Today Apple raised the bar on interactive textbook publishing, with the introduction of a revamped iBooks app for the iPad and a free textbook publishing app for the Mac. If you’ve got an iPad, a fairly new Mac, and a big pile o’ knowledge to share with the world, you can now create a really [...]
Apple iOS
Stanza updated! Now works on iOS 5
Clearly I was too pessimistic last week when I wrote about the death of Stanza, the ebook reader app that stopped working on Apple devices with the release of iOS 5. Earlier today an updated version of Stanza was released, and the app now works again. I take back what I wrote in that earlier [...]
Alternatives to Stanza on iOS
Update: Forget all of this! Stanza delivered a surprise update to the Apple app store on November 10th, 2011, that restored functionality on iOS 5. But only update if you need to: this latest version breaks the app if you’re running an older iOS like 4.3 (thanks to Paula for pointing that out in the [...]
Amazon releases Kindle Cloud Reader, HTML5 web app that runs on iPad
Amazon surprised everyone this morning by announcing a new way to read your Kindle books if you’re on an iPad or computer. It’s called Kindle Cloud Reader, and it’s an HTML5 web application that runs in modern browsers and gives you offline access to Kindle books that you download. Unlike some Kindle announcements, this one [...]
Why I won’t buy anything from iBooks
Last month was a sad one for all ebooksellers who aren’t Apple but who offer iOS apps, as well as for ebook customers. If you use a Kindle, Kobo or Nook app on your iOS device, you probably already noticed this, but otherwise you might have no idea what’s going on. So here’s a quick [...]
Apple’s OS X Lion can create EPUB files!
If you’re using or plan to upgrade to the latest Apple operating system, Lion, you’ll discover a nifty ebook trick baked into the Automator program: it can create EPUB files! The website Mac OS X Automation reported it first, so far as I know. From that site: Mac OS X Lion includes an Automator action, [...]
Apple relaxes app rules for ebook apps
It looks like Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and any other ereader app currently on iOS won’t be disappearing from the App Store after the end of the month after all. Mac Rumors is reporting that Apple has removed its most controversial new rule concerning in-app purchases, which said if you sold any media content elsewhere that [...]
Nook Color gets new update, inches closer to iPad
Today Barnes & Noble won the Press Release war against Amazon, with the announcement of a significant OS udpate to the Nook Color that along with subtle improvements brings this handful of splashy new features: a custom App Store that includes games, productivity apps, and content apps like Pandora; an IMAP/POP email client that works [...]
Miss Spider’s publisher explains how he’s wanted to create ebook apps since 1972
With all the blog chatter about myopic and hamstrung publishers, it’s easy to forget about the innovators like Nicholas Callaway…
Expect more educational Kindle apps soon, hints developer
AppleInsider wrote today that the developer for an iOS periodic table app was invited by Amazon to port it over to the Kindle platform: [The developer] contacted AppleInsider to note that Amazon had invited him via email to bring the app to Kindle, noting that the company was especially interested in educational apps. As AppleInsider [...]
Ebook recap for February 2011
All things considered, February was a dismal month for ebook news. Apple dug a moat around its walled iOS garden, then filled that moat with lava; Rupert Murdoch launched a “daily paper” on the iPad but forgot to put decent content in it; Borders finally kicked the bucket; and HarperCollins punched libraries in the face [...]
Kindle, Nook, Kobo iOS apps to be pulled in June?
The Digital Reader says it’s received off-the-record confirmation that all three major ebook sellers expect Apple to remove their apps from the iOS app store in June. Even if they wanted to (or could afford to) comply with Apple’s new In App Purchase guidelines and 30% service fee, the Apple system can only handle about [...]