PRESS RELEASE:

Scholastic Names Jenny Frost Senior Vice President, E-Publisher And E-Book Strategy For Scholastic’s E-Commerce Group

NEW YORK, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, announced today that Jenny Frost has joined the company as Senior Vice President, E-Publisher and E-Book Strategy for the company’s E-Commerce Group.  Ms. Frost will be responsible for selecting, presenting and marketing digital product which will be sold to teacher and parent customers who access e-books from Scholastic and other publishers through Scholastic’s e-commerce vehicles including Storia™, the company’s e-reading application. She will also develop the product strategy for e-book distribution through Scholastic’s various e-commerce channels. Jenny Frost reports to Judy Newman, Executive Vice President and President of Scholastic Book Clubs and e-Commerce who is directing Scholastic’s e-book distribution operations.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100907/SCHOLASTICLOGO )

Announcing the appointment, Ms. Newman said, “Jenny joins Scholastic with the ideal combination of expertise in strategic business development and publishing.  She fully understands licensing and new product formats, having developed and built Random House’s Audio Division during her stellar career at that company. Throughout her career, Jenny has consistently demonstrated an ability to enter new markets in publishing with a strategic and creative business focus that drives revenue and profit. She will be a great addition to our e-book and e-commerce teams as we continue to work with publishers across the industry — and with the talented teams throughout Scholastic — to develop and merchandise the very best e-offerings for teachers, parents and kids.”

Ms. Frost began her career at Bantam Doubleday Dell and became President and Publisher of Random House Audio in 1998.  She built the audio division into a major player in what was then a new market, including the acquisition of Listening Library, which published the hugely successful series of Harry Potter audio books read by Jim Dale.  Ms. Frost was named President and Publisher of the Crown Publishing Group in 2002, where, through a strategic focus on building franchise publishing programs for high profile names such as President Barack Obama, Martha Stewart, and Ina Garten, and acquiring rights to Decision Points by President George W. Bush, she grew Crown’s revenues substantially and made it a highly profitable division of Random House.

In 2010, Jenny Frost created Frost Associates, LLC, a consulting agency specializing in digital content development and strategy and brand development, primarily for publishing, media and educational institutions.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to help guide Scholastic Book Clubs’ e-book strategy,” said Jenny Frost. “I am confident that my background in publishing, rights acquisition and strategic business development will help the company’s e-publishing and distribution teams produce an unparalleled e-bookstore for kids, teachers and parents that complements Scholastic’s print distribution businesses.”

About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology and related services and children’s media. Scholastic creates quality books, print and technology-based learning materials and programs, magazines, multi-media and other products that help children learn both at school and at home. The Company distributes its products and services worldwide through a variety of channels, including school-based book clubs and book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, on-air, and online at www.scholastic.com.

SOURCE Scholastic Corporation

Digital Book World Introduces the First-Ever Discoverability and Marketing Conference

September 24 – 25th, New York

NEW YORK – F+W Media, Inc., parent company of Digital Book World, announced today the launch of the first-ever conference dedicated to solving the discoverability and marketing challenges facing publishers and content creators in today’s rapidly-changing industry. At the Digital Book World: Discoverability & Marketing Conference, attendees will learn how to immediately capitalize on the benefits of SEO and social media to grow sales, and take away proven techniques to guide targeted consumers to their content, and create online communities of dedicated consumers. http://marketing.digitalbookworld.com

“The decreasing visibility for new titles in bricks-and-mortar bookstores, coupled with the vastness of the internet, makes reaching consumers harder than ever. The marketing of books and content has changed entirely,” said Gary Lynch, Community Leader for Digital Book World. “Given the ever-increasing amount of competition online, it’s critical for publishers to reach and engage consumers directly. Whether marketing books, digital books, or content of any kind, we need the tools to attract consumers through content marketing, email marketing, and social media. Our line-up of successful veterans of the digital marketing space will show attendees how.”

Top digital marketing experts from key media companies as well as publishing industry leaders will provide nuts-and-bolts techniques and a focused discoverability and marketing strategy. Confirmed speakers and sessions include:

• Jon Fine, Director of Author/Publisher Relationships for Amazon, will provide the secrets to more effectively marketing and promoting books on Amazon.

• Mike Grehan, ClickZ’s Global VP of Content and an expert on the future of digital marketing, will present winning search engine strategies.

• Dennis Yu, CEO of Blitzlocal, will do a live demonstration on using social media to market a product. Attendees will witness the immediate response the promotion demonstration generates.

• Joe Pulizzi, Founder of the Content Marketing Institute, will provide a road map for using content to develop marketing partnerships.

Attendees will also join discussions with publishing leaders including Rick Joyce, Chief Marketing Officer of Perseus; Kelly Gallagher, VP, Publishing Services for R.R. Bowker; Brett Sandusky, Lead Product Manager for Macmillan New Ventures; Kate Childs, Publicist for Digital & New Media at Random House; Fauzia Burke, President, FSB Associates, LLC; among other experts to show attendees how to invest their marketing time and dollars in the most productive ways, and see immediate results in book sales. Each day of the Digital Book World: Discoverability & Marketing Conference provides practical techniques for immediately achieving higher content sales through online marketing. Day 1 of the conference will focus on increasing discoverability using search engine optimization (SEO). Day 2 follows on with the tools needed to engage these new customers through content marketing, email marketing, and social media.

Register at http://marketing.digitalbookworld.com

Marginal costs in the ebooks industry aren’t even really about what it costs to produce a copy. In ebooks and other digital media they’re actually about what it costs to produce the next entirely new ebook, not what it costs to send out one more copy of Harry Potter. The marginal cost to an airline, for example, of putting one more person on a plane is almost nothing, but it would go broke (or broker) if it did that. The real marginal cost is what it takes to get the next plane in the air, not the next passenger.

Read much more at CJR.org.

Brought to You by the Letter “P”: New Sesame Street App Uses Games and Songs to Help Children Learn About Using the Potty

Lincolnwood, IL, May 16, 2012 – Potty training with your child can be more fun when Elmo’s there to help. Publications International, Ltd. (PIL) and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, today launched Potty Time with Elmo, an app to help children who are learning to use the potty. The app is now available in the Apple App store for a special introductory price of $0.99.

The Potty Time with Elmo app, for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, is based on the best-selling book of the same name. The app features a story with Elmo about the rewards of learning to use the toilet, as well as songs, stickers, and a reward chart for children. For parents, the app offers training tips, multiple story-reading modes, and a way to track their child’s potty progress.

“Our sound storybook Potty Time with Elmo has been a best seller since it was first published in 2005,” says Louis Weber, PIL’s CEO and President. “And given the way today’s kids are engaging with iPhones and iPads, it just made sense to take the next step and turn that book into an interactive digital app.”

“With the help of their friends like Elmo, Sesame Street has always endeavored to help kids learn important life skills,” says Jennifer A. Perry, Vice President, Worldwide Publishing, Sesame Workshop. “We are excited to introduce a fun new way to support families as they reach what is a very significant milestone for every child.”

Features of Potty Time with Elmo include:

·         Three story modes: Read & Play, Listen & Play, and Just Watch

·         Five original songs

·         Five puzzles

·         Reward chart and stickers that engage and help empower children

·         Parent tips from the educational experts at Sesame Street

The special introductory price will be available through May 29, 2012. The app will be regularly priced at $2.99.

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ABOUT PUBLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL, LTD.:

Founded in 1967 by CEO Louis Weber, Publications International, Ltd. is one of North America’s leading publishers of mass market books, periodicals, and educational products, in categories including children’s, automotive, sports, reference, travel, inspirational, and, most recently, digital applications for smart phones and tablet computers. The company pioneered and remains a leader in the field of interactive sound storybooks for young readers. PIL works with a wide variety of popular and respected children’s licenses, including Sesame Workshop. PIL products are published in more than 35 languages.

For more information, contact Sera Hayes (shayes@pubint.com).

ABOUT SESAME WORKSHOP:

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children’s television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. The Workshop produces local Sesame Street programs, seen in more than 150 countries, and other acclaimed shows including The Electric Company, to help bridge the literacy gap. Beyond television, the Workshop produces content for multiple media platforms on a wide range of issues including literacy, health, and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help young children and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits, and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.

As Christian publishers develop new business models to succeed in today’s digital market, more, including David C Cook, R.H Boyd Publishing, Our Sunday Visitor, Abingdon Press, and Worthy Publishing are selecting Ingram Content Group’s CoreSource® products for the distribution, sales and management of e-books.

“The audience for digital books continues to grow,” said Byron Williamson, CEO, President and Publisher, Worthy Publishing.  “With Ingram’s proven CoreSource platform driving the distribution of our digital content, we have a comprehensive solution to reach more readers worldwide and make the most of our Christian and mainstream bestselling content in the formats that are in demand today.”

“Ingram’s extensive network of retailers is a hand-in-glove fit for our distribution strategy, allowing us to expand both our domestic and global reach as we work to fulfill our mission of equipping the church with Christ-centered resources around the world,” said Michael Covington, Director of Digital Content, David C Cook.  “Distribution via CoreSource allows us to serve an expanding network of e-book retailers domestically, many of whom have been valued print book partners for many years, as well as international markets that truly allow us to go to “the ends of the earth” with our content.”

Ingram’s extensive distribution network and long-standing relationships in the Christian market provide a unique solution for publishers to reach readers worldwide.  The newest publishers to select CoreSource for digital asset management join Thomas Nelson, Scripture Union, and others that are already using Ingram’s CoreSource platform for digital asset management and fulfillment from their own websites.

“We are pleased to expand our work with Ingram, adding an important e-book distribution component alongside our use of Lightning Source® print-on-demand,” said Tammy Gaines, Vice President, Abingdon Press. “Through our collaboration with Ingram, we leave the complexity of on-demand and digital distribution to the expert, while we focus our time and resources on creating the finest content for our readers.”

“A critical component of the Our Sunday Visitor mission has always been our ability to meet our Catholic customers where they are in a format that is most convenient and effective,” said John Christensen, director of marketing and advertising, Our Sunday Visitor. “During this year of our centennial celebration, CoreSource is helping us do that in a huge way as we continue to grow our digital strategy.”

Ingram’s CoreSource is an easy-to-use, online solution for the storage, management, and distribution of digital content. CoreSource delivers a secure, searchable content repository and a high-capacity data distribution network, allowing publishers to move digital content easily and swiftly from their organization to any channel partner globally.  Lightning Source, the print-on-demand unit of Ingram Content Group, is the leading provider of comprehensive print-on-demand and distribution services to publishers worldwide.

“Ingram continues to invest in the newest digital distribution solutions to support our customers and make their entry into the digital marketplace easier,” said Marcus Woodburn, Vice President of Digital Products, Ingram Content Group. “We are pleased to support David C Cook, R.H Boyd Publishing, Abingdon Press, Our Sunday Visitor, and Worthy Publishing with the relevant solutions they need for current and future success.”

ABOUT ABINGDON PRESS
Abingdon Press is the publishing imprint for The United Methodist Publishing House.  Abingdon Press has a distinguished record in religious publishing for a broad ecumenical audience and specializes in products for church leaders, as well as scholars and students engaged in theological education and the practice of ministry.  Abingdon Press offers a wide array of quality academic, professional, reference, fiction and devotional titles published each year.  For more information visit www.abingdonpress.com

ABOUT R.H. BOYD PUBLISHING CORPORATION
R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation has been a beacon of excellence in the printing, publishing, and global distribution of hymnals, curriculum, and church supplies, as well as religious, family, educational, and historical books. The company specializes in the development of contemporary Christian education materials for churches and individuals, which provide positive family imagery and nurturing values. In addition, R. H. Boyd provides commercial printing needs. The company was founded in 1896 in Nashville, TN by Dr. Richard Henry Boyd, and it has seen four generations of leadership and progress from the Boyd family. For more information, please visit www.rhboydpublishing.com.

ABOUT WORTHY PUBLISHING
Worthy Publishing is a privately held, independent voice in Christian publishing, managing editorial, marketing, sales, and distribution from its offices in Nashville, TN. Worthy focuses on a select list of new books each year, crossing a broad spectrum of categories, including fiction, current events, biography, biblical study, devotional, Bibles, as well as spiritual and personal growth. For more information visit www.worthypublishing.com

ABOUT DAVID C COOK
David C Cook is a leading nonprofit resource provider serving the global Church with life-transforming, Christ-centered materials. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with offices in Illinois, Canada and the United Kingdom, David C Cook’s resources are published in over 150 languages and distributed in more than 160 countries. Originally founded in 1875 as a curriculum publisher, today David C Cook publishes numerous bestselling fiction and non-fiction books from a variety of award-winning authors. It is also a leading provider of worship music through its Integrity Music and Kingsway Music labels, which produce over one-third of the top 100 praise and worship songs sung around the world.   For more information visit www.davidccook.com

ABOUT OUR SUNDAY VISITOR
The world’s largest English-language Catholic publisher, Our Sunday Visitor serves millions of Catholics globally through its publishing, offertory, and communication services. Established in 1912, Our Sunday Visitor publishes a wide range of books including Bibles, biographies of the saints, books by Pope Benedict XVI, children’s books, devotionals, bible studies, inspirational works, and curriculum. Our Sunday Visitor is a not-for-profit organization, returning a portion of net earnings back to the Catholic community through the Our Sunday Visitor Institute.  For more information, visit www.osv.com.

ABOUT INGRAM
Ingram Content Group Inc. provides a broad range of physical and digital services to the book industry. Ingram’s operating units are Ingram Book Company, Lightning Source Inc., Vital Source Technologies, Inc., Ingram Periodicals Inc., Ingram International Inc., Ingram Library Services Inc., Spring Arbor Distributors Inc., Ingram Publisher Services Inc., Tennessee Book Company LLC, and Coutts Information Services. For more information, visit www.ingramcontent.com

Barnes & Noble.com Tops Customer Satisfaction Survey

Barnes & Noble.com Ranked the Number One Online Retailer in Customer Satisfaction in the Book, Music and Video Category and Top 10 Online Retailer Overall in Customer Satisfaction According to ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index (Spring Top 100 Edition)

New York, NY – May 16, 2012 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced that Barnes & Noble.com is the number one online retailer in customer satisfaction in the Books, Music and Video Category according to the ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index (Spring Top 100 Edition).  Barnes & Noble.com is also ranked a Top 10 Online Retailer overall in customer satisfaction among all companies surveyed.

“Providing our customers with the highest quality service in all aspects of their interactions with us is the number one priority at Barnes & Noble.com.  We are proud to receive the top rankings in the survey and thank our customers for this recognition,” said Dan Gilbert, executive vice president of operations and customer service, Barnes & Noble.  “Barnes & Noble offers our customers and millions of NOOK® users the premier online destination for all books, media and digital products and services. We constantly strive to ensure that BN.com has the best and most innovative content and products to meet our customers’ needs.”

The report, which is based on almost 21,000 responses from customers of the top 100 retail sites, gave www.BN.com an overall score of 82 in customer satisfaction – notably higher than the average score of 78 – which places the BN.com customer experience firmly in the Top 10 of the largest 100 e-retailers in the U.S.

The Spring Top 100 edition of the ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index is an analysis of customer satisfaction with the top 100 online retailers in the United States. The list of the top 100 e-retailers is determined by the 2012 Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide. This revealing report allows for year-over-year comparisons of both industry average satisfaction and satisfaction with individual retailers. ForeSee’s customer satisfaction ratings are done using the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) methodology, and scores of 80 or higher on ForeSee’s 100-point scale are considered superior customer satisfaction performances.

BN.com features more than 2.5 million digital titles in the ever-growing NOOK Bookstore™. Through Barnes & Noble’s NOOK® eReading product offering, customers can buy and read digital books, content and media on the widest range of platforms, including the award-winning line of NOOK devices.

In addition, Barnes & Noble offers online customers an incredible array of content, with more than one million physical titles available for immediate delivery across the U.S. – more than any other online bookseller. And it’s not only about books; BN.com has a DVD & Blu-ray Store, a Music Store, a Toy & Game Store, a PC & Video Games Store and a Home & Gift Store.

About ForeSee
As a pioneer in customer experience analytics, ForeSee continuously measures satisfaction across customer touch points and delivers critical insights on where to prioritize improvements for maximum impact. Because ForeSee’s superior technology and proven methodology connect the customer experience to the bottom line, executives and managers are able to drive future success by confidently optimizing the efforts that will achieve business and brand objectives. The result is better business for companies and a better experience for consumers. Visit us at www.ForeSee.com for customer experience solutions and original research.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world’s largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 691 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, also operates 641 college bookstores serving over 4.6 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States.  Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through BN.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, which also features more than two million titles in its NOOK Bookstore™ (www.bn.com/ebooks). Through Barnes & Noble’s NOOK™ eReading product offering, customers can buy and read digital books and content on the widest range of platforms, including NOOK devices, partner company products, and the most popular mobile and computing devices using free NOOK software. Barnes & Noble is proud to be named a J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion and is only one of 50 U.S. companies so named.  Barnes & Noble.com is ranked the number one online retailer in customer satisfaction in the book, music and video category and a Top 10 online retailer overall in customer satisfaction according to ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index (Spring Top 100 Edition).

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company’s corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

New E-Book Publisher Aims To Be “World’s Greenest Press”
Bitingduck Press, of Altadena, California, wants e-books to help save the environment as well as to serve local businesses. Specializing in electronic formatting of complex content and in quirky fiction, the press represents over seventy authors worldwide and is accepting submissions.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 16, 2012

Are e-books green? Although creation of e-readers has a carbon footprint, the break-even point is at about twenty books. Since most are used for hundreds of books, e-readers are good for the environment, say several studies.

Bitingduck Press, of Altadena, California and Montreal, Quebec, aims to make e-books greener still. “The key is to keep local bookstores and other businesses thriving,” says founder Jay Nadeau, who admits she still loves curling up with a paper book. One way Bitingduck does this is to arrange for print-on-demand of its e-titles through independent bookstores. Customers wanting a print copy will be directed to the bookstore site, where they can place an order as if for any print book. The press also offers its entire e-catalog to local libraries at a large discount.

Some of the ecological benefits of e-publishing are less tangible but nonetheless real. At the May 12 Pasadena LitFest, Bitingduck was able to deliver its entire catalog of almost 140 books, including press kits and swag, in a Bike Friday bicycle trailer. Each book in the catalog is marked with a QR code and URL. Visitors with smartphones can read the code and go immediately to the site where the book can be purchased for any e-reader.

Because overhead costs are low, prices for the press’s e-books are also reasonable, and significantly lower than for the print versions ($2.99-$9.99 for all titles).

The press’s founder are all PhDs in physics who love a technical challenge. Part of what inspired Bitingduck’s creation was the rapid growth of new devices and software that make e-formatting possible for nearly any book. “Just six months ago we said we couldn’t handle illustrated children’s books,” says Jay. “Now we’re actively looking for them.” Equations, photos, even video can all be handled by the new generation of e-readers.

The press is actively seeking partnerships with local bookstores for print-on-demand, and welcomes submissions from new authors, especially of technical non-fiction and fiction about academia or the lives of scientists. They also love young adult and children’s books.

There’s Something New at the Zoo!
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Popular Mobile App for Preschoolers Curious George® at the Zoo Introduces New “Deep Freeze” Habitat

Arctic habitat allows for expanded learning and gaming with everyone’s favorite monkey

BOSTON — May 16, 2012 — Global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced a new addition to its popular Curious George® at the Zoo app with the Deep Freeze habitat, which introduces preschoolers to an Arctic environment. The app, which has received rave reviews and climbed app charts around the world since its release in early April, reached over half a million downloads in its first ten days in the App StoreSM. The addition of the Deep Freeze region pack gives players access to new animals, including Polly the Polar Bear and Ralph the Reindeer, as well as a new penguin mini-game and other additions.
Curious George at the Zoo for the iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch® is available in the App Store for the reduced price of $0.99. Deep Freeze joins Sunny Safari as one of four Zoo habitats which can be purchased in-game for $0.99. This new region pack introduces players to five new zoo animals native to the Arctic, new educational videos, backgrounds and “stickers,” as well as more fun interactions with George. Within the coming months, the next two habitats — The Outback and Old McDonald’s Farm — will be introduced,  acquainting players with new animals and fresh challenges.
Within Curious George at the Zoo, kids explore the zoo with their favorite curious monkey and help him to wake, feed and clean the animals. As they play, children learn about animals from around the world, earn “stickers” for taking proper care of the animals and enjoy educational videos, mini-games and an interactive photo album where players can add George and his animal friends to their pictures.
The app, designed to provide an interactive and fun experience for kids, was developed in line with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework. Perfect for preschoolers, the app helps to build reasoning and critical thinking skills for ages two through six.
“We’re thrilled with the success of the app so far and excited to introduce new animals and valuable new learning activities in Deep Freeze,” said Bethlam Forsa, Executive Vice President, Global Product and Content Development at HMH. “Curious George at the Zoo will continue to be a fun way for digital natives around the world to build educational skills of value with their favorite monkey.”

Curious George at the Zoo was developed in close following with many domains in the Head Start Framework, which outlines the developmental building blocks for three to five year olds that are most important for continued achievement and school readiness.  With a focus on areas such as language development, literacy, math, science, social and emotional development, and creative arts, the app is designed to develop skills vital for future success.
This is the first in the “Curious About” digital collection, a series of Curious George products for the new generation of digital learners. By combining this treasured brand with trusted educational pedagogy, these products will help parents and teachers encourage exploratory learning by engaging children and stimulating curiosity – at home, in the classroom or on the go. As one of the world’s largest providers of educational materials for pre-K learning, HMH is committed to creating innovative solutions that help to engage children and support learning outside the classroom.
Curious George is one of the most iconic children’s book characters of all time, with over seventy million books in print worldwide.  Curious George, the Emmy-Award winning television program, airs daily on PBS stations nationwide.
For more information, please visit, www.hmhco.com/curiousgeorge.
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
With education products and services used by 57 million students throughout all 50 U.S. states and 120 countries, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global education and learning company. One of the world’s largest providers of materials for pre-K–12 learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is leading the way with innovative solutions and approaches to the challenges facing education today. Through curricula excellence coupled with technology innovations and professional services, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt collaborates with school districts, administrators, teachers, parents and students, providing interactive, results-driven learning solutions. Its Educational Consulting Services group works to increase student achievement in underperforming schools by developing, implementing and supporting education transformation through sustained district partnerships. With origins dating back to 1832, the Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.

Hmm. $5.7 billion sounds like a lot, actually. Enough to drop the company’s value to about 3% of Apple’s.

Sony is the company that brought you the Walkman and the PlayStation. And the Sony eReader. What is going to become of our poor dear Sony eReader?

Though it never remotely competed with Amazon’s Kindle and has been surpassed in popularity by the B&N Nook, Apple’s iPad and even Kobo’s eReader, it has held steadfast for the six years since its introduction and remains a viable electronic reading device.

The company has a new chief who is giving 10,000 employees pink slips and implementing other cost-cutting measures which have emboldened him to predict ¥8.5 trillion in sales in the next two years, according to Reuters. Now that sounds pretty impressive. Surely there will be a few yen of profit to sustain Sony’s eReader.

We hope so. We’re fond of it, and we need someone to compete with the big boys.

Richard Curtis

SHENZHEN, May 15, 2012 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) — Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN’s Kindle Phone is being produced by an OEM in Shenzhen, but whether it is trial production or mass production can not be affirmed.

Read more at menafn.com.