Learncrest Blog

Category Archives: General

Pour One Out For JManga

I’m pouring one out for JManga. Today, May 30, 2013 is the last day of the service before its complete shutdown. Can’t really say why exactly it failed. I’ve read elsewhere that even its most popular titles only sold in the hundreds of copies. And I’ve read speculation that the marketing was not as good […]

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I’m Melting! I’m Melting! The Slow Death of Printer Sales

CNET News reports that printer sales are declining in the face of the rising popularity of digital alternatives. As smartphones and tablets become the devices of choice for displaying what one might once have printed on paper, both printer and paper sales are in decline. I think that with the 7 inch tablet form factor […]

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OMG Kawaii Desu!: A parent’s guide to anime, manga, and cosplay

As I prepare for Anime Central this weekend, I am pleased to announce the publication of OMG Kawaii Desu!: A parent’s guide to anime, manga, and cosplay! This book has been in the works for the last year or so, somewhat later than I had first planned. So thank you to everyone for your patience! […]

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Is Print Manga In Full Retreat?

A few days ago, I made a visit to the Barnes & Noble bookstore at DePaul University Center in Chicago. I just wanted to see how big the store was compared to the large one on North State Street. And I also wanted to see what their manga collection consisted of and how extensive it […]

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Goodbye Steve And Thanks For All The Cool Stuff!

As most people know by now, Steve Jobs passed away yesterday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. If I had to name one person who’s had the most influence on what technology I use and how I use it, it would have to be Steve Jobs. This site and the Learncrest venture exist and […]

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A Riggatron Model For Education

One of the current controversies in Chicago is Mayor Emanuel’s proposal to add 90 minutes to the school day. The idea is to use the additional time for reading and math. Needless to say, the teachers are not happy with the largely unilateral way this was introduced, ignoring the collective bargaining agreement with the Chicago […]

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Closing The Book On Borders: Liquidation

  Anyone who’s been following the Borders saga is probably not surprised at the news that Borders is closing its remaining stores and liquidating. Like watching the decline of an ailing old friend, I’m somewhat relieved that Borders will soon be out of its misery. All remaining stores may close as early as this Friday. […]

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Monobookist Bookstore Heralds The Boutique

As Borders reports that it needs an additional $50 million to reorganize, an interesting new bookstore has popped up in New York City. A so called, monobookist bookstore. This bookstore opened in a modest space, stocked with 3000 copies…of one book! To celebrate the launch of his new book about the Phoenix Mars mission, author Andrew […]

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Tokyopop Closing North American Publishing Division

The Anime News Network has confirmed that Tokyopop will close its publishing operation on May 31. Love them or hate them, this is big blow for American manga fans. Tokyopop was one of the oldest manga publishers in the US and did much to popularize manga here. They will be missed. The fate of their digital […]

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Blackberry Playbook, Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi Come To Play

The dust has settled since the launch of Apple’s iPad 2 tablet and it’s pretty clear that no competing tablet computer is going to dethrone the iPad anytime soon. The Motorola Xoom had a lot of promise, but launched at too high a price and missing features like Flash support and comparable apps that could […]

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