E-Textbooks | News

Cambridge To Recreate Texts for iPads, iPhones

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 05/25/11

The publishing arm of the University of Cambridge will be working with an education software producer to convert three of its medical textbooks into iOS apps for use on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. GetYa Learn On (GYLO) is tackling the conversion for Cambridge University Press. The project will first cover three of Cambridge's key texts on radiology, neuropharmacology, and anesthesia.

Expected for release in the iTunes Store in June 2011, the first app will be a portable version of the radiology text Final FRCR Long Cases, which users will be able to personalize by adding notes, highlights, and bookmarks. The text will include a search tool and hyperlinks through the table of contents and index. The user can use standard gestures to turn pages and customize the interface.

"These new apps will mean that medical trainees and practitioners have knowledge at their fingertips when learning and practicing," said Eric Baber, innovations director for the publisher. "The landscape of learning is rapidly changing and it's vital that we are adapting with it to deliver what our customers need. At the Press, we are committed to supporting innovation in learning and teaching, and our aim is to publish without boundaries, ensuring resources such as these are accessible in all kinds of formats."

Gylo's other app releases include an e-text introduction to statistics as well as study aids in statistics, English, and public relations.