Barnes & Noble’s Strange Moves

B&N Mysteriously Removes Nook for PC and Nook for Mac for Download

For some reason unknown Barnes and Noble has taken down the Nook for PC and Nook for Mac ereading programs from their website. The only program that remains from the download page for accessing Nook books from a computer is the Windows 8 PC app. That’s a very perplexing move considering how few people use Windows 8.

With Apple’s WWDC next week, I wonder if they were pulled for an updated version release next week? But even that makes no damn sense. And someone at the B&N boards noted one of the programs has been gone for the past six weeks.

Nook for PC has been gone for at least 6 weeks; my sister went to download it toward the end of April, and it had disappeared.

So much for making an impression outside of the B&N forum bubble.

Barnes & Noble Announces Fiscal 2013 Year-End Earnings Release Date and Conference Call Webcast

It’s June 25th. I expect much bloodshed to be revealed. I predict they will spin the discounted color Nook sales as being a success without offering any proof. And given the moribund state of the Nook forums I peeked at today, I wouldn’t be surprised if their digital sales were lower too.

On the other hand …

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Video: iPad Mini Clone Vido Mini One

Vido has added plastic to the back of its clone.

Why?

Because owners of clones with all-metal backs have complained about weak WiFi reception. Even the iPad and iPad Mini have plastic added to their backs for the WiFi and Bluetooth antennas.

See the video from Charbax after the break.

Amazon Announces Storyboarding Tool

Introducing Amazon Storyteller—a New Tool to Help Writers and Filmmakers Bring Their Stories to Life

Storyteller begins by scanning a movie script that has been uploaded to Amazon Studios. It identifies the scenes, locations and characters from scene descriptions, and “casts” them from a library of thousands of characters, props and backgrounds. Filmmakers can recast or change locations, or they can upload their own images. Storyteller places the cast in front of the right background so that filmmakers can focus their time on the emotion and energy of scenes by using pan and zoom, changing the facial expressions and positions of characters, adding vehicles or props or adding captions with descriptions or additional dialogue. Once completed, the storyboard can be published on Amazon Studios where other users are able to view it and give feedback on the project. Amazon Storyteller is free—anyone can visit AmazonStudios.com and use this new tool to visualize their movie script and share it with others.

Meanwhile, the collusive Big Six/Five/Four of book publishing think about Amazon only in terms of books.

Trevor Yuile’s Orphan Black Season Finale Music

What I wrote previously:

First, some words about the score by Trevor Yuile. I saw the finale twice, the second time with a good set of headphones. Yuile’s score is just amazing. There’s a hint of Helena in the score for Alison. And the final minutes took my breath away. A perfect match of visuals and mood, creating a dark inevitability. It wound me up just like the montage music by Frans Bak for Forbrydelsen. I hope he’ll be doing the second season because his scoring is a part of the storytelling just as much as the acting, writing, and directing.

And now Trevor Yuile has posted to Soundcloud the near seven and a half-minute score that closed out the season finale of Orphan Black.

You have to hear this. It’s fantastic. It should get you curious to see the show — which you really must see.

The sound of the Universe crying as it watches you go to your predestined doom that was mapped out since the beginning of time.

As Expected, Kindle Enters China Market

Amazon China

And a writer at iFanr [Google English] gives a loaded gun to all those who love eInk and hate reading on LCD screens:

E-ink screen brings a kind of “back to nature” feeling.

Previously here:

Kindle Launches In China May 31st
Kindle Paperwhite Leak In China
No eInk Kindle In China (Yet?)
Amazon To Introduce Kindle Paperwhite In China This Week