Self-Publish with Apple, Call Free Using Google, Discover the Internet of Things

In Tech Digest by Hannah Johnson

By Hannah Johnson

Welcome to our Tech Digest with cool updates from the world of digital innovation.

Self-Publish iBooks with Apple iWork Update

On Thursday this week, Apple released its iWork update (iWork is basically Apple’s version of Microsoft Office) which includes a new feature in its word-processing program, Pages, that allows users to create ePub files compatible with Apple’s iBookstore. CNET reports: “Anything from a manuscript to a presentation can be uploaded to your iBooks app and viewed as a book.”

Take a look at the Apple documentation on how to create ePub and PDF files for the iBookstore. I wonder if this means that publishers will buy iPads for their manuscript-reading staff — well we can dream, can’t we?

Make Free Phone Calls Using Google

In November last year, Google announced that it had acquired Gizmo5, a VoIP company. Earlier this week, Google launched its “Call from Gmail” feature which allows free phone calls to landlines in the USA and Canada, as well as cheap international and mobile rates.

Read Endgadget’s thorough review — with photos!

Cool Videos on the Internet of Things

Ok, what does is the Internet of Things really, and why is it so important? Well, when you put a microchip into an object and it sends back data, that is the Internet of things. And it’s growing by the minute.

ReadWriteWeb has a great collection of ten videos about the Internet of Things. Maybe someday you will pick up a book in a bookstore, and the microchip inside the book will automatically email you reviews of the book, author videos, and links to where you can buy the book online.

About the Author

Hannah Johnson

Twitter

Hannah Johnson is the publisher of international book industry magazine Publishing Perspectives, which provides daily information and news about book markets around the world. In addition to building partnerships with international cultural and trade organizations, she works with the Frankfurt Book Fair to organize and support a number of its overseas initiatives. Hannah has also worked as the managing editor for an online media company, The Hooch Life, focused on craft distillers and cocktail experts. Prior to that, she worked as a project manager for the Frankfurt Book Fair’s New York office, managing various business and marketing activities.