TresSugar

More Is Less? How the Kindle Will Change the Way We Read

TresSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:00:00 -0700

I know the Kindle is really what you're all after in our amazing TrèsSugar giveaway, so it seems like the perfect time to read into how the gadget will change the way we read.

Book publishers, tattered and tired after years of fighting the Internet, are perched on an opportunity to sell books like never before. Will we read them? Not sure. But we're certainly going to buy them!

The Kindle is a portable bookstore that's already capitalizing on impulse buyers. Want to try a little Proust? Just read the first few pages of Swann's Way and you'll get every madeleine reference you'll ever need to know.

Of course, you'll have to pay for that madeleine, as pauper publishers are eager for your coins. But who would pay for a few lines? Ha! You will, my dear reader; we all will. The Wall Street Journal has laid out a semidystopian vision of how the future will be written. To find out, read more.

Imagine being able to create a library of every book you've ever read in a matter of clicks, and then search it with keywords. This will be indispensable for research and terrible for bookshelves.
Readers online will call out passages, much like they already do, and Google will rank pages and paragraphs, allowing the most popular to rise to the top. A well-linked quote will drive sales far more than an NPR interview.

Confused by a paragraph, chapter, book? You'll instantly be able to connect to other readers debating its meaning. It will be like a global book club that's always reading what you want.
Writing for Google is where it starts to get scary. Authors and publishers will consider how individual pages and chapters will rank in search results and write accordingly. Best case? Some tagging and strategically placed words and paragraphs. Worst? Whole books written for search engines.
A la carte pricing will be on the menu. Nonfiction books may be broken into sections and sold. Fiction? Expect to see a return of the cliffhanger, and novels sold in chapters.

It's easy to say this will never happen, but it already is. Kindle's current incarnation has a Web browser tucked in a folder called "experimental projects," and Amazon has an iPhone app that's ready to jump-start the future. Will you be reading?

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Win a Kindle and $125 Amazon Bucks!

CitizenSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:30:42 -0700

In the marathon of this election, we're three weeks from the big day. Those three weeks though, like the end of a big race, might make us all have to dig pretty deep to carry us over the finish line. We're thinking it might be the perfect time to take some of the advice in Liberty's Election Survival Guide series, pick up some new news sources and reading material - the candidates' books, perhaps? I'm currently reading Sarah Vowell's newest, The Wordy Shipmates about the Puritans and loving it. Wouldn't a snazzy new Kindle and some Amazon Bucks be the perfect antidote to jazz up your own reading for the end of the election? Enter our giveaway, and you could win!

To enter, you must log in and take the quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just by completing the quiz once you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member and log in before you take the quiz. If you're not already a member, just register here for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored.

The contest is open to US residents only and ends on Oct. 20, 2008, at 5 p.m. PDT. For Official Rules, click here.

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Congrats to Our Winner!

TresSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Thanks to everyone who played our Welcome to TrèsSugar giveaway quiz. The prizes? A Rebecca Minkoff bag filled with smart, sexy and fun essentials: an iPod Touch, Kindle 2 reader, and three adorable notebooks. And the winner is . . .esmerb! Congrats, esmerb, I bet you're set for the rest of the year.

Room Sprays That Smell Like Books: Cool or Crazy?

TresSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0700

I have not yet given into the e-book craze. I love books and the culture of bookstores too much. I'm especially fond of used books. As long as no one has underlined too many things or (even worse) highlighted passages, there's an added dimension to the random notations, the yellowed pages, and . . . the smell. The smell of used books is practically an aphrodisiac to me.

Smell of Books is banking on the fact that those who have moved on to the Kindle may be feeling nostalgic for all those musty smells. They've created a line of sprays that include scents like New Book Smell, Scent of Sensibility (smells like a Jane Austen book!), Eau You Have Cats, and Crunchy Bacon Scent (what?!). These aren't the first ones; niche perfumer Christopher Brosius actually has an amazing fragrance called In the Library.

So are these sprays cool or crazy?

Welcome TrèsSugar and Win a Rebecca Minkoff Bag Full of Smart, Sexy, Fun Essentials!

TresSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:34:37 -0700

Thanks to everyone who entered our Rebecca Minkoff Bag giveaway. I'm happy to announce the lucky winner of the Rebecca Minkoff Bag full of smart, sexy and fun essentials:

Killer handbag? Check. iPod Touch? Indeed. Throw in a Kindle 2 reader and three adorable notebooks, and you've got everything you need - or, at least, need to carry - to be informed and in style. So celebrate the launch of TrèsSugar and enter our Smart, Sexy, Fun Essentials Giveaway!

This prize package, worth more than $1,550, includes a Rebecca Minkoff black Supernova Stud Devote Hobo ($695), an iPod touch ($300), and an Amazon Kindle 2 ($359). We also couldn't resist tossing in three of the loveliest notebooks we've ever seen, from Smythson of Bond Street: one for addresses, another for inspirations and ideas, and some girl notes for good measure.

To get your hands on this goodie-filled Rebecca Minkoff bag, just log in and take the quiz below by 11:59 p.m. PDT on Friday, May 1. Your eligibility isn't based on getting the answers correct, just on taking the quiz once you are logged in. Read the official contest rules here. We look forward to seeing you on TrèsSugar!

Take the quiz

Briefing Book! French Workers Hold Bosses Hostage

CitizenSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:00:13 -0700

French workers angry at Caterpillar for cutting 700 jobs are holding their bosses hostage in their offices. – CNN
In Europe, it's war of the rosés. - YumSugar
Trya tells you everything you need to know about sex changes.- Jezebel
Man gets DUI on motorized bar stool. - Huffington Post
Despite intense snowstorm, the water levels of the Red River in Fargo, ND, are slowly falling. - New York Times
Despite Obama being hit by the left and right, 42 percent of Americans think the country is on the right track, up from 15 percent in December. - The Daily Beast
The Obama administration has given up on bipartisanship. - Slate
Authors worried about Kindle for the wrong reasons. - Boing Boing
Poll dancing as an Olympic sport? - Feministing

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Would You Pay to Read the New York Times Online?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:30:00 -0800

The New York Times executive editor Bill Keller is answering readers' questions online, but one day we might have to pay to read those answers.

When asked if the paper would accept donations to support such a valuable service that is currently free online, Keller brought up subscriptions. He said:

Really good information, often extracted from reluctant sources, truth-tested, organized, and explained - that stuff wants to be paid for. So far, it gets paid for mainly by advertisers, but a lively, deadly serious discussion continues within the Times about ways to get consumers to pay for what we make.

He went on to describe possible ways to get money from web users, including: putting the entire site behind a wall only accessible to subscribers; making people pay as they go a la iTunes; or promoting versions for reading devices like Kindle that cost money to download.

You Asked: What Should I Wear to see my Ex?

DearSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 06:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar--
I've been happily married to an amazing man for 5 years. About 6 months ago I came into contact with an ex-boyfriend, and we've started up a friendship again through emails and phone calls (don't worry...the hubby is aware). It turns out that he will be passing through my town this month and we've decided to meet for a friendly lunch. There is only one problem; I don't know what to wear!

I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard to impress him, because the only person I need to impress is my husband (by the way, the ex is also married with a brand new baby), but at the same time, I haven't seen him for 7 years, so I want to look my best. Doesn't every girl want to knock the socks off their exes the first time they see them? (i.e. Carrie seeing Big for the first time after the break up in Sex and the City). So help me, Dear...what do I wear? --Fashion Challenged Carley

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Fashion Challenged Carley--

Wow, seven years is a long time, so I completely understand why you want to dress to impress. Seeing the ex for the first time can be extremely nerve wracking, but it's always fun to take a trip down memory lane. While looking your best is important, try not to follow in Miss Bradshaw's footsteps and get too overwhelmed. I must say, your husband sounds pretty amazing to be on board with this new kindled friendship, you're a lucky woman!

You're right, you don't want to look like you're trying too hard so stay away from anything too low cut or short, remember, and you are spoken for! Depending on where you lunch, I suggest a wrap dress with a simple pair of pumps or a fitted pair of jeans with a tailored, yet fun blouse. If you opt for the casual look, make sure to accessorize with a fabulous necklace or a show stopping pair of earrings. Don't go overboard on the make up, less is always more.

While it may feel like choosing the perfect outfit is what's most important, don't forget your confidence, it's the best accessory out there. Have fun with your old buddy and good luck!

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