iBrary The Next iApp?

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Credit to the site that posted the screenshot:



<a href="http://www.rumortracker.com/comments.php?id=67_0_1_0_C"; target="_blank">http://www.rumortracker.com/comments.php?id=67_0_1_0_C</a>;



The Image: (note to MODS: Maybe you can re-host this image localy since I don't this post to kill that other sites bandwidth)







Rumor text that came with the image:



"This is a screenshot (I was told it was attached to a bug or report) of an Apple iApp currently in development. It's called iBrary, although I'm told it's had several names (including "BookWorm" and "OGReadmore"). It works by browsing a local book repository, a public Internet library, or a global Internet library (dunno which repository) for books or periodicals. It presently uses a format (.ibook) that is a sort of hybrid between eBooks and Audible.com (it seems that Harry Potter is available in this format). You can listen to the recording of the book as you read, since iBrary syncs the book's text with the recording. I am also told that it utilizes dramatically improved text-to-speech, which suggests that may be a built-in feature of an upcoming OS update. This allows books which don't have soundtracks to be read by the computer, in any of 4 (currently) voices: Storytime, Narrator, Novella, and Anchorman. The synthesis quality is outstanding, seemingly able to handle emotion quite well. Services are also available which allow you to lookup words in a dictionary or thesaurus, which may have a connection to Sherlock, or be handled within the app. When you click on the curled page corners there is an (OpenGL powered?) animation of the page flipping. iBrary seems to be aimed toward the education and accessibility markets. I'm told that the app will probably not be ready for MacWorld SF 2003, but is more likely to emerge at the Boston show."



Well what do you think?



Dave



[ 10-27-2002: Message edited by: DaveGee ]</p>
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 48
    davegeedavegee Posts: 2,765member
    Just wanna add some additional speculation to this thread...



    Could someone please refresh my memory? Didn't Steve Jobs make a comment about 'text to speech' at one of the Apple events this year?



    MWSF? WWDC? xServe? MWNY?



    I can't remember where it was said but I sure remember it happening... I think it was a Q&A style event where someone asked about TTS and it's current quality and Steve said something like 'we are looking for better voices as we speak... Apple is hiring.



    Okay that might not have been exactly what was said but that is how I remember it...



    Anyone else remember this?



    Dave



    [ 10-27-2002: Message edited by: DaveGee ]</p>
  • Reply 2 of 48
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    If this is a mockup, the guy spent days on this. It looks real, and the idea makes sense especially for the iBook which is so small that you can easily take it to bed or to a café to read a book.
  • Reply 3 of 48
    If the books are free, just like going to a library then hell yeah. But if apple is just trying to juice me for more money by making me open a $10 a month account to rent books then screw that. I guess only time will tell.
  • Reply 4 of 48
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    They'll be free for a while, then .Mac.
  • Reply 5 of 48
    imudimud Posts: 140member
    Sounds like another .mac feature.
  • Reply 6 of 48
    stunnedstunned Posts: 1,096member
    Steve is not going to get me pay for that



    I've stop reading books since I graduated...



    i only read comics and magazines now
  • Reply 7 of 48
    From the icon it look like it will be a .Mac app.
  • Reply 8 of 48
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    It sounds interesting, but the name sucks. I'd be ok if it's part of .mac (or at least enhanced by it) b/c I decided to join.
  • Reply 9 of 48
    Very Kewl.



    I'd love this thing to sync w my iPod and me to be able to read ebooks while listening to my favorite music. I've been rip'n audio books for my iPod, but there's nothing like reading a book at your own pace and leisure..





    mika.



    [ 10-27-2002: Message edited by: PC^KILLA ]</p>
  • Reply 10 of 48
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    I have to agree with torifile: Although it looks and sounds authentic, and although it's a seriously cool idea (even if they do .Mac it), if they actually call it "iBrary" I'm going to fly out to Cupertino and whack Steve upside the head with the biggest clue-by-four I can find.



    One more thing: Once you've got your iBooks (heh - I knew something would come out of that trademark agreement) on your iBook, why not be able to use iSync to upload them to a handheld reader? Just something to think about...
  • Reply 11 of 48
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    Fake.... come on... it's nearly an exact replica of the iCal window with a little ad banner tray thing a majig at the bottom.
  • Reply 11 of 48
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    iBrary... the name reminds me a bit too much of iBrator, a mockup of an item for her pleasure which has been circling the net as of late.



    Anyway. I am one of few (?) people who actually read e-books on their computer screen, and this app makes me think of some issues:



    There is already an explosion of e-book formats, both proprietary and not (.txt vs. .pdb - pdf), and it is hellish to convert (pirated?) books between stupid formats that you can and cannot read. I personally prefer the use of txt files, which I layout a bit ( in Appleworks even, probably the only use I have for that now) and then save to pdf (as I think acrobat has about the best possibilities for basic reading).



    Now, as the app looks, there's the question of visibility: in acrobat, you can put a text over your entire screen and then scroll with the keyboard arrows. (so: you have only one -piece of- a page on your screen, which is quite relaxing to look at). This however may not even be such a good point (I presume iBrary or whatever its name may be will have several possibilities).



    A thing I do fear however is the ongoing trend to lose freedom (to pirate , among others): programs like these, which work with proprietary -binary- formats... it cuts of your hands (no more copying of paragraphs, or editing as you which, or viewing the document in another app, in another decade...). I think with regret at the times when downloading mp3s was still mainly a http business...



    Anyway, I'm not really making such a good point, whatever.
  • Reply 13 of 48
    defiantdefiant Posts: 4,876member
    [quote]Originally posted by applenut:

    <strong>Fake.... come on... it's nearly an exact replica of the iCal window with a little ad banner tray thing a majig at the bottom.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    look at the small symbols in the window.
  • Reply 14 of 48
    bellebelle Posts: 1,574member
    [quote]Originally posted by PC^KILLA:

    <strong>I'd love this thing to sync w my iPod and me to be able to read ebooks while listening to my favorite music. I've been rip'n audio books for my iPod, but there's nothing like reading a book at your own pace and leisure..</strong><hr></blockquote>

    You'd read books on your iPod?!



    I seriously dislike e-books. They're fine as a research tool - indexed, searchable documents are great, but for actual reading, you can't beat ink on paper.



    Belle the bibliophile.
  • Reply 15 of 48
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    [quote]Originally posted by Defiant:

    <strong>



    look at the small symbols in the window.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    yea and?



    means nothing.... losers have gone to great lengths to trick mac users about future software and hardware... how about that iWalk video? The effort that may have went into creating this is nothing compared to that.



    I really find it hard to believe this is real when it so closely resembles iCal and also just don't see Apple doing an app ike this... there are not many devices.... at least popular ones for this to communicate to and I don't see Apple making one either.
  • Reply 16 of 48
    defiantdefiant Posts: 4,876member
    [quote]Originally posted by applenut:

    <strong>means nothing.... losers have gone to great lengths to trick mac users about future software and hardware... how about that iWalk video? The effort that may have went into creating this is nothing compared to that.

    </strong><hr></blockquote>



    <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />



    [ 10-27-2002: Message edited by: Defiant ]</p>
  • Reply 17 of 48
    [quote]Originally posted by Belle:

    <strong>

    You'd read books on your iPod?!



    Belle the bibliophile.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Yes. Already do to some extent..



    Belle, do you know of a good place you could recommend to d/l free audio books from?





    mika.
  • Reply 18 of 48
    bellebelle Posts: 1,574member
    [quote]Originally posted by PC^KILLA:

    <strong>Yes. Already do to some extent..</strong><hr></blockquote>

    On the little screen? Honestly?

    [quote]<strong>Belle, do you know of a good place you could recommend to d/l free audio books from?</strong><hr></blockquote>

    That's difficult. Though many works are now in the public domain, most are, obviously, only available in text form. Unfortunately, it costs a lot of money to get someone to read them for a recording.



    No doubt someone with a better insight to the more nefarious parts of the internet could maybe direct you to servers offering MP3s culled from CD audio books.



    Oh, and on a related matter: If anyone is contemplating buying the unabridged Harry Potter CDs, get the European ones narrated by Stephen Fry. They're so much better than the US ones, which are narrated by Jim Dale.
  • Reply 19 of 48
    proxyproxy Posts: 232member
    If it is real wouldn't it impress the education market?



    OK..it's a long way from replacing the clarity (and portability-no batteries) of the printed page, but apple have sold thousands of iBooks to replace school text books. This would be great if the teacher wants everyone to look at specific texts. I think it'd be a big step.



    To me this is very Apple, but doubtless there will be plenty of dissenting voices in this forum I really hope it'll be out soon. Another killer app for the press to rave about perhaps?



    [ 10-27-2002: Message edited by: Proxy ]</p>
  • Reply 20 of 48
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    PC^KILLA: <a href="http://www.audiobooksforfree.com/screen_main.asp"; target="_blank">http://www.audiobooksforfree.com/screen_main.asp</a>; . They have annoying as hell ads at the beginning of each chapter and the sound quality SUCKS, but they're free. You might check out audible.com too. I was averse paying for things too, but it's really cool to be able to bookmark and listen on the iPod. Worth the $$, IMHO.



    Anyway, back on topic: at least it's not iBerry.
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