...the emergence of e-books provides [Wolfram] Alpha with a new outlet--as a ready-made supplier of interactive graphics, plots, charts, and real-time data. These features can be incorporated within publications developed for Apple's iPad and other devices. "Deeper information becomes available by way of tapping," says Theodore Gray, cofounder of Wolfram Research.
The first example is now out: a Wolfram/Alpha app for The Elements, a book Gray wrote on the periodic table. The paper version of the book is dominated by glossy photos of elements and products made from them (Pepto-Bismol, for example, uses bismuth). The version developed for the iPad, however, is chock-full of on-screen buttons that lead to Wolfram's online computational engine and data sets.
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Gray says more such initiatives are expected, but would not disclose them. "If you think about what sorts of books--anything about quantitative factual information is a potential candidate," he says. "This is way for publishers to access more detailed information, without having to implement a complicated infrastructure." Gray predicts Wolfram Alpha holds appeal as a source for schools because its content is safely "locked down."
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