Electronic textbooks, mobile check depositing come to Apple's iPhone
A small bank will to allow its customers to deposit checks with an iPhone application, while an electronic publisher has made more than 7,000 textbooks available for viewing on the platform.
e-texbooks from CourseSmart
CourseSmart, a subscription e-textbook service, released its App Store software last week. The program, entitled "eTextbooks for the iPhone," offers 7,000 different textbooks for college students from 12 different publishers. It is free for subscribers, and the company states that students save an average of 50 percent on books.
In an interview The Wall Street Journal Monday, CourseSmart Executive Vice President Frank Lyman said the application is more of an asset than a textbook replacement.
"Nobody is going to use their iPhone to do their homework, but this does provide real mobile learning," he said. "If you're in a study group and you have a question, you can immediately access your text."
The service, created in 2007, is a collaboration between six higher-education publishers. The subscription model allows students to rent textbooks, typically for 180 days. When the subscription expires, students lose access to their e-texbooks.
Amazon has attempted to break into the digital textbook realm with its larger e-book reader, the Kindle DX. The books available on the iPhone are not on the Kindle. Earlier this year, Amazon released its iPhone-optimized Kindle store, which allowed users to read books on the go. Similarly, the Barnes & Noble eReader also debuted on the platform this year.
As software makers vie for a share of the e-reader market, Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst with Forrester Research, told the Journal that the CourseSmart offering could be a breakthrough for e-textbooks.
"Textbooks are the missing link in the e-reader content base," she said. "The problem so far is that college students haven't really been interested in reading on their laptops. The iPhone will help create excitement and generate awareness of e-textbooks."
USAA to offer remote check depositing
This week, USAA, a small bank that serves mostly military personnel, plans to update its iPhone application to allow customers the ability to deposit checks remotely. The feature will work by having customers photograph both sides of the check using the iPhone's camera.
Revealed in a story in Monday's New York Times, the new feature highlights the company's efforts to reach its customers all over the world. Currently, USAA has only one branch in San Antonio, Tex., and is just shy of the top 20 sized banks in the U.S.
"We’re essentially taking an image of the check, and once you hit the send button, that image is going into our deposit-taking system as any other check would," USAA Executive Vice President Wayne Peacock said.
The bank has 7.2 million customers, and estimates that about 1 million use their cell phones to access their account. The Times cites a report from comScore that states more than 15 million people in the U.S. use their smartphone to access their bank account. The firm's senior director credits the iPhone with the explosive popularity of mobile banking.
"It’s the iPhone that really propelled things to the forefront," he said.
e-texbooks from CourseSmart
CourseSmart, a subscription e-textbook service, released its App Store software last week. The program, entitled "eTextbooks for the iPhone," offers 7,000 different textbooks for college students from 12 different publishers. It is free for subscribers, and the company states that students save an average of 50 percent on books.
In an interview The Wall Street Journal Monday, CourseSmart Executive Vice President Frank Lyman said the application is more of an asset than a textbook replacement.
"Nobody is going to use their iPhone to do their homework, but this does provide real mobile learning," he said. "If you're in a study group and you have a question, you can immediately access your text."
The service, created in 2007, is a collaboration between six higher-education publishers. The subscription model allows students to rent textbooks, typically for 180 days. When the subscription expires, students lose access to their e-texbooks.
Amazon has attempted to break into the digital textbook realm with its larger e-book reader, the Kindle DX. The books available on the iPhone are not on the Kindle. Earlier this year, Amazon released its iPhone-optimized Kindle store, which allowed users to read books on the go. Similarly, the Barnes & Noble eReader also debuted on the platform this year.
As software makers vie for a share of the e-reader market, Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst with Forrester Research, told the Journal that the CourseSmart offering could be a breakthrough for e-textbooks.
"Textbooks are the missing link in the e-reader content base," she said. "The problem so far is that college students haven't really been interested in reading on their laptops. The iPhone will help create excitement and generate awareness of e-textbooks."
USAA to offer remote check depositing
This week, USAA, a small bank that serves mostly military personnel, plans to update its iPhone application to allow customers the ability to deposit checks remotely. The feature will work by having customers photograph both sides of the check using the iPhone's camera.
Revealed in a story in Monday's New York Times, the new feature highlights the company's efforts to reach its customers all over the world. Currently, USAA has only one branch in San Antonio, Tex., and is just shy of the top 20 sized banks in the U.S.
"We’re essentially taking an image of the check, and once you hit the send button, that image is going into our deposit-taking system as any other check would," USAA Executive Vice President Wayne Peacock said.
The bank has 7.2 million customers, and estimates that about 1 million use their cell phones to access their account. The Times cites a report from comScore that states more than 15 million people in the U.S. use their smartphone to access their bank account. The firm's senior director credits the iPhone with the explosive popularity of mobile banking.
"It’s the iPhone that really propelled things to the forefront," he said.
Comments
There was a study that showed many students, ie Doctors, absorbed more since having their iPhone on them. I see no reason why composers, musicians, engineers coldnt do the same thing, especially if they offer free interactive study guides, eg, musicians, the table for understanding flats and sharps.
Have a great week everyone. It's going to be a great week. Am believing this.
Peace.
A small bank will to allow its customers to deposit checks with an iPhone application, while an electronic publisher has made more than 7,000 textbooks available for viewing on the platform.
e-texbooks from CourseSmart
CourseSmart, a subscription e-textbook service, released its App Store software last week. The program, entitled "eTextbooks for the iPhone," offers 7,000 different textbooks for college students from 12 different publishers. It is free for subscribers, and the company states that students save an average of 50 percent on books.
In an interview The Wall Street Journal Monday, CourseSmart Executive Vice President Frank Lyman said the application is more of an asset than a textbook replacement.
"Nobody is going to use their iPhone to do their homework, but this does provide real mobile learning," he said. "If you're in a study group and you have a question, you can immediately access your text."
The service, created in 2007, is a collaboration between six higher-education publishers. The subscription model allows students to rent textbooks, typically for 180 days. When the subscription expires, students lose access to their e-texbooks.
Amazon has attempted to break into the digital textbook realm with its larger e-book reader, the Kindle DX. The books available on the iPhone are not on the Kindle. Earlier this year, Amazon released its iPhone-optimized Kindle store, which allowed users to read books on the go. Similarly, the Barnes & Noble eReader also debuted on the platform this year.
As software makers vie for a share of the e-reader market, Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst with Forrester Research, told the Journal that the CourseSmart offering could be a breakthrough for e-textbooks.
"Textbooks are the missing link in the e-reader content base," she said. "The problem so far is that college students haven't really been interested in reading on their laptops. The iPhone will help create excitement and generate awareness of e-textbooks."
USAA to offer remote check depositing
This week, USAA, a small bank that serves mostly military personnel, plans to update its iPhone application to allow customers the ability to deposit checks remotely. The feature will work by having customers photograph both sides of the check using the iPhone's camera.
Revealed in a story in Monday's New York Times, the new feature highlights the company's efforts to reach its customers all over the world. Currently, USAA has only one branch in San Antonio, Tex., and is just shy of the top 20 sized banks in the U.S.
"We’re essentially taking an image of the check, and once you hit the send button, that image is going into our deposit-taking system as any other check would," USAA Executive Vice President Wayne Peacock said.
The bank has 7.2 million customers, and estimates that about 1 million use their cell phones to access their account. The Times cites a report from comScore that states more than 15 million people in the U.S. use their smartphone to access their bank account. The firm's senior director credits the iPhone with the explosive popularity of mobile banking.
"It’s the iPhone that really propelled things to the forefront," he said.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Maybe you use "specialty or niche bank" next time.
Amazon has attempted to break into the digital textbook realm with its larger e-book reader, the Kindle DX. The books available on the iPhone are not on the Kindle. Earlier this year, Amazon released its iPhone-optimized Kindle store, which allowed users to read books on the go. Similarly, the Barnes & Noble eReader also debuted on the platform this year.
"It?s the iPhone that really propelled things to the forefront," he said.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
The price of the kindle will drop like a rock
Sony charges $299 for its reader.
IPHONE looks like a great bargain now .
9
That's one of those apps that really make me respect the iphone (even though logically it would seem capable on any phone with a camera.)
Umm... 7.2 million customers and developing a first of its kind iPhone app and it's a small bank? Please. 1000 customers 1.5 locations in a portable building is a small bank.
Maybe you use "specialty or niche bank" next time.
USAA is not tiny, of course ($119 billion), but not huge. Certainly not a Citibank or UBS. There are MUCH larger fish.
Of more interest to the community -- USAA is only open to:
- Active-duty officers and enlisted personnel.
- Children whose eligible parents have or had a USAA auto or property insurance product.1
- National Guard and Selected Reserve officers and enlisted personnel.
- Officer candidates in commissioning programs (Academy, ROTC, OCS/OTS).
- Former military personnel:
- Retired officers and enlisted personnel.
- Former officers and enlisted personnel who separated from the military on or after January 1, 1996.
according tohttps://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_utils/...me_member_main
The iPhone camera has no image stabilization so they are going to be sorting through thousands blurry checks. Even as calm as I am I have to take several shots of whatever I'm taking a picture of because most of them will be blurry.
That bank is in for a world of trouble with that application.
The iPhone camera has no image stabilization so they are going to be sorting through thousands blurry checks. Even as calm as I am I have to take several shots of whatever I'm taking a picture of because most of them will be blurry.
Ya know they have computers and software at USAA that can figure out a lot of that stuff - they aren't going to have people sitting there looking through all of them. They'll probably run all of them through their software and the few that don't get picked up they will have people look at. I really don't think it's that big of a deal and considering their cliental (myself included) aren't exactly the type to go around massively counterfeiting stuff.
That bank is in for a world of trouble with that application.
The iPhone camera has no image stabilization so they are going to be sorting through thousands blurry checks. Even as calm as I am I have to take several shots of whatever I'm taking a picture of because most of them will be blurry.
even in a well lit situation? You shouldn't be running into that problem when there's a lot of light.
Ya know they have computers and software at USAA that can figure out a lot of that stuff - they aren't going to have people sitting there looking through all of them. They'll probably run all of them through their software and the few that don't get picked up they will have people look at. I really don't think it's that big of a deal and considering their cliental (myself included) aren't exactly the type to go around massively counterfeiting stuff.
You make a good point about counterfeiting from their current customer base. Leads me to wonder (judging from another post about membership criteria) just how many of their customers are going to "trust" depositing checks by sending a picture.
That bank is in for a world of trouble with that application.
The iPhone camera has no image stabilization so they are going to be sorting through thousands blurry checks. Even as calm as I am I have to take several shots of whatever I'm taking a picture of because most of them will be blurry.
I would suggest rigging stand for the iPhone. You cold use a wood frame, metal along with good lighting. A simple way would be stack some books cantilever fashion with the iphone and that should do it. No motion artifact and proper light should give hi res photos.
Another question I have... is there bar code reader software for the iPhone?
As for the iPhone app. I just can't see reading a school textbook on screen that size. So that would lead me to believe that Apple and CoursSmart have something planned in the future.
I wonder what [rumored] new portable device would be ideal as a textbook replacement for the estimated 18 million college students...
A small bank will to allow its customers to deposit checks with an iPhone application,
...
This week, USAA, a small bank that serves mostly military personnel,
...
Currently, USAA has only one branch in San Antonio, Tex., and is just shy of the top 20 sized banks in the U.S.
...
The bank has 7.2 million customers, and estimates that about 1 million use their cell phones to access their account.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
As has been commented on already (and noted in the article itself), USAA is definitley not "small".
$31 billion iin 3.8 million accounts in the bank. USAA is also into insurance & investments.
It is not a publicly owned company and it has only one branch office, yet in 2004 was voted the number one bank by Money Magazine.
You must be military/prior military or have parents who are members, to join.
Member since 2002
Don't you have internet banking?
standarization of ebook formats is a MUST if ebooks are to be the future of the learning process. That seems to be the biggest problem over the history of this media type. The publishing companies need to have a pow-wow about standardized formats. No school will yet require or suggest ebooks until they comply with a format that works on all eReaders.
Agreed. However, the business opportunity is certainly there. I have 3 grandkids that lug 18+lb backpacks full of books to school and back each day.
The textbooks are beautiful, full color... and a terrible waste, considering an electronic copy could serve as well or better.
So, 56 million k-12 students, each with, say, 3-5 textbooks per year... not to mention workbooks, study guides, etc.
It is fun that you still use checks in the US. Checks have been considered antique in most of Europe for at least 15 years.
Don't you have internet banks?
I'd like to learn more about this. If you receive a rebate, tax refund, buy real estate, pay invoices, or simply need to exchange money through the mail, how do you do it? Checks are pretty easy. I wish private individuals could accept credit card payments, but they don't let you do that for some reason.
About the camera though, the first gen iPhone camera is so poor I doubt you could use it to produce a legal document unless the photo is being taken in ideal lighting by an experienced photographer.