Featured Article
Publishers Hustle to Make E-Books More Immersive
Book publishers have been forced to evolve in response to the sweeping storm of demand for e-readers and e-books. But there are a lot of decisions that come along with this adaptation: should a book become a dedicated app, allowing flexibility in terms of video and audio, though only on the iPad? Or should it become an “enhanced e-book,” compatible with the Kindle and the Nook as well, but with varying software differences for each one?
E-books are becoming more and more interactive and social experiences to compete with a young adult audience used to Twitter and YouTube. Many e-books and e-book apps are incorporating video, audio, twitter feeds and check-in ability. Will this make readers no longer rely on their imagination to hear character voices, picture their surroundings, or imagine what characters are wearing? As this technology continues to develop and grow towards things we can’t even imagine, reading, television, radio, and all media platforms may be seamlessly integrated into the e-book experience. E-readers are just beginning to give us glimpses into the potential interactive experiences on devices.
Turn your iPhone into a toy car
Makego has made an app that can turn an iPhone or iPod Touch into a toy vehicle, allowing parent and child to collaborate, learn, and play. Once your car is selected on the screen, you interact with the drivers through animations and sound in three different vehicles- racecar, ice-cream truck, and river boat!
Check out these really clever and fun Lego representations of familiar characters. It’s amazing how far our imaginations and physical representations can truly take us!
PAX East 2012: Big and Occasionally Clever
Naomi Greenfield, Keith Zulawnik, and Ryan McNulty, three of our FableVisionaries attended the PAX East Boston gaming conference this past weekend, which was held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center just a few doors down from our studio! Not only did they get to see some incredible new games, apps, and innovative digital development, but Naomi Greenfield also spoke on a panel, addressing the controversy of introducing digital games to young children. Stay tuned for another blog post from Naomi, Keith, and Ryan on their experiences!
Jocelyn Goldfein, Facebook Engineer Explains Why It Matters There Aren't More Girl Geeks
According to Jocelyn Goldfein, not only are there not enough good software engineers in the U.S. but women are highly underrepresented in this field, representing only 20% of all computer science majors. To attempt to remedy this problem, Facebook has begun to target freshmen, promoting computer science courses at their universities. Above all, Jocelyn Goldfein firmly believes that social media have made women users of technology like never before, but there is a need for them to become leaders, not just consumers.
