Books

Apple preps 12 Days of Christmas promotion with iPhone and iPad app

By Andrew Wray, Wednesday, Dec 7, 2011 a 2:49 pm

Apple has released their 12 Days of Christmas app a little early this year. The promotion will run between December 26 and January 6 but Apple hasn't put any content in there just yet.

You and your friends can download a fantastic selection of songs, music videos, apps and books for free. Each download will only be available for 24 hours. Get our special 12 Days of Christmas app to make it even easier to access your gifts while you’re on the go.

Don’t have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch? Don’t worry. Come back 26 December to download gifts from your computer.

Steve Jobs biography officially the #1 selling book on Amazon for 2011

By Andrew Wray, Tuesday, Dec 6, 2011 a 12:35 pm

The official biography of Steve Jobs authored by Walter Isaacson has made its way to number one among books sales from Amazon for the entirety of 2011, despite being released late in the year.

EU investigates Apple, eBook publishers for anti-competitive behavior

By Andrew Wray, Tuesday, Dec 6, 2011 a 9:39 am

According to Bloomberg, the European Union Anti-trust regulators will be investigating Apple, along with five of the major eBook publishers, for possible collusion to help stifle competition within the eBook marketplace.

The European Commission in Brussels today said it opened a formal probe to examine whether the publishing groups and Apple, maker of the iPad tablet computer, engaged in agreements that would harm competition in the 27-nation EU. The probe will examine deals between Apple and Lagardere’s Hachette Livre, News Corp.’s Harper Collins, CBS Corp.’s Simon & Schuster, Pearson Plc’s Penguin and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH.

Rumpelstiltskin HD - A 3D Children's Interactive Storybook [Kids Corner]

By Leanna Lofte, Tuesday, Nov 15, 2011 a 12:44 am

the classic Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin, is now available on the iPhone and iPad as an interactive storybook. All scenes feature 360º viewing and tapping on objects and characters will result in animations and dialog.

Talking to Siri: Learning the Language of Apple's Intelligent Assistant

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Oct 28, 2011 a 10:49 pm

The inimitable Steven Sande and extraordinary Erica Sadun of TUAW fame have put together an Amazon Kindle book designed to help us help Siri help us.

This short, focused book teaches you how to use Siri from the ground up. You'll learn how to achieve the the highest recognition rate as you talk. You'll discover which categories Siri responds to and find out how to make the most of each category in your conversations. You'll discover practical how-to mixed with many examples to inspire as well as instruct.

Top 5 ways to enjoy Halloween with iPhone, iPad, and iTunes

By Rene Ritchie, Sunday, Oct 23, 2011 a 11:31 pm

Looking for some last minute ways to get your Halloween gruesome on? To zone out with zombies, lose your head with horsemen, read about vampires that burst ever-so-properly into flame, and otherwise get more monstrous this weekend? Well, since you have an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, you're covered! From App Store to iTunes Store to iBookstore, and with a hellish dose of Netflix and Amazon thrown in, you'll never go brain-hungry again.

Be part of the Cinderella Story with with Cinderella animated picture book for iPad [Kids Corner]

By Leanna Lofte, Tuesday, Sep 27, 2011 a 9:31 am

Nosy Crow has released their newest animated storybook, Cinderella. It's the same story that we've all grown to love, only this version allows you to add your child's picture to the magic mirror!

What a great way to add more excitement to this classic story! Growing up, I had a book that was personalized with my name and loved it, but that's nowhere near as cool as having your face included the story! I can't wait to read this to my niece - I know she'll love it.

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Monday, September 26

By Leanna Lofte, Monday, Sep 26, 2011 a 10:44 am

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

Prison Mayhem: Devastated on discovering the shameful truth that his family is full of dangerous criminals responsible for taking innocent lives, Bluto’s choice to follow the righteous path against all odds takes him to the Prison. Help him be the ultimate Prison guard in this exciting Time Management game! [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

Steve Jobs biography moved up to Nov. 21, covers previewed

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Aug 16, 2011 a 9:15 am

The first authorized Steve Jobs biography, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, has seen its release date move up from March 6, 2012 to November 21, 2011, and its covers shown off (above). In a private email to Fortune's Philip Elmer-Dewitt, Isaacson explained:

"The cover is the Albert Watson portrait taken for Fortune in 2009. The back is a Norman Seeff portrait of him in the lotus position holding the original Macintosh, which ran in Rolling Stone in January 1984. The title font is Helvetica. It will look as you see it, with no words on the back cover."

Isaacson further denied that the change in schedule had anything to do with Jobs' health, or anything other than the book being done, edited, and ready to go.

Book description after the break.

[Fortune]

Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! - Dr. Seuss book for iPhone and iPad now available

By Leanna Lofte, Tuesday, Jun 21, 2011 a 7:53 pm

Oceanhouse Media has released a new Dr. Seuss book for iPhone and iPad, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! This interactive book is unique in that it sets the stage for each scene, giving the child a chance to image it themselves. Then they tap the colorful questions to watch the story appear as Dr. Seuss imagined it.

"Read to Me" — listen to the narrated story with words highlighted as they are read
"Read it Myself" — read the book in its traditional form
"Auto Play" — plays like a movie, automatically reading and turning pages. Great for younger children!
THINK! - Children hear the words of Dr. Seuss and imagine the image before it is revealed
Picture / Word association — words zoom up and are spoken when pictures are touched
Individual words highlight and are read aloud when tapped
Professional audio narration
Custom background audio for each scene
This 'Universal App' is optimized for Retina displays and the iPad

If you pick this one up, let us know what you and your child think! Sreenshots after the break.

$3.99 -iTunes link]

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.