By Edward Nawotka

Sony has launched a flashy new television ad campaign to promote its new e-reader in the US. The prime time spots features a trio of celebrities — comedienne Amy Sedaris, Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning, singer Justin Timberlake — and a guy named Howard who we’re told is “aspeed reader” — sitting on a spinning dais plugging the Sony’s new $199 e-reader. According to Brand Republic, the campaign is part of a more widespread Sony campaign featuring Manning and Timberlake. The MobileRead forums were abuzz with the news of the commercial’s debut last night during the Emmy awards.

Elsewhere in the US, Doubleday reports that Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol has sold more than two million copies worldwide in all formats. Ebook versions accounted for 100,000 copies alone. Publishers Weekly says the book was sold in more than 60 territories across the globe, setting one day sales records in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., where The Bookseller reports buyers snapped up more than a half million copies alone. Of course, it was hard to resist: some UK booksellers were offering the book at more than 50% off the cover price, surely a losing proposition for the retailer. Nevertheless, Doubleday announced a first printing of some five million copies, which would mean there are lots of books still on the shelves.

After trying to cut the Bologna Children’s Book Fair back to three days — and facing protests from publishers — the Fair has restored the fourth day, albeit shifting it from Monday to Friday. Next year’s fair runs from Tuesday 23rd to Friday 26th March.