A major update for the Kindle Textbook Creator app has
made the platform more useful, according to blogger Nate Hoffelder. The updated
app allows educators to embed video and audio files in e-textbooks and now
supports pop-up images.
“I’ve tested the app and I can confirm that you can
embed audio,” Hoffelder wrote for Inks, Bits, & Pixels. “The app freezes while the media is being
embedded in the project e-book file (it takes a while), but then it unlocks and
lets you move the audio icon or video window around. You can also change the
media’s title or description.”
Amazon added new options for building a table of
contents and using a checkbox to choose which pages are added to the table of
contents. Kindle Textbook Creator is specific to the Kindle platform but
creates e-books that can be read on the Kindle app for Android, iOS, PC, and
OSX.
“Amazon already sold digital textbooks and now they are
also making it easier for educators to publish their own textbooks on the
Kindle platform,” Hoffelder said. “It’s hard to say what is coming next, but I
think we can expect Amazon to make a play for schools and the curricula
market.”