GalleyCat read reports about the BLIO eReader during the CES conference, but at Digital Book World, we saw the eBook software platform conceived by futurist Ray Kurtzweil in action.
Three books were demonstrated. First was children’s book with a nifty audiobook version that synchronized with the story text. A warm, British narrator read the story of Three Little Pigs as the book automatically scrolled to the next page along with the narration. The spokesperson explained: “It’s a Tivo experience with text. You can click on any word on the text and the audio will play.”
Next was a demonstration of a home improvement book. On a page about fixing a lamp, a video was actually embedded alongside the text and illustrations. According to the spokesperson, download times for this enhanced eBook took two and half minutes on a home Internet connection.
The presentation concluded with a science textbook. In addition to a chemistry video within the page, the book also featured an anatomy quiz complete with illustrations embedded inside the textbook. The book also has glossary, note-taking and flashcard features. The books can also use social networking platforms without exiting the BLIO frame–forming study groups on Facebook or sharing notes on Twitter, for instance.
The company will roll out Mac and Linux versions of the software in April and May; Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Apple iPhone editions are coming in February and March. The platform will support DRM at a publisher’s request.