The Readerware Newsletter

Readerware 2.2 Now Shipping

Release 2.2 is now available for all products (Readerware, ReaderwareAW and ReaderwareVW), and all platforms, (Windows, Mac OS X and Linux). A full list of the new features and fixes included in 2.2 is available online:

Release 2.2 Update

Browser Integration (Drag and Drop Support)

The big new feature included in 2.2 is browser integration. It might not look like much, the only difference you will see starting up Readerware 2.2 is a new yellow bulls eye icon in the search bar. But trust me, it's big! Basically browser integration means that you can now catalog a book, CD or video by simply dragging a page from your regular browser, (Netscape, IE etc.) and dropping it on the Readerware bulls eye.

Suppose you are surfing the web and hit the new CD releases page at Amazon. You spot a new CD from a favorite artist. Fire up Readerware drag the page from the browser, drop it on Readerware and the book is cataloged. It's that simple.

Actually it's even easier, when you see that new CD listing at Amazon, maybe you click on the link to read more about it, hear a few track samples. Then you decide to buy it and drag the page to Readerware to add it to your database. But you might also decide as soon as you see the new releases page, that this item is a must have item. Simply drag the link itself, drop it on Readerware and it's cataloged. Readerware retrieves the actual link and adds the item without you even having to display it in your browser.

There is more information on the new drag and drop support in the online help. It shows you where to drag from and where to drop the item. For those of you new to drag and drop, it explains exactly how to perform the operation. It really is very simple and you can instantly catalog a book, CD or video, right from your browser.

Readerware Browser Integration Online Help

But there is more to browser integration than drag and drop. There are new search pages hosted on the Readerware web site that can be used as a starting point for your web searches. You can open these pages in any browser. There is a main search home page, and three individual pages for books, music and video. You can go directly to any page:

Readerware Search Home Page
Readerware Books Search Page
Readerware Music Search Page
Readerware Video Search Page

Now before you all cry, I bet those pages are loaded down with huge ads and those annoying popup windows from that stupid video camera site. No way, these are simple pages that get right to the point, searching the web for books, music and video. No ads, no clutter.

Each page offers four basic choices:

A UPC/ISBN search, even works with your CueCat® scanner
A quick search on book author, CD artist or video title.
A direct link to the book, music, or video search page of each site
A direct link to the book, music, or video home page of each site

So check these pages out, they even have a Google search box so you can do a full web search with the best search engine available. I hope you will find them useful starting points for your searches, then simply drag and drop your findings into Readerware. You don't have to use them, it doesn't matter how you get there, but once you find that listing for a book, CD or video, you can now catalog it with drag and drop.

A couple of final points. Does this mean that you can drag any video listing to ReaderwareVW and get it cataloged? No, Readerware still needs to understand how to extract the necessary information and this is done on a site by site basis. But as you are using your normal browser, it does mean that Readerware can support virtually any site. Plus as it is all web based, new sites can be added dynamically without you having to download an upgrade. So look for additional sites coming soon.

Browser integration also means that with release 2.2, when you select one of the web search links from the Readerware menu bar, you are taken to one of the new search pages in your default browser. The internal Readerware browser is no longer used. If you want to use the Readerware browser, you can disable browser integration using preferences.

I hope you will find the new drag and drop support a really useful new feature. I would really like to hear your feedback. How about more drag and drop support? Like the ability to drag an image and add it to an already cataloged item? As always the feedback e-mail address is at the bottom of this newsletter.

BookHound Integration

Readerware 2.2 also adds a new export format. Now you can create a BookHound export file. This offers you a simple way to transfer your Readerware database into BookHound from Bibliopolis.

BookHound is a product aimed at the independent dealer or bookstore and offers a number of features that you won't find in Readerware. Now with BookHound integration you can get the best of both worlds. Use Readerware to catalog your inventory and then manage it in BookHound. For more information on BookHound and to download a demo, visit their web site.

http://www.bookhound.net

CueCat Update

News.com: Digital scanner maker lays off 110
Dallas Morning News: CueCat firm fires most workers, restructures

So what does this mean for the CueCat. Officially Digital Convergence say it is business as usual. You should still be able to find CueCats at your local Radio Shack store. But will this continue? It is impossible to say, but I would be inclined to pick up that spare CueCat while you still can.

Of course Readerware predates the CueCat and has always supported barcode readers in all products. So whatever happens to the CueCat, Readerware will still be the fastest way to catalog your books, music and videos.

Site News

ReaderwareAW now supports the BMG Music Service. BMG uses their own numbering system rather than standard UPC bar codes. So searching for BMG CDs will come up empty at most sites.

But now you can lookup BMG CDs at the BMG site. Readerware auto-catalog will grab the information and catalog your BMG CDs just like regular CDs. BMG CDs do carry bar codes, so you can scan them in with any barcode reader.

You can mix and match, you don't have to separate your BMG CDs. Just pick multiple sites, say Tower Records and BMG. Readerware auto-catalog will then search both sites looking for a match. If most of your CD collection came from BMG, put them first in the list.

BMG Music Service

Chapters/Indigo

The Chapters and Indigo sites in Canada have merged with the new site to be known as chapters.indigo.ca. So with the latest release, Readerware auto-catalog now includes only the merged site.

Chapters/Indigo Site announcement

Mac Update

A quick update for those of you using Readerware products under Mac OS X.

Release 2.2 now integrates with the Mac application menu. The exit item has been removed from the Readerware File menu and you can exit Readerware using the standard application Quit menu item.

There is a new update to Java support in Mac OS X coming soon. I have been testing Readerware with the new developer preview and I must say that there are some very nice improvements. Readerware runs faster and screen updates are much nicer, no more flashing. Lots of bugs have also been fixed. So watch out for the upgrade, more to follow in a later newsletter.

Your Feedback

Your feedback is always welcome and does make a difference. Please send in your comments. E-Mail support@readerware.com.

Thanks for your support.