Divide to mutiply: selling books by the chapter

When Charles Dickens was writing his serialized novels, crowds used to gather at the docks in New York whenever a new chapter was due to arrive by boat. Today, Random House, the world’s largest publisher, has brought the practice back in electronic form, starting with the business communications bestseller ‘Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.’ Each chapter of the book, which had a hardcover print run of more than 200,000 copies, costs USD 2.99 and can be downloaded as an Adobe Digital Editions file, a format that is itself readable via a free download from Adobe.

Random House, a US subsidiary of German media giant Bertelsmann, explained that the chapter-by-chapter sale was intended for those who only need to glean one or two lessons from a book. The Wall Street Journal noted that the experiment follows the music industry’s success selling songs individually, and that it’s an attempt by the company to discover how modern consumers might want to receive publishing information, particularly at a time when cell phones, PDAs and other digital devices such as Amazon’s Kindle make it easier for them to read electronic documents anywhere and everywhere.

Who knows - maybe we will soon be buying Shakespeare by the verse, or Mozart by the note?






[Via Springwise]

Bedroom-in-a-box

Graduates of Köln International School of Design created a set of bedroom furniture.
It would not be so remarkable if not for the fact that the entire set fits into a box sized 80x120x90 cm. Watch the guys unfold the desk, bed, chair and other stuff in minutes.

A power of word

I reviewed a dozen of blogs recently. Some are indeed notable so I bookmarked them. Mostly I was interested in those run by people who are good public speakers and businessmen at the same time. Here are some that I would recommend:

• How to Change the World by Guy Kawasaki
• Prezentation Zen by Garr Reynolds
• Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber
  

What really strikes is how these guys' ability to deliver their ideas help their business. For some, actually, is IS their business ;)

Oh, and - happy Valentine's.

Use your shirt as a power generator... but don't wash it

U.S. scientists have developed a microfiber fabric that generates its own electricity, making enough current to recharge a cell phone or ensure that a small MP3 music player never runs out of power.

If made into a shirt, the fabric could harness power from its wearer simply walking around or even from a slight breeze, they reported in the journal Nature.

"The fiber-based nanogenerator would be a simple and economical way to harvest energy from the physical movement," Zhong Lin Wang of the Georgia Institute of Technology, who led the study, said in a statement.

The nanogenerator takes advantage of the semiconductive properties of zinc oxide nanowires -- tiny wires 1,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair -- embedded into the fabric. The wires are formed into pairs of microscopic brush-like structures, shaped like a baby-bottle brush.

One of the fibers in each pair is coated with gold and serves as an electrode. As the bristles brush together through a person's body movement, the wires convert the mechanical motion into electricity.

"When a nanowire bends it has an electric effect," Wang said in a telephone interview. "What the fabric does is it translates the mechanical movement of your body into electricity."

His team made the nanogenerator by first coating fibers with a polymer, and then a layer of zinc oxide. They dunked this into a warm bath of reactive solution for 12 hours. This encouraged the wires to multiply, coating the fibers.

"They automatically grow on the surface of the fiber," Wang said. "In principal, you could use any fiber that is conductive."

They added another layer of polymer to prevent the zinc oxide from being scrubbed off. And they added an ultra-thin layer of gold to some fibers, which works as a conductor.

To ensure all that friction was not just generating static electricity, the researchers conducted several tests. The fibers produced current only when both the gold and the zinc oxide bristles brushed together.

So far, Wang said the researchers had demonstrated the principle and developed a small prototype.

"Our estimates show we can have up to 80 milliwatts per square meter of this fabric. This is enough to power a little iPod or charge a cell phone battery," he said.

"What we've done is demonstrate the principle and the fundamental mechanism."

Wang said the material could be used by hikers and soldiers in the field and also to power tiny sensors used in biomedicine or environmental monitoring.

One major hurdle remains: zinc oxide degrades when wet. Wang's team is working on a process that would coat the fibers to protect the fabric in the laundry.







[Via Reuters]

Smart pen can see, hear and... write

In January 2008 at DEMO, a technology showcase in Palm Desert, Calif., a company named Livescribe unveiled its new Pulse Smartpen. The Pulse is a fully functioning 1.3-ounce writing instrument with computing power built in and up to 2 GB of flash memory onboard. If the idea seems familiar to the LeapFrog Fly pen, that's no coincidence. Jim Marggraff, who developed the Fly pen, is the founder and CEO of Livescribe (he left LeapFrog on amicable terms). But while the Fly pen is a highly sophisticated children's toy—using voice feedback and infrared-camera-based handwriting tracking, the Fly helps kids learn math, music and language skills—the Pulse is a far more sophisticated, transformative product. Like the Fly, the Pulse uses an onboard camera to track user's handwriting and page position by examining a tiny dot pattern on special paper. Unlike the Fly, the Pulse has an integrated microphone that can be used to record lectures, depositions, interviews, etc.

Why is this so transformative? Because by associating an audio stream with handwriting, the Pulse can fundamentally change the process of taking notes. Here's how it works: If I am, for example, taking notes in a biology class, or recording an eyewitness account of a crime for a newspaper article, or taking minutes of a boardroom meeting, I would tap the printed record button that's found at the bottom of each page of the Pulse's special paper. Then, as I write on the page, the time code of the audio recording that the pen is picking up is matched up to the marks and words I write with the pen. When the conversation is complete, I tap the printed stop button at the bottom of the page, and then as I review my notes, I can tap on any word I've written and instantly cue up that part of the audio conversation. It's called Paper Replay, and it's an incredibly simple tool that takes seconds to learn. Yet it is capable of more sophisticated functionality. Any recording can be uploaded to a computer with the handwriting file associated to it. Livescribe is also setting up an online community where every registered user gets 250 MB of space to post and share recorded notes as a Flash file or PDF.

And recording is not limited to audio. Drawings can be recorded as well, then played back as a movie that shows the progress of your illustration. Plus, many functions similar to those of the Fly pen can be found on the Pulse. Put the Pulse in its calculation mode and you can simply write out a math problem; the answer will be displayed on its small but highly readable OLED screen. Livescribe has already released a software developer kit to encourage third parties to create applications for it. I tried a translation program under development that took my written English words and translated them to Spanish on the OLED screen and spoke the words over the Pulse's onboard speaker. By writing several key sentences on paper in English, I could carry my notepad around with me while on vacation and tap out each word in the sentences to speak with locals. Since the Pulse is essentially a new computing platform, there are countless potential applications not yet thought up that will probably evolve from the community of users and developers.

And that community is likely to be fairly large, since the barrier to entry on the Pulse is low. A 1 GB version holds 100 hours of audio and costs $150, and a 2 GB version costs $200 for double the capacity. Marggraff tells that pads of paper for the Livescribe should be cost-competitive with normal paper, but if you aren't interested in buying special pads, it can be printed using most inkjet printers. Furthermore, since the tiny dot paper technology that the Pulse uses can be integrated into the printing process, several books will be printed on this paper, including a Bible and a birding journal that will work interactively with the Pulse pen.




[Via PopularMechnics]

Battery-powered trucks

Back in 2006 we covered GoinGreen's G-Wiz electric cars. Recently, we've begun seeing several options emerge in battery-powered trucks, serving the business market.

In London, Electruc distributes the French-built Mega Multitruck, which is designed for inner-city use. With speeds up to 30mph and a range of up to 60 miles, the Mega Multitruck can handle payloads from 300kg to 530kg, depending on body type. The Mega Multitruck charges from a standard 13amp (3 pin) socket, and five body types are available, including modifications for espresso carts or mobile fruit stalls. As with electric cars, the Mega trucks are exempt from congestion charges and road tax, and they are eligible for free parking in many London boroughs. Pricing starts at GBP 45 per week, based on a 60-month contract; average yearly running costs are just GBP 215, or between 2p and 3p per mile, Electruc says.

On the other side of the Atlantic, California-based ZAP (which stands for Zero Air Pollution) sells a range of electric vehicles, including both cars and trucks. The company's 3-wheel Xebra Electric Truck, for example, offers speeds up to 40mph and a range of 25 miles per charge. Both flatbed and dump-truck styles are available, as are left- and right-hand steering. The suggested retail price is USD 12,500, and operating costs are between 1 and 3 cents per mile. This fall, Zap will also begin selling the Zap Truck XL, a 4-wheel vehicle with a payload of 770 lbs, maximum speed of 25mph and a range of 30 miles. Estimated MSRP is USD 18,500, and operating costs are about 3 cents per mile.

With their financial and environmental advantages, demand for vehicles like these will only increase. Transportation entrepreneurs: time to make "emission-free" your mantra!







[Via Springwise]

Travel lighter, shop ahead

With today's airline baggage restrictions and cramped cabin seating, travelling light makes more and more sense. A new service from Dubai-based Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts helps travellers do just that by allowing them to pre-order items from the hotel's retail offerings and have them waiting in their room when they arrive.

Founded in 1997, Jumeirah operates hotels in Dubai, London and New York, as well as 14 retail stores within those hotels. The company's new pre-arrival service allows guests to choose from a range of personal-care products in the online Jumeirah Collection—including sunscreen, toothpaste and baby wipes by familiar brands—as well as a selection of books by current authors for entertainment. Orders are wrapped and left in guests' rooms before they arrive, and the cost of the products is simply added to the room charge.

Parents of young children in particular would doubtless appreciate a wider range of products to choose from, including bulky items such as diapers and more items for kids, but Jumeirah's concept is a good one. Items in its retail collection are priced in a manner befitting the hotels' luxury clientele, so the pre-arrival service will enhance not just customer convenience but also the profitability of each guest stay. Other hotels: time to start thinking ahead!






[Via Springwise]

Ever thought of printing yourself a cellphone?

Hod Lipson didn’t set out to revolutionize manufacturing. He just wanted to design a really cool robot, one that could “evolve” by reprogramming itself and would also produce its own hardware—a software brain, if you will, with the ability to create a body. To do this, Lipson (below, center) needed a rapid-prototyping fabrication, or “fabber.” Picture a 3D inkjet printer that deposits droplets of plastic, layer by layer, gradually building up an object of any shape. Fabbers have been around for two decades, but they’ve always been the pricey playthings of high-tech labs—and could only use a single material.

“To really let this robotic evolutionary process reach its full potential,” says Lipson, a Cornell University computer and engineering faculty member, “we need a machine that can fabricate anything, not just complex geometry, but also wires and motors and sensors and actuators.” Lipson and his grad student collaborators, Dan Periard (right) and Evan Malone, decided to put the problem to the people. They developed a low-cost, open-source fabbing system—Fab at Home—and encouraged experimentation by starting an online wiki for hobbyists. People report printing with everything from food (Easy Cheese, chocolate), to epoxy, to metal-powder-impregnated silicone to make conductive wires.

A Fab at Home kit costs around $2400. Lipson compares it to early kit computers such as the MITS Altair 8800, which democratized computer technology in the 1970s. At-home fabrication, Lipson says, “is a revolution waiting to happen.” As for that robot? Wait a year, he says, and it really will walk out of the machine.

Watch the video to see the 3D printer in action.






[Via PopularMechanics]

Passion for art and compassion create new business

One woman combines her passion for art and fashion with compassion; compassion for women facing infertility. Caren Cohen has been there and is determined to help other families who are waiting for a baby.

Watch this video

ARSE: The Asshole Rating Self Exam

Bob Sutton and the mavens at Electric Pulp have created the ARSE (Asshole Rating Self Exam) to help people to determine if they are assholes. This is an offshoot from Bob’s book, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t.

I bet you wouldn't need to pass the test, but it really gives an idea about the book's main point.

I hope you pass the ’hole-in-oscopy! If you don’t, be sure to get the book.






[Via Guy Kawasaki's blog]

"Everything you should know about me as an entrepreneur you could learn from my OB/GYN"

I stumbled upon this great piece while reading Guy Kawasaki's blog and could not resist posting it here...

An email pitch from an entrepreneur named Sherry Couch of BizNiche brought a big smile to my face. First of all, how could I skip an email with a subject line like this one: “Everything you should know about me as an entrepreneur you could learn from my OB/GYN”? Sherry went on to write:

1. I am very good at conceiving an idea.

2. I can commit to something mind, body, and soul for at least nine months.

3. I have the ability to over come adversity, such as eating healthily while puking all day.

4. I can adapt quickly to changing and expanding situations.

5. I stay focused and motivated even with a lack of oxygen to my brain.

6. I am creative: Did you know with satin pajamas and satin sheets you can roll over in bed even with an extra sixty pounds.

7. I am patient—ever known anyone ten months pregnant?

8. I am cool under pressure: I gave birth to a ten-pound baby without a C-section or a properly functioning epidural and did not curse out my husband.

9. I am resilient: I went back to work at my company four weeks after giving birth.

10. I create meaning in the world! Even with all the trials and tribulations of becoming a parent I have chosen to do it twice so far because each new life gives hope and meaning to our world. Just like each new business.

Children are the ultimate startup. And when they leave for college, it’s their IPO. And when they get married, it’s an M & A deal. And like most startups, these milestones usually take longer and cost more than you predicted. Parental success rates, however, are much better than even the best (seed-stage) venture capitalist’s.

Paulo Coelho: Want to sell more? Offer it for free!

In 1999, best-selling author Paulo Coelho, who wrote "The Alchemist," was failing in Russia. That year he sold only about 1,000 books, and his Russian publisher dropped him. But after he found another, Coelho took a radical step. On his own Web site, launched in 1996, he posted a digital Russian copy of "The Alchemist."

With no additional promotion, print sales picked up immediately. Within a year he sold 10,000 copies; the next year around 100,000. By 2002 he was selling a total of a million copies of multiple titles. Today, Coelho's sales in Russian are over 10 million and growing. "I'm convinced it was putting it up for free on the Internet that made the difference," he said in an interview at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos.

Coelho explained why he thinks giving books away online leads to selling more copies in print: "It's very difficult to read a book on your computer. People start printing out their own copies. But if they like the book, after reading 30-40 pages they just go out and buy it."

Intrigued by his growing sales in Russia, Coelho used the Bittorrent site - a favorite for illicit distribution of media - to seek out and download online translations of his books as well as audio versions. By 2006 he was hosting an entire sub-site he called The Pirate Coelho, with links to books in many languages. While he did not play up his own role, he did quietly include a link on his official site.

By last year Coelho's total print sales worldwide surpassed 100 million books. "Once we did the Pirate Coelho there was a significant boost," he says.

"Publishing is in a kind of Jurassic age," Coelho continues. "Publishers see free downloads as threatening the sales of the book. But this should make them rethink their entire business model."

Now Coelho is a convert to the Internet way of doing things. His online e-mail newsletter, published since 2000, has 200,000 subscribers. In 2006 he started blogging. Last year he joined MySpace and Facebook to interact more actively with readers. "MySpace is an addiction," he says ruefully. He also makes available an extensive archive of rights-free photos on the Flickr photo-sharing site.

None of Coelho's books has ever been made into a movie. But now he is using the Internet to let his readers make one for him, based on his latest book, The "Witch of Portobello." It tells the story of its protagonist from the point of view of multiple people who knew her at various times in her peripatetic life. Now Coelho and Hewlett-Packard have created a competition, inviting anyone worldwide to submit a segment as they envision it. Coelho plans to knit together 15 winners and release the film.

He spends about three hours online every day, interacting with readers who send him over 1,000 e-mails and messages daily. A fulltime staff of six helps manage his manifold Net activities, and the entire operation costs him $15,000 each month, which he pays out of his own pocket.

"I don't understand why publishers don't understand that this new medium is not killing books," Coelho says. "I'm doing it mostly because the joy of a writer is to be read. But at the end of the day, you will sell more books."






[Via CNNmoney]

AdSense alternative: sell videos on your web site

A seemingly endless number of companies are engaged in creative ways to make money from online content by displaying advertising. But an up-to-now stealth startup called iAmplify is coming out of the closet with a different way to make money - enabling any website to sell video.

The company, founded in 2004 and based in New York and Los Angeles, is tiny but has no shortage of ambition. It has recruited a gaggle of top media executives as executives and advisors. Longtime book industry leader David Naggar just left Random House, where he was running a $200 million division, to become iAmplify's president. Michael Wolf, who for many years led the media industry consulting practice at Booz Allen and then McKinsey, has joined part-time. So has Jacqueline Leo, a veteran magazine editor who until recently ran Reader's Digest.

The company is run by Jack and Murray Hidary, who in the past co-founded multiple Internet businesses, including Earthweb. Murray Hidary is CEO. The videos it sells and distributes are typically neither slick and professionally-produced, nor the user-generated stuff on YouTube. Instead iAmplify mostly represents a third category: experts offering instruction, inspiration and advice. You download its videos and own them. They can be played in iTunes or any video player.

Wolf, who will be advising the Hidarys and Naggar on strategy, says that while other video websites, most notably YouTube, have created Web destinations, iAmplify instead offers "a business system." Much as Google's AdSense network enables any Website to host ads, iAmplify runs a marketplace where any site can find pertinent videos to sell. Though you can buy videos directly from iAmplify, most sales occur on topic-specific sites which get a cut of the sales - a potentially lucrative alternative to advertising. The videos range in price from $1.99 to $299.

Say you run a yoga website. You can pick from a variety of yoga videos on iAmplify's site. If one of your readers buys, you get 20%. If you blog about gambling and happen to sell poker star Phil Hellmuth's course on how to play poker in 46 short video lessons, you'll get $30, your cut of the $150 price. It takes a lot of AdSense hits to equal that.

Or if you have a faith-oriented website, perhaps you'll sell a subscription to Marianne Williamson's weekly lecture series, which goes for $20 per month. That's $4 monthly for you.

The challenge facing iAmplify is classic chicken-and-egg. Until it makes enough video content available it can't satisfy the monetization needs of a very wide variety of sites. But until it's selling a lot there's little incentive for video-makers to join. Up to now the company has focused on recruiting experts one by one-it has accumulated several hundred on topics including weight loss, parenting, and power walking. The company remained quiet until now as it tested its system and figured out what customers are willing to pay for video downloads.

Now it's confident it has fine-tuned a formula that will work. Fortune spoke exclusively to company executives, who never before fully described their aims in the press. The company has exclusive contracts with Random House, News Corp.'s (NWS, Fortune 500) Harper Collins, and other publishers to be the online video store for their authors. If they want, publishers can simply upload and sell video of an author's book tour.

But iAmplify also invites anyone to apply to join its system. Only a few have been approved that way thus far, but Naggar and Hidary aim for the number to increase rapidly. It splits the revenue with video creators. "We want people to use this as a turnkey system to build a business around themselves," says Jack Hidary, who serves as the company's chairman. "We can blast their video onto relevant websites."

Many iAmplify experts use the system to sell on their own sites as well. Captain Tom Bunn, an airline pilot, offers a $299 multi-part course to help people conquer their fear of flying.

Says Naggar: "In the past, the owner of a Web site on flying wouldn't have been able to sell video even if they wanted to. We're selling thousands of videos at prices of over $100, because it's the right content in front of the right eyeballs."







[Via CNNmoney]