Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[iBooks Author gets new EULA, aims to clear writer's block]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/06/ibooks-author-gets-new-eula/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/06/ibooks-author-gets-new-eula/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/06/ibooks-author-gets-new-eula/#comments We've waxed lyrical about iBooks Author at the technological level, but a good self-publishing platform counts for nothing if authors are put off by its terms and conditions. A particular source of antagonism so far has been the notion that, if an author decides to charge a fee for their iBook, then Apple will claim exclusive distribution rights and prevent them from publishing their work anywhere else. Check out the More Coverage links below and you'll see that a number of writers tore up Apple's licensing agreement and flung it into the proverbial overflowing trash can. Now though, Cupertino has done some re-writing of its own and come up with a new EULA. It clarifies that Apple will only demand exclusive distribution rights over .ibooks files that are created with iBooks Author, rather than the book's content itself. It states that "this restriction will not apply to the content of the work when distributed in [another] form." So, there it is -- writers everywhere can happily go back to tearing up their own work again.

iBooks Author gets new EULA, aims to clear writer's block originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>angerAppleauthorbookscontractdistributionebooksEULAiBooksibooks 2iBooks AuthorIbooks2IbooksAuthorioslicensing agreementLicensingAgreementpublishingrightsself-publishingTerms and ConditionsTermsAndConditionswriterwritingMon, 06 Feb 2012 02:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: You tell me it's the institution]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/29/apple-ibooks-learning-education-schools/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/29/apple-ibooks-learning-education-schools/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/29/apple-ibooks-learning-education-schools/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Apple rose to dominate sales of digital music by more or less mirroring the way consumers acquired music in the physical world -- that is, purchasing songs, but providing a greater degree of granularity. This worked well for music and has also held true for apps and best-selling books, but hasn't been as in step with consumer media acquisition habits for other content.

For example, before Apple brought sales of video material to iTunes, most consumers did not generally own TV shows except for perhaps a few cherished series on DVD. They either watched them as they aired as part of a cable-like subscription or paid a flat monthly fee for the privilege of recording them on a DVR to be viewed after they aired. Furthermore, both Blockbuster physical stores and later Netflix's DVD by mail feature relied on a system of one-time consumption via rental or subscription that eschewed ownership of movies. And today, Vevo.com offers free streaming of many music videos that Apple still seeks to sell.

Continue reading Switched On: You tell me it's the institution

Switched On: You tell me it's the institution originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applecollegecolumne booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readere-readerse-textbooke-textbookseducationhigh schoolHighSchoolibook authorIbookAuthoribooksibooks 2ibooks authorIbooks2IbooksAuthoriosipadipad 2Ipad2iPhoneitunesitunes storeItunesStorelearningmusicswitched onSwitchedOntextbooktextbooksSun, 29 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[iBooks Author sees 600,000 initial downloads, 3 million for iTunes U app]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/24/ibooks-author-sees-600-000-initial-downloads-3-million-total-no/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/24/ibooks-author-sees-600-000-initial-downloads-3-million-total-no/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/24/ibooks-author-sees-600-000-initial-downloads-3-million-total-no/#comments
Apple announced on its quarterly earnings call this afternoon that iBooks Author had seen 600,000 downloads since its unveiling last week. The folks in Cupertino also mentioned that iTunes U has seen 3 million app downloads, feeling a bump from the announcement a few days ago. One other interesting tidbit: currently, 1.5 million iPads have been deployed in schools. We'd surmise that those numbers will continue to increase as iBooks 2 and iBook Author start to pound the pavement in the months ahead.

iBooks Author sees 600,000 initial downloads, 3 million for iTunes U app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appappleapplicationapplicationsappsearningsibooksibooks 2ibooks authorIbooks2IbooksAuthoripaditunes uItunesUnumberssoftwareTue, 24 Jan 2012 17:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Apple sees 350,000 textbook downloads within three days after iBooks 2 debut]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/report-apple-sees-350-000-textbook-downloads-within-three-days/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/report-apple-sees-350-000-textbook-downloads-within-three-days/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/report-apple-sees-350-000-textbook-downloads-within-three-days/#comments
Apple has yet to release any official numbers, but early returns on its new iBooks textbook store are looking pretty promising. According to Global Equities Research, more than 350,000 textbooks were downloaded within three days of the store's debut, along with some 90,000 downloads of the iBooks Author platform. As All Things D explains, Global Equities Research used a proprietary system to compile these numbers and hasn't revealed much about its methodology, but its figures, if accurate, would certainly mark an auspicious beginning to Cupertino's latest "reinvention."

Report: Apple sees 350,000 textbook downloads within three days after iBooks 2 debut originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appledownloadGlobal Equities ResearchGlobalEquitiesResearchibooksibooks 2ibooks authorIbooks2IbooksAuthoripadlaunchmilestonepublishingstatisticstablettextbookMon, 23 Jan 2012 07:18:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple iBooks 2 textbooks video walkthrough and screenshots (hands-on)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-2-textbooks-video-walkthrough-and-screenshots-hand/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-2-textbooks-video-walkthrough-and-screenshots-hand/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-2-textbooks-video-walkthrough-and-screenshots-hand/#comments We had a few minutes to browse through iBooks 2 textbooks following Apple's press conference this morning, but now we have a fully-loaded iPad 2 to play with, so we decided to spend some more time getting educated in the comfort of our in-house studio. You already had a chance to get familiar with the new app and associated media earlier today, so this time it's all about the visuals. Browse through the galley below as we explore Life on Earth before taking a front seat in Biology and getting our hands dirty with Frog Dissection. And if you're feeling brave, there's a juicy video walkthrough just past the break.

Gallery: Apple iBooks 2 screenshots

Continue reading Apple iBooks 2 textbooks video walkthrough and screenshots (hands-on)

Apple iBooks 2 textbooks video walkthrough and screenshots (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppappleApple EducationApple StoreAppleEducationAppleStoredemoe booke bookse readere readerse-Booke-Bookse-readere-readerse-Textbooke-TextbooksEBookEBookseducationEReaderEReaderseTextbookeTextbookshands-oniBookibooksibooks 2Ibooks2iOSios 5Ios5iPadlearninglionmacMac AppMacAppTextbooktextbooksvideoThu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple's education announcement: what you need to know]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-education-announcement-what-you-need-to-know/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-education-announcement-what-you-need-to-know/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-education-announcement-what-you-need-to-know/#comments Today's education event was a reasonably small one, so far as Apple pressers go, held at the Guggenheim museum in New York City, with a smattering of media representatives in attendance. It arrives on the tails of some already hearty numbers for the company, including the existence of 20,000 learning-themed apps and 1.5 million iPads currently in use for education. But Cupertino's plans for the future of learning are grand indeed, including the desire to "reinvent the textbook" via iBooks 2. And while our expectations weren't particularly grandiose going into this morning, we were, indeed, pretty impressed with what we saw. So, what did you miss if you happened to sleep in late today? Find out, after the break.

Continue reading Apple's education announcement: what you need to know

Apple's education announcement: what you need to know originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleeducationibook authorIbookAuthoribooksibooks 2Ibooks2iosipaditunesitunes uItunesUlearningschooltextbooksThu, 19 Jan 2012 14:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple's iBooks Author hands-on (update: video!)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-ibooks-author-hands-on/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-ibooks-author-hands-on/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-ibooks-author-hands-on/#comments Inside every frustrated journalist is an even more frustrated author, and self-publishing is an evil that many of us have succumbed to over the years. Still, much as we may want to resist it, we couldn't help ourselves when it came time to test Apple's iBooks Author app, designed for educators to push out textbooks to students for a fraction of the cost, time and energy it would traditionally take.

So, how does it feel when you're working inside the software? Could you use it to prepare seminar materials for the class of 2015 or, more importantly, launch your own career as Stephanie Meyer's successor? Head past the break to find out!

Gallery: Apple iBooks Author hands-on

Continue reading Apple's iBooks Author hands-on (update: video!)

Apple's iBooks Author hands-on (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppleauthorHands Onhands-onHandsOnibooksibooks 2iBooks AuthorIbooks2IbooksAuthoriosios 5Ios5videoThu, 19 Jan 2012 12:36:00 EST<![CDATA[iBooks 2 lets authors set textbook prices in exchange for Apple exclusivity]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/ibooks-2-lets-authors-set-textbook-prices-in-exchange-for-apple/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/ibooks-2-lets-authors-set-textbook-prices-in-exchange-for-apple/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/ibooks-2-lets-authors-set-textbook-prices-in-exchange-for-apple/#comments Were you wondering about the economics behind Apple's new e-textbooks? Well, it turns out that Cupertino is giving authors the ability to set their own prices as long as they remain $14.99 or under. In exchange, Apple takes a 30 percent cut, and requires authors take an oath of fealty to Tim Cook -- ok, not really, but any e-textbook author that wants access to the iPad-toting masses must make his or her work an exclusive to iBooks 2. So there you have it folks, if you want to take a gander at these awesome new e-textbooks, you'll have to jump on the iOS bandwagon.

iBooks 2 lets authors set textbook prices in exchange for Apple exclusivity originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applee textbooke textbookse-textbooke-textbooksETextbookETextbooksibooksibooks 2Ibooks2ipadipad 2Ipad2Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple's iBooks 2 e-textbooks pack tons of info, take up tons of your iPad's memory]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-ibooks-2-e-textbooks-pack-tons-of-info-take-up-tons-of/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-ibooks-2-e-textbooks-pack-tons-of-info-take-up-tons-of/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apples-ibooks-2-e-textbooks-pack-tons-of-info-take-up-tons-of/#comments Apple just got done unveiling its new iBooks 2 platform, letting us in on its plan to revamp education (in part) through its fancy new e-textbooks. These digital volumes look beautiful and come at a relatively meager monetary cost ($14.99), but a quick perusal of the textbooks available in iTunes reveals they'll take a sizable chunk of your iPad's memory. The current lineup of eight texts range in size from 800MB to 2.77GB, so folks looking to grab a full semester's worth of materials may have to carry an extra iPad or three to get the job done. Not an ideal solution, but a few Apple slates are still easier to schlep across campus than those massive texts you're used to, right?

Apple's iBooks 2 e-textbooks pack tons of info, take up tons of your iPad's memory originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple educationAppleEducatione booke bookse textbooke textbookse-booke-bookse-textbooksEBookEBookseducationETextbookETextbooksibooksibooks 2Ibooks2learningtextbooktextbooksThu, 19 Jan 2012 12:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple iTunes U hands-on (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-itunes-u-hands-on-video/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-itunes-u-hands-on-video/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-itunes-u-hands-on-video/#comments
Would you like to make more money? Sure, we all would, and a great way to do that is to get a better education. There was a time when you had to go to schools or rely on shady mail-order diplomas. Now you can use your iPad and get the same thing with the new iTunes U app. It's an extension of the existing iTunes U service, which has been around for about four years despite few people knowing anything about it. This new apps should change that. Join us for a full exploration of why.

Gallery: Apple iTunes U hands-on in New York City

Continue reading Apple iTunes U hands-on (video)

Apple iTunes U hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applehands-onibooksibooks 2Ibooks2iosios 5Ios5itunesitunes uItunesUlearninglionmactextbooktextbooksvideoThu, 19 Jan 2012 12:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple iBooks 2 textbook hands-on (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-textbook-hands-on-video/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-textbook-hands-on-video/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-textbook-hands-on-video/#comments We just got our first opportunity to get our hands on one of Apple's new interactive textbooks and we have to say, they're as good as they looked during the live event. We tried a few titles, ranging from steady textbooks to more exotic stuffs, but by far the best is the selection from E.O. Wilson called Life on Earth. Join us for full details and video demonstration of the future of learning after the break.

Gallery: Apple iBooks 2 demo in NYC - 01.19.2012

Continue reading Apple iBooks 2 textbook hands-on (video)

Apple iBooks 2 textbook hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appledemoeducationhands-onibooksibooks 2Ibooks2ios 5Ios5learninglionmacnew york cityNewYorkCitynyctextbooksvideoThu, 19 Jan 2012 11:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple launches iBooks 2 e-Textbook platform (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-2/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-2/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-ibooks-2/#comments
We're here at Apple's education-flavored event at the Guggenheim museum in New York City. Phil Schiller has just taken to the stage and announced the first half of Apple's platform that's going to "reinvent the textbook:" iBooks 2. Saying that there were 1.5 million iPads currently in use in Education (using 20,000 specific apps), the revamped book-stand now includes education-specific features to help the budding students of the world.

You'll be able to paw through content, stopping to flick through detailed 3D animated models of elements within, access video and definitions without leaving the page. VP of Productivity Applications, Roger Rosner said that "Clearly, no printed book can compete with this:" given the constantly-updated data available, that's kinda obvious. Still, you'll be able to read in a text-heavy portrait or picture-biased landscape mode and there's also the option to have random pop-quizzes appear to keep you on your toes. Annotations is an integral part of the system: you can add stickies to individual pages and aggregate them into virtual 3 x 5-inch note-cards for revision during finals. You'll also get the same purchase, download and re-download rights you enjoy in the company's other stores.


The company's partnered (initially) with textbook makers Pearson, McGraw Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, as the trio are responsible for 90 percent of all textbooks sold -- as well as DK and the E.O. Wilson Foundation. Phil was gushing, saying that he couldn't "overemphasize the importance of these partners working with us." Pearson's High School Science, Biology, DK's Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life, Natural History Insects, Animals and My First ABC as well as the first two chapters of E.O. Wilson's Life on Earth will be available at launch -- the latter is free. You'll be able to download iBooks 2 from the app store free of charge, whilst textbooks themselves will cost $14.99 or less : a far cry from the $80 dead-tree textbooks we shelled out for in college.

Update: We've got a hands-on up live from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City!

Gallery: iBooks 2

Continue reading Apple launches iBooks 2 e-Textbook platform (video)

Apple launches iBooks 2 e-Textbook platform (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppAppleApple EducationApple StoreAppleEducationAppleStoree booke bookse readere readerse-Booke-Bookse-readere-readerse-Textbooke-TextbookseBookeBooksEddy CueEddyCueEducationeTextbookeTextbooksiBookiBooksiBooks 2Ibooks2iOSiPadMacMac AppMacAppNew YorkNew York CitNewYorkPhil SchillerPhilSchillerRoger RosnerRogerRosnerTextbookTextbooksThu, 19 Jan 2012 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Live from Apple's education event!]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/live-from-apples-education-event/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/live-from-apples-education-event/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/live-from-apples-education-event/#comments Apple
Ready to get smart in the Big Apple? We are, and so is Apple. Since announcing today's event we've heard talk of a focus on digital books and personal publishing tools. Basically, Apple's looking to do to the textbook publishing market what it did to the music industry with iTunes. Is today a day that will change history for trees worldwide? Join us as we find out. We'll be starting at the time below.

January 19, 2012 10:00 AM EST

Live from Apple's education event! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleeducationeventibookskeynoteliveblognew york cityNewYorkCityprintingpublishingtextbooksThu, 19 Jan 2012 09:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple and major publishers investigated for e-book price fixing in Europe]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/apple-and-major-publishers-investigated-for-e-book-price-rigging/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/apple-and-major-publishers-investigated-for-e-book-price-rigging/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/06/apple-and-major-publishers-investigated-for-e-book-price-rigging/#comments The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation into some of the world's largest publishers following a series of unannounced inspections back in March. Hachette Libre, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin and the German owner of Macmillan are all suspected of "anti-competitive practices" in the way they've sold e-books in Europe, "possibly with the help of Apple." Read on for the full press release.

Continue reading Apple and major publishers investigated for e-book price fixing in Europe

Apple and major publishers investigated for e-book price fixing in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anticompetitionanticompetitiveantitrustapplee booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readere-readersearningsebookebooksECeuropean commissioneuropean unionEuropeanCommissionEuropeanUnionharper collinsHarperCollinsibooksinvestigationipadkindlemacmillanpenguinpenguin booksPenguinBooksprice fixingprice riggingPriceFixingPriceRiggingprobepublishersregulationregulatorsimon and schusterSimonAndSchusterTue, 06 Dec 2011 07:03:00 EST<![CDATA[100 million books downloaded from iBooks, Random House titles added]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/100-million-books-downloaded-from-ibooks-apple-brings-on-new-pu/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/100-million-books-downloaded-from-ibooks-apple-brings-on-new-pu/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/100-million-books-downloaded-from-ibooks-apple-brings-on-new-pu/#comments Apple's kicking off the iPad 2 event with some iBooks announcements. The first thing you need to know is that 100 million books have been downloaded to date from the company's bookstore. That's a lot of digital tomes, and there are more coming. Yep, that brings us to the second big piece of news -- Random House is bringing its entire US catalog, which includes 17,000 titles, to the store. We had an idea that was going to happen since the publisher just changed up its e-book pricing model, but the store now officially includes bestsellers by John Grisham, Dan Brown, and others. According to PCMag, some of those titles started to pop up in Apple's store yesterday, so get going and start reading.

Continue reading 100 million books downloaded from iBooks, Random House titles added

100 million books downloaded from iBooks, Random House titles added originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppleApple iBooksAppleIbooksbooksbreaking newse-booksebooksibooksipad 2ipad 2011Ipad2Ipad2011random houseRandomHouseWed, 02 Mar 2011 12:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Random House switches e-book pricing models, clears way for entrance into iBookstore]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/01/random-house-switches-e-book-pricing-models-clears-way-for-entr/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/01/random-house-switches-e-book-pricing-models-clears-way-for-entr/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/01/random-house-switches-e-book-pricing-models-clears-way-for-entr/#comments Well, it looks like the last major holdout from Apple's iBookstore could soon be joining its rivals on iOS devices -- Random House announced today that it's abandoning its current pricing model for e-books in favor of the so-called "agency pricing" that Apple insists on. That model requires publishers to set the retail prices of their books with the bookseller getting a 30 percent cut of each sale -- as opposed to the traditional wholesale model that lets retailers set the price of books and even sell them at a loss (as Amazon has done in the past). As the Wall Street Journal notes, the agency model has been criticized by some (including Random House previously) for effectively eliminating discounting and guaranteeing retailers a profit on each book they sell. Of course, Random House hasn't yet officially announced that it will be joining the iBookstore ranks, but this news does certainly line up nicely with a little event tomorrow.

Random House switches e-book pricing models, clears way for entrance into iBookstore originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agency pricingAgencyPricingapplee booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readere-readersebookebooksibooksibookstorerandom houseRandomHouseTue, 01 Mar 2011 17:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Tennessee's Webb School makes iPads mandatory, still looks down on note-passing]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/25/tennessees-webb-school-makes-ipads-mandatory-still-looks-down/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/25/tennessees-webb-school-makes-ipads-mandatory-still-looks-down/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/25/tennessees-webb-school-makes-ipads-mandatory-still-looks-down/#comments We've seen the Kindle DX fail as a textbook alternative, but the iPad marches ever onward as a pioneer of wireless education. Or so it seems, anyway. This time the tablet has set its sights on a private school in Knoxville, TN, where all students from fourth to 12th grade will be required to carry iPads starting this August. Webb School students can either provide their own slate or lease a WiFi-only model for $20 a month. Just like administrators at Seton Hill University, the folks at Webb School see the iPad as an eventual replacement for traditional textbooks, as well as a tool for interactive learning. We've voiced our skepticism about the in-school iPad trend before, and while we still wonder just how effective the devices might be in the classroom, we're interested to see how this thing turns out. You know, we love the Oregon Trail and everything, but don't today's students deserve to see more than pixelated trailblazers dying of digital diphtheria?

[Thanks, Jordan]

Tennessee's Webb School makes iPads mandatory, still looks down on note-passing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple ipadAppleIpadeducationeducationalibookibooksiPadknoxvilleKnoxvilleTnlearningschoolslatetablettablet pcTabletPctabletstext bookTextBookWebb SchoolWebb School of KnoxvilleWebbSchoolWebbSchoolOfKnoxvilleTue, 25 Jan 2011 08:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple developing iNewsstand to support iBooks?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/17/apple-developing-inewsstand-to-support-ibooks/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/17/apple-developing-inewsstand-to-support-ibooks/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/17/apple-developing-inewsstand-to-support-ibooks/#commentsApple developing iNewsstand to support iBooks?Apple has been doing what it can to bring publications of a more periodical nature to the iPad and other iDevices, but hasn't exactly offered a stunning portfolio of papers and such. That's set to change according to a Bloomberg report citing the ever popular people "familiar with the matter," indicating that Apple is currently building partnerships with various parties to develop pricing strategies to bring that content to consumers. This will supposedly be presented through a new storefront especially dedicated to periodical content, which could be launching as soon as a few months from now -- though there is also speculation that Apple will sit on it until the launch of a next-gen iPad. There are a number of roadblocks, including an apparent resistance from Apple to release the specific sales metrics that publishers want to tailor their content. Oh, and there's the traditional 30 percent cut of revenue rubbing some the wrong way. Will Apple succeed in bringing all these pubs together? It's certainly succeeded at herding the music industry...

Apple developing iNewsstand to support iBooks? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleibookibooksibookstoreinewsstandipadiphoneipodmagazineperiodicalFri, 17 Sep 2010 21:07:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple releases iTunes 9.2.1 and iBooks 1.1.1, fixes galore promised]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/apple-releases-itunes-9-2-1-and-ibooks-1-1-1-fixes-galore-promi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/apple-releases-itunes-9-2-1-and-ibooks-1-1-1-fixes-galore-promi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/apple-releases-itunes-9-2-1-and-ibooks-1-1-1-fixes-galore-promi/#comments Merely days after iTunes 9.2 hit the pipes in order to enable iPhone 4 syncing, Apple's software team has pushed out the first "minor" update since with 9.2.1. Truth be told, the list of changes, fixes and tweaks is rather lengthy for a simple point-point update, with this one allowing users to organize apps on the iOS 4 home screens into folders using iTunes, organize and sync PDF documents as books, etc. As for fixes? For starters, it'll "disable older versions of some incompatible third-party plug-ins" (thanks?), while also addressing "minor issues with dragging and dropping items, a performance issue when first syncing to some devices with iTunes 9.2" and other general speed issues that users were reporting. As for iBooks 1.1.1, that one still seems to be propagating through the iTunes server factory, promising support for books with audio and video, improvements for PDF documents and other miscellaneous bug fixes. Feel free to toss your impressions of the new builds in comments below, but don't blame us if your eagerness ends up breaking something you love dearly.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Apple releases iTunes 9.2.1 and iBooks 1.1.1, fixes galore promised originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleibookibooksitunesitunes 9.2itunes 9.2.1Itunes9.2Itunes9.2.1softwaresyncupdateMon, 19 Jul 2010 18:07:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple rolls out iBooks app for iPhone, iPod touch]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/21/apple-rolls-out-ibooks-app-for-iphone-ipod-touch/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/21/apple-rolls-out-ibooks-app-for-iphone-ipod-touch/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/21/apple-rolls-out-ibooks-app-for-iphone-ipod-touch/#comments It's not just multitasking apps that are hitting the App Store to coincide with the release of iOS 4.0 -- Apple has also just rolled out version 1.1 of its iBooks app, which is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch in addition to the iPad (officially, this time). As previously announced, the app now also supports PDF viewing, and boasts a range of other more minor improvements, including new ways to bookmark (complete with syncing across devices), your choice of white or sepia colored pages, more font options and, of course, "greater stability and better performance."

Apple rolls out iBooks app for iPhone, iPod touch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleebookebook readerEbookReaderebooksibooksipadiphoneiphone 3giphone 3gsiphone 4Iphone3gIphone3gsIphone4ipod touchIpodTouchMon, 21 Jun 2010 15:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple rolling iBooks out across iOS 4 devices, get your Winnie the Pooh now]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/11/apple-rolling-ibooks-out-across-ios-4-devices-get-your-winnie-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/11/apple-rolling-ibooks-out-across-ios-4-devices-get-your-winnie-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/11/apple-rolling-ibooks-out-across-ios-4-devices-get-your-winnie-t/#comments No shock and awe here, Apple's already given us plenty of warnings, but we thought we'd drop you a friendly note to say that if you've upgraded to iOS 4 early, your copy of Winnie the Pooh is flying at you right this minute. Tipsters point out that they get a notification encouraging them to download the heretofore iPad-exclusive iBooks app, though they're finding they have to do it via their desktop iTunes client rather than over the air. Ah well, Apple's probably being extra cautious with moving those big wooden bookshelves into the smaller dimensions of your iPhone or iPod touch. We've not been able to get the app running on our iPhone 3G, so perhaps this is another of those features you're not going to be able to enjoy on older hardware -- we hope it's just us though.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Apple rolling iBooks out across iOS 4 devices, get your Winnie the Pooh now originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appapp storeappleapplicationapplicationsappsAppStorebooksdownloade-readerebook readerEbookReaderebooksibooksiosios 4ios 4 gmIos4Ios4Gmiphoneipod touchIpodTouchituneswinnie the poohWinnieThePoohFri, 11 Jun 2010 02:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Great moments in reality distortion: the iPhone 4's Retina Display and Winnie the Pooh]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/08/great-moments-in-rdf-the-iphone-4s-retina-display/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/08/great-moments-in-rdf-the-iphone-4s-retina-display/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/08/great-moments-in-rdf-the-iphone-4s-retina-display/#comments Apple's making some big noise about the iPhone 4's new Retina Display and its ability to render print-like text quality, but apparently the iBooks team didn't get the memo: as New York Times design director Khoi Vinh noticed, there's a sad little moment in the iPhone 4 promo video when Scott Forstall says "the text is just perfect" just as a poorly laid out page of Winnie the Pooh flashes on the screen. Of course, almost every e-reader and e-reader app is capable of mutilating a layout, but it's crazy to think that this is what Apple actually chose to put up while hyping their new display -- and it's crazy to think that the same fastidious minds that created the iPhone would approve of iBooks doing this to Winnie the Pooh. Khoi's entire post is pretty interesting, so hit the source link to check it out -- and skip to about 3:02 after the break to see the RDF in effect for yourself.

Continue reading Great moments in reality distortion: the iPhone 4's Retina Display and Winnie the Pooh

Great moments in reality distortion: the iPhone 4's Retina Display and Winnie the Pooh originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleibooksiphoneiphone 4Iphone4khoi vinhKhoiVinhlayoutretina displayRetinaDisplaytypographyvideowinnie the poohWinnieThePoohTue, 08 Jun 2010 19:34:00 EST<![CDATA[iPad corners 22 percent of ebook market, iBooks gets iPhone version and PDF reader]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/ipad-corners-22-percent-of-ebook-market-gets-pdf-reading-abilit/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/ipad-corners-22-percent-of-ebook-market-gets-pdf-reading-abilit/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/ipad-corners-22-percent-of-ebook-market-gets-pdf-reading-abilit/#comments Apple has just announced that the iPad has collected 22 percent of ebook sales since its launch and is about to get new features too. A PDF viewer is going to be thrown into the iBooks app later this month, and will be accompanied by new bookmarking and note-taking functionality. Yeah, they're basic enhancements at best, but we're still trying to wrap our minds around this idea that Apple is already responsible for nearly a quarter of all ebook sales. Then again, as Steve points out, a cool five million of the darn things have been downloaded in the first 65 days of the iPad's availability.

Update: Seems like even five mill ain't gonna be enough for Apple, which is set to massively expand its iBooks user base by bringing the app to iPhone and iPod touch users. You'll be getting the same note-taking, same bookmarking -- same everything -- just on a smaller screen, and at no extra charge. Users will be able to purchase a book on one device and then consume it across the full range of iDevices, with bookmarks and progress getting synced across the ether.

Gallery: iPad corners 22 percent of ebook market, gets PDF viewer

Gallery: iBooks for iPhone




Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!

iPad corners 22 percent of ebook market, iBooks gets iPhone version and PDF reader originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple ipadAppleIpadbookmarkingbookmarksbreaking newsBreakingNewsdatadownloadsebookebooksfiguresibooksibookstoreipadiphoneipod touchIpodTouchnote-takingnotespdfpdf readerpdf viewerPdfReaderPdfViewersalesstatsupdatewwdcwwdc 2010wwdc10Wwdc2010Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple will open international Stores early for iPad launch this Friday, iBooks app available now]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/25/apple-will-open-international-stores-early-for-ipad-launch/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/25/apple-will-open-international-stores-early-for-ipad-launch/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/25/apple-will-open-international-stores-early-for-ipad-launch/#comments Apple may be a despot of its own walled garden, but that doesn't mean it's not benevolent. The iPad's international launch on May 28 has prompted the company to open Stores an hour early, at 8AM local time, in order to give its devotees a reprieve from hours of queuing outside. Then again, that little asterisk up there points us to an ominous "while supplies last" note at the bottom, which together with current pre-orders being fulfilled at some unidentified point in June, might force the most impatient to just get to the Store even earlier. UK buyers will get an alternative option thanks to Dixons Group stocking Apple's slate in Currys and PC World outlets, an arrangement that we keep hearing might be exclusive for the first sixty days after launch. Either way, you've been warned, don't be tardy if you wanna be trendy.

P.S. The iBooks app has also made its debut outside of the US today, though at present it's limited to just freebie titles, and the iBookstore is still described as "US only."

Update: The latest we're hearing is that at least some Apple Premium Resellers will also be getting stock of the iPad in the UK -- worth checking out if other options sell out.

Apple will open international Stores early for iPad launch this Friday, iBooks app available now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 May 2010 06:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple ipadapple retail storeapple storeAppleIpadAppleRetailStoreAppleStorebritaincurrysdixonsdixons groupDixonsGroupearly openingEarlyOpeningeuropeibooksibooks appIbooksAppibookstoreinternationalipadipad launchIpadLaunchlaunchlondonpc worldPcWorldreleaseretailukunited kingdomUnitedKingdomTue, 25 May 2010 06:47:00 EST<![CDATA[iPhone OS 4 unveiled, adds multitasking, shipping this summer]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/iphone-os-4-0-unveiled-shipping-this-summer/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/iphone-os-4-0-unveiled-shipping-this-summer/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/iphone-os-4-0-unveiled-shipping-this-summer/#comments Just a bit more than a year after we first laid eyes on iPhone OS 3.0, Apple is back with the latest big revision of the OS that powers the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. iPhone OS 4 is shipping this summer (iPad in the fall), and the developer preview will be out today. iPhone 3GS and new-gen iPod touch will get all the features, but some features won't make it to the iPhone 3G, original iPhone, and older iPod touches. The biggest new feature is multitasking, which Apple says is going to be the "best" implementation in the smartphone space, though it's obviously not the first. App switching is activated by double tapping the home button, which pulls up a "dock" of currently running apps, and Apple claims it can do this without hurting battery life or performance for the front app. Unfortunately, this multitasking won't be available for devices older than the 3GS and new iPod touch. Multitasking is just one of seven different new "tentpole" features, including Game Center, enhanced Mail, and more...

Notable new features for users ("tentpoles" are in bold):
  • Multitasking.
  • Spell check (like on the iPad).
  • Bluetooth keyboard support (again, on the iPad).
  • User-defined wallpaper (a jailbreak favorite).
  • Tap to focus when recording video, just like with photos, and a 5x digital zoom for the camera.
  • Playlist creation and nested playlists.
  • App folders for sorting apps! You can even put an app folder in the dock.
  • Enhanced Mail! You can have a merged inbox view, switch between inboxes quickly, and sync to more than one Exchange account. There's also threaded messaging (at last!) and in-app attachment viewing.
  • iBooks, just like on iPad, only smaller. You can wirelessly sync books between platforms, a la Kindle.
  • Enterprise features, including remote device management and wireless app distribution.
  • Game Center. It's like Xbox Live, but for iPhone games. Includes achievements, leaderboards, and match making. It will be available as a "developer preview," and out for consumers later this year.

Developers are getting plenty of new tricks too:
  • New SDK, available today.
  • 1,500 new APIs.
  • Background audio (think Pandora).
  • Background VoIP (think Skype).
  • Background location data, both with live GPS for backgrounded turn-by-turn, and cell tower-based for lower power draw.
  • Local notifications. Like push notifications, but sends a notification straight from the app without needing a push notification server, perfect for an alarm, for instance.
  • Fast app switching. Saves the state of an app and resumes it from where you left off, without dwelling in memory.
  • iAd. Apple says it's for keeping "free apps free." The ads keep you in the app, while also taking over the screen and adding interactivity -- using HTML 5 for video -- up to simple gaming in-ad. Apple will offer a 60 / 40 split on revenue, and users can even buy apps straight from an ad.
  • In-app SMS.
  • Map overlays.
  • Quick look for previewing documents.
  • Photo Library access.
  • Calendar access.
  • Full access to the camera.
  • Video playback and capture.
  • Date and address "data detectors."
  • Automated testing and performance / power analysis (the same tools Apple uses).

Gallery: Folders in iPhone OS 4.0

Gallery: Enhanced Mail in iPhone OS 4.0

Gallery: Apple demos Game Center for iPhone OS 4.0



Make sure to check out the iPhone OS 4.0 liveblog to see how it all went down!

iPhone OS 4 unveiled, adds multitasking, shipping this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app foldersAppFoldersapplebreaking newsBreakingNewsgame centerGameCenteribooksiphoneiphone osiphone os 4iphone os 4.0IphoneOsIphoneOs4IphoneOs4.0multitaskingThu, 08 Apr 2010 13:43:00 EST<![CDATA[iPad apps: books and comics galore]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/07/ipad-apps-books-and-comics-galore/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/07/ipad-apps-books-and-comics-galore/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/07/ipad-apps-books-and-comics-galore/#comments
Reading on the iPad is something that is part of the device's DNA. Whether or not you think that LED-backlit display is a killer or a cure for the world's third favorite bedtime activity, you can't deny that Apple has pushed the idea of the iPad as e-reader pretty heavily. So, if you've got one you must be thinking about what kinds of reading choices you really have. Unlike a lot of platforms, you're not just locked into Apple's iTunes-integrated iBookstore for getting your textual kicks -- you can also utilize Amazon's Kindle service and a handful of other distribution channels for the books and comics of your choosing. So, which ones stand out? Take a look beyond the break and see our picks for reading on your magical new device. Oh, and be sure to check out our other app roundups right here.

Continue reading iPad apps: books and comics galore

iPad apps: books and comics galore originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeappleapple ipadAppleIpadappsAppStorecomic booksComicBookscomicse booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readere-readersEBookEBooksEReaderEReadersfree booksFreeBooksibooksibookstoreidw comicsIdwComicsipadipad app roundupIpadAppRoundupkobomarvelmarvel comicsMarvelComicsreadingreviewyahoo entertainmentYahooEntertainmentWed, 07 Apr 2010 09:54:00 EST<![CDATA[iBooks app meets App Store, produces US-only iBookstore offspring]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/02/ibooks-app-meets-app-store-produces-us-only-ibookstore-offsprin/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/02/ibooks-app-meets-app-store-produces-us-only-ibookstore-offsprin/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/02/ibooks-app-meets-app-store-produces-us-only-ibookstore-offsprin/#comments Get ready to welcome some amazing wood grain effects into your lives, future iPad owners, for the iBooks app has just landed at the App Store. Proudly proclaimed as being "designed exclusively for the iPad," this app gives you direct access to the iBookstore, which will offer free samples of books ahead of purchase and a brand new way for you to channel money into Cupertino pockets. Built-in search, highlighting and bookmarking features are augmented by text-to-speech functionality and ePub format support. Funnily enough, iBooks will only support DRM-free ePub files sourced from outside the iBookstore, but no mention is made as to whether its own wares will be similarly unimpeded. Speaking of restrictions, the whole operation is still limited to the United States, leaving the Stephen Frys of this world sighing wistfully from across the pond.

[Thanks, Brian]

iBooks app meets App Store, produces US-only iBookstore offspring originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appapp storeappleapple app storeapple ipadAppleAppStoreAppleIpadapplicationappsAppStorebookstoree-bookse-readerebooksepubibooksibooks appIbooksAppibookstoreipadipad appIpadAppFri, 02 Apr 2010 04:11:00 EST<![CDATA[iTunes 9.1 now available, brings iPad syncing and iBook support]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/itunes-9-1-now-available-brings-ipad-syncing-and-ibook-support/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/itunes-9-1-now-available-brings-ipad-syncing-and-ibook-support/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/itunes-9-1-now-available-brings-ipad-syncing-and-ibook-support/#comments Hot on the heels of a ginormous OS X update comes this, the freshest version of the music management software that everyone loves to hate. iTunes 9.1 is live and available to download, bringing with it support for iPad syncing (you know, that little tablet that arrives on Saturday?) as well as the ability to "organize and sync books you've downloaded from iBooks on iPad or added to your iTunes library." The new version also gives users the ability to rename, rearrange, or remove Genius Mixes, but we're fairly sure you stopped caring after hearing the first point. It's weighing in at around 97.3MB (give or take a few KB), so fire up Software Update and get it going... if you dare.

Update: We're hearing that the new version renames "Applications" to just "Apps" and the Genius Mixes / iPhone / iPod touch sync pages have been retooled. Anything else major? Let us know in comments!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading iTunes 9.1 now available, brings iPad syncing and iBook support

iTunes 9.1 now available, brings iPad syncing and iBook support originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple ipadAppleIpade booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readere-readersEBookgeniusgenius mixgenius mixesGeniusMixGeniusMixesibookibooksipadipad syncingIpadSyncingitunesitunes 9.1Itunes9.1os xOsXsoftwaresoftware updateSoftwareUpdateupdateTue, 30 Mar 2010 16:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Seton Hill University hands out iPads to students]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/seton-hill-university-hands-out-ipads-to-students/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/seton-hill-university-hands-out-ipads-to-students/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/seton-hill-university-hands-out-ipads-to-students/#comments
If there's one thing that universities are good at, it's dreaming up trendy technology initiatives. Apple knows that (as does McGraw-Hill) so it's no surprise that the company's been pushing to get the iPad adopted by schools around the country. And so it begins: Seton Hill University, a school in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, has announced that starting this fall all full-time students will get a slate of their own. We thought that the Kindle as textbook replacement idea was a little whackadoodle, and we don't have much hope in the iPad as a textbook replacement either. But if the school's aim is to get students playing Super Monkey Ball and up-to-date on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, then we might have a winner here.

Seton Hill University hands out iPads to students originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple ipadAppleIpadibooksibookstoreipadseton hill universitySetonHillUniversityslatetabletuniversityTue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:00 EST<![CDATA[HP to undercut iPad price, iPad to undercut Amazon e-books prices, Courier to rule them all?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/hp-to-undercut-ipad-price-ipad-to-undercut-amazon-e-books-price/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/hp-to-undercut-ipad-price-ipad-to-undercut-amazon-e-books-price/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/hp-to-undercut-ipad-price-ipad-to-undercut-amazon-e-books-price/#comments
Today's Apple rumor roundup is brought to you by the word "money." First up is a piece carried by the New York Times citing no less than three people familiar with provisions that would require publishers to discount best seller e-book prices sold on Apple's iPad. In other words, below the $12.99 to $14.99 price dictated by the new agency model -- prices Amazon is being strong-armed into accepting. Apple's prices could be as low as Amazon's previously magical $9.99 price point for some titles just as soon as they hit the New York Times best-seller lists. Discounted hardcover editions could be priced at $12.99 even if they do not hit the best-seller list.

The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, has a pair of sources saying that HP will be meeting with its US and Taiwanese partners to "tweak prices and features" on its upcoming Slate. The move is meant to capitalize on a recent uptick in tablet interest with hopes of undercutting the $629 price of the similarly spec'd 3G-enabled iPad. Although it was introduced before the iPad, HP deliberatly held back on announcing a ship date or pricing so that it could tweak the Slate accordingly.

Also noteworthy is renewed attention given to Microsoft's Courier. The WSJ says that Microsoft continues work on its two-screen Courier tablet at its Alchemy Ventures incubation laboratory in Seattle. However, it's still unclear whether Microsoft will launch the device.

HP to undercut iPad price, iPad to undercut Amazon e-books prices, Courier to rule them all? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agency modelAgencyModelAlchemy VenturesAlchemyVenturesamazonapplecompetitioncouriere booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readerE-readersebookshpibooksibookstoreipadkindlemicrosoftpricesrumorskunkworksslatetabletThu, 18 Feb 2010 02:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple said to be using FairPlay DRM for iBookstore]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/15/apple-said-to-be-using-fairplay-drm-for-ibookstore/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/15/apple-said-to-be-using-fairplay-drm-for-ibookstore/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/15/apple-said-to-be-using-fairplay-drm-for-ibookstore/#comments
Well, it looks like anyone hoping that books on Apple's iBookstore would be as DRM-free as music is on iTunes may be in for a bit of disappointment, as the Los Angeles Times is now reporting that Apple will be making its own FairPlay digital rights management available to any book publishers that wish to use it. Of course, that shouldn't come as a huge surprise considering that Apple still uses FairPlay for movies and TV shows sold on iTunes -- not to mention apps -- and it even still technically supports it for music as well, although it's pretty safe to assume Apple won't be going back down that road anytime soon. For its part, Apple is unsurprisingly staying mum on the matter, but March is fast approaching, so we should know for sure soon enough.

Apple said to be using FairPlay DRM for iBookstore originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple ipadAppleIpadbookbooksdigital rights managementDigitalRightsManagementdrmfairplayfairplay drmFairplayDrmibookibooksibookstoreipadMon, 15 Feb 2010 17:18:00 EST<![CDATA[Amazon pulled Macmillan titles due to price conflict -- confirmed (update: they're back!)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/31/amazon-pulled-macmillan-titles-due-to-price-conflict-confirme/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/31/amazon-pulled-macmillan-titles-due-to-price-conflict-confirme/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/31/amazon-pulled-macmillan-titles-due-to-price-conflict-confirme/#commentsMacmillan's US CEO, John Sargent just confirmed that Amazon pulled its inventory of Macmillan books in a powerful response to Macmillan's new pricing demands. Macmillan offered the new pricing on Thursday, just a day after Apple announced Macmillan as a major publishing partner in its new iBookstore -- a revelation that certainly factored into the discussions along with Skiff and other emerging e-book distribution and publishing models. During the meeting with Amazon in Seattle, Sargent outlined what he calls an "agency model" that will go into effect in early March. Under the terms offered, if Amazon chose to stay with its existing terms of sale then it would suffer "extensive and deep windowing of titles." Amazon's hardball response was to pull all of Macmillan's titles from its Kindle site and Amazon.com by the time Sargent arrived back in New York.

Macmillan claims that its new model is meant to keep retailers, publishers, and authors profitable in the emerging electronic frontier while encouraging competition amongst new devices and new stores. It gives retailers a 30% commission and sets the price for each book individually: digital editions of most adult trade books will be priced from $5.99 to $14.99 while first releases will "almost always" hit the electronic shelves day on date with the physical hardcover release and be priced between $12.99 and $14.99 -- pricing that will be dynamic over time. So when Steve Jobs said that Apple's and Amazon's prices would be the same, he was almost certainly referring to the $12.99 to $14.99 e-book pricing originally rumored by the New York Times -- not the $9.99 price that Amazon customers have been enjoying so far. Funny how Jobs, the man who once refused to grant the music labels' request for variable pricing on digital music so that Apple could maintain a low fixed $0.99 price per track, is suddenly the best friend of a new breed of content owners. Guess the old dog just learned a new trick, eh?

Update: Amazon has conceded, but not willfully. It has decided to give the consumer the option of paying too much for a bestseller, and frankly, that's the right thing to do. Let 'em vote with their wallets, we say. The full response is after the break.

Continue reading Amazon pulled Macmillan titles due to price conflict -- confirmed (update: they're back!)

Amazon pulled Macmillan titles due to price conflict -- confirmed (update: they're back!) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonapplee booke bookse readere readerse-bookse-readerE-readersebookselectronic booksElectronicBooksibooksibookstoremacmillanpricesretailskiffsteve jobsSteveJobsSun, 31 Jan 2010 04:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Macmillan books gone from Amazon.com, Steve Jobs grins wryly from his throne of golden iPads]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/30/macmillan-books-gone-from-amazon-com-steve-jobs-grins-wryly-fro/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/30/macmillan-books-gone-from-amazon-com-steve-jobs-grins-wryly-fro/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/30/macmillan-books-gone-from-amazon-com-steve-jobs-grins-wryly-fro/#commentsWe hate to iPad-ify the news so bluntly (matching lower back tattoos aside), but the timing of this one is uncanny. Mere days after Apple's announcement of a deal with Macmillan for its new iBooks store, and right after a shakycam video of Steve Jobs predicting some publishers would be pulling books from the Kindle due to a lack of satisfaction with Amazon's prices, Macmillan's books have mysteriously disappeared from Amazon.com. Even the paper ones, like the new Wheel Of Time book, pictured to the right. You can of course buy books from the other retailers that Amazon's systems support (along with Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca), but there's no getting a Macmillan publication straight from Amazon.com. Without a peep about the issue from Amazon or Macmillan, it's easy to see this as some sort of wild glitch -- after all, what could possibly cause such a rift between these two companies to end sales of all Macmillan books, instead of just the e-books for Kindle? Hopefully we find out soon, before our heads implode conspiratorially.

Macmillan books gone from Amazon.com, Steve Jobs grins wryly from his throne of golden iPads originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonamazon kindleAmazonKindleappleapple ipadAppleIpadbookse-bookse-readere-readersibooksipadkindlemacmillanmacmillan publishersMacmillanPublishersSat, 30 Jan 2010 13:10:00 EST<![CDATA[iPad iBooks will be US only at launch?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ipad-ibooks-will-be-us-only/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ipad-ibooks-will-be-us-only/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/ipad-ibooks-will-be-us-only/#comments Apple Australia just became one of the first international sites to introduce the iPad to its pages. That gives us a pretty good indication of Apple's plans for a global launch: same "late March" ship for Wi-Fi only models and April for 3G models (carrier yet to be announced). Fine, but it's not what we see that has us intrigued so much as what's missing: the iBookstore and any indication of the iBooks app. This doesn't look like an oversight but rather its purposeful removal from any images or feature lists. Guess we shouldn't be too surprised; going back to the press release we see the following: "iBookstore will be available in the US at launch." Seems Apple meant to say, only in the US, eh? Rest easy Bezos, the iPad has a long way to go before it's any competition to the Kindle.

Update: Footnote on the bottom of the Apple Australia iPad site says "iBooks available in the US only." Evidence after the break.

Update 2: UK site is up sans iBooks which doesn't bode well for Europe considering it's the home for many of the world's top publishing houses. One sliver of hope was spotted in the iPad video promo that's footnoted with the following text: "iBooks available in U.S. and select countries." Hopefully soon rather than later. Screenshot after the break. [Thanks, Eytan D]

[Thanks, Robert S.]

Continue reading iPad iBooks will be US only at launch?

iPad iBooks will be US only at launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleaustraliaibooksibookstoreinternationalipadusThu, 28 Jan 2010 05:46:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple reveals iBook Store and app for the iPad]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/apple-reveals-ibooks-store-and-app-for-the-ipad/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/apple-reveals-ibooks-store-and-app-for-the-ipad/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/apple-reveals-ibooks-store-and-app-for-the-ipad/#comments Put this down as something else rumored that's come to fruition today. Apple's just announced iBooks, an e-reader app and bookstore (called iBookstore) for the iPad, using the ePub format. We're seeing prices around $12.99 to $14.99 so far... looks pretty slick! We're sure Jeff Bezos and Co. are none too pleased to see this one, but we'll have to see for ourselves what reading's like on a non-E Ink screen. There's a gallery after the break.

Be sure to hit up our hands-on right here!

Continue reading Apple reveals iBook Store and app for the iPad

Apple reveals iBook Store and app for the iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleapple ipadapple tabletappleipadAppleTabletbreaking newsBreakingNewse booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readerE-readersebooksepubibooksibookstoreipadlatest creationLatestCreationmedia partnershipMediaPartnershipreadersreadingtabletWed, 27 Jan 2010 13:57:00 EST