TechBytes: Dynamic Digital Textbooks

Feb. 22, 2010— -- College textbooks are getting smarter as publishing giant Macmillan introduces Dynamic Books. The software is being released today and it will allow college professors to edit digital textbooks and customize them for their classes.Professors will be able to reorganize or delete chapters, add syllabuses, notes, videos, and even re-write individual paragraphs. These modified e-textbooks can be read on laptops, iPhones and possibly even iPads. They will also be much cheaper than traditional textbooks. The New York Times reports Macmillan plans to start selling 100 titles in August.

The internet may be making us smarter. An online survey of experts says people will become smarter by surfing the web over the next 10 years. Most of the scientist, business leaders, technology developers and others questioned say the internet is improving our reading and writing. The experts also say the net enhances human intelligence. But not everyone agrees. Some say Google and other online tools are replacing deep thinking.

The Associated Press has launched a new app for Google powered smartphones.The "Today in History" app features a daily update of important events for each day of the year. It also includes celebrity and notable birthdays on that day and a "Highlight in History" screen that includes a photo and related sliding picture puzzle game. The app is available for download from Google's mobile marketplace for 99 cents.

A tech savvy composer has turned the Wii remote into more than just a video game controller. The composer programmed two remotes to control a three-piece robotic drum circle. The Wii-motes control the rhythm, volume and pitch of the drums. Turning the controls side to side changes the tempo, while tilting them up and down changes the volume.