachers and parents about bringing this new technology into the school.

Which is Better? worldclassnews.wordpress.com

Another article by Kirk Cheyfitz, CEO and Chief Editorial Officer of the Huffington Post, shows studies done on bringing e-readers into schools. The study was created by Michael Milone and funded by Renaissance Learning. Milone had children read actually print books and then read e-reader books. They were then tested on their knowledge of the books they read. Results showed that knowledge retained was almost the same from both types of books.

Since it has been shown that both print and digital books help us to retain about the same amount of information we must look at other questions that may come up. E-readers are economical because they save trees  from being cut down and turned into books, but there are also the problems of e-waste when the device breaks or becomes obsolete. These devices are also much lighter than text books and can save children from back problems in the future.

All of these question, and more, must come into account when deciding whether it is good or bad to allow these devices into schools. There are many positive and negative affects of e-readers and we must decide what the right course of action is. But many believe the change is inevitable. 

This video shows what an actual teacher thinks. From youtube.

E-Readers to the Rescue

Barnes & Noble Store ecolibris.com

I have always loved to read, ever since I was a little kid I never go anywhere without a book. Other kids in school would always joke and call me a book worm or be amazed that I actually liked to read! I think it is part of the younger generation's culture to not like reading. We see it as homework, or something that adults make us do instead of letting us play.

This way of thinking has ultimately hurt the book industry. Children no longer view reading as fun or enjoyable, so their parents do not buy as many books. With this trend many small independent bookstores have closed or gone out of business. But one giant still remains in the book world: Barnes & Noble. 

Barnes & Noble grew so much it put many other bookstores out of business, but now with the invention of Amazon, Barnes & Noble has a new enemy. According to an article from the New York Times Amazon has taken a lot of business from traditional bookstores and moved consumers online. And with all of the new consumers on their website Amazon created the first Kindle in 2007, taking even more business from Barnes & Noble.

Amazon Logo and Kindle topnews.net.nz

Barnes & Noble had to find a way to keep up with Amazon. In 2009 the first NOOK was produced. Now that Barnes & Noble had a way to compete with Amazon they went full force into the digital age. It was stated that by the end of 2011 the NOOK had about 27% of the e-book industry. This may not seem like a lot compared to Amazon's 60% but it is a big step in the right direction for Barnes & Noble.

Because B & N is the last major bookstore company in the United States it is very important for it to stay open. Without B & N the publishers and everyone else involved in the industry would soon go out of business as well. The industry is in a very delicate spot right now and as long as B & N can keep up with Amazon on the E-reader level they can continue to remain a competitor.

Even with this new digital age ahead of them B & N CEO, William J. Lynch Jr, says that they will not get rid of their traditional stores and will continue to encourage readers to buy traditional books. All in all as the consumers we must decide what we want the future to be. Do we want a world with no traditional books and only E-readers? Or do we want a world where we can go to a bookstore and share that experience with future generations? I prefer the second and i hope others do to! 

This youtube video shows news coverage of the Barnes & Noble company.