Software Engineer Genius Changes Digital Book World

After watching Mike Matas speak on Ted.com about the digital book project “Our Choice” featuring Al Gore, I became so inspired by his work as a software engineer. Mike's presentation on this book is a sequel to the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

While Mike demonstrated his digital interactive software product, I was so impressed by how young minds can really change the world to make it a better place.  It was the the way Mike spoke about his product with passion and how demonstrated what his digital interactive book reader could do, that it made me see him not only as an innovator but he truly created something that would change the book publishing world forever. Mike’s approach on having animations, interactive info graphics while incorporating documentary footage into a digital book would make the reader full engaged in the book topic. 

Mike Matas, is a co-founder of Push Pop Press, he previously worked for the innovator company, Apple, need I say much more. His digital book software he is making available on Apple software products and will hopefully be licensing the software out to publishing houses sometime next year. I will make sure my future children's book is as interactive as what he showcased in his speech on Ted.com. 

The message Mike conveyed about how he is taking digital reading to the next level, inspired me to want to create a software product. However, I quickly reminded myself that although he makes it look easy to create such a high tech product, it is in deed more difficult to do. He inspired me to keep plugging away at my dreams and what I want to accomplish as someone in this world could use or benefit from it and most importantly I create work that I am proud of. 

As I tackle my next career as a children’s writer, I was fascinated in his speech about how technology has truly changed the world. Coming from a film and television background, I feel by creating digital applications and digital books is only a natural progression. However, I do understand the loss of the old traditional method of a hard copy book. Then I remind myself of my old young student days and realize by having a much more interactive method of reading would enhance my knowledge on the topic and create a more pleasant reading experience of very informational material. Technology is about taking the old method and enhancing it with the newer version. And with that said, we do not lose anything we only gain.

Source:

Ted Conferences, LLC. (2011, March). Mike Matas: A next-generation digital book [video file]. Retrieved from 

http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_matas.html

Ted Conferences, LLC. (2011) Speakers Mike Matas: Software engineer. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/speakers/mike_matas.html