The upcoming “affordable” Amazon Kindle includes Wi-Fi access (not 3G)  to download books and more, and it costs just $139.  The upcoming $189 Amazon Kindle includes free 3G access to download books and more.

That’s quite a price difference from the original Kindle as well as Apple’s hot (and pricey) iPad product.  It’s also $10 cheaper than the more competitive Nook ereader from Barnes & Noble.

The $139 and $189 Amazon Kindle devices were only announced recently for pre-orders, but there is already a backlog due to high demand (although Amazon has been known to manufacture backlogs in the past, so it’s impossible to predict what the real pre-order volume looks like) with shipping on new devices now delayed.  New orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis as new Amazon Kindles become available for shipping.

Sounds like the more affordable Amazon Kindles are already a success.

However, marketing experts are predicting that the Amazon Kindle and other ereaders won’t reach the masses until the price tag drops below $100.  We’ll have to wait and see how the actual sales volume numbers shake out for the more affordable Amazon Kindle devices, but I think the $100 estimate is probably accurate in terms of predicting when ereaders will be purchased in multiple quantities per household across a broad consumer audience.

What do you think?  Do you own an Amazon Kindle, an iPad, Nook or another ereader device?  Leave a comment and tell us what made you decide to buy (or not buy) a particular ereader.

By the way, all blogs syndicated through Newstex are automatically available on Amazon Kindle!  If you’re a Newstex publisher, you can follow the link to get your free Amazon Kindle badge.

While Apple deals with negative press related to the not-so-perfect launch of the iPhone 4, comScore released a new report from the comScore MobileLens service for May 2010, which reveals U.S. consumer trends in the mobile market.

According to the report, Samsung, LG and Motorola are leading the original equipment (OEM) market with about one-fifth of the market each.  The story is a bit different on the operating system (OS) side though where RIM is the dominant player (approximately 41% market share) over Apple (approximately 24%% market share) and Microsoft (approximately 13% market share).  The big winner in May was Google which was the only OS to experience an increase in subscriber market share.

Here’s how the mobile market looked in May:

Another interesting aspect of comScore’s report reveals what people in the United States are doing when they use their mobile devices.  The results show that more people are using their mobile devices for more diverse activities than ever, and the growing use of smartphones is certainly playing a role in that shift. Internet access, downloading apps, and accessing social networks and blogs are all growing!

The chart from comScore below shows all the details:

Is your blog mobile-ready?  Follow the link to get some ideas and check out an app that Newstex released recently with one of our online publisher partners, Newsonomics.  It’s pretty cool!

Do you miss the tap, tap, tapping of an old-fashioned typewriter?  Want to turn your iPad into one?  Now you can with the USB Typewriter!

For around $500, you can relive the good old days when you had to push down really hard on each key, pull the “return” bar, and use white-out if you made a mistake.

Okay, perhaps it’s not that realistic, but you get the point.

If you don’t have an extra $500 lying around for your customized keyboard, never fear!  The do-it-yourself kit is just $75.

You can see the USB Typewriter for Apple’s iPad in action in the video below.

It’s hard to believe it was only a few decades ago that everyone was still using typewriters!  The USB Typewriter can help you get nostalgic or it could be a fun gift for the right person.

What do you think?  Do you miss old-fashioned typewriters?

I remember getting my finger stuck between the keys on a manual typewriter when I was a kid.  That hurt.

In the June 2010 issue of eContent Magazine, Newstex president Larry Schwartz and a number of content publishing and technology professionals discussed the current state of mobile apps and the future of mobile content for business growth.

The Apple App Store launched in July 2008 with Apple’s iPhone becoming the market leader in a new category that grew faster than anyone could have imagined.  Today, businesses and content publishers are desperately trying to find the right recipe for success in the world of mobile apps — a world that now includes multiple players, including the BlackBerry, Google Android, Palm, and more.  The first step — defining a mobile strategy — is proving to be difficult to nail down with businesses and content publishers unsure whether they should have an app and which device (or devices) to focus on.

Schwartz is quoted in the article explaining the reasons why having a mobile app strategy is so important but also acknowledging that businesses and content publishers have more questions than they have answers at this point, simply because it’s still so early in the mobile app lifecycle.  Schwartz says:

“For our customer’s the appeal is extending the brand and content onto mobile, and creating a new revenue stream,” Schwartz says. “But I really see it as extending the network from the desktop to mobile. The current generation of B2B content customers are primarily desktop-oriented. The next generation will be mobile.” He believes the real battle for publishers as they move to mobile is finding the right business model. “Do you pay a one time fee? A monthly subscription? Does that entitle you to use the content on any device? Does the iPad have a different pricing model then the iPhone? All of these questions need to be sorted out and answered and that’s going to take time. … By 2011, we’ll have good metrics and a much better idea what content people are willing to pay for.  We know the appetite is there, and I think the iPad will become a very important product for content companies.”

A study by Chetan Sharma Consulting and GetJar revealed recently that 7 billion mobile apps were downloaded by consumers in 2009, and that number is expected to increase to 50 billion by 2012, equating to a $17.5 billion market.  Consumers have already demonstrated that they want to access content via mobile apps.  The onus now lies on businesses and content publishers to try to discover the elusive recipe for success that delivers the right kind of content and features to the right customers at the right price point and via the right distribution points (i.e., iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, BlackBerry, Android, etc.).

Does your business have a mobile app to deliver your content yet?

You can read the complete article on the eContent Magazine Web site, and you can follow the link to check out the Newstex mobile apps.

According to a study by NPD Group, sales of Android smartphones beat sales of iPhones in the United States during the first quarter of 2010 for the first time.  However, BlackBerry devices held onto the majority of market share.

Here is the first quarter 2010 sales breakdown between the big three:

1. BlackBerry = 36% market share
2. Android = 28% market share
3. iPhone = 21% market share

There are a couple of factors helping to boost Android sales above iPhone sales: more carriers (iPhones are only available with AT&T) and better promotions (buy one get one free at Verizon Wireless).

As more and more people trade up from traditional mobile phones to smartphone devices, the demand for mobile apps will also increase with the most useful and entertaining apps drawing the most attention.  We’re also likely to start seeing more and more apps with pricetags attached to them as well as an increase in mobile advertising, which studies show is more effective than online advertising (via eMarketer).

Newstex is already very active in creating mobile apps for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android and BlackBerry with several mobile apps already launched and many more on the way.  You can follow the links below to learn about Newstex mobile apps that have already been launched, and stay tuned to the Newstex blog for news about new mobile app launches!

• Newstex Mobile App
• PR Newswire Mobile App
• SIIA Mobile App
• Newsonomics Mobile App

Do you own a smartphone?  What device do you have and why?  Leave a comment and share your opinion on the battle of the smartphones.

Image: Flickr

Following the successful launch of the Newstex and PR Newswire mobile app for iPhone and iPod touch devices last month comes the debut of the Newstex and PR Newswire iPad app!

The new Newstex and PR Newswire iPad app is optimized for Apple’s iPad device allowing users to view higher resolution video and images and leverage the dual-pane feature of the iPad to view content.  In its press release announcing the availability of the feature-rich iPad app, PR Newswire explains:

The launch of the iPad-optimized Mobile App solidifies PR Newswire’s position as the only commercial news distribution service offering text, photos and a distinct video channel through its own iPhone, iPod Touch, and optimized iPad application. Key to its success, the Mobile App provides direct access to breaking news from many of the world’s leading brands while enabling users to search PR Newswire’s extensive database of press releases and multimedia content. The PR Newswire Mobile App also lets users interact with PR Newswire’s @ProfNet and @PRNewswire Twitter feeds, and subscribers of PR Newswire’s expert network, ProfNet, can use the PR Newswire Mobile App to access fast-breaking queries from reporters seeking article sources and expert commentary.

You can download the Newstex and PR Newswire mobile app for iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices through Apple’s iTunes App Store.

Read more about Newstex mobile apps

Images: PR Newswire

It took 74 days for Apple to sell 1 million iPhones in 2007, but that time was shattered by the iPad, when 1 million iPads sold in just 28 days.  At this point, Apple is struggling to keep up with the demand for the newest must-have toy.

Already, iPad owners have downloaded 12 million software applications.  Newstex will be launching some exciting new iPad applications with our distributor partners in the coming months, as well as new iPhone, BlackBerry and Droid mobile apps.

It’s an exciting time to watch the publishing industry change dramatically as more and more people choose to consume content in new, more mobile ways.  While there is no doubt that the pace of iPad sales will slow down, there is also no doubt that the device is a game-changer.  Already there are rumors of Google developing a similar device, and surely more will follow.

Do you have an iPad yet?  Do you want one?  Leave a comment and share your opinion.

Image: Flickr

Today, PR Newswire announced the release of its new mobile app for the iPhone and iPod touch, which was designed and developed by Newstex.

The PR Newswire mobile app gives users direct access to news, press releases, photos, and videos from their iPhones, iPod touch devices.  Soon, the app will also be available for use on iPad, BlackBerry and Android devices.

The PR Newswire mobile app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store.  Users can search for content by keyword, stock symbol, or industry topic and save those searches, too.  Users can also share content through email, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Additionally, users can interact with PR Newswire’s ProfNet and PRNewswire Twitter feeds and access queries from ProfNet via the PR Newswire mobile app.

Check out the video from PR Newswire below to see photos of the new PR Newswire mobile app in action (note the video does not include audio).

You can read the complete press release from PR Newswire here and get more information about the app here.

The highly anticipated iPad launch happened this week with hundreds of thousands of people lining up to get their hands on the latest gadget from Apple.  With its color display, handy apps, and cool vibe, it’s not surprising that the Internet has been buzzing over this new toy.

However, the iPad is more than just a toy.  It’s being called a game-changer for the publishing industry.  I think it might be more of a wake-up call that the publishing industry has been ignoring like a snooze button.  They can’t ignore it anymore.  The iPad is here and consumers have taken notice.

Predictions tell us that the majority of news and information will be consumed digitally in the not so distant future.  That means not only is it too late for the publishing industry to turn back the clocks, but the advertising industry must adapt, too.  It’s an exciting yet confusing time to be a content consumer.

One thing is for certain though — since Apple takes 30% of any sale made through the Apple iTunes store (including app sales), the door is wide open for competition.  And that can only mean better things for consumers.

Related post: Consumers Weigh in on iPad and eReaders

Image: Flickr

If there was any question whether RIM should be concerned about Apple and Google, recent survey results from a Crowd Science study provides a clear picture of the future of the smartphone market.

According to the study of RIM BlackBerry, Apple iPhone and Google Android customers’ whose contracts are coming to an end in the near future, 39% of BlackBerry users said they “definitely or probably would” switch to an iPhone, and nearly one-third said they would switch to an Android.  On the other hand, 92% of iPhone owners said they would stick with their iPhones, and 87% of Android owners said they’d stay with their Androids.

BlackBerry still has the highest market share in the smartphone category (42% vs. 25% for the iPhone) but that number is dropping as both the iPhone and Android continue to pick up market share each month.

Interestingly, the study also found that ony 7% of surveyed BlackBerry users still use their device strictly for business purposes.  That statistic alone tells much of the story of the future of the smartphone market.  Consumers want far more than what a “business” smartphone can offer these days, and those demands are only going to continue to grow.

The question now is whether or not BlackBerry can make the changes necessary to keep up with the cool kids, iPhone and Android.  What do you think?  Can BlackBerry stay relevant?

Image: Flickr