Through a new application, a large publisher of educational e-books is making its library available on the iPhone and iPod touch. CourseSmart notes that over 7,000 titles should be now accessible, though only to anyone already paying desktop subscription costs. Book rentals typically last 180 days, and cost roughly 50 percent of a print edition's value.

CourseSmart's books come from the company's six parent publishers, including Pearson and McGraw-Hill. Beyond browsing, users of the iPhone app can also take notes, access a table of contents, and search for words and phrases. The app is a free download, part of CourseSmart's attempt at gaining wider exposure for its e-books.