CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, starts in Las Vegas on January 7 and ends on Jnaury 10. Since CES is like a small CITY you cannot imagine the extra time and effort to plan, prepare, set up, and tear down. Moving 20 people to Las Vegas for 6 days is quite a bit of logistics. Cramming ten people into a 2-bedroom house for CES is little short of a miracle.
Anyway, CES is THE premier event in Consumer Electronics. Last year it was largely Astak pleading to get a simple sub-category (rejected) for eBook Readers. We were over-run with attendees. This year CES has seen the light and has an entire eBook Pavilion!
As every Consumer Electronics company plans all year to debut products at CES... Astak is planning major new introductions there. Expect some major news from Astak!! We have two factories that build our eBook Readers and they both will be unveiling new models for us to sell. Such models are rumored to be featuring: Wi-Fi, 3G, and TouchScreen in seperate models. Our partner, Books On Board will be there handing out special CES coupons that will save end users a ton on eBooks. There is incredible news already that I cannot even hint about!
So... while this blog may be quiet for a while in early January... expect it to bust loose right after CES ends.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Trying to get eReader on Pocket PRO
Dear All:
Right now we do display non-DRM Fictionwise eReader eBooks on all three of our Astak models: EZ Reader Basic, Pocket PRO, Mentor Lite. We have been actively working with Fictionwise for about a year to get a Linux SDK (which our models need) and they say it is almost ready!
We are still trying to get a decent contract. Fictionwise was purchased by Barnes and Noble and they are one immense bureaucracy. Their idea of a simple contract is 40 pages of legaleeze.
Right now they want "exclusivity" (from how we interpret the contract). That would mean our devices can ONLY have their format and none other. We cannot do that and are asking them to strike that paragraph.
I realize ALL are weary of this entire negotiation. Just please be aware that we keep trying, and a breakthrough could happen quickly. We still want eReader. But we cannot do anything without the Linux SDK (so we can port it into the device) and a fair and decent contract.
Right now we do display non-DRM Fictionwise eReader eBooks on all three of our Astak models: EZ Reader Basic, Pocket PRO, Mentor Lite. We have been actively working with Fictionwise for about a year to get a Linux SDK (which our models need) and they say it is almost ready!
We are still trying to get a decent contract. Fictionwise was purchased by Barnes and Noble and they are one immense bureaucracy. Their idea of a simple contract is 40 pages of legaleeze.
Right now they want "exclusivity" (from how we interpret the contract). That would mean our devices can ONLY have their format and none other. We cannot do that and are asking them to strike that paragraph.
I realize ALL are weary of this entire negotiation. Just please be aware that we keep trying, and a breakthrough could happen quickly. We still want eReader. But we cannot do anything without the Linux SDK (so we can port it into the device) and a fair and decent contract.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
A Christmas Carol Gift Pack
Official full press release on Gift Basket!!
Jacob Marley’s spirit says “Astak Helps the HUNGRY While Making Gift-Giving EZ” 2009 is “The Year of The Ebook”. Astak is offering the 5-inch EZ Reader Pocket PRO special edition: “A Christmas Carol Gift Pack” on www.astak.com/charity! In addition, they are donating $15 from every Gift Pack sold to Second Harvest Food Bank to buy food at the most critical time of year for those less fortunate! Astak received so many requests to make the Pocket PRO easy to gift. At the same time, we were planning to raise funds for Second Harvest Food Bank. We pulled everything together in the spirit of giving and came up with quite a great way to help others. San Jose, California (PRWEB) November 24, 2009 -- Astak announced that this holiday season, the company is offering the 5-inch Pocket PRO special edition “A Christmas Carol” Gift Basket on www.astak.com/charity. Astak will donate $15 of the proceeds from each gift basket to the Second Harvest Food Bank. Consumers have the opportunity to give something to help those less fortunate while also giving a basket of joy that will help the receiving person “Keep Christmas in Their Hearts All Year Round”! Astak 5-inch EZ Reader Pocket PRO Gift PackThe Pocket PRO is lighter (under 6 ounces), faster (Epson controller with 400MHz processor), more convenient (5 inch), and more full-featured (20 formats, user-replaceable rechargeable battery, Text-To-Speech, leather case, memory expansion to hold 8,000 eBooks and MP3 music) eBook Reader and packaged it in a keepsake basket with: Mighty Bright eBook Reader light, 2GB card pre-loaded with 230 Holiday Classics (everything from the immortal “A Christmas Carol, thru 150 Christmas stories for the entire family, to old time holiday recipes). Astak added a full TIN of Starbucks Mints, a three-pack of Starbucks VIA coffee, a coupon for 50% rewards dollars on the first ten eBooks purchased from Books On Board (our partner), all the holiday wrappings and packaging, and a personalized Holiday Card that holds the buyer’s 50 word personal message! What a way to give something that will be treasured all year by the recipient!! But, Astak has remembered the real message of A Christmas Carol. They are donating $15 from every Gift Pack sold to Second Harvest Food Bank to buy food at the most critical time of year for those less fortunate!! Jacob Marley’s spirit said: “Kindness, mercy, benevolence… THAT was my business” There has never been a more dire time for feeding those in need!! Astak welcomes other eBook Reader manufacturers to please join us!! Astak hope to contribute $4,500!! Robert Barry, Astak’s Director of Business Development said: “Astak received so many requests to make the Pocket PRO easy to gift and include eBooks and a light and much more. At the same time, we were planning to raise funds for Second Harvest Food Bank. We talked with our partners (Books On Board and Mighty Bright) and they had some great ideas too. Then the local Starbucks Coffee wanted to help. Our staff pulled everything together in the spirit of giving and came up with quite a great way to help others.” This special and festive gift pack will end December 11 (to allow time to ship). Everyone can do good for those less fortunate and “Keep Christmas in your Heart all Year Around” by visiting www.astak.com/charity and purchasing “A Christmas Carol Pack” for $239.
Jacob Marley’s spirit says “Astak Helps the HUNGRY While Making Gift-Giving EZ” 2009 is “The Year of The Ebook”. Astak is offering the 5-inch EZ Reader Pocket PRO special edition: “A Christmas Carol Gift Pack” on www.astak.com/charity! In addition, they are donating $15 from every Gift Pack sold to Second Harvest Food Bank to buy food at the most critical time of year for those less fortunate! Astak received so many requests to make the Pocket PRO easy to gift. At the same time, we were planning to raise funds for Second Harvest Food Bank. We pulled everything together in the spirit of giving and came up with quite a great way to help others. San Jose, California (PRWEB) November 24, 2009 -- Astak announced that this holiday season, the company is offering the 5-inch Pocket PRO special edition “A Christmas Carol” Gift Basket on www.astak.com/charity. Astak will donate $15 of the proceeds from each gift basket to the Second Harvest Food Bank. Consumers have the opportunity to give something to help those less fortunate while also giving a basket of joy that will help the receiving person “Keep Christmas in Their Hearts All Year Round”! Astak 5-inch EZ Reader Pocket PRO Gift PackThe Pocket PRO is lighter (under 6 ounces), faster (Epson controller with 400MHz processor), more convenient (5 inch), and more full-featured (20 formats, user-replaceable rechargeable battery, Text-To-Speech, leather case, memory expansion to hold 8,000 eBooks and MP3 music) eBook Reader and packaged it in a keepsake basket with: Mighty Bright eBook Reader light, 2GB card pre-loaded with 230 Holiday Classics (everything from the immortal “A Christmas Carol, thru 150 Christmas stories for the entire family, to old time holiday recipes). Astak added a full TIN of Starbucks Mints, a three-pack of Starbucks VIA coffee, a coupon for 50% rewards dollars on the first ten eBooks purchased from Books On Board (our partner), all the holiday wrappings and packaging, and a personalized Holiday Card that holds the buyer’s 50 word personal message! What a way to give something that will be treasured all year by the recipient!! But, Astak has remembered the real message of A Christmas Carol. They are donating $15 from every Gift Pack sold to Second Harvest Food Bank to buy food at the most critical time of year for those less fortunate!! Jacob Marley’s spirit said: “Kindness, mercy, benevolence… THAT was my business” There has never been a more dire time for feeding those in need!! Astak welcomes other eBook Reader manufacturers to please join us!! Astak hope to contribute $4,500!! Robert Barry, Astak’s Director of Business Development said: “Astak received so many requests to make the Pocket PRO easy to gift and include eBooks and a light and much more. At the same time, we were planning to raise funds for Second Harvest Food Bank. We talked with our partners (Books On Board and Mighty Bright) and they had some great ideas too. Then the local Starbucks Coffee wanted to help. Our staff pulled everything together in the spirit of giving and came up with quite a great way to help others.” This special and festive gift pack will end December 11 (to allow time to ship). Everyone can do good for those less fortunate and “Keep Christmas in your Heart all Year Around” by visiting www.astak.com/charity and purchasing “A Christmas Carol Pack” for $239.
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