text:
The sentiment that Hachette may be a poor victim in this scenario is incomprehensible to me. Not only is Hachette neither poor, nor a victim. Amazon does not target individual companies, singles them out and then tries to destroy them by refusing to sell their products. Quite the opposite is true, actually. Amazon is dealing with hundreds of thousands of individual vendors and suppliers and not once in its history has it singled out any of their vendors with the kind of vindictive action that is constantly being suggested here. If anything, Amazon has always been an incredibly fair, flexible and forward-thinking partner to all its suppliers.
Let us not forget before we get deeper into this, that Amazon has single-handedly not only saved, but revived the book market not too long ago. Amazon has created a platform for authors to flourish, for books to bloom and all while making money for everyone. Evil? I don't think so—unless you're a conspiracy theorist.
There are more active and published writers today than ever. There are more books on sale than ever. There are more books being sold than ever, and there are more books being read than ever, I presume.
Let's make no mistake. Before Amazon made all of this possible, the book industry was not only stagnant, it was dying. Fast! Meanwhile, the old-school business model of the Big Five publishers is dying still. Companies like Hachette simply do not have a grasp on the reality of book publishing in 2014. They are not adapting and as a result they are no longer needed. They have become a side show in a world where everyone can publish, where anyone can become a bestselling author. I am not saying they are obsolete, but they are no longer relevant and with every year going forward, they will be come increasingly marginal.
The fact how long this stand-off is lasting already, is a clear indication that Hachette is unwilling to bend, and clearly underscores who the real bully is. They could have agreed to Amazon's standard publishing agreement for weeks now and would have continued to sell books, but they refuse to do so, expecting Amazon to make special arrangements for them. That is not very rational in anyone's mind, and shows that Hachette is not even trying to resolve the problem, particularly when every blogger and journalist seems to be all too happy to support their sensational truth-contortion.
Hachette is acting like their jockstrap is pulled too tight. They seem to have this inflated opinion of themselves that makes them believe that they look all potent, yet at the same time they are too proud to admit it hurts. And hurt it does, but if Hachette is determined to self-destruct, I'm all for it. Whatever floats their boat. Amazon does not need Hachette, but Hachette most definitely needs Amazon to sell their books.
So what is the real conflict between Amazon and Hachette, actually, once you peel away the vitriol. In my experience, in cases such as this, there is always a backstory. Something that happened long before Amazon reverted to what could be considered flexing their muscle.
What Amazon does is very clearly a reaction. A response to something that happened before and left them little choice but to go on the offensive. Since the previous discussions and negotiations that have taken place between the parties are not being disclosed, we may never know what went really down, but I think it is not too far fetched to imagine that Hachette was not happy with the status quo and tried to force Amazon to comply with its wishes, guided by the sense that as one of the largest international publishers they could somehow force Amazon's hand. What they failed to see was that Amazon could not care less about Hachette. It makes absolutely no difference to Amazon whether they sell Hachette books or not. With millions of other titles available in their catalog, Hachette is a mere speck on the map.
What's even worse is that Hachette quite obviously forgot that Amazon controls the channel. Amazon sells the majority of books worldwide and as a result they control the terms. Like Wal-Mart, they do not negotiate with their suppliers. They have standard agreements that tell vendors what they need to do and what is expected of them, and if the vendor feels he can't agree to these terms, Amazon won't sell your products. It is as simple as that, and it is the vendor's choice—and consequence. If a publisher like Hachette thinks they can manhandle Amazon, they've clearly got another thing coming—as we are witnessing right now.
Does that make Amazon evil? Not at all. If anything, it only shows once again, how removed publisher like Hachette are from the realities of being a book publisher in 2014. What we are witnessing is a decision on Amazon's behalf to protect their business, to ensure they remain the most successful online store with the highest customer approval ratings on the planet.
Hachette, by comparison… not so much. How anyone could see Hachette as the good guy in all of this is inconceivable to me. It is not like the publisher has a track record of good behavior. In fact, this is a publisher stuck in an antitrust suit, currently being subject to a court order to renegotiate terms with retailers because they have been found to have artificially inflate prices. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Naturally in a stand-off such as this there is collateral damage, and in this case it's the authors published by Hachette whose books are currently unavailable at the largest book store in the world. However, for these authors to simply claim that Amazon is evil because they are responsible for lost sales, is really not looking the facts in the eye.
Some of these authors complain that the loss of revenue destroys their livelihood. I am not entirely unsympathetic to this, but it is a problem we are all facing on a daily basis, so my answer to those authors is, if your livelihood depended on your Hachette book sales, perhaps you signed the wrong contract. You should have asked Hachette for proper guarantees, instead of giving them carte blanche and assuming they would always act in your best interest. Isn't it rather naïve to be under the illusion that Hachette has any interest in protecting an author's best interests? This is a company that has, for generations, made a business of bullying writers out of royalties, squeezing every cent out of their creative pool that provides the actual content for their business—meaning the authors—and then having the audacity to pretend it is all warranted and good business. Sorry, not following here… missed a turn somewhere.
By signing your current contract, you have allowed a book publisher to corner you, fob you off with a meager 25% or 30% royalty rate, making no guarantees whatsoever, making absolutely no commitment to you, delaying payments as long as they legally can. You signed the contract! It's your own fault. You forgot one very crucial fact about the industry—Amazon is selling books, not Hachette. Hachette is a middleman, and of dubious reputation to boot, whose business relies one strategic partners. They antagonized their key partner and you are the pawn in all of this. Hachette is counting on you to be upset, you are their muscle—or so they believe. At the same time you have absolutely no way of controlling your destiny. You have signed away your rights without any chance of recourse, giving a bully free reign. So, don't complain to the world how bad Amazon is. Try to be honest to yourself and face the music. You brought this upon yourself. Just earn from it and make better decisions next time!
But all contracts are like that, right? It's the industry standard. This must be the lamest excuse ever. Only because authors allow publishers to exploit them doesn't make it right, and authors could have changed things a long time around. There is strength in numbers and if authors would collectively refuse to give up their rights for a few bread crumbs, publisher would have had to raise the bar and offer better business terms a long time ago. But as it stands, there is always some desperate soul out there who's willing to sell their book for chump change, just to see his name on a printed book published by an extortionist. Strange, I know, but I tell it how I see it. And the weirdest thing is that big names like Stephen King and James Patterson are actually among those people advocating this practice. Then again, not so strange, perhaps, considering that their publishing terms are much more favorable than yours, and that unlike you, they have the full backing of their publishers.
Meanwhile there is a flood of books coming out from writers who self-publish. They make more money per sale, they have full control over their books, they have full ownership in their books, and some of them even break out and sell millions of copies, managing their own destinies. It is an option that was open to all of Hachette's authors as well, so once again, if you signed a cutthroat contract that leaves you hanging out to dry in this time of crisis, it certainly isn't Amazon's fault.
In addition, Amazon has released a statement on the subject some time ago in which the company even outlined plans to subsidize affected authors, provided that Hachette does the same thing. This put the ball squarely in the publisher's court and yet, Hachette did not react to it. Instead they bought another publisher, Perseus Book Group, in order to gain leverage in their position against Amazon. Hahahaha! Earth to Hachette—you're no longer relevant in the book world, and in case you didn't notice, you are nose-diving!
So far, the overblown reactions to this confrontation have had a very orchestrated feel, to the point that you wonder if Hachette was actually buying off the media to build sentiment against Amazon. Leaked emails that Hachette sent to its authors seem to substantiate this, in which the publisher clearly contorts truths, and hides relevant facts and information even from the heart of its operations, the authors.
So, ask yourself? Who is the bully? The kid who keep pushing others around, posturing, threatening, intimidating, or the kid who eventually stands up for himself and fights back?]]>
Yesterday I went to the Los Angeles Convention Center to visit this year's E3, but what greeted me was more reminiscent of a visit to Disneyland than a trade show. Let me explain…
For the past two or three years a strange trend has permeated E3, one that is unique to this particular trade show. Exhibitors would take their showcase games and no longer display them on the show floor. Instead they would isolate them in a separate room in the actual booth, allowing only a few people inside to see the game, in the course, forcing people to line up to wait their turn. SquareEnix was probably the first company to do this, years ago, to show off the latest "Final Fantasy" entry and over time other publishers adopted the practice.
Well, this year it took a turn for the extreme, because if you were visiting E3 this year, the odds are you didn't even see half the games that were on display. Instead you saw theme-park-like waiting lines in virtually every major publisher's booth. In fact, half the booth space of exhibitors, such as Warner Interactive, consisted of nothing but roped-off waiting lines. Take a look at this picture.
The entire length of the booth consisted of people waiting in line to see one of Warner's top games. Because I was curious I actually decided to get in line to take a look at "Shadow Of Mordor," the latest "Lord of the Rings" game, waited in line for almost 30 minutes, only to find that my line was cut off four or five guys ahead of me. Unable to get into that presentation I would have had to wait another hour to see the next one! Sorry, folks but that is just ludicrous.
Or take a look at the presentation of "Bloodborne" at the Sony booth.
The publisher deliberately placed the screen inwards so that you could not see the presentation from the outside. How backwards is that? Do you want people to see the game or not? How hard would it have been turn the booth 180 degrees and allow people walking by to see that game. It would have resulted in tons of additional exposure, but no, it is much more important to have people line up, clutter the rest of the booth and create a traffic block. Well done, guys!
What's even more ridiculous is that some exhibitors made people line up to even check out games that have been already released. Electronic Arts, for example, forced people to line up, just to get their hands on "Titanfall," an action shooter that was released three months ago! EA has never been known as a company with a lot of common sense, but this certainly scraped the bottom of the barrel.
This, of course, begs the question, are publishers afraid to show you their games? Not really. The answer is actually much simpler. It is sadly as juvenile as the games most of them make.
It all has to do with the opinion most publishers have of themselves. You have people in their marketing departments whose job it is to create excitement around the games they sell, and you have the executives of these companies whose job it is to turn a profit and make the shareholders happy. When you talk to these people, they all have one thing in common: They all think the games they sell are the best in the world and that the company they work for — which strangely changes very frequently — is the most important and influential player in the industry. In short, they live in this bubble where they make themselves believe the hype they are trying to create.
If you truly believe the success of your company or the sales of your game are determined by the length of the waiting line at E3, I have one word for you: psycho-analysis. Seriously, though, it is frightening to think that publishers are so simple-minded that they believe that bigger crowding in their booth buys them karma points and intimidates their competitors. (In their own minds, I have no doubt, their own crowds will always be the biggest and their lines will always be the longest, just as their company will always be the best.)
Therefore, a post-E3 statement at Warner Interactive, might easily sound something like this — "Did you see how long the lines were to see Mortal Kombat X? People really loved that game."
What's wrong with this statement? Well, first of all, it completely misses the point, because just because people stood in line doesn't mean they actually got to see the game, let away, liked it. Since they never got to see the game and stood in line simply based on the assumption that the game might be interesting, to deduce that people liked the game is no more valid than saying that, with its lines and all, the DMV must be the epitome of a happy place.
In the real world, at a really useful trade event, the statement could have been "Did you see the crowd and how excited people were that they could finally see Mortal Kombat X?"
But that would predicate that people actually had the chance to witness the game as an openly accessible presentation in the booth, which was clearly not the case at E3. I didn't see a single frame of Mortal Combat X, or Shadows of Mordor, or the new Batman: Arkham Asylum, or The Sims 4 and countless other games. And it frustrates me. Not only the fact that I went to a trade show to see the latest games, but also the fact that publisher truly expect me to stand in line for hours to see a video clip for single game, then leave, wait in line for an hour to see a clip of their other game, and so forth.
In their desire to appear to be the show's hot ticket, they mistake a waiting line for actual enthusiasm. Or then again, they do not mistake it, they are fully aware of the farce, but they are so misguided that they think YOU can't tell the difference, because the reason they really do it is because in their mind, they believe that these lines, reflect positively on them and the game you're trying to see. Creating this barrier, the game becomes this intangible, unreachable objective that everyone has to aspire to because if the waiting lines are so long, the game has to be so cool, right.
Boy, oh boy… I saw through that gimmick in first grade when my teacher tried to use gold stars to draw better performances and behavior out of us. It is sad to see that these huge business entities allow the handling of their trade shows to stoop down to the level of first-graders. Gamers are not stupid…
As things go in the real world that I roamed in, the real sentiment among visitors at E3 these days is that they are disgruntled because they never even had the chance to see the game. Instead of spending the time talking to colleagues about the cool games we saw, creating real word of mouth interest, conversations around E3 were often taking place about how frustrating it is to get to see anything of interest. To assume that a visitor has an endless amount of time on their hands is completely half-baked and, frankly, stuck-up. Many industry professionals have to squeeze as much in a single day as they can, and there is no room to wait in line for hours on end. Evidently, for people who are working the trade-show booths this is not an issue because to them it is one large three-day event, but for the throngs of visitors it is not.
So, in the end, exhibitors are really shooting themselves in the foot with this practice. I would have been happy to tell people about how great "The Sims 4" looks, how amazing "Dragon Age: Inquisition," or how cool "Shadow of Mordor" seems to be, but I can't and I won't, because I never saw the games, and to me that is a joke. It is a sign for me that the industry has lost all perspective in its self-indulgent make-believe bubble. You either want to show off your product, or you don't. If the latter is true, you have no place on the trade show floor, and if the number of guards, whose job it is to make sure no one's jumping lines, outnumbers the number of presenters in your booth, you know that you definitely got something wrong.
E3 is the only trade show I've ever seen with this kind of practice. These are not closed door meetings, which have their value and purpose, but public displays that deliberately shun visitors to create the illusion of something special. To me, that is just backfiring. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth and, quite honestly, I no longer care if "Shadow of Mordor" is any good or not. I have lost interest… good job!]]>
While the original "Take Pride in your eBook Formatting" tutorial is still every bit as relevant and applicable today as it was when I first published it a few years back, as soon as you want to go beyond the most basic formatting features, you get caught up very quickly in the morass of device limitations and quirks.
With each new device generation new problems are being introduced, and considering that we are now looking at fifth or sixth generation devices, one can quickly get lost in the maze of dos and donts of eBook formatting.
I am not pointing fingers here because every manufacturer contributes to the problem. Apple with its incompatible ePub implementations in iBooks for one, Amazon for other limitations and countless firmware bugs, Barnes&Noble for a different set of firmware bugs. Each of them making it harder for eBook formatters to navigate these waters and create reliable products.
Switching a font face, for example should be a completely trivial thing. According to the HTML standards which underly both the MOBI and EPUB format, you should be able to switch fonts anytime on a block level. Sadly, this is not true in the world of eBooks.
Typically a code snippet like this should work fine on any device, assuming we have a span style called "newfont" that sets a different font family.

Let's switch the font

Sadly, all of Apple's iBooks devices and software do not follow this standard. Not even a snippet like the following one works.

Let's switch the font

iBooks does not recognize font family settings in
 and  elements, which is completely inconsistent with HTML standards. It is not a mere oversight, however, because Apple has been dragging this problem through all iterations of iBooks, since its inception years ago. One can only wonder what Apple's software engineers are thinking.
I found that oftentimes I have to double-stitch solutions, nesting different solutions, so that if one doesn't work there is always a fallback. The work-around to fix this particular problem is to use another block-level tag in order to pass the information to iBooks.

Let's switch the font

While this is not the most elegant solution, and purists will scream out at the misuse of the  tag here, the reality of things is that as eBook formatters we currently cannot afford to be purists. We need formatting challenges solved and in this case  addresses a very specific problem. If Apple would stick to the standards in the first place, hacks like this would not be needed.
I found that the same kind of double-stitching is sadly needed if you want to strike out text, as in draw a line through it. It is not a very commonly used text feature, but if you need it, it is imperative that it shows up correctly.
Instinctively you would use the  tag, which has been part of the HTML vocabulary since its inception. , however, has been discontinued with the HTML5 standard, and as a result there are now eReaders that no longer support it. They require the  tag instead, which, quite by coincidence, is not supported by some older devices, of course.
As in many cases, double-stitching the solution is the way to go for me and whenever I have to strike out text, it will look like this.

This is how you strike out text.

Once again, not the most elegant solution, but as you format eBooks, you will have to get used to seeing things such as this more and more often. As I said, with every new generation of eBook devices, the number of these types of inconsistencies will grow and the need to find and apply band-aid solutions will sadly grow with it.
If you want to find out more about basic and advanced eBook formatting techniques, make sure to check out my new book Zen of eBook Formatting, which details all the necessary steps to create professional-grade eBooks.]]>
Zen of eBook Formatting is in the same vein as my "Take Pride in your eBook Formatting" tutorial series, but it goes way beyond that, as it is vastly expanded and updated. In the book I am taking readers through the entire workflow that I am using every day for the projects I am working on for my clients. In an easy to understand manner—I hope—I am not only explaining the steps, but also explain why these steps are necessary and why I do things the way I do them. The result is a tutorial-style self-help book that is chock full with examples, tips and coding snippets.
Having formatted well over 500 eBooks at this time, I am covering the entire process, from the basic manuscript cleanup, to the basics of HTML and simple markup, all the way to advanced techniques that allow you to add an incredible amount of polish to your eBooks without necessarily sacrificing device compatibility.
Just to give you an impression of the breadth of subjects I am covering, here is the Table of Contents for you.
The key to me, when putting together this book, has been to make it possible for anyone to create an eBook that has a professional level of presentation. Too many authors use shortcuts to create eBook version of their manuscripts, flooding the market with broken and sub-par product that leaves a bad taste in readers' minds, when in fact, applying a little bit of discipline could elevate them from that riffraff and make their books like a million bucks.
Zen of eBook Formatting is targeted at all those of us, who care about their books, not only the words we wrote, but also that they are presented to the reader in a clean and professional manner that works on as many eReaders as possible. Hopefully, with Zen of eBook Formatting at hand, this goal will be within reach for many more authors.
Grab your copy of the book an Amazon now!]]>
Well, over the past few weeks I took a look at the tutorials again and I have finally decided to create an eBook on the subject of eBook formatting. Since my tutorial series has become the de facto standard in the industry and is being used by countless authors to prepare their books for the market, I felt it was finally time to take it to the next level.
As I pointed out above, creating a mere reprint of the blog tutorials is not at all what I have in mind. Instead I have spend these past weeks reworking the instructions to give the entire process a clearer structure, but also to add many of the topics and elements that I did not touch upon in these tutorials. The tutorials were designed, really, to get people started, but with a book I feel it requires a lot more in-depth information to be of any value at all. It needs to be more complete, and as a result, the book will consist of a section with basic techniques that will get you to your first eBook, much the way the tutorials did, but in addition, the book will contain a section with advanced techniques in which I will describe how to achieve certain effects and how to handle certain formatting challenges that pop up every day, but require a bit more explanation and additional skill. Naturally, I am trying to keep it very accessible still to ensure readers can easily follow the instructions and examples.
Over the years I have seen many blogs that touch upon the subject of eBook formatting and some of the posts I came across were frightening—in the sense that they promoted techniques that are highly unsafe. While they achieved the goal for that particular individual, oftentimes the approach was nothing short of reckless, using very specific device capabilities without pointing out to the user that this behavior is not supported by other devices or that it can actually create unexpected behavior and lead to page corruption. Clearly, these authors never had the time to fully explore the techniques they were proposing, or didn't have the foresight that their suggestion could create more problems than they actually solved.
In my book I have maintained my long-held stance that eBook compatibility is one of the highest priorities. The goal is to create eBooks that look good on any reader out there, whether it is a tiny cell phone or a large desktop computer. I am a professional eBook formatter (Click here for more information if you are interested in my services) and I have prepared more than 700 books for release in the market, by an enormously wide range of authors and styles. Of these 700 books not a single one has been known to cause formatting problems, clearly showing that with insight and forethought, it is possible to create eBooks that are compatible even in a market as fragmented as eBooks.
I am sure it won't surprise you that many of the techniques outlined in my book will cover the subject of eBook formatting from that angle, offering up safe solutions, or, where no safe solutions are available, at least pointing out the risks and challenges and how they can be minimized by the formatter.
Filled with tips, tricks, techniques, examples, screenshots and plenty of code, the book will hopefully become a one-stop solution for all authors who want to dive in to the technical side of their eBook projects.
In a time where eBook readers have become increasingly powerful and capable, and where more authors than ever put their content out in the market, one would think that formatting manuscripts to publish them as eBooks should be as trivial as exporting them from a word processor, but alas, that is not the case. Whether it's releases from small indie authors or titles from major publishers, I continued to stumble across eBooks that are shoddy at best. Just a few months ago I was re-reading the Dragonlance Chronicles by Hickman/Weiss—a staple of high fantasy literature that has been in print for 30 years now, and yet, the eBook versions are an abomination in many ways. While it is evident that some work went into the books, they are nonetheless riddled with formatting errors that clearly show that no one at Wizards of the Coast took a single look at the books once they were formatted, let away read them before they went out the virtual door.
Is that truly the promise of the digital age? That we have to content ourselves with mediocre quality and sloppy presentations? It is just because it's easy and cheap to produce and anyone with a computer can do it? Or is it because price points have come down so much, resulting in content creators and publishers no longer caring about the products the way they used to, because it's all considered shovelware, anyway?
I've said it many times, but it is well worth repeating. The formatting of your eBook is every bit as important as your cover and your story. If your book becomes unreadable because line breaks are mutilated, margins jump all over the place, fonts get butchered, graphics become indistinguishable or errant page breaks destroy the flow, you are in trouble. I have put aside more than a handful of books after a few chapters because I found the reading experience too egregious — and I am sure that I am not the only one. (I remember vividly, the first one this ever happened to me was Charlie Courtland's "Dandelions in the Garden," for which I paid $9.99 on the Kindle and had to put down after two chapters because every single page was riddled with a multitude of typos, grammatical errors and formatting flaws-all of which the author herself considered a matter of personal taste and absolutely acceptable.)
Sure, the temptation is enormous as a writer. You have finally completed your book after a year's worth of writing and—hopefully—tweaking, and without a publisher to hold you back for another year, you are eager to put your work out in the market, in the hands of readers. Nothing wrong with that. The problem really starts when you believe that the "Export as ePub" function in your word processor is your road to an instant release.
Word processors are a great piece of software, but they are designed to write text and to do a bit of layout work, perhaps. All of it with your computer screen or a printed page in mind. Absolutely nothing in a word processor is designed for the requirements of eBooks. The famed "Export as ePub" function was nothing but an afterthought in that software, that has been included because someone thought it may help sell a few extra copies of the word processor or entice the growing army of aspiring digital authors to finally upgrade their software package.
eBooks have very specific requirements, capabilities and limitations, and they are not adequately represented by word processors. Things that look right on the screen or the printed page may not work the same way on an eBook reader.
While it is possible to create a good eBook with a word processor, it requires intimate familiarity with the software's features. If, for example, you do not know what the difference between a soft and a hard line break is, let away how to create each, or if you do not know how to properly space text and paragraphs, the odds are, you won't be able to create a solid eBook output. If you're not familiar with your word processor's style functions and are not religiously and obsessively using them, or if you do not know how to properly create an automatic bulleted list in your word processor, chances are that you are not ready to export your manuscript as an eBook using the "Export as ePub" feature. The list goes on like this.
I am not here to make you feel bad, because considering how complex word processors are these days, few of us truly master the software. But that's not the point. You don't have to, if you're a writer. Your job is to write a cool story, pack it all up nicely in a suspenseful and engaging way that keeps readers glued to your words. Making sure it fits the technical limitations of an eBook reader is someone else's job. Or rather, it should be. Someone with an understanding of the technical side of things, and with the ability to whip your writing into such shape that it works on any device. It's a specialized field of expertise where the experience you purchase will save you countless hours of headache and will protect you from having to deal with potentially countless upset readers and customers.
It may be fulfilling to see your complex layout with text flowing around images and wonderfully elaborate drop cap initials on your iPad after exporting it as an ePub file from your word processor, but have you ever wondered, what the book may look like on another device? An early-generation Kindle, a Nook, perhaps, or the Kobo reader? What about a tiny cell phone or a retina computer retina display? Not all devices that people read your books on are equal. There are huge gaps in capabilities between various devices, and your software exporter cannot—and will not—accommodate them. It won't even try. It will try to create what the programmer who wrote it deemed best, even if it means that in the real world you are leaving 90% of the market by the roadside.
Even within device families there are enormous capability differences. The Kindles, for example, by far the most popular eBook readers, range from a device that is barely capable of displaying an image (Kindle 1) to a full-blown tablet that can do virtually anything, including play games. Most Kindle devices have serious glitches and firmware bugs that got progressively worse with each generation. I made a blog post about the subject three years ago and it is frightening to see that Amazon never addressed as single one of these "10 Things Amazon should correct in the Kindle". So, when you format an eBook, you definitely need to be mindful of these differences and idiosyncrasies at all times.
But back to even the general capabilities. Amazon for all the great stuff they've been doing for the eBook revolution, has completely dropped the ball on various fronts over the past years, clearly indicating that the company simply looks forward without ever trying to patch up previous mistakes. As a result there is no easy way to bridge these different capabilities in any workable way.
Ideally you would want the ability to create dedicated eBooks for devices with different capabilities, but sadly Amazon and every other distribution outlet does not allow for that. You have to have one build of your book that serves all devices. While Amazon allows a bit of conditional formatting, it is in reality very basic stuff that is so rudimental that it is mostly useless. Therefore you are forced to build your eBooks for a common denominator and you have to make sure it will work on all the devices out there.
No "Export to ePub" feature does that, which brings us back to the point that you should work with people who specialize on that kind of thing. As you may know, I have written an extensive eBook formatting tutorial some time ago, and I am offering eBook and print formatting as services. The truly amazing thing about the tutorial is that over time it has become the de facto standard for the industry and that that even now, four years after I wrote it, it is still valid and applicable in every single aspect. In a world where technology moves at such a rapid pace, it is clearly a testimony to the quality of the underlying fundamentals of the tutorial. Every book formatted following the tutorial still works on every device out there, and it is still the same general process I apply when formatting my clients' eBooks.
If you would rather focus on your writing and leave the technical aspects of your ebooks to people like me, feel free to send me an email. I have formatted over 700 books, all of which are available in eBook stores worldwide, and many of them are full blown bestsellers selling hundreds of thousands of copies. And among these roughly 700 books, not a single one has caused any problems in the past!
If you want to make sure your readers are happy with the eBook you sold them, and if you want to make sure the books won't be returned because of weird glitches or formatting errors, feel free to take a look at this page where I am outlining my services and my fees. I am happy to work with all sorts of authors and publishers, big and small, to make sure they can publish their books with confidence.
Forget about the promises of a magic bullet. It does not exist. Instead, take the proper steps to ensure the quality of your eBook from the inside out.
For more information and professional tips and tricks, please make sure to also check out my new book Zen of eBook Formatting, which is now available on Amazon.]]>
It's a bit of nostalgia and one of the interviews I like and remember most coming out of my "Planescape: Torment" era. Since many of you may never have seen this, or may not remember, I thought I'd post this little gem for you.
It's always fun to find little things like this one somewhere in your stash. I hope you will enjoy the read.]]>
Here is a short trailer for the game, which taken from the full Kickstarter pitch video. Check it out and see if this is something you like.
So far we've already raised almost $40k, but it will be a long, hard way to the end, to get the full funding in place for the game, which is necessary to make the Kickstarter succeed.
Fortunately, you can help – even if you're not into games and even if you don't care for this one in particular perhaps. Why? Because your friends, relatives or acquaintances might be interested, and all I would ask of you is to share the good news. And to make it really easy for you, I have even prepared a couple of buttons, so that with three simple clicks, you can do a tremendously good deed and support our efforts. Just click on the link below, if you would,and my eternal thanks will be guaranteed. not to mention that your karma will go through the roof!
As you may recall, "Deathfire: Ruins of Nethermore" is a single-player party-based fantasy role-playing game that combines deep characters and solid storytelling with turn-based combat. One of the really cool things about the project is that we have a great team, consisting of people I have known and worked over the past 25 years or so. Some of our team members go back with me as far as "Shadows over Riva." How cool is that?
It is a fun project to develop, and we're trying to make something that truly harkens back to the traditional role-playing games of the Golden Era, when we all glued to our screens playing "Realms of Arkania," "Wizardry," "Might&Magic" or "Dungeon Master" and such. Creating the same kind of depth and attachment, but wrapping it in new technology and a beautiful visual presentation, we hope that "Deathfire" will truly speak to people who love classic role-playing games. After all, it's what we know how to do best.]]>
In case you missed the past update, we released a series of screenshots recently, showing some of the interiors of one of the game's dungeons. You can find the post here, complete with a bit more background information.
Today, I have also posted a new Development Diary update, talking briefly about a number of new members who have joined the "Deathfire" team recently. Make sure to stop by and check it out, because the post also sports two new screenshots showing off some of the improvements we have been working on in the past weeks, to increase the visual impact and atmosphere of our scenery in Unity.]]>
Long and heated discussion broke out over this suggestion here in our offices, but the more we did our research, the more it became evident, that the handwriting does indeed seem to match that of the legendary Tesselar. We also discovered hints in various reports that the elusive wizard-who-walks-the-ages has been seen approaching the Nethermore Mountains some weeks past, shortly after the initial outbreak of the undead plague. Tesselar's appearance is significant, of course, in many ways, because the wizard magister had not been seen for many years prior, and the only explanation for his presence in the Nethermore region is that he has been following the same goal as ours… to find the source and stop the horrors of the walking dead, just as these mysterious notes indicate.
You are skeptical? Well then, read for yourself…
Earlier today, I reached an intersection in the tunnels deep beneath the Nethermore Mountains. The stench that lay heavy in the air down here was so overpowering that my knees began to buckle. I had to lean heavily on my staff as bile rose in the back of my throat, triggered by the stench of decay and rot that surrounded me. I was wrestling with the many emotions that flooded over me at the sight that lay before me. So bizarre was it that I have to commit it to paper in detail. No part of it must be lost or forgotten. For some reason, I have a sense that what I've been looking at is more important than it may seem just now, and I may need to rely on my notes at some later point.
The path before me was rough. Here, deep beneath the Earth, the bedrock had chiseled its own path, the force and sheer weight of tons of granite forcing itself between the old walls of the catacombs, creating deep rifts, and cracking the overhead structures with ease. I was surrounded by silence, except for reluctant drops of water that echoed in the distance as they dripped to the ground. The soft, shimmering light from my staff struggled to penetrate the darkness before me.
The peaceful silence was deceiving, for I was surrounded by at least one dozen animal carcasses; cadavers that appeared to be clawing at each other even in the moment of death that had caught up with them no more than two days ago. Reluctantly, I stepped toward the rotting flesh, careful not to trip on the brittle ground. Wet and black from the sewage and blood, my rope was steeped up to my ankles. As I looked closer, the light of my staff revealed that these were no animals. At least not ordinary animals. Their rat-like bodies were decidedly humanoid and must have been at least as tall as a man. The cadavers were clad in armor and carried weapons, as far as I could tell from their shredded remains.
As my gaze roved across the floor I noticed another dead creature among them. Amongst the rat-like warriors lay slender, insect-like body parts, their severed heads staring at me with dully facetted, expressionless black eyes. What a massacre… what rage… not a single victim that was left intact.
But then, from the corner of my eyes I noticed a single rat, somewhat separated from the others. Lying partially obscured in the shadows, this one was not humanoid, but instead it was enormous… easily the size of a fully grown Worg. The animal had deep cuts on its head and hideous lacerations along its flanks – wounds far beyond anything that healing powers could salvage, and yet, a last dying spark of life was still glimmering in the eyes of this animal.
I took another step closer and slowly reached out my hand. I could sense the animal's wealth of emotions. This was clearly no ordinary animal. Its sense of sadness swept over me, so profound that it threatened to bring tears to my eyes. I felt its exhaustion from the battle and the deathly wounds. It was intelligent… comparable to the mind of a child, perhaps, but intelligent nonetheless. And it was dreaming… the feverish hallucinations of a life dwindling away with every heartbeat.
I had to know what had happened here! Especially in light of the fact that I have to continue on this path through these very catacombs. I gently place my hand on the animal's matted fur, right between its dimming eyes. Only barely did I register the saddle on the animal's back at that point, because already, its confused memories that wound their way through its dying mind began to appear before my own mind's eye.
Giant rats were battling in the ruined halls of some ancient temple. Side by side with their humanoid, armor-clad brethren, the giant rats fought with the desperate ferocity of cornered animals, as wave after wave of their opponents broke upon them. Humans! The images I saw were blurred and out of focus, and I felt the animal was passing quickly now, its heartbeat already slowing to a crawl. Among the carnage I witnessed an opponent's torso being ripped to pieces, its human body crashing lifelessly to the ground. As it lay there in rivulets of crimson blood, it began to regenerate itself and the corpse rose yet again to continue the fight. As more and more rats fell, the odds became overwhelming, and before this horde of relentless, undead warriors, the surviving rats eventually fled into bottomless pits and uncharted sewer channels to escape the bloodshed.
That is where it all started, I realized! The undead flood. The walking dead. The ancient temple ruins. This is where I will have to go!
Another image appeared before my mind's eye just then, of another battleground. Dank cave tunnels this time. The rats were tangled up in fighting yet again, only this time without their humanoid brethren by their sides. An emotion came with the vision of the battle scene, a different sensation… hunger. The rats were starving. I witnessed as flitting images of eggs danced before my eyes. Food for the rats, much of the shells cracked and empty. Food aplenty. And there were flashes of weapons! Guards! A number of insectoid creatures, heavily armored in their chitin shells, were pummeling the rats, slowly driving them back, away from the eggs. A froth of saliva shot from the insect creatures' mouths like projectiles, as they poisoned the rats, paralyzing them and finally capturing them as they lay helplessly on the floor.
As I tried to piece together the fragmented vision that had spun through my mind, it appeared to me that the rats must have been pillaging an insectoid nest for food, when they were surprised by guards defending the nesting grounds.
The rat twitched under my touch, as its heartbeat became irregular. A last series of images flashed before me. The giant rat was fighting once again, but a strange red color tinges everything this time. I recognized the surroundings, the fight was taking place right where I stood… in these primordial catacombs… this very place… but there was more. In horror I observed that the rat was fighting its own humanoid brethren! Movement in the corner of my vision caught my attention and I was able to see her companions, fellow giant rats with fiercely glowing red eyes. Rats with saddles fastened on their backs, carrying the chitin monsters as they sliced the wooden pole arms of the humanoid rats with razor sharp claws. The humanoid rats were fighting back with a vengeance, but their expressions were unmistakable. They were horrified and stunned by the fact that they were facing their own kin in battle.
Insectoids fell dead from their saddled thrones in the slaughter, but driven by some emotionless impetus, the giant rats continued to fight their own brethren tooth and nail. With sharp claws they pulled the humanoid rats to the ground, then ripped their throats with blood-stained teeth. All the while, their brethren fought back vehemently, piercing their attackers' lungs and stabbing them to death with daggers made from bones. The massacre ended when all humanoid rats lay dead, when most of the chitin monsters had ceased to breathe. The few who lived moved on, down the tunnel to nurse their wounds. Only this lone rat remained, dying…
When the last of its life ebbed from the rat's body and its skull slowly grew cold under my touch, the enormity of what I had just witnessed jerked me back to my senses. The path that lies ahead of me had just become a whole lot more challenging, for now I know that there is not only the plague of the undead to deal with. The dark tunnels ahead of me hold promise of a violent conflict between two different races. A conflict I do not wish to be dragged into. But I realize that, in time, my hand will be forced and I will have to choose. But what choice will it be?


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The Primary Colors: Yellow
Topics : Kindergarten, Coloring
Does your child know the primary colors? They are blue, red and yellow. Give him some practice with yellow by coloring in the stars, lemons and flowers, then let him draw all the things he can think of that are yellow.
Updated on Aug 14, 2012

subset: commoncrawl


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Akon - Dirty Work
Artist: Akon
Featuring: Wiz Khalifa
Producer: DJ Frank E
Album: Stadium
Avg Rating: 3.3 ( 12 total votes )
Stripping is Dirty Work, but someone's gotta do it. At least, so says Akon on his latest Booth feature, a new single off his long-delayed senior set. The final, radio-ready version of a cut originally leaked to the 'net in January, this record depicts the Konvict Muzik head honcho in what is essentially his default state: cheesing on a dancer at his local gentlemen's club. DJ Frank E backs the artist's wide-eyed expressions of lust with an addictive mix of chopped vocal samples and R&B guitar riffs, and Wiz Khalifa assists on the guest tip, returning the favor from his own recent single, Let It Go. Will this be the record that finally—finally!—gets Stadium a release date? Debate away and, as always, keep it locked for the latest.
Listen to More: Akon , Wiz Khalifa , R&B/Pop, Hitmaker
Written by richard on 02/6/13
Konvict/Upfront/SRC/Universal Motown
First DJ Booth Appearance:
"Smack That" (2006)
Member Reviews and Ratings
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- Jeezy - Seen It All: The Autobiography
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- Best/Worst of the Week: Andre 3000 All Day, Queen Bey Reigns & More
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- Even More Porn Stars in Music Videos (NSFW)
DJBooth TV
Discover the best new songs, videos, and albums added to the Booth.


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An unusual stir fry from China that combines salty chicken with sweet lychees. Use tinned lychees rather than fresh, they are more available and much more convenient!
Recipe by: 小洋菊
It's easy to make a Pad Thai at home that is as good as any you will find in a restaurant. Watch this Thai street food classic being made in the Allrecipes Pad Thai Video .
Recipe by: Jackie
Chicken is stir-fried with green capsicum and onion for a delicious and healthy light dinner or lunch.
Recipe by: Kira
This stir fry is a light and healthy lunch containing fresh bok choy, toasted cashews and chicken thigh strips.
Recipe by: lucky


text:
Ratings based on 185 Verified Reviews
They paid and stayed. We double-checked.
3.7 Room cleanliness
3.4 Service & staff
3.5 Room comfort
3.7 Hotel condition
They paid and stayed.
We double-checked.
We double-checked.
for Everyoneby A verified traveller from London
Nice hotel very close to metro stationPosted 19-Aug-2014
Pros: Very comfortable, high standard, staff helpful & knowleddgeable, very close to a metro station
Cons: cheaper breakfast deals - we did not eat in at price offered for breakfast seemed too high
Location: metro and a shopping centre very close by - can stock up on necessities, food & drink & eating places all close
Very nice comfortable hotel, very close to a metro station 2 minute walk. Only downside is last stop at end of line, but only 25 minutes on metro into central Paris
for Everyoneby A verified traveller from Minneapolis
Great Hotel for ParisPosted 19-Aug-2014
Pros: Location and size of the rooms, high speed internet, close by shopping center, "village like" atmosphere of Bagnolet.
Cons: The rooms are a little dated.
This hotel is not for Paris first-timers. It is located 10 yards from the city border - but is only 10 yards from the Gallieni Metro. It has huge rooms by Paris standards and it is air-conditioned. There are tons of restaurants nearby and a large shopping center 100 feet away. The bus from Charles de Gaulle Airport is only 5 Euros and comes very close to the hotel. Best of all there is a huge park within 1/4 mile for those who are joggers and need a break from the insanity.
for Everyoneby A verified traveller from Newcastle, UK
Rather surprised!Posted 13-Aug-2014
Having booked through Expedia, I arrived in the area and thought I'd booked somewhere a bit rough! I was pleasantly surprised when walking into the hotel to be greeted with a charming, friendly, clean atmosphere! This is ideally located to get into via Paris City Centre via Gallieni metro stop - you're no further than 10minutes from the city centre.
for Couplesby A verified traveller
Good choice not centralPosted 07-Aug-2014
Pros: Friendly english speaking staff and clean hotel.
Cons: would benefit from more than one english channel on tv.
Location: Near by is a shopping centre with a large supermarket, for those that want it there is a famous brand burgerbar too.
Thoughnot central paris it's a good choice antyway as it is on the metro line so convenient. dont be fooled by the area it is being improved and there is a large supermarket and shopping centre close by (by the metro). The hotel is clean with frendly staff, room very comfortable, unsure why the big pillows. I would use it again and probably will.
Comment from Hotel Management
12-Aug-2014 by Le Service Client, Hotel Management
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for those wonderful lines! We are so pleased to know that you enjoyed your stay and that the room as well as the location of our hotel met your expectation. Otherwise, it is a real pleasure to read that you appreciated the courtesy of our staff, it will be shared with them. Your comment is precious! It allows us to continuously improve our service's level. We hope to have the pleasure to welcome you back soon, Sincerely,
by A verified traveller from Omaha, NE
Hotel in the worst part of townPosted 05-Aug-2014
Pros: Not much of anything.
Cons: See above (Write about your experience).
Location: A metro station and a shopping mall.
The hotel is in a very bad part of town. I would never suggest this place for someone alone, or small groups (3 or less). The hotel is near a metro station, but it is the end of the line, requiring you to leave quite early from anywhere of interest in the city if you are planning on taking the train back to the hotel. Otherwise, be prepared for a hefty cab fee (average 35 euros). Aside from the very dangerous location, the hotel was in poor working order. Our keys reset nightly, so we had to stop by the desk every day to have them reprogrammed (usually after a long wait in the lobby). The fitness center was always closed before closing time (posted 2300 local, checked once as early as 2100 and was closed). The staff was not very knowledgeable about the area at all; we asked if there was a grocery store or convenience mart near and they said nothing close, but in fact there is a large grocery store in the mall at the metro station 1 block away. 2 times they failed to give us our wake up call. The "free" internet appeared to have an IP limit, so if you were not connected before that was reached then there was no internet to use. There are no transportation services or services to assist with tourism (no concierge). I would not recommend this place to anyone unless they were giving rooms away.
Comment from Hotel Management
09-Aug-2014 by Le Service Client, Hotel Management
Dear Steven, First of all, thank you for taking the time to contact us and share your observations following your stay at Novotel Paris Est on Expedia. We are truly sorry to read that our services did not meet your expectation and sincerely apologize for the lack of attention and service quality you encountered during your stay. The reception staff has been advised of your comments. They have been reminded that maintaining a high standard of hospitality and service is the best way to obtain our guest's satisfaction. Every measure has been taken to ensure that all our guests are greeted with courtesy and professionalism. Our guest's satisfaction is of paramount importance and we hope that in the near future you will allow us an opportunity to demonstrate this. We sincerely wish to have the opportunity to welcome you back and provide you with a totally new experience reconfirming the Novotel guest promise and which will makes your stay a memorable one. Sincerely,
by A verified traveller from MALTA
DisappointmentPosted 31-Jul-2014
Pros: Reception Lobby is modern to my liking. Internet availability, bar stays till late. Close to the metro.
Cons: Choice of Breakfast and service.
Location: Location is bad, there is nothing much to do in the evenings except to go for a snack at Mc Donalds or a restaurant if you are able to find one.
Room was too small and cramped. Could bearly sit on the toilet. No wardrobe, no drawers. Had to leave all our cloths on the shelves. As regards to cleanliness, the maid only did the beds and changed the towels. On one occasion I had to request for towels. Breakfast bare minimum even though we were charged € 17.00 each. The even we left, we went for breakfast at 9:00 in the restaurant reserved for families, breakfast is served between 7:00 and 11:00. We went for breakfast at 9:00 they had no white bread for toast, I asked and the waiters said it was finished, and it was only 9:00. My wife also requested for muffins (which they served daily) and they were finished too. The area where it is situated is not central at all, though it is very close to the metro station. Not a lot of choice as regards to restaurants. We use to go to another hotel for an evening meal. Had I to visit Paris again, I will chose a different hotel.
Comment from Hotel Management
05-Aug-2014 by Le Service Client, Hotel Management
Dear Mikefar, Thank you for having taken the time to share your experience during your recent stay at the Novotel Paris Est. We are truly sorry that our services did not meet your expectations and sincerely apologize for the lack of attention and service quality you encountered during your stay. Please be assured that we took notes of your several comments related to the service and that we will take appropriate measures to prevent future occurrences. Your recent experience was certainly not a true reflection the high standards for which our hotels are known. Thank you for taking the time to contact us as guest feedback is invaluable to our efforts to continually improve the quality of our service and to meet our guest's expectations. We appreciate your sharing your concerns, and it is our hope that you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the near future. Sincerely,
for Business Travellersby A verified traveller
Quick BreakPosted 30-Jun-2014
Nice hotel - end of the metro line but good links - clean reception area and restaurant not to expensive.
Comment from Hotel Management
18-Jul-2014 by Le Service Client, Hotel Management
Dear Anonymous, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your impressions with other travellers. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed your overall experience at our hotel. Your feedback means a lot to us as your satisfaction is our priority. We already look forward to welcome you back at our hotel. Best regards,
by Faze from Birmingham
Horrible wint be staying again!!Posted 28-May-2014
Do not stay here the 1st room i was in the shower drain and sink drain was blocked and ac didnt work and then the second room had the same problems apart from the sink been blocked and the toilet was in a completely different room! The temperature at night was unbearable and the staff couldnt give me another room bcuz they were fully booked but they never offered any sort of compensation they wernt even willing to upgrade my room free of charge they wanted 60 euro's a night extra, this hotel is no where near 4 stars i think it needs re reviewing!! I would not recommend this hotel to any body! Stay clear
Comment from Hotel Management
18-Jul-2014 by Le Service Client, Hotel Management
Dear Faze, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience at the Novotel Paris Est. I am truly sorry that our services did not meet your expectations and sincerely apologize for the lack of attention and service quality you encountered during your stay. Please be assured that the staff of the hotel's reception department has been advised of your comments. They have been reminded that maintaining a high standard of hospitality and service is an essential part of their daily work. Every measure has been taken to ensure that all our guests are greeted with courtesy and professionalism. Your patronage to our hotel is extremely important. I sincerely wish to have the opportunity to welcome you back and provide you with a totally new experience. Sincerely,
for Everyoneby emma from glasgow, scotland
Perfect hotel for our family!Posted 27-May-2014
Clean modern hotel. Friendly helpful staff - speak excellent English. Right next to gellalini metro station, restaurants, auchan shopping centre and basically everything you need. Highly recommend this hotel. 50 mins from disney land, 15 mins from Paris City centre on metro/rer. Would love to go back
Comment from Hotel Management
18-Jul-2014 by Le Service Client, Hotel Management
Dear Emma, Thank you very much for your comment on the Novotel Paris Est. We are delighted to read that you enjoyed your stay with us and your satisfaction is exactly what we are searching for! Therefore your compliments are a great reward for all our staff. We are hoping to welcome you back soon. Best Regards,
for Everyoneby enid
Posted 25-May-2014
Close to metro and easy access to city. Too many tourists and too noisy
Comment from Hotel Management
18-Jul-2014 by Le Service Client, Hotel Management
Dear Enid, First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are happy to known that you enjoyed the location of our hotel and are truly sorry to read about the inconvenience caused during your stay because of the noise. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconveniences this may have caused. We look forward to welcome you again for your next stays. Sincerely,


text:
Welcome to Pilkipedia, Guest! We hope you enjoy the boards available for you to browse here in secrecy.
However why not sign up to the forum to browse the several hidden boards and contribute to our growing community!
OMarcY wrote:It was those bands Ricky, Steve and Karl tried to pass opinion on one show after being sent loads of demos.
Its like choosing your favourite disease. They were all really dire.
Fat Baby wrote:alanwhite wrote:i have no idea what youre talking about
mars bah bah bah wrote:Save it for when this habitually dysfunctional situation blows up in your dumb goddamn face again and go fuck yourself while you're at it!
Evilded wrote:Ok, here we have Picture Center
And here's Toffee with their hit parade of a song Born Depressed.
Unfortunatley Kellerton Rd. are retarded and don't have any songs or fans on myspace
Return to Ricky, Steve and Karl
Registered users: croney, Horse voices, ScottHanson


text:
Save $40 on RIKON Slow-Speed Grinder
Keep your tools sharp and safe without edge destroying heat.
Buy Today & Save
$25 Off HTC Tool Table
You'll find hundreds of uses for this table in your shop.
Now Only $39.99
Six-Shelf Wood Rack Now $39.99
Safely and properly store wood with this customer favorite.
Learn More!
Look up product instructions, videos and articles about your favorite tools using our Learning Center.
Join us on your favorite social network! Share your projects and learn from other woodworkers.
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items cannot be shipped via air due to being flammable, magnetic, contains batteries,
hazardous fumes or where contents are under pressure. Please use a physical address
not a PO Box during checkout.
(1 reviews)
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Returns allowed only for defective product (see above). If you have a return issue, contact Woodcraft Supply customer service @ 1-800-535-4482 for return details.
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Don't Be A 800 Pound Gorilla
San Antonio, Tx
About Me
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DMT Aligner Blade Guide / Knife Clamp
I use this to teach myself the proper angles of knife sharpening
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Here are some of the best hardcore scenes that made Carlito the world's number-one male superstar. Cum check out this versatile young buck who knows how to take it as well as give it. Check him out as he rides some big phat dicks and watch as he slams some phat asses. This can only be the best of Carlito by far.


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Model: 00050 Item: OFX00050
Gourmet-quality snacks promote good health. Resealable tubs. Food Type: Nuts; Flavor: Cashews; Capacity (Weight): 15 oz; Packing Type: Tub.
Office Snax® Candy Tubs, Peppermint Puffs, 44oz
$17.56$1229 / each
Office Snax® Bottled Spring Water, 4 Gallon Bottle
$14.70$970 / each


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A. The Warranty Does Not Cover Cooling Pads and Outer Plastic Parts, The Warranty Does Not Cover Incorrect Usage of Product in Combination with a ...moreny other Substance or Product, Used for Commercial Purpose, Defects Developed Due to Faulty Care / Maintenance / Alterations to the Product / Parts less
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|Power Requirement
|230 V, 50 Hz
|Power Consumption - Cooling
|Additional Features
|Technology Used
|Chilltrap Technology
|Designed For
|Other Features
|Dimension: 515 (W) x 400 (H) x 890 (D), Compact Design, Suitable for All Climates and Costal Regions
|Width x Height x Depth
|46.5 cm x 84 cm x 30.8 cm
|11 kg
|Warranty Summary
|1 Year Bajaj Warranty
|Covered in Warranty
|1 Year Warranty on the Enitre Product with 5 Years Warranty on the Motor, (All Electrical Parts Under Warranty)
|Not Covered in Warranty
The Warranty Does Not Cover Cooling Pads and Outer Plastic Parts, The Warranty Does Not Cover Incorrect Usage of Product in Combination with any other Substance or Product, Used for Commercial Purpose, Defects Developed Due to Faulty Care / Maintenance / Alterations to... Read More
|Warranty Service Type
Pls dont read the above worst review.The cooler works really superb.Cooling effect is also good.Worth of spending the money.
I bought it before a month cooling and the effect is good.
Spending the money on other cooler spend on this and have more tank capacity also.
I purchased this offline (from local stores) - as Flipkart was not offering Coolers when I bought this. I went for the TC 2005 model - as that was smaller (lower capacity) version & I had a space constraint. But store had TC 2007 readily available & it had a bigger capacity for +600 price difference. I took it & got started with it.
(1) Since it has a big capacity, once I filled in the water - it runs for long hours (e.g. you can fill it 100% & can run for almost 10-12 hours at a stretch)
(2) Blower is quite strong e.g. I run it at level 3 (1 being the strongest) - w... (Expand)
This item was delivered on promised date by Flipkart.
Product is fine and meeting the requirements. Operation is not silent and bit noisy. Look wise not appealing as Symphony range of products.
Soon after started using the product, I have noticed that some sort of smell is coming and called Bajaj service center. The rep. who received the call asked couple of questions whether it related to electrical or non electrical and so on. When I explained about smell problem, the took a service request and Bajaj people responded to the same and clarified the doubts and informed that during init... (Expand)


text:
Check out this krazy deal at Amazon. Purchase a Hutzler Banana Slicer for only $2.48. That's a savings of 75%! At savings like this, who would want to use a knife?
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Hutzler Banana Slicer (
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6 thoughts on "Hutzler Banana Slicer, Only $2.48 at Amazon!"
The user ratings & comments are HYSTERICAL!
And to think that all this time I have been standing there at the kitchen counter like a complete idiot wasting countless seconds slicing my bananas with a knife!
If nothing else, please go read the reviews on this product. It literally left me in tears with laughter.
I agree! The comments are a kick!
Thanks I was in dire need of a good laugh!!
I clicked on this post just to comment and tell people to read the reviews, but looks like everyones already beat me to it!


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Police: Man playing with gun kills another man in San Antonio
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Taliban attack intel office in eastern Afghanistan
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San Antonio rock club White Rabbit to be sold
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Mustangs run past Eagles in opener
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Historic S.A. firehouse could become restaurant
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Michael Jackson, the "King of Style" would have been 56 today
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Donatella Versace's hunky ice bucket challenge
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Today's Editorial Cartoon: Sept. 1
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2014 Hyundai Equus — a Korean entry in the German-dominated luxury car field.
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U.S. & World
US economy grew at brisk 4.2 pct. rate in Q2
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Million-dollar home profits donated to S.A. charity
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What was going on in the Alamo City 50 years ago? Click through to find out.
Photo By Express-News illustration
We've combed through the San Antonio Express, San Antonio News and San Antonio Light archives to bring you the best photos from the Alamo City 50 years ago, for the most part using the original photo captions, with exceptions to provide more information. Enjoy! Compiled by Merrisa Brown, mySA.com.
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Latest Headlines
Thursday the Arkansas Department of Health confirmed 20 Arkansans have died ...
Cooler than average temperatures this week.
The No. 24 Arkansas baseball team (21-13) raced out to an early lead Wednesday ...
Due to the threat of inclement weather, Arkansas baseball's series opener with ...
Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) - Sergei Gonchar scored the winner on the power
play with 2:30 left in the game as the Ottawa Senators rallied for a 3-2 win
over the Washington Capitals.
Milan Michalek and Jim O'Brien each scored a goal for the Senators, who
snapped a two-game slide. Craig Anderson made 31 saves in the win.
Troy Brouwer and Matt Hendricks each scored for the Capitals, who were coming
off their only win of the season on Sunday against Buffalo. Michal Neuvirth
made 24 stops in the loss.
The Sports Network


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Site: XL Center
Time: Wednesday at 9 p.m.
TV: ESPN2 (John Saunders, Bob Knight, Andy Katz)
Radio: WTIC-AM 1080, WILI-AM 1400. WELI-AM 960, WGCH 1490 (Joe D'Ambrosio, Wayne Norman)
Site: XL Center
Time: Wednesday at 9 p.m.
TV: ESPN2 (John Saunders, Bob Knight, Andy Katz)
Radio: WTIC-AM 1080, WILI-AM 1400. WELI-AM 960, WGCH 1490 (Joe D'Ambrosio, Wayne Norman)
Series history: UConn, 4-0
Last meeting: UConn, 85-74, NCAA Regional at Spokane, Wash., March 22, 2003
Streaks: Stanford W2, UConn W9
Stanford (7-2)
4 STEFAN NASTIC, C, 6-11, Jr., 7.6 ppg. – Shooting 57.1 percent from the floor
5 CHASSON RANDLE, G, 6-2, Jr., 18.2 – Career high 33 points in loss to BYU
21 ANTHONY BROWN, G/F, 6-6, Jr., 16.3 – Shooting 60 percent (21 for 35) on threes
24 JOSH HUESTIS, F, 6-7, Sr. 15.8 – Leading rebounder at 7.7 a game
33 DWIGHT POWELL, F, 6-10, Sr., 15.1 – Leads team in assists and steals
40 JOHN GAGE, C, 6-10, Sr., 3.3 – Played 15 minutes in win over UC Davis
UConn (9-0)
13 SHABAZZ NAPIER, G, 6-1, Sr., 15.3 ppg. – Has been AAC player of week twice
11 RYAN BOATRIGHT, G, 6-0, Jr., 12.0 – Shooting 45.5 percent on threes, 39 percent on twos
21 OMAR CALHOUN, G/F, 6-6, So., 9.3– Twisted ankle in practice this week
2 DeANDRE DANIELS, F, 6-9, Jr., 13.8– Shooting 51.6 percent from floor
00 PHIL NOLAN, C, 6-10, So., 3.1 – Foul trouble has limited him to 13.8 minutes a game
5 NIELS GIFFEY, F, 6-7, Sr., 9.8 – Has hit 18 of 27 three-pointers
What To Watch
Late night in Hartford: The 9 p.m. start forces UConn to alter its routine. It's much closer to a regular starting time for Stanford, 6 p.m. on the West Coast. Also, UConn is coming off a 12-day layoff, so rustiness could be an issue.
Friendly rivalry: Boatright and Randle shared Illinois' Mr. Basketball honors in 2011.
Big problem: Powell is one of the most versatile players his size in the country and could be one of the toughest individual matchups the Huskies will face this season.
A bunch of threes: UConn is leading the nation in three-point shooting at 46.5.
Stanford strategy: Stanford plays a lot of zone defense, which UConn has handled better this season, and a triangle offense with its big frontcourt, which the Huskies haven't seen.
DOM AMORE | email@example.com


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It's got its share of holdover problems, but Madden NFL 15 at least represents a positive step forward for this series.
They may not make games like this anymore, but maybe they should. Larian's latest CRPG is a deeply satisfying turn-based adventure that rewards players with patience.
Diablo III is a great game that, despite its mouse-and-keyboard roots, adapts to consoles surprisingly well.
Object »
Azuremyst Isle is one of the two main islands that make up the Azuremyst Isles.
A floating city in the world of Pulse in Final Fantasy XIII. The Crystals decided to build the city to protect the humans from the monsters that live all over Pulse.
Freezeflame is a galaxy with a fire/ice theme in Super Mario Galaxy.
First level from Castle Crashers.
An enormous palacethat oversees a huge range of Hueco Mundo. The traveling distance inbetween gates, on the outsides walls, can take days of running
One of the first accessible areas in the Fyrestone map of Borderlands. It is accessible after jumping your Runner over Piss Wash Gully.
The 3rd course of the Mushroom Cup from Mario Kart Wii and the third in Mario Kart 7's Shell Cup.
Norrath is the world at the center of the EverQuest franchise.
A Mario Party 5 gameboard where dreams are made of pirates, and more!
The Power Stone World is an unreal and imaginative world of the Power Stone video games series.
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The default name of the starting town in Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. Tipa is also the home of the protagonists.
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Aug 07, 2012 at 04:02PM EDT
well, you don't have to look at it's tail to know it's a female now
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Manufacturer of excavators strengthens its sales network with additions.
Kobelco Construction Machinery USA, a Houston-based company that produces crawler excavators in the 3,000-180,000-pound classes for the rental, landscape, construction, aggregate, road building, material handling, site preparation, recycling and ancillary markets, has added a number of staff members who bring significant experience to the company.
The company recently hired Holly Rink as its business manager. Rink brings to the company more than eight years of experience working with various construction equipment manufacturers.
She will be responsible for inventory control and production planning for all Kobelco product lines based on industry reports and forecasting. She also will manage freight coordination and logistics to move the equipment to end markets as quickly as possible.
"Holly's extensive management background, combined with her results-driven attitude, makes her an ideal fit for Kobelco," says Ron Hargrave, Kobelco's vice president, marketing and sales. "We are delighted to have her join the company and are confident she will thrive in her new position."
Kobelco also appointed Denis Martin as its Canadian sales representative. Martin has more than 10 years of industry expertise. The company says that Martin will work with Kobelco dealers and Canada, while providing continual sales support and assistance to the company.
Prior to joining Kobelco, Martin held various sales management positions with companies such as John Deere, Agritex Inc., Praxair Inc. and CNH America LLC.
"Denis has shown considerable strength in developing quality dealer networks and providing thorough, reliable sales support," says Hargrave. "His expertise will be invaluable to our dealer network in Canada."
The company also named Matthew Csoka Southeastern sales representative. Csoka, with a deep background in the construction equipment industry, will be responsible for providing support and assistance to Kobelco dealers throughout the Southeast. He will train dealer personnel on the features and benefits of Kobelco products and ensure they are provided with the necessary tools to successfully market Kobelco equipment.
Additionally, Csoka will assist dealers in developing and executing annual business plans, including inventory control and sales strategies to increase their market share and profitability. Csoka also will be responsible for expanding Kobelco's distribution locations through dealer recruitment and development in the Southeast region.
For more information on Kobelco Construction Machinery USA or Kobelco products, visit www.kobelco-usa.com or call 281-888-8430.
Volvo introduces Tier 4 Final-compliant crawler excavator Wednesday, August 20, 2014 11:16:46 AM
Used shipping containers used in new Massachusetts retail development Wednesday, August 20, 2014 10:46:51 AM
July construction employment increases in most states Wednesday, August 20, 2014 10:46:44 AM
Study predicts growth in European C&D market Wednesday, August 20, 2014 10:46:38 AM
New York state recycling center reopens Wednesday, August 20, 2014 10:46:29 AM
Major Wire adds international sales vice president Wednesday, August 20, 2014 10:46:22 AM
NDA presents at global disaster conference Wednesday, August 20, 2014 10:46:13 AM
New report from USGBC estimates 150,000 housing units are LEED certified worldwide Wednesday, August 20, 2014 10:13:15 AM
GBB names new VP Wednesday, August 20, 2014 03:11:06 AM
IRock adds to its dealer network Tuesday, August 19, 2014 01:37:25 PM
Hyundai Construction Equipment partners with attachment manufacturer Tuesday, August 19, 2014 01:37:18 PM
Terex bringing shredder line to Europe Monday, August 18, 2014 04:42:12 PM
Houston partners with Cherry to recycle concrete Monday, August 18, 2014 11:30:49 AM
Bandit broadens interaction with blog, updated website Thursday, August 14, 2014 11:01:15 AM
California contractor's assets up for bid Wednesday, August 13, 2014 08:23:08 AM
Masaba adds regional sales manager Tuesday, August 12, 2014 04:27:43 PM
Armstrong honors CarpetCycle LLC Monday, August 11, 2014 01:44:50 PM
NW&RA says employment numbers growing Monday, August 11, 2014 10:35:14 AM
Eriez announces promotions Friday, August 08, 2014 11:40:10 AM
Cherry Demolition earns ABC safety award Wednesday, August 06, 2014 10:28:06 AM
CDRA opens nominations for C&D recycling awards Wednesday, August 06, 2014 12:13:11 AM
National Waste & Recycling Association adds safety director Tuesday, August 05, 2014 04:32:37 PM
General Kinematics introduces screen for difficult-to-convey materials Tuesday, August 05, 2014 04:01:37 PM
Avis Industrial Corp. acquires IPS Balers Tuesday, August 05, 2014 01:27:08 PM
Florida DEP revokes permit for Pensacola C&D disposal facility Tuesday, August 05, 2014 12:55:40 PM
Genesis GSG Scrap Grapple now available in 10 sizes
Equipment company says the... Monday, August 04, 2014 12:29:12 AM
EPA and T. Miozzi Inc. reach settlement
Rhode Island asphalt producer will pay... Sunday, August 03, 2014 11:59:40 PM
In case you missed it http://www.cdrecycler.com/innerbelt-bridge-implosion-video... Friday, August 01, 2014 11:20:14 AM
Friday, August 01, 2014 11:11:49 AM
IBTTA gives highway bill lukewarm welcome Wednesday, July 30, 2014 10:23:05 AM
4020 Kinross Lakes Parkway, Ste 201
Richfield, Ohio 44286 USA


text:
Body Nourishing, Soul Satisfying, Sanity Supporting Yoga
Welcome to Seattle Yoga Arts!
You are worth caring for.
We offer good old-fashioned yoga in a thriving community of dedicated faculty and practitioners. Our yoga is an alignment based, heart infused practice that is body nourishing, soul satisfying and sanity supporting. Our classes flow, but not too fast. The room is warm, but not too hot. We emphasize alignment, but not without losing the flow. Just right!
Our methodology and offerings are time tested, guided by Denise Benitez, who founded the studio in 1990. Under the guidance of our skilled teachers, find space and strength that you didn't know you had using alignment principles that release tension, create strength, and allow freedom of expression.
We know yoga doesn't contain everything, so we are also dedicated to the study of innovative and effective biomechanics and somatic research and inquiry into meditation and consciousness streams from every tradition.
Everyone is welcome here!
Coming up next at the Studio:
See our Series, Workshops and Advanced Learning pages for more information:
Morning Practice Series: The Art of Self Care
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
September 8 - October 3


text:
I am developing a MIDP application to display chinese word on Canvas. I have 3 questions as follows:
1. What encoding scheme is needed to adopt for traditional chinese text? (Big5, UTF-8 or UTF-16)? If there is no encoding class in the environment, How?
2. Is there any restrictions for reading UTF encoded text file? As I found that when i put 500 lines of text, the system will throw an out of memory exception.
3. There is no BufferedReader class in MIDP, any class can act as the same function of it?


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The News Matrix: Wednesday 26 October 2011
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Airport flood rescue centre is inundated
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Review for NHS breast-screening
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Jackson doctor goes on the offensive
After weeks of damning evidence against Michael Jackson's former doctor who stands accused of involuntary manslaughter of the pop superstar, Conrad Murray's defence team have now had the opportunity open their arguments.
Met finds phone used for hacking
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Rows hit Republican hopeful's campaign
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Tabak 'could have stopped strangling'
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Tiffany backs shoe designer over colour
Christian Louboutin's court battle with the French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, over whether the shoe designer's signature red soles could be trademarked, took a new turn yesterday when the jewellery brand Tiffany weighed in on the side of Louboutin. Tiffany trademarked its turquoise packaging in 1998.
Pair held trying to smuggle rare cacti
Two Germans have been charged with wildlife trafficking after being caught attempting to smuggle 543 cacti out of Mexico. Harald Farber and Kurt Dietrich were detained when they tried to board a plane from Mexico City to Frankfurt with the cacti – some thought to be endangered species – in their suitcases.
Satellite junk close miss for Asia cities
Asian cities avoided a dangerous fallout of space junk last weekend as a defunct German satellite crashed into the sea between India and Burma. It re-entered the atmosphere on Sunday above the Bay of Bengal, but it remains unclear if any debris reached the surface, the German Aerospace Centre said yesterday.
Gold mine to be dug near Loch Lomond
Scotland's first commercial gold mine for 500 years will be dug near the banks of Loch Lomond national park, after Australian mining firm Scotgold Resources Ltd finally won a long planning battle. The mine at Glen Cononish will operate for 10 years and is thought to contain up to £50 million of gold and silver. MORE
Demo gets Banksy's community jest
A version of a Monopoly board created by street artist Banksy turned up yesterday at the Occupy London protests outside St Paul's Cathedral. Sat atop the giant board was a depiction of "Uncle" Pennybags, the game's famous mascot, but with his top hat held out as if begging for donations.
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i100: 17 things you won't miss about renting with friends
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Hemocyl - a revolutionary remedy for haemorrhoids
Embarrassment leads many to believe they are suffering alone. However half of the UK may suffer from haemorrhoids in their lifetime.
Visit Kent with Simon Calder
Simon Calder explores the delights of England's Garden in the south-easternmost corner of Britain, now only a swift rail ride away. Watch the video here.
Visit Essex with Simon Calder
Simon Calder gets acquainted with the grassy hills, crinkled coastline and picture-perfect market towns of this dreamy rural haven. Watch the video here.
Forget top summer reads – here are our top five summer listens
Lounging by the poolside with a book – it's perhaps the defining image of a civilised summer holiday. Free from the stresses of work, we can take the time to reacquaint ourselves with the classics – or perhaps indulge in something a little lighter.
Update your holiday wardrobe
Update your holiday wardrobe with tropical prints, the perfect pair of sandals and some seriously stylish swimwear to make a splash in. Bon voyage.
Get Reddy
For a hint of autumnal elegance opt for boozy hues of tomato, rouge and claret. Get reddy says Melanie Wilkinson
Get the look. See the trends.
Westfield and Snapfashion team up to create a new digital styling tool. Create a style board or browse this season's trends. #editme.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.