14 DAY TRIAL // iBooks, the e-book reading tool for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners, has received an important update from Apple, adding support for double-tapping an image within a book to view it in greater detail, support for books that include audio and video, better performance when reading PDFs, and more.
iBooks is a free application developed by Apple that has been specifically designed to support the company’s portables. “iBooks is an amazing way to download and read books,” Apple notes. “iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest best-selling books or your favorite classics – day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark or add notes to your favorite passages,” the app’s official description goes.
Over at its iTunes App Store page, iBooks 1.1.1 lists the following changes.
• Double-tap an image within a book to view it in greater detail. • Experience books that include audio and video. • Enjoy substantial performance improvements when reading PDFs. • Look-up definitions to English words inside books without a specified language. • Addresses an issue that may have caused some book downloads to not complete. • Includes many stability and performance improvements.
The application is compatible with iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad, iPod touch (2nd generation), or iPod touch (3rd generation), while iPhone and iPod touch customers must have iOS 4 installed to use iBooks. While the iBookstore is available in many countries, the selection of books in the iBookstore may vary by country. Additionally, an iTunes Store account is required to download content from the iBookstore. Other requirements are also listed by Apple, including an Internet connection in various circumstances, and iTunes 9.2.