After some internal debates, we finally settled on labeling this release a minor release, although its features are very well worthy of labeling it a major one. It has been 4 months since v1.6.0, and the reason is that this release included months-long refactoring and restructuring of our entire code, something that we've invested in to have Kotobee Author standing strong throughout the coming years.

Get ready to explore great new tools and features, at every level!

Note you may see the Release Notes for any of the older releases of Kotobee anytime.

Synced Audio Tool

Audio narrations can act as a replacement to text, for delivering audible content to your reader. But what if you provide both? By actively highlighting spoken words in the text, the reader will know which word is being said.  The perfect use case for this are children read-along storybooks, or language education ebooks.

The new Synced Audio tool allows you to sync your audio file to each word in a text you provide. For more information, read Sync Audio to Text.

Math Equations Tool

We did provide some workarounds in the past for creating math qquations in your content. No more workarounds. Now you can create simple or complex math equations using AsciiMath, MathML, or LaTeX.

For more information, read Add Math Equations

PDF Import/Export Enhancements

PDF import fixes and accuracy improvements. PDF exporting is now more stable, with the new option of exporting each chapter separately.

Audio Autoplay

Audio content added to your ebook can now be set to autoplay, to play immediately once your chapter is loaded.

Kindle (MOBI) Export Support for Catalina OS

Now Kotobee Author can export MOBI files if you're running on Catalina OS or 64-bit Mac machines. If you've faced a related issue in the past, make sure to "Clear Plugins" before exporting again.

EPUB Validation Improvements

EPUB files exported now have a higher chance of passing epubcheck validation, and other validation related to online book stores.

New LTI Settings (Kotobee Cloud and Library)

LTI settings now have their own tab in your cloud ebook or library settings. You may now optionally disable activation emails going to users, if they are registered through LTI.

New Notification Settings (Kotobee Cloud and Library)

If you're doing tight integration with an external system, you can now have notifications sent directly to a Callback URL of your choice, along with many different parameters. More information.

User Redirection (Kotobee Cloud and Library)

After your user activated his account through the online activation link, you can now immediately redirect him to the URL of the library (or cloud ebook). For more information read Enable Redirection for Activated Users.

Library Customization (Kotobee Library)

You can already customize the background color of your library. As requested by users who need a dark background, you can now additionally customize the text color.

Advanced Category Options (Kotobee Library)

You may set a particular category to appear as a tab at the top menu of your library. You have the option of whether to keep it in its original category list or remove it from there entirely.

We are working on more improvements with our PDF import engine, so wait for that in the coming release, in addition to other planned features.

You may download this version (or explore other versions) from https://www.kotobee.com/products/author/versions.

Till the next release, take care and maintain good hygiene!