iWork and ePub, Assorted App Updates

Apple has released iWork 09 version 9.0.4. This is of interest to mobile genealogy fans as Pages version 4.0.4 can now export to the standard ePub file format. That means that iBooks users on iPhones, iPod touch, and iPad, as well as owners of Barnes & Noble’s nook, Sony’s Reader series, and Google Android users can now easily read documents created with Pages. Quite a few people use Pages/iWork for creating family newsletters and similar documents, and this increases the distribution choices.

Read the full story at Mac Genealogy

Amazon.com has updated their Kindle App to version 2.2.1. The Kindle App allows you to view electronic books (ebooks) purchased or downloaded through Amazon’s Kindle Store on your iPhone OS/iOS devices. We’ve highlighted some of the genealogy eBooks available through Kindle in the past.

Changes:
* Improved highlight sensitivity to reduce inadvertent highlights when turning pages
* Fixed a crash some customers experience when highlighting a word
* Corrected a problem where the most recent page is not saved when returning to the app
* Other bug fixes based on customer feedback

You can download the Kindle App for free (iTunes)

Google has updated the Google Mobile App. Google Mobile App acts as a front-end for various Google services (Google Search, etc.), and it also interacts with other Google apps.

Changes:
* Push notifications for Gmail and Calendar.

You can download Google Mobile App for free as well (iTunes).

Last, but not least, another major update to a free app. NASA has updated the NASA app. The NASA app features information revolving around NASA missions, information for astronomers looking to catch a glimpse of the International Space Station, NASA’s Image of the Day and the Astronomy Picture of the Day.

This has absolutely nothing to do with genealogy, but they’ve done something that I think is really cool, and being a fan, I had to mention it. Besides some fixes for iOS 4 users, they have added live streaming of the NASA TV public channel. Not everybody has access to their public channel, but if you have an iOS devices, now you do. They show quite a few interesting shows on there, as well as live streaming from orbit during various activities.

Download here: NASA App (iTunes)

Amazon.com Introduces New Kindle at $139

In response to Barnes and Noble offering a cheaper Nook electronic eBook reader, Amazon.com has responded with a brand-new Kindle at a cheaper price ($139). They’ve also upped the storage considerably, to 3500 books.

Keep in mind you won’t have worldwide 3G coverage for this Kindle – you’ll have to download/purchase books over WiFi or buy them through your computer and transfer them through USB.

Changes:
* Lower price – $139 for Wifi/non-3G model
* Better, high contrast E-Ink display
* Increased battery life to nearly one month
* Smaller, lighter body, in graphite color
* Can post passages from books to Facebook or Twitter
* Access other websites
* Storage increased to 3500 books (versus 1500 books)

This new price has made things interesting. I still favor eBook readers that support the easy addition of books through Calibre as well as storing them on SD or SDHC flash memory cards, since you are locked in to Amazon.com’s Kindle store, but this will shake up the market.

To view more or purchase the new Kindle, see the new Kindle page at Amazon.com. It will be available August 27, 2010.

To see what books are available through Amazon.com’s Kindle that might be of interest to genealogists, please see our genealogy books on the Kindle section.

Kindle App (iOS) Adds Search for iPad, Other Improvements

Amazon.com’s Kindle app for the iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch has received a major update to version 2.2. The free eBook reader/manager now allows for a full search of words books while reading them on the iPad, which is a a boost for genealogists using iPads and Kindle to manage their eBook selection or Kindle books. It has also improved searching inside of books for iPhone or iPod touch users. Another major addition allows you to look up the definition of words with the included 250,000 entry dictionary, as well as accessing Google and Wikipedia.

Changes/Updates:
* Instant word lookup on included dictionary with 250,000 entries and definitions
* Search inside the book on iPad
* Improved experience for searching inside the book on iPhone and iPod Touch
* Improvements to line-spacing on iPad
* Look up words on Google and Wikipedia
* Fast app switching and bug fixes on iOS4 devices

Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad
* iOS/iPhone OS 3.0 or later

For more information, you can visit the Kindle app page at Amazon.com

There is a small page dedicated to genealogy books on the Kindle platform here at MobileGenealogy.com

Added – Genealogy eBooks through Amazon’s Kindle

Just a few minutes ago, I finished adding another page to the site, this one is a new page (I’m still behind on updating some of the old pages), and it covers a topic that I’ve been very interested in lately – genealogy-related eBooks. Specifically it covers genealogy ebooks through Amazon’s Kindle – it’s only covering eBooks you can download for Amazon’s Kindle platform – the actual Kindle eBook readers, the Kindle software for Mac or PC, or for Kindle on iPhone or BlackBerry. I’ll be expanding it to cover other eBook readers (Barnes and Noble Nook, etc.) and getting third-party materials on the Kindle in later articles/entries.

One thing that surprised me – no genealogy magazines in the Kindle format. That’s one area I’d like to see a few publications try out – perhaps Family Tree Magazine or some of the others. I know that some magazines are either stopping publication, or have already stopped publication of their print editions (these past few years have been hard on a lot of companies), but there are still some genealogy-related magazines around.

I’d also like to see back issues somehow made available through services like the Kindle – don’t ask me how that would work. I just know I have a stack of older magazines that would make for great light reading if I had all of them on an eBook reader (or an iPad for that matter). You name it, I’ve got it – Everton’s, Family Tree Magazine, Ancestry, plus some of the smaller publications not to mention some of the UK publications I’ve bought over the years. While some of those have ceased publication, some companies have made their back-issues available in digital formats and you can easily (in my view) get the PDF-formatted files over to the Kindle, but I’d like to see it expanded. I think there is a market if they were reasonably priced. A lot of magazines had a lot of quality writing and interesting/unique articles. Given how tough things have been, I would think that more companies would be looking into trying to make more money from their older materials.
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