iBooks Author update

If you have not been interested in the early version of iBooks Author, the latest version might lure you to take a second look at it.

There are newly-added Apple templates in the categories of crafts, cooking, photography and biographies. The new portrait-only templates, which are fixed width, allow navigation, table of content, and interaction as should be available to a landscape book in landscape orientation.

On top of the existing widgets where users can include photo galleries, interactive quizzes, 3D objects, keynote presentations, and movies, there are two new widgets for improved interactivity - Scrolling Sidebar and Pop-Over. Besides those, users can embed custom fonts and have better support for mathematical expressions using LaTeX and MathML notation now. Media are automatically optimized when embedded, and iBooks Author now supports all media and audio formats supported by Quicktime.

One can always preview your book on your iPad anytime, or submit published work to Apple Bookstore after an improved workflow of automatic sample book creation and pre-publish checking.

How to publish an iBooks using Apple's iBook Author

Here's a very nicely done video on the last steps on publishing your iBooks after you are done with iBooks Author.  It details out the steps in depth and even shows you a web site to buy a ISBN number, which can cost a lot from what Apple suggests.  The website it suggests is epubbud.com where you can get an ISBN for $5.

As mentioned in the video, please do take time to read the Apple contract and license agreement carefully. Your iBook will be selling on Apple's bookstore for free or for a price ranging from $.99- $39.99.  Even if  you are giving your book away free, you still will be required to go through the entire procedure as if you were selling your book for a fee.

Guides to the use of Kindle Fire

I just purchased the Kindle Fire and is wondering how to transfer files from my computer to it - files such as music, documents, eBooks etc.  I found out that you will need to have a mini USB to a USB port cable to connect between the computer and the Fire.  This cable does not come with the Fire.  Another option, you can use the Amazon Cloud Drive, and upload your files to it, then when you tap on the CLOUD option on the device, it should automatically see the files on the Cloud Drive.

If you have a epub, I also found an application called Calibre (download) to easily convert it into a .mobi format to be read on the Fire. Another thing to remember, sign in to the same account you use for the Cloud Drive and the Kindle Fire.  To turn on Flash Player on your Kindle, which is not by default, tap on WEB, and choose the Option icon at the bottom of the screen, and click Settings (this is different from the Kindle Setting on the top right corner). Then you will scroll to find Enable Flash and turn it on.

Lots of nice discoveries as I am exploring the way into using  my new Kindle.  I love it!

This CNET link has a thorough guide for How to use the Kindle Fire -

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57341517-285/your-complete-guide-to-the-kindle-fire/

Check out the supported files for the Kindle Fire.  Not all formats are supported.