iBookstore

Ah, the summertime. It means something different to nearly everyone, but book fans tend to refer to it as the absolute best time to sit outside, enjoy a drink and finally get caught up on your reading.

If you’re like many modern summer reading fans, then there is a good chance that your iOS device is a constant companion. Phones and tablets have surpassed the traditional physical book as the go-to source for reading material and, in general, offer a variety of conveniences and features designed to enhance your reading experience.

Comic book publisher DC Entertainment announced it will be offering its entire line of DC and Vertigo comics through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple. iPhone, iPad and iPod owners will be able to access and download monthly titles via Apple's iBookstore. This makes DC the first comic publisher to offer its line-up across all major e-bookstore platforms.

"As e-readers and tablets continue to explode in popularity it's important for us to offer consumers convenience and choice in how they download digital comics and graphic novels and these new distribution deals with the top three e-bookstores do just that," said Jim Lee, co-publisher, DC Entertainment. "We're very excited to work with Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble to bring bestselling DC Comics and Vertigo periodicals to their e-bookstores."

Apple's universal reader app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has just been updated to version 1.5. The new iBooks adds several new features including a nighttime reading theme to ease eye strain when reading in a dark room. Some studies have shown that viewing LCD screens before bedtime can keep some people from falling asleep quickly. Maybe the new iBooks will help.

Apple has also added several new fonts including Athelas, Charter, Iowa, and Seravek for your reading pleasure. For those who may have been irritated by the book-like graphics that take screen real estate away from the text, Apple has added a full-screen mode to remove distractions.

The iPad has hit Apple's website in a big way. The first devices look like giant iPhones with aluminum backs and are only half an inch thick. Apple has released a video to show off its new product.

Steve Jobs announced that the first iPad models would start shipping in 60 days. Prices start at $499 for 16GB of flash memory and Wi-Fi. Models that support 3G will run $130 more than Wi-Fi only models.