A new journey into the virtual world

Globalization and digitization are the two dominant trends that have changed the face of book publishing in the last decade. They are interlinked because of the rapid advance in communications and computer technologies. Now we learn that Google will make millions of digitized books from research libraries, hitherto not easily accessed, available to readers for a fee. These include out-of-copyright books (whose authors have died more than 50 years ago) as well as those recently published. Whether copyrighted books should be put online is still sub judice in the American courts, but if the issue is settled in favour of Google, the latter could become the largest library and book-selling business the world has ever known.

Some questions arise. Will large distributors accept digitized books at the expense of traditional printed books to make Google’s attempt a success? What are its implications for book publishers and authors? Would they stand to gain financially with digitized books that could replace the traditional print format or supplement it? Moreover, would readers get digitized books at lower prices, if you factor in the cost of the computer hardware/iPad and other hand-held devices that would be required to read the digital text and the fees that would need to be paid to the publisher for accessing it?

Full report here Telegraph

Virtually safe

Teenagers today spend most of their time online. But do they really know the dangers that lurk out there?

Who among you would rather pore over a stack of reference books in the library, when ‘Google Books' can take you straight to the very page you want to read? We have long since bid farewell to letter writing to friends and family, with the entry of e-mail, SMS and the now hyped social networking sites. India is a developing country, but we are not too far behind when we talk in terms of the World Wide Web. India is the fourth largest user of the Internet. When compared to the total population of internet users in our country, the age group14-25 is the one who spend most of their time online. Undoubtedly, the internet is extremely useful and many of us will agree that we would be handicapped without it, but unfortunately, it brings with it, its share of evils, which are well publicized these days.

By large, India is still a conservative nation. While merely talking to a person of the opposite sex is no longer considered “taboo”, it is still frowned upon in most households. The internet provides youngsters with an outlet, as here they can easily interact with whomever they wish, without their parents knowing. They can be unrestrained under the cloak of anonymity and may say or do things that they would probably have never done if they were face to face with the person. Technology-imposed distancing encourages insensitive behaviour as one cannot see the impact of one's words or actions.

Full report here Hindu

Microsoft, Google slug it out in local languages

It’s difficult to say how many in India understand English. But it might be fair to say, as a Microsoft release recently did, that about 95% of the countrys population prefers working in their regional language. That means computing and the web, which is probably 99% English, is largely beyond the vast majority in this country.

This is increasingly being seen now as a huge opportunity. The biggest players in computing are creating applications and tools that make it simple to compute in the local language. For Microsoft, this means it can sell more of its Windows 7 or Office Suite. But as more and more of our activities move to the internet, its a fight with the likes of Google to see who can create the most acceptable applications for local language emailing, messaging, blogging, or social networking.

The attempt is also to help create more local language content. As Rahul Roy-Chowdhury, senior product manager in Google India, says, Unless this content is there, the value of search is diminished. And search, with its associated advertisements, is where Google today makes most of its money.

Full report here Economic Times

Google to focus on language tools for Indian users

Google, the world’s biggest search engine, has been focusing on Indian languages to make internet more relevant for Indian users.

‘Google has launched products like Google SMS search, SMS channels, Google local search and Google map maker and has localized many popular Google applications into Indian languages. It is offering transliteration in 11 Indian languages and seven international languages,’ said Mr Jagjit Chawla, product manager of Google India.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Chawla said that Google was the first company which introduced language technologies such as translation and transliteration with the aim of making the internet more accessible to Indian users.

Mr Chawla said that Google has provided the facility that any illiterate mobile phone holder can also search anything on internet using his phone by his voice, if he does not even know Hindi.

Full report here Indlaw News 

Celebrating social innovator's accomplishments

As delegates from 30 nations gathered to celebrate social innovator's accomplishments , the Ashoka-Lemelson fellows were urged to address the global society irrespective of its market difference. The day one of Tech4Society saw an overwhelming response with international leaders, social entrepreneurs, innovators and business leaders on a common platform at the India School of Business in Hyderabad. Their aim was: "Social change with inventions."

Over 100 social inventor entrepreneurs participated in this event; 24 among them were Indians. The first day of Tech4Society brought to the fore key strategies to help social entrepreneurs enhance their abilities in confronting socio-economic barriers. To this effect, key observations were shared by business leaders and experts, like Ravi Venkatesan, chairman of Microsoft India and Prasad Ram, a Google research scientist who helped create Google News.

Full report here Economic Times

Asia in war of words over Google Books

Much has been made already about Google's book digitization project, which aims to scan and digitize almost all books published worldwide, making them searchable online. But as this ambitious yet equally controversial project prepares for a crucial hearing in a United States court on February 18, the global crusade against Google Books is intensifying.

Following stiff opposition from publishers and authors from primarily the Western world, India, too, threw down the gauntlet this month when 15 Indian authors and publishers filed objections with a New York District Court. With this, India became the second - after China - country in Asia to red-pencil the Google Book plan.

However, libraries, copyright holders and countries like the US, France, Britain, Germany, Canada and Australia and even consumers are analyzing the ramifications of this audacious venture. Many are unsure whether Google's promise of a global digital library will really change the face of information access in the world. Or will it be the end of the 150 year-old concept of copyright and intellectual property rights? In 2004, Google began scanning millions of books under copyright protection by reaching an agreement with several universities in the US. Under the initiative, known as the Google Library Project, Google digitized snippets from these books and put them online.

Full report here Asia Times

E-books: Publishers poised for victory in latest battle

Publishers look set to win the latest round in the battle for supremacy on electronic books, with Google ready to offer major concessions as it prepares to enter the increasingly competitive e-book market.

Following the unveiling of Apple’s iPad, which will feature an electronic bookstore when it launches next month, and Amazon’s humiliation last week by a book publisher in a prices row, Google is thought to have given in to the book industry by offering it a higher share of the sale of e-books.

For the past year, Google has said that it wants to launch a service called Google Editions, where people can pay to download the latest books on to their electronic readers and computers, as many already do through the Amazon website.

Full report here Times

Related News:
Book publishers tackle digital challenges ABC Online
Kindle Armageddon: How the Publishing Industry Is Slitting Its Own Throat Huffington Post
Wolverton: E-books need a common language San Jose Mercury News
How Google Book Search Will Serve Users if Approved eWeek

Let's e-liminate digital books Indiana Daily Student

Sony strikes book deal with Google

The e-books future is getting brighter by the day. Sony and Google have signed a deal to provide more than 500,000 book titles for the Sony Reader Digital Book.

The content will be offered through Sony's eBook Store, and will consist of public domain titles from Google's book archiving project. Users can access the collection through their PCs or through Sony's PRS-505 and PRS-700 Reader devices. The move will see the eBook Store's collection of books rocket to more than 600,000 titles available for download.

"We have focused our efforts on offering an open platform and making it easy to find as much content as possible, from our store or others, whether that content is purchased, borrowed or free," said Steve Haber, president of Sony's digital reading business division.

"Working with Google, we can offer book lovers another avenue for free books while still providing a seamless experience from our store."

The move could also help Sony in its competition with Amazon's Kindle e-book reader.