Like millions of other people around the world I plugged in my iPhone toady and noticed that several apps were updated, and like millions of other I clicked on the “Update All” button. Amongst these was Stanza probably one of the better eBook readers for the iPhone, at least for pure ePub reading; I’m told the Kindle app is too bad either but I like my book DRM free - who knows what I’ll be reading on next year or next month for that matter.
As a creature of habit I read the update notes as the apps are downloading and syncing to my iPhone - unfortunately today’s update for Stanza was to remove a feature at the request of dear old Apple… which I read after it had downloaded and synced to my iPhone.
Really?
Yes really, click on the thumbnail above to see the release notes for Stanza 2.1 - apparently Apple has requested that sharing of ebooks by USB be removed.
Why? Is this feature going to be a problem in the iPad enabled future where apps can access a shared or common document sandbox? Does it mean something about Apples forthcoming iBook app for the iPad? Or is it all about Apple’s Valentines Day promotions?
Who knows… I’m sure the speculation will run wild.
Meanwhile not one newspaper publisher has come up with an iPad/iPhone offering that I’d be willing to pay for.
I've been described as a lost technocrat or a wondering luddite, personally I just like everything that takes us forward.