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The curious idea of ads in iBooks
Don't worry -- you won't start seeing ads for tattoo parlors while reading Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Not yet, anyway. But there's some interesting thinking going around the 'net (kicked off by this article in the Wall Street Journal) about how advertising may soon try to conquer the last bastion of entertainment: books. When you go to the movies, you see ads, when you watch TV and browse the Internet, there are ads everywhere. But why don't you see ads while reading a book? (I mean, besides the obvious conclusion that it's annoying and invasive?) In the past, it's been because the lead time for books is a wild card. Unlike newspapers and movies, books have a longer shelf life, and different readers could revisit the same material over a period of years rather than days or weeks. You'd have to dynamically deliver ads in some way, and you'd need publishers with know-how and insight about their customers in order to sell relevant ads regularly. In short, you'd need e-books, and you'd need a company (says Snarkmarket) like, say, Apple. Publishers may not have the ability to sell relevant ads to readers, but Apple surely does, especially since it seems to be sweeping up ad sales people as quickly as possible lately. And with prices becoming competitive in the e-book space, there's incentive for both Apple as an iBook publisher and even authors (who want to supplement e-book sale numbers with iAd sales) to bring advertising over to the iBookstore at some point.
How to publish an Apple iBook
We've covered the issue tangentially before, but in case our guides on EPUB and the process itself haven't been enough to inspire you would-be authors to self-publish your book in iBooks, Greg Mills has a step-by-step guide just for you. Of course, the hardest part may be actually writing the book, but once you've gotten that out of the way, you're just a format check, a registration, and an upload away from becoming an e-published author. It's really not complicated, and while there are a few hoops to jump through (you need to make sure that your files match up exactly to the store's format, and then, of course, you need to let Apple know that you're legit and responsible), Mills' steps make the process almost completely transparent. The toughest part (besides the technical tweaking and forms to fill out) might be going through the ISBN application process, but even that's just standard bureaucracy. It's pretty amazing that with just a standard Mac, a little patience, and the right information, almost anybody can publish on Apple's iBooks store. If you go through the whole process and get a title published, send us a tip, and let us know how it went.
Why Apple's patents might show screens from third-party apps
This is a weird one. FutureTap was surprised to recognize one of their app's screens in a strange place: a recent Apple patent outlining how a possible travel application could work. The company wasn't quite sure what to do next -- as you can see above, it's a straightforward copy of the Where To? screen. Without any contact from Apple on the issue, FutureTap was puzzled -- the company calls Apple its "primary business partner." Having your app show up in an Apple patent filing Not that Apple is above cherry-picking UI and functionality from third-party apps -- the iBooks interface was more or less borrowed whole from apps like Delicious Library and Classics, and further back there was the homage of Karelia Software's Watson reinterpreted as Apple's revision to Sherlock. In those cases, both developers just sort of shrugged, felt flattered, and let it go. That's not the situation here -- these screenshots probably aren't illustrations of a product Apple wants to make, they're explanations of how the patent would work. As Engadget's Nilay Patel clarifies for us (so nice to have an attorney around), not only is this merely a patent application (which could possibly still be denied), but Apple isn't trying to lay claim to the actual screenshot; rather the company is using an example application which illustrates the to-be-patented functionality (in the case of Where To?, the ability of an iPhone to auto-detect when a user has been traveling). As Nilay puts it: ...the only operative parts of a patent are the claims -- not the drawings, and not the description, which are technically known as the "specification." (We've now repeated this basic axiom of patent interpretation so many times we're considering making T-shirts.) The only reason the drawings and description are there is to explain the claimed invention in sufficient detail so that someone else can make it. Remember, patents are a trade: in order to get protection, you have to give up the full details of how your invention works. (The other option is to keep your invention a trade secret, but then you can't prevent anyone else from figuring it out and using it if it gets out.) Bottom line? If it's not in the claims, it's not in the patent. We'll have to see what FutureTap does -- the company might request that Apple remove the Where To? screenshot from the patent application, but at this point it's not clear that Apple wants to lay claim to that particular app. What is clear is that Apple could have avoided a lot of hassle and furor if it had simply sent FutureTap an email asking to use a screenshot in a patent filing. In the meantime, FutureTap execs are huddled with their lawyers, trying to make sure they understand what's going on.
iBooks Store adding increasing number of multimedia titles
It was earlier this week that Jeff Bezos, father of the Kindle and CEO of Amazon was saying that "A color screen doesn't make an Ernest Hemingway novel any better." True enough -- the Kindle has a beautiful sharp screen that is a pleasure to gaze at. Not all books, however, are Hemingways, and we're starting to see so-called multimedia titles showing up in the Apple iBooks Store. One example is the 'Enhanced Edition' of Nixonland, by Rick Perlstein, a chronicle of our 37th President. The book contains the full text of the book first published in 2008. It also includes 27 videos of the former President and newsreels that put those turbulent years into perspective. %Gallery-98503%
Apple releases iBooks 1.1.2 update
Just days after releasing iBooks 1.1.1, Apple has updated the app again. iBooks 1.1.1 introduced the ability to double-tap an image within a book in order to view it in greater detail and the ability to experience books that include audio and video, among other fixes. Today's 1.1.2 update only lists one fix: "Addresses a minor issue when updating iBooks." While we can't tell what it's actually fixed (everything was working fine for us), it's nice to see Apple is on top of things. If any of you notice a difference with iBooks 1.1.2 let us know in the comments!
Apple releases iBooks 1.1.1
Following on the heels of the iTunes 9.2.1 update that was released yesterday, Apple has updated the iBooks app to version 1.1.1, which includes "substantial performance improvements when reading PDFs." While the new version of iBooks still lacks some lovin' for PDFs that e-books get (in-text Dictionary lookup, notes, etc.), this version makes swiping through PDFs smoother than before. Other improvements to iBooks 1.1.1 include: • The ability to double-tap an image within a book in order to view it in greater detail. • The ability to experience books that include audio and video. • Look up definitions to English words inside books without a specified language. • An answer to an issue that may have caused some book downloads to not complete. • The addition of many stability and performance improvements. The free update for both the iPad and iPhone/iPod touch apps is available now in the App Store.
Apple releases iTunes 9.2.1 and iBooks 1.1.1, fixes galore promised
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]
Author Ryu Murakami releasing new book solely for iPad
Like me, maybe you're not big into Japanese literature other than some graphic novels. When I read this story, I had no idea who Ryu Murakami was until I read that his list of works includes Audition. Audition, in case you don't know, was adapted to film by Takashi Miike; it's one of the most uncomfortable and graphic horror movies that I've ever seen, ... but I digress. Murakami's latest work, titled A Singing Whale, is set to make its debut solely on the iPad; it will involve no other publishers at all. It will appear on the Japanese App Store at around US $17, and thirty percent of that purchase price will go to Apple. The rest will go to Murakami, composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, and the software company that is making the book. You may be asking why a composer is included in this list. This deal isn't about Murakami sticking it to publishers (or, at least, it's not all about that). Like a few of the other titles that we've already seen on the App Store (like Alice in Wonderland, for example), this title will have a multimedia aspect to it. So, it's not necessarily something that could even work with traditional publication. I just hope that A Singing Whale isn't in the same vein as Audition, or that multimedia experience will be very, very nightmare inducing. Just thinking about it makes my Achilles tendon hurt.
Apple corrects iBooks PDF features list after TUAW post
After our post that iBooks 1.1 doesn't deliver what Apple promises, Apple has quietly updated the language on its iBooks page to accurately reflect what iBooks 1.1 can do as far as PDF handling goes. Two days ago we pointed out that the copy on Apple's iBooks page read: Tap a PDF to read it and it fills the screen just like an ebook. You can flip through pages, add bookmarks and highlights, or zoom in for a closer look. The problem with this was that you couldn't actually flip through PDF pages or highlight them -- those were features of books purchased from the iBooks store, not PDFs. While some readers thought I was being picky that Apple used the word "flip" instead of "swipe" to move to the next PDF page, Apple seems to have agreed with me. Flipping a page involves the iBooks page-curl eye candy. Swiping a page moves one page off screen as the next appears. As of today, Apple has changed the copy on the iBooks page to accurately reflect how you can interact with PDFs in iBooks 1.1. The new copy reads: Tap a PDF to read it and it fills the screen just like an ebook. You can swipe through pages, add bookmarks, or zoom in for a closer look. Here's hoping that Apple does add page flipping and text highlight functionality to PDFs soon. iBooks is shaping up to be a wonderful app and I can't wait to see where it goes in the future.
iBooks 1.1 doesn't deliver what Apple promises
Apple touted iBooks 1.1 as a major upgrade which allows users to sync and view PDFs from their computer to the iPad. While Apple has delivered the ability to sync and view PDFs in iBooks 1.1, there are some major limitations, including some features that iBooks 1.1 is advertised as being able to do, but actually cannot. The image above is a screen shot from Apple's iBooks page. It states: Tap a PDF to read it and it fills the screen just like an ebook. You can flip through pages, add bookmarks and highlights, or zoom in for a closer look. The problems with this is that you can't actually flip through pages or add highlights to a PDF. There's a difference between flipping through pages and swiping. iBooks 1.1 lets you swipe one page off the screen in order to bring on the next. That's very different than flipping the page as you do with an ebook in iBooks. As for highlighting – well, the feature just isn't there.
Kindle and Nook e-readers get massive price cuts
We can't say for sure if the Apple iPad is the cause, but it's a pretty good bet the iPad and the iBook app are part of the problem for Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Both booksellers today dramatically cut the price of their competing e-book readers. Nook started the ball rolling downhill this morning when the original Nook, priced at US$259, was cut to $199, and a new Wi-Fi only model was introduced at $149. Now Amazon has just responded, cutting the $259 Kindle to $189. Whew! It's getting competitive out there. Many people still prefer a dedicated book reader, but the iPad has come on strong. I've read several books on my Kindle, and the screen is detailed, but I actually prefer reading on the iPad where I don't have to worry about finding an external light source. I also prefer the color illustrations on the iPad for the books that feature them. It will be interesting to see how this all winds up. Of course you can read Kindle books and purchases from the Nook store on your iPad or iPhone (and on your Mac), so readers have plenty of choices. Sadly, you have to juggle a lot of different e-reader apps on each device, but we all benefit as consumers when the competition gets up and running.
iBooks now available on iOS 4
A number of iOS 4-compatible apps are being distributed today, and now Apple's iBooks application has gone universal as promised. The new version offers book syncing between the iPhone or iPod touch and the iPad, plus bookmark syncing (via iTunes) and a free copy of Winnie the Pooh. The UI has a few subtle differences. When viewing the iBookstore from the iPhone, the icons across the bottom are Featured, Charts, Browse, Search and Purchases. On the iPad, they're Featured, New York Times selections, Top Charts and Purchases. Bookmark synchronization is done via iTunes. When first launched, you're asked if you'd like to setup bookmark sync. A simple "yes" will do. You can move previously-purchased iBooks to your iPhone in two ways. The first is to sync them like other items in iTunes. With your iPhone connected to iTunes, click the "Books" tab. You'll see options to sync both audio books and iBookstore purchases. You can opt to sync all books at once, or pick-and-choose individual titles. The other method is to go into the iBookstore with your iPhone and tap Purchases. You'll see a list of all the purchases you've made with an option to re-download each one. Reading on the iPhone is of course different than the iPad due to the screen size, but all of the settings in the iPad version, like brightness, text size, search and bookmark, are in place. We'll have an in-depth look at this app up soon. For now, try it out and experience Apple's idea of the iPhone as an ereader.
Apple rolls out iBooks app for iPhone, iPod touch
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."
iBooks for iPhone begins to issue iBooks for iOS 4
Several readers with access to the developer's release of iOS 4 have written to say that they can download iBooks for iPhone. In fact, most users report that they're being prompted to download the app. Just like the iPad version, it includes a free copy of Winnie The Pooh (to the delight of developers' children no doubt). It seems that the app is restricted to 3GS iPhones, confirming what Engadget reported earlier. It's also notable that most report the app can only be downloaded via iTunes for the desktop and not over the air. Enjoy reading about Pooh Bear, and imagine how beautiful the Hundred Acre Wood will be on that Retina Display.
Apple rolling iBooks out across iOS 4 devices, get your Winnie the Pooh now
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]
Great moments in reality distortion: the iPhone 4's Retina Display and Winnie the Pooh
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.
Apple posts WWDC 2010 keynote stream
Apple has posted the stream of yesterday's WWDC keynote by Steve Jobs. During the keynote, Jobs unveiled iPhone 4 along with many new features of iOS 4, including the FaceTime video conferencing feature. Jobs also announced the iMovie app for iPhone and iBooks with PDF support. When Jobs was showing off the iPhone 4's new Retina display, there were some technical issues due to the number of people in the hall using mobile Wi-Fi hotspots. It was a slightly embarrassing -- and awkward -- moment for Jobs, but as you can see from the keynote stream, no editing of said moment was done, and you can replay the awkwardness in all its glory. As of the time of this writing, the keynote is not yet available in the Apple Keynotes Podcast series on iTunes, but it should be added shortly. Update: It's there now.
WWDC 2010: Apple announces iPhone 4
That case we've all seen was more or less the final product. Steve called it "the most beautiful thing we've ever created." It's got glass front and back for durability and scratch-resistance. About that band of metal that surrounds the phone's edges? It's all a part of the antenna. Pretty neat. The screen also got a huge boost. It's a Retina Display producing 326 ppi (pixels per inch). That's a full 4x as many pixels than the 3GS sports in same amount of space. As Steve noted, "...300 ppi is limit of the human retina when held 10-12 inches away from the eye." So, it's sharp, and now we know why it's called the "Retina Display".
WWDC 2010: iBooks update includes PDF viewer
iBooks, Apple's native e-book reader on the iPad, is getting some updates, as announced today by Steve Jobs at the WWDC keynote. Among those updates are (better) support for bookmarks and the fulfillment of one of the most common requests: native PDF viewing. With the update, users will be able to navigate their own PDF's in the same fashion as the EPUB-format books that iBooks uses. This is great news for me, and -- judging from the applause -- quite a few iPad users. It means not having to convert all of my PDF books to EPUB in Calibre (which has done a great job thus far, by the way). Hopefully the new functionality, which is due out later this month, will be as useful as some of the existing iPad apps, and provide the extra polish and simplicity that Apple's so good at.
iPad corners 22 percent of ebook market, iBooks gets iPhone version and PDF reader
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-94570%%Gallery-94595% Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!
