Touchpress was an app developer and publisher based in Central London. The company specialised in creating apps on educational subjects including the Periodic Table,[1] Beethoven,[2] the Solar System,[3] T.S. Eliot,[4] Shakespeare,[5] and others.
| Founded | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Theodore Gray, Max Whitby, John Cromie, Stephen Wolfram |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters location | London |
| Publication types | Books, iPhone and iPad apps |
In October 2016, Touchpress sold its portfolio of apps to a publisher, Touch Press Inc. The company has rebranded to "Amphio".'[6]
Origins edit
Touchpress was founded by Theodore Gray, Max Whitby, John Cromie, Stephen Wolfram and others shortly after the announcement of the launch of the iPad.[7][8] The first published app was "The Elements," a continuation of the founders' work together on a coffee table book about the periodic table,[9] which they followed up in 2014 with "Molecules", allowing users to touch and discover the basic building blocks of the world.[10]
Design philosophy edit
Touchpress creates "living books."[11] Their apps feature many interactive elements and seek to engage readers with a deeper understanding of the subject. The company is part of a broad movement to re-define books and the reading experience for the 21st century.[12][13] Touchpress is particularly notable for their partnerships both within and outside the publishing industry. To date, the company has worked with Juilliard, Disney,[14] Deutsche Grammophon,[15] Faber and Faber, Seamus Heaney,[16] Björk,[17] Fiona Shaw, Patrick Stewart, Steve Reich, Stephen Fry, Andrew Motion,[18] Stephen Hough,[19] Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra,[20] National Geographic,[21] and more.
Apps published by Touchpress edit
- 2010 "The Elements"
- 2011 "X is for X-Ray[permanent dead link]"
- 2011 "Skulls by Simon Winchester"
- 2011 "Gems and Jewels[permanent dead link]"
- 2011 "The Waste Land"
- 2012 "March of the Dinosaurs[permanent dead link]"
- 2012 "Solar System"
- 2012 "Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy"
- 2012 "The Sonnets by William Shakespeare"
- 2012 "The Pyramids"
- 2012 "War Horse"
- 2012 "The Orchestra"
- 2012 "Barefoot World Atlas"
- 2013 "Beethoven's 9th Symphony"
- 2013 "The Liszt Sonata"
- 2013 "Disney Animated"
- 2013 "The Elements in Action"
- 2013 "Journeys Of Invention"
- 2014 "Incredible Numbers by Professor Ian Stewart"
- 2014 "Vivaldi's Four Seasons"
- 2014 "Seamus Heaney: Five Fables"
- 2014 "The Elements Flashcards"
- 2014 "Collins Bird Guide"
- 2014 "Apprentice Architect"
- 2014 "Think Like Churchill"
- 2014 "False Conviction"
- 2014 "Molecules"
- 2015 "Juilliard Open Studios"
- 2015 "Juilliard String Quartet"
- 2015 "Steve Reich's Clapping Music"
- 2015 "Arcadia by Iain Pears"
- 2015 "Baron Ferdinand's Challenge"
- 2015 "Classical Music Reimagined"
- 2016 "Millie Marotta’s Colouring Adventures"
- 2016 "The Henle Library"
References edit
- ^ "The Elements: A Visual Exploration". PC Mag.com. PC Magazine. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Thompson, Damian (25 May 2013). "Four recordings of Beethoven's Ninth on a $15.47 app". The Spectator. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Lawton, Chuck (31 January 2011). "Touch The Solar System on Your iPad". Wired. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Dredge, Stuart (8 August 2011). "The Waste Land iPad app earns back its costs in six weeks on the App Store". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Ng, David (20 May 2013). "Shakespeare's sonnets get a new iPad, iPhone app". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ "Touchpress unveils new strategic direction and rebrands as Amphio | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ Roush, Wade (29 July 2011). "TouchPress: Theodore Gray Tests His Mettle in the App World". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Wolfram, Stephen (24 December 2010). "Touch Press: The Second Book". Stephen Wolfram Blog. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Pham, Alex (27 April 2010). "The curious tale of the wooden table that became an iPad book". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Stockton, Nick (20 October 2014). "Explore the Building Blocks of Everything From Poison to Soap". Wired. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ Ng, David (27 April 2012). "The Coffee Table eBook: iPad Apps From Touch Press Transform The Act Of Reading". Forbes. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Roush, Wade (11 May 2012). "Touch Press, the iPad, and the New Golden Age of Multimedia". Xconomy. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Boehret, Katherine (7 April 2010). "For the iPad, Apps With Their Own Wow Factor". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Padilla, Richard (8 August 2013). "'Disney Animated' for iPad Covers the History of All 53 Disney Films". Mac Rumors. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Service, Tom (31 May 2013). "'Beethoven's Ninth, the app: an Ode to iJoy". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Richmond, Shane (15 July 2011). "The Waste Land iPad app review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Burton, Charlie (26 July 2011). "'In depth: How Björk's 'Biophilia' album fuses music with iPad apps". Wired. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
- ^ Caplan, Lisa (14 December 2012). "'Touch Press brushes the dust off The Sonnets by Shakespeare". Appolicious. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ "Stephen Hough And Touch Press Release Ground-Breaking iPad App Coinciding With Opening Concert Of BBC Proms". Classical Source. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Wall, Seth Colter (21 December 2012). "The Perfect Classical Music App". Slate. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Grabarek, Daryl (21 October 2011). "Review: 'March of the Dinosaurs' for iOS". School Library Journal. Retrieved 12 August 2013.