Inmedius, Inc. announced the distribution of S1000Dimpact v4, to provide support for the S1000D Issue 4.0 Schema, including Descriptive, Illustrated Parts Data (IPD), and Procedural document types or Data Modules (DMs). The change management software links S1000D technical documentation and Logistic Support Analysis Record (LSAR) data, so that modifications in engineering data are tracked and implemented by publication departments. The efficiency of creating initial S1000D Data Modules and managing changes from the logistics source can be enhanced with Impact. Users map technical publishing structures to the logistics source, track changes and create Data Module Requirements Lists (DMRLs) for S1000D projects. Impact also provide workflow capabilities, audit trails and reporting functions to maintain controls and manage changes. Impact is one of seven modules in the Inmedius S1000D Publishing Suite, an integrated solution set, supporting the entire S1000D technical documentation lifecycle. The software modules work together, integrating authoring through publishing. Browser-based Impact works with S1000Dmanager, facilitating a direct link between LSAR data and the S1000D Common Source Database (CSDB) to review and manage engineering changes. www.inmediusS1000D.com
Category: Publishing & media (Page 25 of 52)
Plastic Logic unveiled QUE (pronounced “Q”). More than an eReader, QUE is designed specifically to provide a premium reading experience and access to content anywhere anytime, while simplifying the multi-faceted lifestyle of business professionals. QUE was designed to have the benefits of paper, but without the weight and clutter. Just like paper, QUE is easy to hold and feels good in your hands. But it’s easier to search and find what you’re looking for. The size of a pad of paper, about 1/3 inch thick, and weighing less than many periodicals (about a pound), QUE features a 10.7-inch shatterproof plastic display. In addition to business and professional newspapers, periodicals and eBooks, QUE supports reading and annotating document formats business users need (including PDF, Microsoft Office, ePub documents and more). With the QUE software, you can convert and transfer content from your PC, Mac computer, or BlackBerry smartphone to your QUE. QUE has integrated reviewing tools. Add a note and use the virtual keyboard to include your comments, highlight text, scribble free form, and even add a stamp to emphasize a point. The QUE Store offers a collection of reading material especially geared to the business professional. QUE users will be able to connect to fresh content on-the-go, on the QUE Store: to search, purchase and download wirelessly via Wi-Fi and AT&T’s 3G network. Plastic Logic also announced new partnerships, including the Down Jones company and the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and All Things Digital, Forbes and Fast Company, Sporting News and major regional newspapers, including the Sacramento Bee, Miami Herald, and San Jose Mercury News. These publications join previously announced strategic partnerships with Financial Times, USA Today, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, MIT Technology Review, Popular Science, and IDG publication titles including CIO, Network World, and Computerworld. Publications on the QUE Store are available ranging from one-time use to ongoing subscriptions. The price for QUE will range from $649.00 for the 4GB QUE model with WiFi that holds up to 35,000 documents, to $799.00 for the 8GB QUE model with WiFi and 3G that holds up to 75,000 documents. Preorders for the QUE proReader may be placed at the QUE Store. Beginning in mid-April 2010, QUE will be available for shipping. Later in 2010, QUE will be available through the Barnes & Noble stores nationwide and online at Barnes & Noble.com http://www.QUE.com, http://www.PlasticLogic.com
WoodWing has released its Enterprise 7 Publishing System. Enterprise 7 comes with improvements for magazine, newspaper, book and corporate publishers. The Enterprise 7 publishing system is being backed by new versions of Content Station – WoodWing’s multichannel publishing tool for content producers – and the Smart Connection plug-ins for Adobe InDesign and InCopy. Focus for the version 7 release has been on new Search 2.0 functionality, refinement of cross-media and social media publishing, as well as usability improvements and extended platform support. Enterprise’s out-of-the-box integration with the Drupal open-source Web CMS has been enhanced, and additional integrations have been developed to make publishing to social media networks, such as Twitter, Facebook and Flickr easy and efficient. Many other integrations exist. Users of Content Station 7 now also have access to Search 2.0 options. When running a search, results are classified. Parallel workflow is being supported by updated versions of the Smart Connection Plug-ins, providing a streamlined integration with Adobe InDesign and InCopy. Designers and editors have direct access to content in the Enterprise repository from within their Adobe applications. Supported by workflow options, users can work simultaneously on layout and text, and communicate using sticky notes and comments. In the background, Enterprise keeps track of versions and takes care of production security. Enterprise 7 is ready to support all latest platforms, including Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7, Mac OS 10.6 “Snow Leopard” and Adobe CS4. The memory footprint of Enterprise has been reduced and the server performance has increased. http://www.woodwing.com
FastPencil announced their eBook Publish-Ready Format for eReaders offering an authoring solution to ensure an author’s book can be read anywhere today and in the future. FastPencil provides authors with an end-to-end publishing platform where they can maintain control of the content creation, price, distribution and sales activity. FastPencil gives eBook authors flexibility. For instance, authors can take individual book chapters and create eBook editions to promote the larger work. Short-story writers can also use FastPencil to create and publish their stories. Also, as eReaders incorporate multi-media, such as video, audio, animation, slides presentations and games, FastPencil will provide support. FastPencil Publish-Ready Format Features: Auto-generate table of contents, Auto-pagination, Auto-merge into professional book design template, Auto-merge into eBook formats, and Uphold Industry standards compliance (title page, copyright, ISBN). The FastPencil eBook Publish-Ready Format is available now at http://www.FastPencil.com
eZ Systems announced the immediate release of extensions for eZ Publish 4.2. eZ Publish Style Editor is a brand new extension providing a tool to change the overall look and feel of an eZ Publish-based website. Webmasters are able to switch in a ‘visual edit’ mode while managing sites featuring eZ Flow or the eZ Publish Website Interface. The visual edit mode provides a user interface for managing the look and feel of a site’s pages by editing the Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) and Images used by the site. This extension is immediately available as certified software, and supported as an add-on to ez Publish Premium. The eZ XML export extension helps you manage the content you provide to 3rd-party content platforms. It gives you control over which content is exported, the XML export format with support for XML Schema (XSD) and XSLT post-processing, and a configurable set of delivery options in order to industrialize and automatize the content delivery. This extension is also immediately available as certified software, and supported as an add-on to ez Publish Premium. Teamroom is a collaboration solution based on eZ Publish. Make your team members’ lives easier with simple management of teamroom members, information sharing, an open collaboration workflow, event and team document management, and confidentiality levels for your teamrooms. Teamroom is packaged as an extension, and available as a beta in the contribution area for eZ Publish extensions. Teamroom will have an official release in conjunction with the 4.3 release of eZ Publish. http://ez.no/
By Ted Treanor, Senior Publishing Consultant
Publishing predictions for 2010 abound. As a digital publishing pioneer and visionary, Ted Treanor has been well positioned ahead of the curve, with a unique vantage point to see what’s in store for the industry. At this tipping point, publishing convergence of print and digital has collided with mainstream. Let us know what you think of these predictions.
Let’s see if 13 predictions will be lucky for publishing.
- New eReading devices will proliferate. The market is responding like the California gold rush. Not only will there be new companies launching in 2010, but big electronics firms will have their products. CES will be a haven for digital reading, which will astound everyone.
- Pricing experimentation will take center stage.
- Digital sales channels both retail and distribution will grow rapidly.
- The ePub standard (IDPF.org) will strengthen as an international industry standard. ePub will compete with PDF for the top format for commercial content.
- The big surprise this year will be the number of large recognized companies that will strategically target the digital publishing eReading and content space. At least one major communications infrastructure company (possibly wireless) will stake a claim through a publishing partnership. Other prime segments will be computer manufacturers and printer manufactures.
- Trade associations will scramble to stay relevant in their attempt to lead members through this time of convergence of print and digital.
- Content workflow using XML technologies will become standard for single source production to multiple print and digital editions.
- Publishers will attempt to build direct relationships with their reader customers…not very successfully in 2010.
- Technology and services companies will further enable authors for self-publishing and in their sales goals. At least one big name author will experiment in self-publishing in 2010.
- eCatalogs will become a standard tool in selling content to booksellers, librarians, etc..
- Digital galleys will gain in popularity.
- E-content will be grafted into print in innovative ways.
- New ebook data reports and ebook directories will become ‘must-have’ resources. Gilbane Group has a series of three publishing transformation reports planned in 2010.
Follow me on Twitter @ ePubDr
Issuu, a publishing platform for digital magazines, newspapers and catalogs, released its first mobile app for Android-powered devices. Issuu’s new EasyRead (beta) technology automatically enhances the text of any publication enabling users to read text on small-screen devices while still maintaining the visual layout. EasyRead helps a longstanding problem in digital publishing where rich publications such as magazines, newspapers and catalogs are almost impossible to read on small screens. Available as a free beta version Issuu Mobile gives readers access to their favorite publications and must-read documents everywhere they go. http://www.issuu.com/mobile
Atex announced the latest release of its Polopoly Web content management system, designed to support a widget plug-in framework for adding third-party components to a website with little software development required. The new release, version 9.14, represents the latest phase of the Atex “Polopoly as a Platform” initiative, where media companies can pick and choose the applications to add to websites, aimed to give more control and flexibility over how sites are built and deployed. Software developers can create and exchange elements with other developers using the Polopoly widget plug-in model. This could help reduce the overall cost of Polopoly website development as companies can acquire new elements instead of building them in-house. Atex plans to create a “storefront” to sell and swap digital components. Atex has a plug-in available to allow connectivity between Polopoly and its A-Series Digital Asset Management system so that editors can instantly publish archive material online. Polopoly 9.14 sites can also take advantage of products offered by third-party vendors to provide fully packaged and validated integrations. Services like video streaming, social media apps, content gating, pay-per-view models, and other Internet functionalities can be added via Polopoly widget plug-ins. http://www.atex.com/
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