Technology, Touch Screen | featured news

Last week, at a large developers’ event, Microsoft formally introduced its next operating system to the world, and it’s nothing like the Windows you’re used to. It’s clear the company has watched and learned as Apple stormed into the marketplace with the iPhone and iPad. Microsoft’s new Windows 8 looks and feels like it’s built from the ground up to do away with the noisy, dated interfaces of the desktop computer, replacing them with a touch-friendly experience that’s focused on a new way of computing.

Once upon a time -- in the 1990s -- e-books for children came on CD-ROMs, and for digital wizardry, offered only mouse clicks and hidden pop-up-like animations. Not anymore. Touch screens and app stores have given new tricks to old books, and the number of new titles is blossoming.