Apple Computer Inc is getting into electronic publishing via its new Personal Interactive Electronics division – the gruesomely dubbed Apple PIE, and the division is in collaborative and exploratory efforts with Ameritech Corp, BellSouth Corp and US West Inc for the possible offering of communications services on the Newton Personal Digital Assistant. The collaboration with BellSouth includes a trial prototype screen-phone device. It says that with Ameritech, it is working on delivering facsimile and speech messages to Newton, and with US West, it will explore screen-based telephone services via Newton. Apple says that it plans to develop hardware products to access electronic information, create and distribute electronic media or titles, develop multimedia authoring tools, expand on-line services, and collaborate with partners, although it did not elaborate on any other partnerships. The Apple Media Kit, to be available in the summer, will enables authors to deliver their titles on multiple systems.
