The development of e-readers and e-books created more pressure on the large stores.

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Many other smaller players in the e-reader market would further increase pressure on the Kindle.

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Fracking involves the injection of water containing a surfactant and various other chemicals under high pressure into a source rock e.g. shale, causing the latter to fracture and release natural gas (principally methane).

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What's more, the tech has use outside of robotics and can even be levereged for more secure e-signature verification based on speed and pressure of a user's handwriting.

ENGADGET

With e-books eroding its brick and mortar business, pressure from shareholder activists was said to have prompted the move.

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Amazon said this week that it was selling more e-books in the UK than hardbacks, underlining the pressure on High Street book chains such as Waterstone's.

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Pricing pressure aside, Mish says the recent changes should ultimately benefit the e-reader industry.

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Once in office, Mr. Sharif will come under heavy pressure on the issue from a new political force, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which has made opposition to American drones a central theme of its politics.

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However, Becky Price, from the pressure group GeneWatch, said there was evidence that another form of supposedly disabled E. coli could survive in sewage systems.

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The arrival of e-brokers that can automatically search out the lowest-cost market for their clients adds to the pressure.

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