Ever since I got an iPod Touch, I’ve been reading eBooks on the go. At least, as far as Stanza’s library of content allowed. Which, while extensive, doesn’t cover my taste in light entertainment.

In theory, Stanza Desktop allows me to sync my eBooks with my iPhone, but since Stanza insists on its own version of Bonjour (and with Apple’s software I’m loathe to replace what comes with iTunes), this never worked out.

Until I discovered Calibre, that is.

Stanza has the ability to add content libraries (Random House offers a channel of free books exclusive to Stanza users, that alone makes Stanza worth checking out).

First, grab Calibre and Stanza from its website, and the iTunes App Store, respectively.

Once Calibre is started, add the eBooks you want to get on your iPod (or all of them). Calibre supports several formats, it seems, my collection is in .lit (MS Reader) and, now, ePub formats.

Once you have imported them, you’ll have to convert them. Calibre fortunately picks a sane default format (ePub), which Stanza understands.

After the conversion is finished, go to Calibre’s Preferences, select Content Server, and pick Start Server. You can test its functunality with the provided button: This will open the server’s website in your default browser.

Now all you need to do is configuring Stanza to access your eBook library.

From Stanza’s Library, Select Online Catalog:

Once there, touch the plus, and select “Add Website”.

In the new screen, enter Name, and the IP address of your computer, plus Calibre’s port:

Obciously, your iPod/iPhone has to be connect to the local WiFi in order to access your library. Now, with the touch of a button, you can get all your eBooks on your iPod, too.

Downside: There is no syncing for bookmarks / reading state for eBooks you happen to read on your PC.

The power of visualizing data, what globalization can really mean, and possible power players. Highly recommended, that one.

Image by jovike via Flickr

Die gute Tat der Piraten (German) is an article talking about how the relationship artist – record label is changing. The Big 4 labels are moving away from finding and publishing new artists (and risking their investments if an artist isn’t as good as hoped, and doesn’t produce a steady revenue stream), while new artists are using the internet to generate publicity for themselves and their music. And that this approach isn’t a guarantee to stardom for artists, either.

The services a record label traditionally provide aren’t needed anymore: recording, promotion, booking,

In short, the music industry is changing.

Something similar can be seen in print (and a bit in TV news). More and more, especially younger, people are using the internet as their (primary) source of information.

Both industries, news and entertainment, are gatekeepers. And their role is diminishing. This isn’t bad or good. It is a result that formerly expensive activities (like producing a song, or publishing news) has become

cheap. Nowadays, you can get blogging in a minute, can buy music online (iTunes, Amazon MP3, and that’s just the big ones!), or can use Twitter to get news. Two examples: The Iranian election, or the Chengdu earthquake.

And the gatekeeper of the gatekeepers, the wire services, will fall victim to this, too. AP is already feeling the pain.

On the other hand, this shifts a burden that the gatekeeper had onto our, the consumer’s, shoulder: filtering the good from the bad.

After all, Britney Spears isn’t dead.