E-books, why so old-fashioned? Here's a Web wakeup call - CNET

A potentially pivotal publishing permutation

"E-books could become much more dynamic and interactive, though. That's because two groups -- the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) -- are trying to join forces. The first advances and standardizes the technology underpinning the Web; the second the Epub format used to package e-books. In a statement Tuesday, Web creator and W3C leader Tim Berners-Lee said the planned merger would "create a rich media environment for digital publishing."

The current Epub 3.0 standard already uses Web technologies, but e-books remain a separate domain from the Web. The new Portable Web Publications effort would erase the distinction. That would make it easier to publish a single Web document that's conveniently separated into multiple chapters, lets you flip from page to page, and better handles math formulas in textbooks."

E-books, why so old-fashioned? Here's a Web wakeup call - CNET