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Copia, A Social E-Reading App, Quietly Launches

by Terrence O'Brien on November 19, 2010 at 12:20 PM

Copia
E-book reading platforms are a dime a dozen these days. (Don't believe us? Just do a search in the Android Market or iTunes App Store for "e-reader" or "books.") But Copia -- a new e-reading app/store/community -- stood out when it was announced at CES almost a year ago, thanks to the deeply social reading experience it provides. In addition to syncing your spot in a book, taking notes and highlighting excerpts, Copia lets you connect with other users. You can view notes that friends have made in the margins of a book, or join Copia Groups (essentially e-book clubs) and share recommendations. Copia has many of its own social networking features, but it also can connect with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Wired's Tim Carmody has been using the service (and its accompanying apps) for a while, and even though he thinks Copia is a solid idea with a clear vision, the execution falls a bit flat; syncing must be done manually, importing books that haven't been purchased through the Copia market causes the reading software to cough up errors, and the desktop app lacks a full-screen view. And perhaps Copia launched too late, since readers like the NOOKcolor have beaten it to the punch with many of these social features. Still, the company has an interesting vision, and will soon be available anywhere you might want or need an e-reading app. (Apps are currently available for Mac, PC and iPad, and coming soon to Android and traditional single-function e-readers.) Download the beta here, and check out the video after the break to see Copia in action.

Tags: android, apps, copia, e-readers, eBook, ipad, mac, pc, reading, social networking, SocialNetworking, top

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