The Buzz: Tools, Trends, and Gizmos

Bringing Up the Rear at BEA
BEA (BookExpo America) has come and gone, but there are still goodies to be had. A hint of things to come in publishing, namely digital delivery of content, HarperCollins offered downloadable ARCs (advance reading copies), including nine kids’ books on cards containing a pin number. Even without the card, librarians can request titles at the site.

Hot News on the COOL-ER?
The next device in the market, the COOL-ER ebook reader, caused a stir at BEA and beyond. While reviews have been lukewarm, critics are already looking ahead to the next version. According to the mirror.co.uk, that might involve a larger screen suitable for reading newspapers similar to that of the Kindle DX, Amazon’s new ereader. In the meantime, the original COOL-ER, which costs $110 less than the Kindle 2 and accepts a wide range of formats, has begun shipping. www.coolerbooks.com.

Geocaching Made Easy
OK kids, time to ditch that screen and get outside. The Geomate.jr is a GPS device designed to engage kids (and adults) in geocaching, a fun activity in which users get GPS coordinates to find “treasure” or caches (See our feature “Can You Dig It?”) Simple to use—CNET calls it “the Easy-Bake oven of handheld GPS devices”—the colorful little Geomate comes with 250,000 pre-loaded geocache locations nationwide. $69.95.

Listening Library Hosts Teen Vid Contest
Know teens who are into reading and making videos? Then listen up. The Fantasy Road Trip Contest, sponsored by Listening Library, invites kids ages 13–18 to submit short films based on an imaginary road trip with a character from a favorite audiobook series. Three winners will each receive an 8GB iPod Touch and a signed audiobooks set. Entries accepted until August 17 at www.fantasyroadtripcontest.com.

Twitter Goes Undercover
Our favorite microblogging service has a nifty new guidebook to go with it. Written by Tim O’Reilly and Sarah Milstein, The Twitter Book (O’Reilly Media) provides clear advice to enlighten everyone, from the first-time tweeter to the power user. How to join a conversation on Twitter, find smart people to follow, track trends, use third-party apps, it’s all here and a lot more. Colorful graphics throughout demo conventions for retweeting and best practices for holding great conversations: “Don’t auto-DM (for crying out loud).” Best of all: nary a mention of Ashton or Oprah. $19.99.

Sony’s PSP Go Coming This Fall
As expected, Sony released its next iteration in the PlayStation portable franchise, the PSP Go, at last month’s Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3). Despite the leaked details, the PSP Go emerged a show headliner, beside the “Vitality Sensor” peripheral from Nintendo and Microsoft’s body-movement sensing Natal technology. With 16GB of flash memory, PSP Go is disc-free—content is downloaded wirelessly—and features a reconfigured slider chassis. $249. October 2009.