Apple today updated iBooks to version 3.1, bringing new support for paid books in Japan and enhanced support for Asian languages.

What's New in Version 3.1

The iBookstore in Japan now has hundreds of thousands of books available for purchase, including fiction,
manga, light novels and more. This version of iBooks also includes a number of improvements for reading
Asian language books.

ibooks_paid_japan
iBooks is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Inkling Avatar
155 months ago
Buy direct from Japan

I've got a question for those in the know. Is Apple building an iBookstore where people anywhere can buy ebooks from any country? It would certainly be simpler for the Japanese iBookstore handle all the Japanese language titles but sell to people anywhere.

I'm sure there may be rights issues, but that could be worked around if the publisher has the rights in both countries. And it'd be great if iBooks knew how to find and buy books from all the countries where's there's a store.

Books shouldn't be bound by borders.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChristianVirtual Avatar
155 months ago
Books shouldn't be bound by borders.

Books shouldn't be, music and movies too. But they are. At least with Kindle I still can buy English books also while beeing in Japan. The border-thinking makes digital content for me difficult to fully adopt. As much as I would like to.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
a0me Avatar
155 months ago
And yet I had to buy the Kindle version of Steve Jobs because the Japanese iTunes store only sells the Japanese version. (Amazon and the Kindle store sells both the original and the Japanese translation)

----------

And yet they still display the date in the USA format. :rolleyes:
The screenshots is taken with the US settings.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGouda Avatar
155 months ago
I like how the pic is One Piece!

Love that manga!!!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tres Avatar
155 months ago
And yet they still display the date in the USA format. :rolleyes:

Couldn't possibly be because that iPad is set to English language mode :rolleyes:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yvan256 Avatar
155 months ago
And yet they still display the date in the USA format. :rolleyes:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Coming Soon: Here's What's New

Monday January 13, 2025 5:33 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
new magsafe charger

Apple Releases Updated MagSafe Charger Firmware

Tuesday January 14, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods and Apple Watch models. The updated firmware is version 2A143, up from the 2A138 firmware that the accessory shipped with. In the Settings app, you'll see a different version number than the internal firmware number. The 2024 MagSafe charger was...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

HomePod Mini 2 and New Apple TV Launch Timeframe Narrowed Down

Sunday January 12, 2025 4:11 pm PST by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple plans to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models this year, and now he has provided a more precise timeframe. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is currently aiming to launch the new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year." That timeframe suggests the devices will be released at some point...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
severance new york promo 1

Apple Promotes Severance Season 2 Premiere With Lumon Industries Pop-Up and Visits From Actors

Tuesday January 14, 2025 3:47 pm PST by
Ahead of the season two premiere of hit TV show Severance, Apple is marketing the show with a fun Severance pop-up at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Apple has assembled a glass cube with workstations that are identical to the setups that Lumon employees use on the show, complete with employees "working," doing yoga, playing catch, throwing paper airplanes, sipping coffee, and...
General Apps Messages Redux

Phishing Attacks Use This Simple Trick to Defeat iPhone Message Security

Monday January 13, 2025 6:11 am PST by
A new social engineering tactic is being used by cybercriminals to trick iPhone users into disabling iMessage's built-in phishing protection, in a bid to expose them to malicious links and scams, according to BleepingComputer. The scam exploits a security feature in iMessage that automatically disables links from unknown senders. Apple told the outlet that when users reply to these messages...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know

Wednesday January 8, 2025 7:05 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...