Google has just added some updates to the Play Books app to add some extra help when reading. From today the app now contains Places and dictionary cards which popup when you select either an unfamiliar geographic location or word in a book. The popup card will contain a Google Map and the option to get more information by searching on Google or Wikipedia while the dictionary option will deliver the definition via a Google Search.
Adding further functionality there is also the option of instantly translating words into your language from within the Books app as well, you can now select the text or word you would like translated and then use the button on the top action bar to indicate which language you’d like it translated into.
The new update also includes the option to highlight text and take notes, which because all your books live in the cloud are then synced to anywhere you view your Google Play Books. Lastly, Google has added a new sepia reading theme, 2D sliding page turn animation and lots of stability improvements. And for those of you who read Japanese books, you can now read them in a vertical, right-to-left layout—and flip pages from right to left. Not a bad set of updates, now if only Google Play Books where comparable in price to the Kindle store.
Still can’t import PDFs? Will not use.
you don’t find them comparable in price? True Amazon has more free books, but I find Google’s price is usually a bit better. Got the Hunger Games for 99c the other day. So far would have spent at least $100 in the Google book store.. but $12.99 is my limit. I won’t get a new release for $16.99. Rambling now but you get the picture.
I want an eReader that’s uses Google Books. Are there any besides the Sony one from last year or the year before?
what’s wrong with the Sony one in that case? It’s e-ink isn’t it? I’m not sure to be honest – I have a Nexus 7 and I read on it every day and just put up with the reflection. It’s a trade off.. eInk but stuck between Play or Amazon or Kobo etc or a screen.