Tag: mobile reading

Mobile technology news from Unesco includes “reading revolution”

| April 30, 2014

Poorer nations are greatly benefitting from the use of these devices in terms of literacy.

A recent mobile technology news report that was released by Unesco has revealed that the penetration of inexpensive smartphones into developing nations has done wonders for spreading the access to books and other sources of the written word, providing new ways to be able to practice reading.

Until now, reading material access was nearly exclusively limited to printed books, which has considerable limitations.

The Unesco report suggested that this new mobile technology news is nothing less than a “reading revolution” within poorer nations. It also indicated that smartphone ownership could play an extremely important role in the battle against illiteracy on a global scale, as it no longer requires access to printed books or the use of old fashioned chalk boards.

This mobile technology news shows that these devices could be critical to enhancing widespread education.

The report expressed that “While mobile phones are still used primarily for basic communication, they are also – and increasingly – a gateway to long-form text.” It added that these devices make it possible to be able to access the same words as are printed in a physical book, but at a fraction of the price. Moreover, the capacity isn’t limited to a physical space when reading books on a cell phone screen.Mobile Technology News Report

The results printed in the Unesco report are from the largest survey that has ever been conducted on the subject of literacy and reading over mobile devices in the developing world. It involved the participation of over 4,000 gadget users who shared their habits. These participants live within seven different countries: India, Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia.

Among those seven nations, the average illiteracy rate in children is 20 percent and in adults it is 34 percent. Comparatively, the average illiteracy rate among adults in the United Kingdom is under 1 percent. The survey has shown the promising mobile technology news that the use of smartphones and other digital devices is having a meaningful impact on providing the populations with the tools they need to read more effectively and skillfully.

Augmented reality is blurring the line between mobile gaming and reading

| March 14, 2014

AR technology is transforming children’s books and video games at the same time.

With the start of the augmented reality games in traditional books trend by Sony, with its Wonderbook for PlayStation 3, both of those forms of entertainment have been redefined and many other products are now being released to enhance the reading experience – particularly for children.

Among the most widely publicized successes of AR books for kids was iDinosaur.

However, it was truly the Wonderbook that sent augmented reality books into the mainstream almost two years ago. The idea behind this technology is that a physical book contains a number of different components that are not detectable to the human eye. The only way to be able to access and view them is to use a smartphone or a tablet and the right apps to bring them to life.

For instance, a child’s book could be read on its own, or include augmented reality components to allow for interaction.

When children’s books such as iDinosaur are viewed through the assistance of mobile devices and AR apps, the illustrations can appear to spring to the page and move about. Tyrannosaurus Rexes have since been leaping out of the pages to show their stuff – though in a much smaller and much more digital form, of course.

In 2014, the trend has continued through the French Connection. They have now released the first volume of a children’s story series, Jack Hunter, which will introduce their own interactive AR elements. This book will work as a standalone novel that can be enjoyed by itself, or it can be viewed with the assistance of mobile devices that help the reader to unlock a broader range of different interactive elements.

These include augmented reality images as well as additional interactive stories and games. Though this may seem quite complex to parents, the latest generation of youngsters is proving to be increasingly comfortable with touchscreens, apps, and the overall concept of smart devices. As many households now contain at least one of these mobile gadgets, it can make AR technology based books quite a comfortable fit into the overall reading experience.