Leave it to Apple to bring the latest digital innovation front and center in the marketplace. On Thursday, January 19, Apple announced the launch of iBooks 2, an app for the iPad that has the potential to change the face of education.

Apple is not the first tablet developer to take the plunge into digital textbooks, but most of the others have focused primarily on college texts. Apple’s iBooks 2 has its share of college texts, but the innovator is also looking to bring this technology to high school and elementary classrooms, where lack of student engagement with texts is a huge problem cited by teachers.

The iBooks 2 app allows iPad users to download interactive digital textbooks directly to their tablet. With the interactive features of these texts, student engagement increases substantially. In public school districts where Apple has tested the iBooks platform, teachers reported an increase in excitement in their students. Testing of the academic success of these students over those using traditional textbooks will take place this year.

More than just an e-reader

The iBooks 2 app is more than just a typical e-reader. The goal of the app is to make texts as interactive as possible. Apple designed it to allow students to retain their texts for the long term, meaning they can be re-downloaded as needed, either for a later course or for future reference in their careers. Students can tap terms they do not understand and see the glossary listing. Also, they can easily move between sections of the book, highlight text with the touch of a finger, and store important portions of the document in the iCloud to refer to later.

The app also makes studying simple. Students or teachers using the app can turn important glossary terms into flashcards that can be shuffled to help with study needs. Highlighted sections are automatically turned into study cards. In the world of education, this could cut down on the time it takes to prepare study materials, increasing the appeal of the app and the iPad as a study device for students.

Benefits for students and educators

Digital texts benefits both students and teachers. They typically cost less than their print counterparts, allowing college students to lower their education costs and public school districts to save money as well. Outdated texts could become less of a problem with the ease and affordability of updating digital textbooks.

Demand for digital textbooks fueled by online universities

Part of what has fueled this demand for digital texts is the increased demand and availability of online education. Students attending an online university find the use of digital texts to be quite convenient. With the growth of online education, these digital textbooks are quickly becoming a mainstream item. Over the past ten years they have gone from a novelty used in a few niche courses to something seen on campuses around the country.

With iBooks 2, Apple isn’t just hoping to change the face of education—they’re working to integrate themselves into educational textbooks in the same way they integrated Apple products into music. With the company’s dedication to education, it’s possible that iBooks 2 could usher in a new paradigm for teaching and learning.

Bio
Melissa blogs on behalf of American Intercontinental University and lives in Indianapolis with her two dogs.

Apple fans, there is a great news for you. There’s likely to be a great chance for you to see a new iPhone and iPad within few months. If you believe the reports, the next generation of Apple’s iPhone and even the iPad will hit the markets this year in October. They will be unveiled in September and the shipping will start in October. The commercial version of the next iPhone will be known as ‘iPhone4S’ or ‘iPhone5′ and the iPad will be named as ‘Third Generation iPad’ or ‘iPad3.’

About 85 million iPhones and 45 million iPads are supposed to be shipped n the year 2011, which means Apple will leave HP way back and become the leading PC producer. Such an aggressive production indicates that Apple is betting big on the post PC world. Reports say that the new iPhone will not be the upgraded version of the previous one; it will be a complete new package including soft features as well as shape.

Hardware Specifications

The iPhone 5 is expected to have a revolutionary A5 processor, a camera of 8-megapixel, and a mini SIM card. It will support iOS 5.

The new version of the iPad 3 sports a 250 per-inch-pixels (PPI) display and will be even lighter and thinner than the current iPad2 model. It will be lower than the Retina Display of iPhone4 that is 326 PPI. You can expect the Magsafe chargers as an addition in iPad 3, the same chargers that are used in Mac Book range of laptops.

Other details are currently unavailable but for both the products, Simplo Technologies and Dynapack International Technology will manufacture the batteries, Wintek and TPK holding will be responsible for touch panel modules, and Catcher will be the in-charge of chassis. Largan Precision will manufacture the camera and Foxconn Electronics will assemble the devices at their plants in China.

Conclusion

Apple will release iPad 3 or iPhone5, just eight months after the release of iPad 2 or not, only Apple knows for sure. DigiTimes, a trade publication of Taiwan, says that Apple has started commissioning parts for the third generation iPad and fifth generation iPhone. However, if we listen to the report made by the FBR Capital Market Analysts, the iPad model will not even appear until 2012.

According to the IT pro, the launching of the new version of iPad is not necessary for Apple because of two reasons; one the iPad is the top selling tablet. Second, Apple don’t have any competitor in this market, with over 100, 000 iPad applications the other tablet makers-Samsung, HP, Acer looks very far away in the race. However, may be Apple is planning to arrive with new range of devices, prior to its competitors becomes strong.

The above stated facts and specifications are not confirmed nor denied by Apple. We can only wait and watch.

About the author: Amanda Kidd is a blogger who has a weakness for fashion accessories, especially shoes and bags. She loves expensive phones and is planning to add sony ericsson android.

Summary:  Deals with the issues related to phone apps and business phone system needs.

It didn’t take too long for the “apps for everything” bubble to burst. Let’s face one basic fact- Apps must be useful to have any value at all. The truth is that a lot of apps are fossils in terms of their functions. Some are no better than third rate organizers and pseudo-spreadsheets. There’s a less amusing aspect to the apps racket, however. Some are utterly useless on modern telephone systems. They’re not just pitiful; they’re dangerously inefficient and they’re not necessarily secure.

Apps problems for business communications aren’t exactly unknown. There are some good apps, mainly designed for popular phone brands and configurations. There are others which have had Google and Apple users writing outright condemnations as reviews.

The early apps, on which a lot of the current crop of dismal Brand X business apps are based, were designed to work with the phones of their times. These apps were intended to work with early iPhones, Nokias and were pre-Android and pre Netbook/ iPad technology. These days, they’re antiques.

The problems go beyond drab designs and unimaginative or insular ideas for useful phone apps. Apps that can’t work directly with modern information systems are real third wheels. File sharing systems, for example, which are now a business staple, need to be able to work across a wide band of users with different technologies. Some apps can’t do that. For a core business function which is supposed to be a solution to email file size limits, that’s not exactly great functionality.

Apps and business phone systems – What to look for

The app jungle can be navigated, despite the appearance of the huge numbers of apps available online. Modern business phone systems are designed to manage calls, data and multiple types of software. Even credit card transactions can be processed directly through these phones. These are the core business parameters you can use to assess any app.

With that in mind, now have a look at the apps on the Google and Apple apps pages.

There are specific criteria you can apply:

•Functionality related to your own business needs- Literally, is this a function which has direct practical value to your business?
•Direct references to your business systems- The best apps are tailored to work with systems like MYOB and similar mainstream business platforms. To work with these platforms, they have to be well developed apps with good software.
•Specifications related to data management- App specifications vary considerably. The professionally developed, best quality apps read like computer specifications. The worst tell you what great apps they are.
•A “test drive” working with your own phone and information systems- The rule is “no test drive, not interested”. You need to see that the app works.
•Reviews, good or bad. Some reviews are very thorough. They deal with the app in situations which may be relevant to your needs.
•Originality of the app idea: Innovative, ground-breaking apps tend to be developed by their original sources. They’re usually good and well tested.

The bottom line for businesses is that you need to see value. Buy your apps the way you’d buy administration software, and you won’t get lost in the apps jungle.

Author Bio: Tom Mallet is an Australian freelance writer and journalist. He writes extensively in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the US. He’s published more than 500 articles about various topics, including telephone systems and business phone systems.

With Archos 70 Internet Tablet, you can even enjoy your TV show without holding the device because it also comes with a leg stand and combined with its unique g-sensor technology and touch screen functionality you’ll be able to enjoy and experience a true high quality and sharp display.

Archos 70 Internet Tablet is powered by Android which means you can enjoy all the personalization of all your favorite icons, browser configuration and email applications. That’s a real power of Android’s screen widgets where it allows user to easily connect with their most loved apps.

Another important factor is the home streaming feature where you can easily preview photos and play videos located in another room, thanks also to its WiFi enabled feature, sharing and playing doesn’t have to be stored on one single gadget.

-£269.99 at advancedmp3players

Elonex eTouch Android 2.1 Mobile Internet Tablet is sleek and stylish and uses Android 2.1 OS, an instinctive and the most dominant platform for touch screen gadgets loaded with lots of applications so you can get the most out of this small yet powerful eTouch Mobile Tablet.

The Elonex eTouch Android 2.1 Mobile Internet Tablet also features an energetic 10 inch wide touch screen packed with 2GB of flash storage, multiple connection ports, integrated speakers and microphones and an expandable memory slots. This eTouch Tablet is WiFi enabled so you can keep in touch with your families and friends away or at home.

-£169.00 at advancedmp3players

The Genuine Navy SEAL Watch uses a unique lighting technology and is known to be the watch used by Navy Seals of the United States because it is their essential factor for attaining victory during their night missions. The Genuine Navy SEAL Watch casing is made from a unique carbon polymer with stainless steel back and it also comes with ratcheting unidirectional polymer bezel and double gasket for that water resistant function.

The Genuine Navy SEAL Watch also features a Swiss quartz movement, scratch resistant face and a polyurethane strap that dares any challenges from sea water, snow, slush or even rain.

- $599.95 at hammacher

No more guessing and remembering where you’ve parked your car, here’s ECCO GPS Keychain that allows you to find your way back to your car by simply following the arrow right on the easy to use LCD screen even if your 9,999 miles away.

ECCO GPS Keychain features a highly sensitive GPS receiver that tracks up to 32 satellites just within 60 seconds. ECCO GPS Keychain is capable of storing up to 3 different locations like cars, hotels and tents and comes with a built-in electronic compass.

- £69.95 at firebox

Ego Electric Street Scoota features an impressive 1400 watt motor that delivers sufficient torque. This battery operated rechargeable Ego Electric Street Scoota is capable of charging up to eight hours to give you around 40 miles of eco-friendly scooting. No more smoke, noise and emission with this high tech scooter!

- £999.95 at firebox

Polycom Sound Station EX features a polycom acoustic clarity technology that allows a natural, interactive two-way conversation, a remarkable voice quality, a dynamic noise reduction, intelligent microphone mixing and microphone expandability. The Polycom Sound Station EX allows users to speak in a normal voice and be heard clearly up to ten feet away from the console. It also features a convenient and easy access to important call information such as phone numbers, duration of calls and a caller ID.

- $432.99 at onsale

This gadget features advanced fax solution and fax managing method that allows the user to read, edit, forward and save making this portable device ideal for home and office use. Just attach this little gadget into your laptop or desktop computer and start sending and receiving fax automatically.

- $135.99 at vavolo