The Middle-earth Map I for the iPad is an original "wall sized" map of The World of Arda, based on The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. You can visually follow along with the tales of the First Age and understand where the critical events are happening. The price has now dropped from $6.99 to $4.99.

The Middle-earth Map features include:
• A category list of places with a button to "Go There" in the "Map View"
• Dynamically search for places with categorized results
• Web View reference pages without leaving the app
• Add "visited" places to a favorite list
• Zooming to enlarge details
• Dynamic scrolling
• Ability to take notes

When selecting a place from the list or from a result of a keyword search a map with a short description are presented. Tapping the microscope presents a larger version of the snapshot and the possibility to go there on the map.

Tap "Gateway" and the web page from the Tolkien Gateway (Wiki) is your source of reference information. Use this site and its extensive links for further research.
The "One Ring" tab takes you to theonering.net where you can find the latest Tolkien fan news and discussion forums.

The "Web View" is a link to www.middle-earthmap.com (the support website) and can be used as a gateway to other Tolkien links, the YouTube Video Demo and other external web sites.

The Map of Middle-earth map II will also be released soon. This app will be the map for the Fall of Beleriand and the Rise of Númenor. The map itself is 98% complete and is announced for a February 15th. Around the same date will Middle-earth map I will also be released for Iphone.

ACROSS 1. Skilled man unarms a rogue (7) 5, 1 down, 8. Hail, sleet, on an Elven millenium, melted on zero (4,4,6,10) 6. One slain by Smaug lost time in chaotic rioting (6) 7. Previous wife takes good jump across the Hoarwell (4,5) 8. See 5 10. Could be Marcho and Blanco perhaps glean a point (6) 11. Tevildo was prince of ruined castle, without the French (4) 12. Green folk do no damage, living on the edge (7)

DOWN 1. See 5 2. Cracked urn? The dish went off at this (3) 3. Five standing in falling rain made a spectacular entrance (5) 4. Yearn to put in crumbling tomb a sort of leaf (10) 6. Orcs emerging from middle of Angband in losing battle (7) 9. Get turned on over old Elf (5) 11. Sound of the Sea by First Age Valar finally transported? Bliss! (3)

Here is a nice post about the history Hobbit illustrations at children’s author Tony DiTerlizzi’s site.

The article starts with the illustration by J.R.R Tolkien himself, who form the basis of course for Hobbit illustrations. He then makes a big jump forward to the The Rankin & Bass rendition of The Hobbit.

The article further shows the amazing 1997 cover to Dragon magazine (which I have put here to the left) and the wonderful art by Michael Kaluta.

Also the original dust jacket desing by J.R.R. Tolkien for the Hobbit receives a nice place in the article - which remains one of the best dust jacket designs ever.

To end his article he shares an illustration by “Where the Wild Things Are” illustrator, Maurice Sendak, done back in 1967 - who was set to illustrate the Hobbit but suffered health issues that prevented the project going forward.

On the 1st of februari, the publisher Steven Books will be releasing a 8 page thick paperback written by Robert Best that carries the title Tolkien: Master of the Middle Earth.

I have never seen the name Robert Best before but I know that Steven Books is specialized in Nationalist and Fascist books and is also known as the The Imperial Fascist League or even The British Union of Fascists. So I can already imagine, without having read this booklet, what the contents will be about.

It just is a bit strange that now and then someone needs to try once again to(ab)use Tolkien as a means to bring their own point of view. Every story of course where there is a good and a bad side could be used for that matter, but once in a while tolkien's books get the victim of this treatment and I suppose this booklet is another hit with the same crack theories.

Because I will not be ordering it or reading it this is probably the only time I will mention this booklet and I hope somehow this is the last I hear from it as well.

Having talked about ab(using) tolkien's works and last week writing a lot of articles about rebinding Tolkien books, this item somehow is the mix of those two.

Caitlin Philips, an American Designer, is most famous for her trendy Book Purses and Paperback Wallets - she calls is rebound designs.

You can see for example a US The Silmarillion that was turned into a book purse and a paperback of the Two Towers that was made into a wallet. This is the kind of things she creates and sells. I find it all a bit controversial and don't really get it. Is this meant for bibliophiles? Or book lovers? Don't most Tolkien book lovers don't get very upset to see people destroying books? Anyways, I can imagine some of you would love to have such a purse or wallet, but it will not be me. I prefer to read my books, even when they are in a bad shape!

Probably the most exciting news last week was published by Jason Fisher at his blog Lingwë - Musing a Fish. It is such a big news item that I will be writing about it some more later, but as for now I can only say that it is a new book, that i will contain unpublished primary material by J.R.R. Tolkien and that you can find all info at Jason's Blog! Go and read it all about it. Don't forget to notice the other news item, about Middle-earth and Beyond; guess all the important new book news is being announced by Jason this time around the year! Congratulations by the way!!