Posted 10/15/09 at 09:12:31 PM by Ryan Whitwam

Google has released more information about its upcoming ebook service, called Google Editions. Unlike the Amazon store, which is tied to the Kindle, Google ebooks will be usable on any device. Then new service will feature a selection of in-print books provided by Google’s publishing partners. Google Edition should launch in the first half of 2010 and offer 400,000 to 600,000 books.

Google clarified that the service would not be entirely cloud-based. After obtaining a book the customer could have a cached version for use when no not online. This caching may be done via Google Gears.

Google Editions will utilize three business models. The first will allow consumers to purchase directly from Google Books. This model would give Google a 37% share of the sale, with the rest going to the publisher. The second model would consist of purchases made from partner retailers, with Google getting 55% of the sale. The last model Google is looking at will have customers going directly to a publisher’s website to make purchases. No decisions have been made on the split for this option.

No word yet on any device manufacturers Google plans to partner with. Maybe you should hold off on that Kindle purchase.

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Posted 12/31/08 at 11:45:21 AM by David Murphy

We're taking a look at Web page creation tools in this week's freeware/open-source roundup.  And let's face it, the task sounds daunting: making a Web page, that is.  Finding the programs is the easy part.  There are a ton of authoring tools out on the Interwebs, but therein lies the problem.  You don't want to have to burrow through 30 different applications to find the one that matches your experience level.  And if you're completely new to HTML/CSS, you're going to want the most bare-bones, easy-to-use application you can find for making your first big online "Hello World!"

We've scoured through a number of programs to find the best applications for helping you make that picture-perfect Web page.  From HTML creation, to file uploading, to validating, our choices represent a batch of must-have programs.  Depending on your experience level, you might not need all five before you have your own variant of Maximumpc.com up and running.  But everyone should be able to find something they need in our treasure trove of Web tools.

Click the link to get started!

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