Inkling Debuts Version 3.0, Bringing Its Interactive E-Books To The iPhone

After Inkling made its public debut more than two years ago, it quickly became known as the startup that made super well-designed interactive college textbooks for the iPad. But in recent months, Inkling has slowly but surely expanded significantly beyond that initial focus — branching out from educational textbooks to consumer-focused titles such as cookbooks, and from the iPad to other digital venues such as the standard web browser.

Today, Inkling is continuing in that progression with the debut of its Version 3.0, which brings the official launch of its e-book titles to the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

Since Inkling is such a visual product, it was great to have its founder and CEO Matt MacInnis come by the TechCrunch TV studio to show us how the company has translated its e-book platform to the relatively tiny form factor of the iPhone and the iPod touch — while keeping all the interactive bells and whistles for which Inkling has become so well-known.

Along with the demo, MacInnis also gave us some updated stats on Inkling: The San Francisco-based startup now has some 100 full-time employees, and during the last school year Inkling was used by students at more than 4,000 schools, with over 50 percent of the medical schools in the United States having active Inkling users. But as strong as education is at the moment, its consumer-focused titles such as Frommer’s travel guides are promising too, he said, and represent a big part of Inkling’s business going forward.
Watch the video embedded above to see how Inkling looks on the iPhone, hear MacInnis weigh in on what it’s like to compete with e-book giants like Amazon and Apple, learn why Inkling is moving into the platform realm with the debut of its publishing platform Habitat, and more.
Here are a few screenshots of Inkling for the iPhone: 

WHOA: 40% Of The Things Stolen In New York City Are Apple Gadgets

Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal's Rolfe Winkler wrote a hair-raising story about how he chased after some guy who grabbed his date's iPad on the subway--only to get his jaw broken by an accomplice.
That incidident prompted a story on the "iCrime" that is sweeping the country, in which people are being mugged, beaten up, and even killed for their gadgets.
The cops call it "Apple picking."
And now, via Suzanne Kelly at CNN (and Paul Kedrosky), comes this extraordinary statistic from New York City police commissioner Ray Kelly:

40% of the items stolen in New York City are Apple gadgets

Yikes.
Using your iPhone in public really is like waving cash around.

Apple reportedly to unveil iPhone 5, iPad Mini on Sept 12

Apple consumers could see the debut of both the new iPhone and an iPad Mini come September.
Citing "sources who have proven accurate in the past," blog site iMore says that Apple will announce the two devices at a special event on Wednesday, September 12. The iPhone 5 itself will then go on sale 9 days later on Friday, September 21.
This latest report follows a tidbit last week from French site App4Phone.fr (English translation), which pointed to the September 21 release date based on intel from Chinese manufacturing sources. The timing itself jibes with last year's schedule when Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S on October 4 and then released it ten days later.
iMore's sources were apparently mum about a launch date for the iPad Mini, but the site says it could reach consumers on the same day, a logical assumption. The smaller iPad would reportedly be exactly like its 9.7-inch brother, but just on a 7-inch scale.
Reports have surfaced about a new iPod Touch in the works, which could also be announced on September 12 as part of the upcoming lineup. A new iPod Nano may also be part of the mix. That promises a busy day launch day for Apple, but the company typically spruces up its iPhone announcement with updates to the iPod and other products.
iMore's sources also passed along information already reported by others. The new iPhone would offer a 4-inch, 16:9 screen, while all new iOS devices would come with a smaller Dock connector.
This report is still firmly in the rumor category. But a September release date for the next iPhone would make sense financially for Apple.
Last year, the company launched the iPhone 4S in October. Demand for the new phone rewarded Apple with a gangbuster calendar fourth quarter. But the third quarter suffered as smartphone buyers held off purchases in anticipation of the new iPhone. Releasing a new phone in September ensures that Apple ends the calendar third quarter on a high note, with the expected heavy demand extending into the fourth quarter.