Convergence is happening in eBooks – text and videos intermingled.
A Vook, from a company with the same name, allows readers to “seamlessly read and watch text and video at the same location on their screen.” Vook is a file format that plays on iPhones, iPod Touches or in a Web-based video player.
Publisher Simon and Schuster is the first to hear Vook’s siren call.
Two of the first four vooks are “how to’s” – “The 90-Second Fitness Solution” and “Return to Beauty: Old World Recipes for Radiant Skin” where the need for video is obvious.
The other two are a romancer called “Promises” and a thriller called “Embassy” where the need for video may be helpful, but not necessary.
The web sites of Simon & Schuster and Vooks offer them for $6.99 each. Versions for the iPhones are available at the Apple App store for $4.99.
Software-only eBooks like Vooks claim to eliminate hardware obsolescence.