Through app, physical books become more like e-books
For an industry that is currently undergoing a shift from analog to digital products, it’s no surprise that we’ve seen innovations that merge the two – such as Poland’s Elektrobiblioteka. Now the Booke app is a companion for readers of physical books, offering digital search, copying and note-taking facilities. READ MORE…
Airline commissions books that can be completed in flight time
In today’s world of non-stop information and endless social network notifications, it’s hard to find the time to concentrate on just one story, never mind finishing a full-length novel. The Netherlands’ VertragingsApp has already encouraged train passengers to discover short story authors based on their delay time, and now a new project has created a range of fiction titles for customers of Australia’s Qantas airline, selected to correspond with flight times. READ MORE…
Chapters of literary game unlocked with micropayments
In such a tough industry – and with extra competition from digital alternatives – it’s no wonder that even larger publishing institutions are looking for new business models for their output. We recently wrote about Random House Australia’s Mailbooks For Good scheme, and now it seems the UK branch of the company is also innovating. Black Crown is a web-based story-game that will use micropayments to unlock extra narratives and social elements. READ MORE…
Magazine ad offers free wifi to readers
Considering its value to consumers, offering free wifi is by now an established way to promote products, and we recently wrote about the wifi movie posters used to market The Berlin File film in South Korea. Now Microsoft has offered a twist on the concept, launching a wifi-enabled print ad to promote its Office 365 software. READ MORE…
iPad magazine turns news into art via ‘comics journalism’
The recent demise of The Daily may have cast some doubt on the feasibility of the iPad-only model of publishing, but Symbolia is now attempting a novel twist. Specifically, Symbolia is a new iPad magazine that uses classic comics illustration to help bring the news to life. READ MORE…
Tool gives users the news, and suggests what they can do about it
This week, we’ve already written about MSF.TV, the news station that aims to keep viewers more informed and encourage them to donate. Now, ShoutAbout is a tool that enables news providers to empower readers by offering information on the meaningful actions they can take to help out with the situation they are reading about. READ MORE…
Web-connected printer creates personalized mini newspapers
While various apps already exist to collate daily news, alerts and updates into one personalized place, until now this information could only be viewed on-screen via a computer, tablet or smartphone. However, London-based design agency BERG have now created Little Printer, a device which enables users to set up subscriptions to a range of publications, which it then prints onto one miniature newspaper. READ MORE…
Smartphone app brings digital benefits to print publications
As newspapers and magazines struggle to find solutions to decreasing audiences — a problem driven by competition from digital media — Switzerland-based Paperboy hopes to offer a solution, with a smartphone app that uses image recognition technology so users can easily share, save and digitally explore content from printed media. READ MORE…
Desktop platform for creating and publishing interactive e-books
Regular Springwise readers may remember the recently featured Qbooks and Push Pop Press, digital publishing houses that embed photos and videos to create interactive e-books. Hoping to make publishing such books accessible to everyone, Moglue have created a desktop platform that enables amateur writers to create interactive e-books, with no programming knowledge required. READ MORE…
Regular Springwise readers may have noticed the numerous citizen-journalism platforms that we’ve featured recently, allowing the public to direct reporters to the action, leave comments and add detail and imagery to stories. Now, inviting the public to interact with the actual publication of the paper, the Winnipeg Free Press in Canada, has opened a café in the city centre where three of their employees work permanently, giving the public direct dialogue with newspaper staff. READ MORE…Newspaper staff work from branded café, open to the public
