The Kindle 2 week - part 3: How much moeny it will make?

The Kindle 2 is not only an updated version of the Kindle, but also a money-making machine for Amazon according to analysts' estimates.

How much money? well, it depends which analysis you read. Greg Sandoval reports on CNET news ("More heady Wall Street predictions for Kindle 2") on all the figures that have thrown up in recent days:

Citigroup: Analyst Mark Mahaney published a report that predicted the Kindle 2, which he refers to as the “iPod of the Book World,” would generate $1.2 billion in revenue by 2010 (4.4% of Amazon's revenues). How did he reached $1.2 billion? check out his calculations (published on MediaMemo).

Collins Stewart LLC: analyst Sandeep Aggarwal said Amazon will generate US$1.4 billion from Kindle sales and book downloads by 2010. Collins, according to Sandoval, also compared the Kindle 2 to the Sony eBook Reader in 13 different parameters and concluded that "Except for (the) touch-screen and built-in reading light offered by Sony, the Kindle is a much better device."

And one more - Barclays Capital: Analyst Douglas Anmuth estimated more than 1 million Kindles may be on college campuses by 2012, generating an additional $700 million in revenue for Amazon. Total revenue from Kindle sales and downloads may reach $3.7 billion by that time, he said.

If you're wondering how many Kindle devices were sold so far, you won't find the reply on Amazon, but Citigrouop Analyst Mark Mahaney estimated Amazon sold 500,000 devices last year.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Mixed news about the Amazon Rainforest

We have both good and bad news about the Amazon Rainforest this week.

Let's start with the good news: The World Bank approved last Thursday $1.3 billion loan to help Brazil's environmental management and climate change efforts, with a focus on fighting deterioration of the Amazon rain forest and renewable energy sources.

The World Bank told Reuters that "the loan will support Brazil's ongoing efforts to improve its environmental management system and integrate sustainability concerns in the development agenda of key sectors such as forest management, water and renewable energy."

The loan is going to be disbursed in two parts: a first tranche of $800 million that will be provided immediately and a second tranche of $500 million upon fulfillment of the projects goals.

This loan is provided despite appeals of several Brazilian organizations and social networks to the World Bank to postpone the decision on the loan. Their argue was that prior loans have not adequately addressed environmental concerns and that this loan has the potential to continue this trend.

Well, I hope these groups are wrong, but at the same time I wish their concerns will be taken seriously as it seems the money is needed to be allocated in the best way possible given the other news about the implications of drought on the Amazon rain forest.

On the same day (last Thursday) a new study was published in the journal Science. This 30-year study, a global collaboration between more than 40 institutions, has found that the Amazon rain forest is surprisingly sensitive to drought and even a moderate drought can cause it to release massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. You can read further details about this study about it on the Science Daily's report.

We'll keep following and reporting on the status of the Amazon Rainforest, hoping to have more and more good news and less and less bad news.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

The Kindle 2 week - part 2: Bezos on the Daily Show

We're continuing with our special Kindle 2 week, where we cover the Amazon's new e-book device that was launched last week.

Today we have a special gem: Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO is coming to the Daily Show to chat with John Stewart on Kindle 2, where he is revealing one important advantage of the device: you to read with one hand.

Now, seriously, this might be the funniest piece you'll see on Kindle 2, and maybe even one of the best talks I saw on the Daily Show (one of my favorite shows..). Still it includes some interesting insights on the Kindle and how people, like John Stewart, who enjoys the "comfortable low tech" characteristics of books see it.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jeff Bezos

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

The Kindle 2 week - part 1: David Pouge and the final battle

Amazon.com released last week Kindle 2, the new version of its e-book reader. Given Amazon's growing role in the book market and the influence Kindle has on this market, we decided to try and bring you a couple of interesting and hopefully unique perspectives about the new Kindle.

So for the next seven days, we will bring you each day a little Kindle piece. Hopefully by next Thursday we will have a better understanding of the big Kindle picture.

On the first part we invite you to get to watch this video, where David Pouge, the New York Times technology columnist, reviews the new Kindle 2 e-reader and wonders if e-books will make physical books obsolete. He gets an e-book and a paper book into an imaginary bottle you have to watch - it makes some very good points and it's also very funny. You're also welcome to read his column "The Kindle: Good Before, Better Now".



Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Green Options - Zumbox: A Viable Paper Mail Killer?

As part of Eco-Libris' ongoing content partnership with Green Options Media, we feature a post that was originally published by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg on February 27 on Sustainablog. Today's post is about a new creative online service called Zumbox.

What are the environmental costs of “snail mail?” That’s easy, right: paper-based mail has a massive footprint when one takes into account the harvesting of trees, the production of paper, and the disposal of much of what we receive in our mail boxes.

What’s the answer? Electronic mail… right?

Well... maybe. If you have someone's email address, or can easily find it, email as currently configured does provide a viable alternative. But, ever tried to email everyone on your block? If you're a marketer, ever tried to simply email everyone on your snail mail list? For the most part, unless you've taken steps to gather those email addresses, you can't complete these tasks: email addresses have no immediate connection to a physical address.

Enter Zumbox, a start-up based in the Los Angeles area. Their solution to the paper-email dilemma: create an electronic mailbox for every physical mailing address in the United States.

The toilet paper story gets to Fox news (and you don't want to miss this video!)

We covered here last week ("Trees or soft toilet paper - what do you choose?") the new “Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide” that Greenpeace published, and we're happy to see that this story is still on the media's agenda. This time it's Fox’s America’s Newsroom.

And yes, it was interesting. So don't miss the interview with Senior Forest Campaigner Rolf Skar, which you can watch right here and especially the priceless part where Megyn Kelly challenged her co-host Bill Hemmer to tell the difference between recycled toilet paper and Charmin brand toilet paper, made from 100 percent virgin fiber with his eyes closed.



We hope to see this story keeps running. The more media coverage it gets, the more people will be aware to their toilet paper's environmental impacts.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

A new issue of A Distinctive Style with BUTT UGLY in it!

We wrote here last November about A Distinctive Style, which an is interactive digital magazine that promotes eco-friendly businesses, products, art, and services to an entire global village.

Back then on their Special Holiday issue, A Distinctive Style had 2 pages dedicated to Eco-Libris and books we work with. Now on their March issue they feature another great book we work with: BUTT UGLY by Lynn Montgomery.

The magazine is passionately centered on inspiring people to live green, think green, shop green, and be more environmentally conscious. It is available only online so no trees are cut down for its production.

Besides the coverage of BUTT UGLY, including the mention of our collaboration with the author (check out page 29), you can find on this issue vegan recipes, eco-accessories, plant-based diet, living green tips, eco-fashion, latest eco products, beautiful art and much more!

The March issue is available for viewing at www.adistinctivestyle.com, and if you want a taste of it, you're invited to watch this video clip:



Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net