The iPad Revolutionizes Reading

Alice for the iPad is an interactive version of Alice in Wonderland created for Apple's newest device. The ebook is intended to be interactive- users can shake and twist their iPad to activate clever special effects. Mushrooms drop, Alice grows, cards toss and hearts fall.

The Alice iPad app is targeted at kids, but the special effects are more than child's play. When graphics and movement pair up with text, the iPad could change the future of reading. The way we consume and experience stories will forever be altered if this takes off. Check out the demo video below.

Viv Mag Creates Interactive Spread for iPad

Viv Magazine, a digital magazine aimed primarily at women, recently released a demo of their interactive cover. The demo, a collaboration with VIV, visual artists Cory Strassburger and Ming Hsuing, and Alexx Henry Photography, explores the potential that the iPad, smart phones, and tablets provide for publishers. According to Andrew Gant, the Studio Manager for Alexx Henry Photography, these new outlets are unique because "as photographers, we can put motion into print where we weren't able to before."


VIV's demo includes a "living cover" and 40's style presentation of a feature article, bringing an element of movement to VIV's content. "It's really exciting because we're going to be able to capture the energy of a still-life fashion shoot with the motion of a blockbuster," says Angela Giglia, Photo Editor for VIV.


For more information on VIV's demo, check out the behind the scenes video below:


VIV Mag Featurette: A Digital Magazine Motion Cover and Feature for the iPad from Alexx Henry on Vimeo.

The iPad: Apple's Latest Game Changer

Apple's announcement of the iPad, a half inch think, 9.7-inch touch screen tablet, has sparked a wave of controversy. It was featured in multiple Mashable and Tech Crunch posts, grazed the cover of the Economist, and Stephen Colbert presented with it at the Grammy's. It has been touted as an iPod steriods, a netbook killer, and an e-reader competitor. One thing is certain: The iPad is a game changer.

According to Jen-Hsun Huang, chief executive of NVIDIA, the iPad is "the first truly convergent electronic device." The iPad combines touch screen functionality and clear graphics with email, calendar, GPS, music, video, and e-book reader functionalities.The basic version utilitizes wifi, while the $829 version offers a 3G wireless connection and more memory. Apple is also revamping its iWork business tools (word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software) for the device.

How will this device appeal to the mass market, and particularly to women? Ethan Nicholas, an iPhone game developer, recently wrote a guest post on Tech Crunch entitled "Why My Mom's Next Computer Will be an iPad." I agree with him, but not because, as he (condescendily) claims, "It doesn’t do as many things as a 'real' computer does, but the things it does do it does in a way even non-tech-savvy people can figure out, and there are far fewer ways to screw it up." Things that even his mother, whom he describes as "a lovely lady in her sixties who is… well, 'not computer savvy' " can do.

The advice will appeal to my mother (who, by the way, owns a Blackberry) because it does many things that a 'real' computer does in a more aesthetically-appealing and portable format. The iPad's size and the quality of its graphics make the iPad ideal for video watching and e-book reading. Publishers such as the New York Times have already come on board with iPad apps, and the Economist predicts that the larger size of the device will enable publishers to seek greater advertising revenues. With its touch screen, the iPad has the potential to be an engaging game-playing device for users of all ages. And the business applications should not be underestimated. It is much easier for groups working on a presentation to hover around a flat tablet than a clunky computer screen.

My personal favorites are the Notes and Calendar features. Both the Notes and the Calendar are more robust than on the iPhone, and the larger size of the iPad enabled Apple to closely mimic the look and feel of note pads and organizers. These features will not only appeal to those of us who have been using online calendars and notes, but also attract those who have not yet made the leap.

The iPad highlights Apple at its best- changing the rules, levering its strengths in unusual ways, and creating an innovative mix of hardware and software. Will that appeal to my mother? Sure. It appeals to me, too.