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Pre-Order Steve Jobs Biography In Hardcover

Amazon is selling hardcover pre-orders of the Steve Jobs biography written by Walter Isaacson for $17.88 online. The official release date is set for October 24th. I'm a little old school when it comes to books of immense magnitude so I'm grabbing myself the hardcover edition.

One book highlight recounts a clandestine meeting between Jobs and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt at a small café in Palo Alto, California. At the meeting, Jobs said he wasn't interested in settling with Google and its partners, insisting that Android is a stolen product.

"I don't want your money," Jobs told Schmidt, according to the book. "If you offer me $5 billion, I won't want it. I've got plenty of money. I want you to stop using our ideas in Android, that's all I want."

The iBook version is $16.99, the Kindle and Nook editions are priced the same. All e-books are available as pre-orders as well.

[Amazon]

Upcoming Steve Jobs Biography Sought By Sony Pictures for Feature Film

Sony Pictures is in the throws of acquiring the feature film rights to the upcoming Steve Jobs biography penned by Walter Isaacson according to an exclusive report by Mike Fleming at Deadline.com.

"I’ve just learned that Sony Pictures is making a hefty deal to acquire feature rights to Steve Jobs, the upcoming authorized biography by former CNN chairman and Time Magazine managing editor Walter Isaacson." Fleming writes.

"I’m hearing the deal is $1 million against $3 million and that Mark Gordon will be the biopic’s producer. But this will be an MG360 project, which is the movie production partnership between Gordon and Management 360. ICM reps both Isaacson and Gordon."

Sony pictures was described as "a good fit for the book," by Fleming since the studio has converted other business books like Oscar-nominated The Social Network and Moneyball into compelling dramas. The Social Network recieved eight Academy Award nominations in addition to winning Best Motion Picture – Drama Golden Globe at the 68th Golden Globe Awards.

The release date for Isaacson's book was moved up to October 24th, according to a spokeswoman for publisher Simon & Schuster. November 21st was the original release for the book until the October 5th announcement that Steve Jobs had passed away. The film is being called "The hottest biopic in Hollywood right now," by industry insiders.

Although it was reported that Jobs fought off a long list of would-be biographers over the years, he later agreed to work with Isaacson, who’s also written about Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein.

[via Deadline.com]

Forbes Reimagines 'The Zen of Steve Jobs' In A Graphic Novel

Forbes is set to release "The Zen of Steve Jobs", a 60-page graphic novel that chronicles the life of Steve Jobs during the mid-1980s, around the time he left Apple to start NeXT.

According to Caleb Melby at Forbes, The Zen of Steve Jobs is the "culmination of months of reporting, researching, writing, reimagining, scribbling, editing, and then actual paneling, drawing and coloring from [Forbes'] partners at JESS3."

The book explores Jobs' friendship with Zen Buddhist priest, Kobun Chino Otogawa, who emigrated to the U.S. from Japan. One of the buzz factors is centered around Steve’s quest to understand ma, a Japanese design concept that became apparent in Apple iProducts shortly after his returned to the company in 1997. Both Kobun and Jobs were innovators who shared a passion for art and design.

Even though the iPhone was one of Jobs' more notable achievements, "The Zen of Steve Jobs" wraps up in 2002, around the period when Steve Jobs was featured on the cover of Time Magazine pictured inside of the iMac G4. An Apple design that has been repurposed as a desk lamp.

While Forbes intends to tease with more panels from the graphic novel in their Forbes 400 issue, the official release of the book is expected in early November. A more aggressive push for completion on this project began recently after Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, announced his retirement according to Chris Cassidy at JESS3.

I would imagine that throngs of faithful Jobs worshippers will be overly anxious to peel back the cover on this fantastical comic adventure. You can include myself in that mix, but don't expect me to be camping out overnight just to be the first Apple nerd in line to get mine.

Borders To Unleash eReader Device, iPhone App and eBook Store

Borders is aiming to compete with Amazon's Kindle in June when the bookseller plans to unleash it's Kobo eReader device and official eBook store.

This 8 ounce Kindle clone, available starting on June 17th, will sell for $149.99 featuring E Ink technology. A technology that Apple has already placed on death row since introducing the revolutionary full color iPad in March.

Borders eBook Store promises millions of titles, while the Kobo device boasts 1 GB of memory and a battery charge that is rated to last up to two weeks. The Kobo appears to be a Kindle-killer by competing on price, making the device more affordable for those who want little more than a tired monochrome eReader experience.

This latest contender to the uninspired eReader parade will offer Bluetooth sync with select smartphones and it comes preloaded with the Borders eBook Desktop app, plus 100 free eBooks. A companion iPhone and iPad app is also expected to bolster Borders eBook sales, but the company offers few details on the anticipated app at present.

Although Border's eReader is touting a sleek design, a temping price and compatibility with desktop and handheld devices, you'll still have to find a way to ignore the big blue 4-way D-pad navigation button that looks more like an unsightly mole or band aid of sorts. A feature that does not exactly qualify as design excellence.

The Kobo will arrive in time for Father's Day, making Dad wonder why he's not quite worth an iPad should you decide to wrap one up for the old codger. Good luck with that.

[Borders]

Amazon Folds Like A Lawn Chair to Macmillan eBook Pricing Demands

In a sudden and awkward about face, Amazon posted an announcement that it will be folding to demands by Macmillan to begin charging $15 for the publisher's e-books, as opposed to Amazon's standard pricing of $9.99.

Last week, Amazon pulled Macmillan's books from the Kindle store in protest over the publisher's request for the bookseller to raise prices of their titles from $10 to $15 dollars.

"Macmillan, one of the “big six” publishers, has clearly communicated to us that, regardless of our viewpoint, they are committed to switching to an agency model and charging $12.99 to $14.99 for e-book versions of bestsellers and most hardcover releases." Amazon wrote in a public announcement on their website.

The Amazon vs. Macmillan debacle came to a crashing halt less than five days after Apple unveiled it's new iPad device, announcing that it intends to sell Apple iBooks through a special iPad app. With Apple's e-book model, publishers will be able to charge $12.99 to $14.99 for most general fiction and nonfiction titles. Similar to the deal with app developers, Apple will keep 30 percent of each sale from their iBookstore, and publishers will take 70 percent.

This Vintage Book Is Your New MacBook Pro Case

The wild minds at Twelve South have designed a novel way to offer your MacBook Pro the kind of unique protection it deserves. The BookBook is a totally original way to disguise your MacBook to look like it's 1925.

Once you slip your Mac inside BookBook's velvety soft, padded interior, you can trust that rigid leather hardback cover to deliver a solid level of impact absorbing protection. Then just zip it closed and put it up on the shelf.

The BookBook is ideal for hiding that totally justifiable new MacBook Pro purchase from the wifey. It's offered in classic brown or brown with a sassy red spine for $79.99 with free ground shipping. BookBook is available now for 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models. Each book is distressed by hand to ensure no two books are exactly alike. Vintage protection for your Mac has never looked quite as good as this. 

       

Facebook Guide Helps Users With Social Defects

      

There is nothing worse than being an illiterate Facebook user, a common social defect that keeps thousands of young people form achieving their full Facebook potential. Don't let Facebook be one more reminder that you're socially inadequate, technology challenged and unable to attract virtual friends, when real help is within reach for only $14.99 (£5.99). I gots me help. Now it's your turn!

The wildly popular independent guide to Facebook is the single answer to all your social networking ills. Learn to make an epic profile and create great galleries that are sure to double your friends list in a matter of days. Perfect the art of taking photos with your mouth wide open, giving the appearance that your life is a full-time raging party. Gain helpful tips on how to attract the kind of online friends you would never be caught dead with in real-life. Finally, there's an authentic tool on Facebook just like you.

Order your guide today [link], become an online legend tomorrow.

Read Steve Jobs "The Problem With Facebook"

The Essential iPhone Book for Him

Who needs another iPhone book? You do! Mister shy, awkward, playing Halo 3 on the weekend guy. iPhone users can finally point their greasy index finger at a book that's worth the $16 price tag. "How To Score Hotties With Your iPhone" will teach you techniques for turning your iPhone into a powerful magnet for pulling major hotties into your base camp with greater success than owning a Boston Terrier puppy.  

A Guide to Becoming Steve Jobs

 

I Want To Be like Steve. Now What?" is a practical guide for anyone desiring to emulate the most revered CEO of 2007, Steve Jobs. This DIY manual written by Saree Roll, focuses on helping readers transform themselves into a charismatic personality, make key wardrobe selections and learn to develop inspirational keynote speeches that are guaranteed to captivate even the most cynical audiences.

"My husband is a failed hack software developer that has no original ideas of his own. I wrote this book to inspire him," said author Saree Roll, "He's completely burned out on writing patches for Vista. I wanted him to think different." One more thing... the book goes on sale starting January 15, 2008 at major book sellers.

[Read: "Think of Me and Become More Creative" - Steve Jobs]

'Vista Is For Dummies' Lands on Retail Shelves

The long awaited "Vista Is For Dummies" book has hit retail shelves with resounding enthusiasm from consumers. A perfectly timed book created to help frustrated Windows Vista users break free from their latest Microsoft nightmare. The book highlights in full color illustration why the world was not ready for Vista and provides a lengthy, complicated dummies guide for downgrading to Windows XP. But wait! There's more!

Two chapters highlight the obvious by providing readers a complete DIY guide for converting to Apple's popular Mac while touting the brilliance of Apple's new OS X Leopard software. Readers are shown how the conversion process is guaranteed to be fun, fast, uncomplicated and simple enough for even a twelve year old accomplish. Come on, it's a Mac!

"Microsoft admits that the Vista launch has not gone as well as the company would have liked. 'Frankly, the world wasn't 100 percent ready for Windows Vista,' corporate vice president Mike Sievert said in a recent interview at Microsoft's partner conference in Denver. New tests have revealed that Windows XP with the beta Service Pack 3 has twice the performance of Vista, even with its long-awaited Service Pack 1." Source: CNET

Good luck finding any copies on the shelf at your local Apple Store or major booksellers.

Read Entire CNET Report (link)    FSJ Strikes Back (link)    Zune Limited 2008 (link)