France delays e-book VAT cut to 2012
(thebookseller.com): The cut in VAT on unenriched ebooks from 19.6% to 5.5% in France will almost certainly be postponed for a year from 1st January 2011 to 2012. Reports suggest that the dire state of French public finances are the reason for delaying the cut. The move is expected to… Read More
Submission fees could pave way to open-access future
(timeshighereducation.co.uk): Major journals could move to an open-access model if they charged a fee for every paper submitted to them, a study has suggested. Most open-access journals are currently funded solely via charges to the authors of papers accepted for publication. However, high-profile journals such as Science and Nature do… Read More
Building knowledge-based economies: It’s difficult but not impossible
(zawya.com): The new buzzword now is aspiring to transform traditional manufacturing and service economies to "knowledge based" ones. The fever has caught on to natural resource endowed economies, which see some aspiring to diversify their single resource economic base. However, simply stating that a country is moving toward a knowledge-based… Read More
Africa has the scientific creativity but lacks support
(blogs.openaccesscentral.com): While UK science budgets may be facing cuts, the latest budget rounds in many African countries such as Tanzania and Kenya have made pledges to science and innovation in an effort to increase its own domestic scientific research landscape. Articles published in BMC International Health and Human Rights has… Read More
Media Tablets a bitter pill for PC manufacturers to swallow
(manufacturingdigital.com): Media tablets are fast becoming the latest global trend and with PC sales falling, the future looks very bright indeed for alternatives such as tablets and e-readers. Summing up the tablets’ popularity perfectly, research firm Gartner’s recent report states: “Media tablets are fast finding favour with PC buyers attracted… Read More
Death by Irony: How Librarians Killed the Academic Library
(chronicle.com): It is entirely possible that the life of the academic library could have been spared if the last generation of librarians had spent more time plotting a realistic path to the future and less time chasing outdated trends while mindlessly spouting mantras like "There will always be books and… Read More
British experts complete database of every plant name on the planet – all 1.25million of them
(dailymail.co.uk): Experts from Britain and the U.S have taken a step to resolving the issue by publishing the most comprehensive list of land plant species ever compiled. The database was created by researchers at Kew Gardens and the Missouri Botanical Garden. It identifies 1.25million plant names - 300,000 of which… Read More
With CES raining tablets, some will get flooded out
(computerworld.com): With as many as 100 different models of tablet computers from dozens of makers expected to be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week, market consolidation is a certainty. Some of those tablet models won't be on the market within in a year, and some won't… Read More
Do You Have Time NOT to Launch a Social Media Strategy?
(officingtoday.com): Social media is all the rage. And it’s not hard to see why. Business centers can turn to YouTube to offer virtual tours of their facilities. Facebook pages and Twitter accounts build a loyal following where you can announce special discounts, community events and more. But there is talk… Read More
China market: Over 1 million e-book readers sold in 2010, says Analysys
(digitimes.com): Over one million e-book readers were sold in the China market in 2010, hiking by about 168% from 2009, but the growth in 2011 sales will slow down to below 40%, according to Analysys International. The growth will slow down because E Ink will continue to dominate the e-paper… Read More
