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Next Issue offers all-you-can-read iPad magazine store
It's being called kind of a Netflix for magazines, and the description is apt. Five top U.S. publishers have gotten together to provide an iPad app that lets you read a great variety of magazines at a price of U.S. $9.99-$14.99 per month. The new company is called Next Issue and it's a rather bold idea. The publishers are Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corp. and Time Inc. Magazines included in the 'Unlimited Basic plan' at $9.99 are All You, Allure, Better Homes and Gardens, Bon Appétit, Brides, Car and Driver, Coastal Living, Condé Nast Traveler, Cooking Light, ELLE, Esquire, Essence, Fitness, Fortune, Glamour, Golf, Golf Digest, GQ, Health, InStyle, Money, Parents, People en Español, People StyleWatch, Popular Mechanics, Real Simple, Self, Southern Living, Sports Illustrated Kids, Sunset, This Old House, Vanity Fair, Vogue and Wired. The Unlimited Premium plan, which is $14.99, has all the above titles plus weeklies and back issues of Entertainment Weekly, People, Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker and Time. More magazines will be added over time, and the company will no doubt try to interest other publishers to join in. "Customers will see their magazines come to life in spectacular fashion," said John Loughlin, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Hearst Magazines. "Next Issue for iPad delivers an immersive and engaging experience, while the technology seems to disappear and get out of the way." The company says 30-day free trials are available for all subscription plans and print subscribers can add digital editions of the same titles for free or a nominal cost. If you want the free trial you can't do it from within the app. You must go to nextissue.com. You give them a credit card number, and if you don't cancel you'll start getting billed after your free month. Not my favorite way of doing a free trial, but there you are. I gave the app a try and signed up for the trial. There's a good selection of magazines, but more than half were of no interest to me. Even then, the pricing is pretty good and quite a bit below what I considered some of the extortionate pricing for electronic magazine subscriptions before Next Issue came on the scene. If you're a voracious reader, I think Next Issue is certainly worth the free trial, and kudos to the companies involved for trying something new and more reasonably priced.
Next Issue brings its all-you-can-read magazine store to the iPad, plans start at $10 a month
The last time we heard about Next Issue, the all-you-can-read magazine store was launching on Android, with an iOS version said to be coming soon. Three months later, the startup's made good on its promise: the storefront is now up and running on iOS, with an iPad app live in the US App Store. If you're not familiar with the way Next Issue works, it's angling to be the Netflix of digital magazines, with a monthly subscription getting you unfettered access to a library of 39 titles. In brief, the fees break down to $10 per month for all the monthly and bi-weekly mags, and $15 if you want all that plus access to tabloids and other weeklies. One last thing: the free app is just the magazine reader; you'll need to download the apps through Next Issue's browser-based store. Now, if you're wondering what sorts of magazines will be represented in that list of 40-some-odd titles, know that every bigwig in magazine publishing is on board: Conde Nast, Time, Hearst, Meredith and News Corp. That means the The New Yorker is included, as are Esquire, GQ, Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated and Popular Mechanics. In an interview, a company rep told us that Next Issue Media hopes to double the catalog by year's end, as well as ink deals with additional publishers. The biggest caveat, it seems, is that content providers have the prerogative to make a title available on one platform but not the other, so don't count on the iOS and Android apps offering identical selections. Feeling a bit tentative? The company is offering new customers a 30-day free trial, and we've also got not one, but four (yes, four) demo videos after the break.%Gallery-160005%
Layar chief exits CEO spot in favor of print guru, edges closer to augmented reality magazine dreams
Layar previously signaled that it wants to get into augmented reality print media, and its founder Raimo van der Klein is putting his money (or at least, his title) where his mouth is. He's leaving the CEO position in favor of Quintin Schevernels, who comes from the print publishing world as VNU Media's COO. Van der Klein will hang around as Creative Director to keep the company pushing forward in new directions, but he sees most of the money-making coming from print-friendly tools like Layar Creator -- it only makes sense to have someone who's well-steeped in the medium (and who can turn a profit) running the show. Schevernels hasn't signaled any grand strategy changes in his first few hours on the job, although he might not be in any rush following the launches of apps like Stiktu. We'd just be ready for a whole lot of augmented reality magazines and cereal boxes in the near future.
Time, Inc. will sell its magazines on Apple's Newsstand
Laura Lang, CEO of Time, Inc. and Eddy Cue, Apple's VP for Internet software and service, confirmed to The New York Times that Time Inc.'s magazine lineup is coming to the iPhone and iPad. All of Time's magazines including People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle and Entertainment Weekly will be available soon in Apple's Newsstand app container. Up until now, the standalone Time Inc. apps have not enabled subscription purchases in-app. Unlike Condé Nast and Hearst, which adopted Apple's subscription service last year, Time, Inc. has been reluctant to agree to the restrictions Apple imposed on companies that sold magazine subscriptions through its App Store. At the crux of this complaint is customer data, which was held by Apple and not shared with magazine publishers. Apple has eased those restrictions and now gives users the option to share their information to the publisher. Apple's newsstand debuted in October 2011 with iOS 5 and currently sells more than 5,000 magazines and newspapers.
Red 5 unveils part one of Firefall manga, shuts down ARG [Updated]
Firefall's beta test is moving steadily along toward the game's (hopefully) upcoming release, and fans are probably hungry for some more background on the MMOFPS title. To help satiate that appetite, Red 5 has released part one of the Firefall manga series penned by legendary sci-fi author Orson Scott Card and his daughter Emily Janice Card. The comic, entitled Trespasser, is penciled by renowned artist Joe Ng of UDON comic fame, and follows mohawk-sporting heroine Pilgrim as she kills gargantuan mutant bugs and has a bit of a run-in with the law. The manga's story begins prior to the crash of the Arclight, which heralds the beginning of the in-game timeline. Hopefully the narrative will serve to fill in some of the details regarding the events that lead up to Firefall itself. Red 5 will be unveiling two new pages every Tuesday, so head on over to the comic to get up-to-speed, then be sure to check in weekly for the rest of the story. [Update: Red 5 has also announced it is shutting down Firefall's alternate-reality game to avoid storyline overlap and conflict with the manga.]
MacTech magazine launches on iPad, 2012 e-issues free for WWDC
Our comrades in geek over at MacTech have some WWDC-related deals to share. The iPad edition of the Mac-centric technical journal was released last month, and the free app shows up in the iPad's Newsstand container (as with most periodicals). The in-app issue purchases run you $4.99 for one, or $10.99 for a three-issue subscription. The annual print/digital bundle is a better deal, with a full year's subscription to both versions running you $29.99. Given the festivities in San Francisco, however, the MacTech team has made the year-to-date issues of the magazine free to download. Follow this link to get the free issues -- no strings attached. The new app also includes a handy feature built as part of Aquafadas's digital publishing system, called Guided Reading. This lets the reader set the desired zoom level of the text and then navigate forward and backward between portions of an article by simply tapping on arrows at the left and right bottom edges of the screen. Guided Reading just guides you through the zoomed-in text -- no dragging around, or zooming out and in again to keep track of your position on the page. TUAW is a media partner of the MacTech live event series.
Distro Issue 44 is here and it's time to get fit!
Here in the states, it's just about time to start hitting the beach, and despite what you might have heard, not all of us here at Engadget are perpetually bikini-ready. In this week's issue of Distro, we'll follow our own Daniel Cooper on an eight-week quest to slim down before his summertime nuptials. In "Fitter, Happier" Daniel puts a series of fitness gadgets to the test to find out if machines really can make you a healthier, skinnier and, ultimately, happier human being. We'll also bring you the best of Computex 2012, a look at gaming's big three at E3 and give you our impressions of Microsoft's latest Windows 8 preview, Lenovo's ThinkPad X230 and Sony's NEX-F3. Rounding things out, we'll take a closer look at some of the biggest names in fit tech with "Eyes-On" and jog your memory with an early ancestor to the MP3 player in "Time Machines." So hit the appropriate link below and get to downloading. Distro Issue 44 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (For sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Hipstamatic's Snap is a beautiful magazine worth having on the iPad
One of the best places to show off sumptuous design and photography is the iPad, and Hipstamatic is taking advantage of that with its new Snap magazine, a digital publication that combines Hipstamatic user pictures with print and other art that's completely free. AllThingsD billed Snap as a photography magazine, but I agree with TechCrunch's assessment that it's more of a culture and lifestyle publication. While Hisptamatic images are the driving force behind the magazine, there is a lot to be said for the content. The first few pages cover some of Hipstamatic's original developers, as well as artists who describe how they utilize the app to create stellar images. Then you learn how to create the perfect mixtape, get those ruby red lips you've always wanted, use Guinness to create the perfect mussels dish and more. The articles are short and smartly written, and the design is just beautiful. There are minimal ads throughout, mostly for Hipstamatic partnerships and the #makebeautiful campaign that Hipstamatic is promoting. There are a couple drawbacks to the app itself. You can bring up a menu at the bottom to swipe to a page later in the magazine, but it doesn't give you the page number until it actually loads. There's no quick way to leap to a certain page. If you exit the issue, you'll be kicked back to the beginning once you re-enter it. You do keep your position, however, if you keep the issue up in the background. Pages are a bit slow to load. These are minor drawbacks and most likely will be resolved in future issues. Snap is a free subscription, and if you're a fan of Hipstamatic, photography or design, it's worth checking out.
Adobe upgrades its Digital Publishing Suite with iPhone viewer, improved social media features
Between rolling out Creative Suite 6, Creative Cloud and a new video platform for broadcasters, Adobe's been mighty busy lately. If that's not evidence enough that the outfit is making good on its promise to restructure around digital media, hear this: the company just announced a slew of enhancements to its Digital Publishing Suite (DPS), which Conde Nast and others use to format magazines for mobile devices. For starters, publishers now have a way to tailor content specifically for the iPhone, just as they can for the iPad, Kindle Fire and Android tablets. So far, we know Conde Nast will be using this tool to build a modified edition of The New Yorker, though Conde Nast hasn't announced when it will become available for download. Meanwhile, art departments used to working in InDesign can now take a single a layout and repurpose it across multiple devices. Similarly, DPS is now integrated with Adobe Edge, which means publishers can create HTML5 animations and then easily port them over to their digital editions. Moving on, SocialSharing is exactly what it sounds like: it promises to make it easier for people reading these magazines to share stories using built-in email, Twitter and Facebook functionality. Getting more granular, a new font rights policy means that once a publishing company buys rights to use a certain font, it won't have to pay additional per-usage fees every time someone downloads the app. Lastly, Adobe announced that Meredith, the company that brings you (yes, you) Better Homes and Gardens, Parents and Fitness will also begin using the platform to create digital editions. Hold onto your britches, kids.
Blackline TV goes live with its iPad-optimized, HTML5 magazine
HTML5 is fast becoming an attractive solution for content producers that want to target mobile consumers without limiting their reach to one platform. Done properly, HTML5 can target iPads, Android tablets, mobile phones and desktop users with minimal effort. It's a strategy that magazines and other digital publishers are increasingly adopting. Just this week, The Financial Times said it's abandoning its iPad app and replacing it with an HTML5 version. It's not just the leading publishers adopting HTML5; upstart magazine producer Blackline TV is using the same strategy. Known for its satirical commentaries and humorous skits, Blackline TV is now turning its attention towards a digital magazine. The first version debuted on Tuesday in an HTML5 format that's compatible with the iPad. This maiden release is for iPad owners only, but upcoming versions will target Android and other platforms. We talked with Nonso Christian Ugbode, Lerone D. Wilson and Robert Pinderhuze, the trio behind Blackline's special brand of humor, and found out more about the inner workings of Blackline TV, the new Blackline Magazine and their experience with HTML5. Read on for the full interview anc click through to check out their new iPad magazine. Q. So tell me your history, how did you guys get started with Blackline TV? A. Someone once asked me to describe Blackline in a word, so I said "Blackline." Then they allowed me 4 words, and I said "It's not that serious." Honestly, if I had five I would've said "It's really not that serious," which is more accurate. The foundation of what we do, whether in our tablet based magazine, podcast, or through social media is mock the people, institutions, ideas, and events that commit the cardinal sin of taking themselves too seriously. It's not surprising that the origins of Blackline began in the upper echelons of New York's elitist private universities. Co-founders Nonso Christian Ugbode and Lerone D. Wilson found that they were the only ones in their classes at New York University's film school who found the term "Best Boy" 1000 times more entertaining than the actual job description (especially when said in a lingering, effeminate voice), and never fully understood exactly what "Mis en Scene" was because to do so would only occur after running out of jokes at the expense of the French (this has not yet occurred). Later on, Lerone D. Wilson and Robert Pinderhuze established a similar rapport at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism when they found that they were the only ones who considered making jokes about Oprah Winfrey's beau Stedman an adequate use of classroom time during reporting exercises. Shortly thereafter, the trio decided that their elitist education could be put to better use. Rather than wasting their talents and abilities attracting attention, laughter, and plenty of jeers at New York City's bars, restaurants, and cinemas, they soon realized after watching Spiderman (the one with Toby Maguire, not the awesome 90's cartoon) that "with great power comes great responsibility," and thus pledged to use their powers for good rather than evil. At that moment Blackline was born. Blackline exists today after failing as a blog, then a television concept, then another blog, chilling for a while, then coming back for another great adventure as a tablet based magazine and podcast. Perhaps this stunning success is a product of their overarching governing principal; take everything we collectively have learned through hard work and stringent coursework, and do the opposite. Some say this is foolishness, others say this is utter foolishness. Regardless of who is correct, one fact remains; it is Blackline. Q. You're well-known for your comedy podcast. Do you use Macs, iPads or iPhone in the production process? If so, what's your hardware/software setup? A. So many jokes to tell about our shoddy initial setup! But we'll spare you. The whole process is now very efficiently Mac-enabled. We use a 17" MacBook Pro for recording, and everything plugs into that: studio-grade microphones, mixer boards, noise-cancelling USB adapters, everything. We could podcast from the moon with that thing with no issues. For software we're on Garageband version 6.0.2 right now; it's always been a solid choice for recording, some great intuitive templates particularly if you record music as well. Makes it easier to go back and forth between project types. Wilson likes to do the editing on Soundtrack; he likes the increased amount of control and finesse it gives the final product. We started out using our iPhones to reference live links during the podcast, but recently we've found the iPad is great for having our program rundown sheet close at hand during the show. Both iPad and iPhone are great for browsing during the show, for when you have disagreements or challenges, you can search and find your answer and still keep the conversation flowing. Thank goodness for AirPlay. By the time the podcast is live on Monday it's playing all over my apartment while I'm getting set to head out for work; that's when you notice all the things you could have said better, or missed opportunities for jokes. We've also used the iPhone in a lot of random ways we never thought we would, from featuring Siri as a voice on the podcast for skits, to auto-tuning Robb's voice for Kanye West impressions. Q. Why an online magazine? How will your humor translate over from audio to written form? A. Design. It really is all about bringing a richer experience forward. Our goal is to create something you want to look at over and over again, something that will sit with you for a lot of lazy evenings or weekends. Moving to this format has definitely made our voice different, we find it allows us to be much more immersive in our story telling. Where we started on the blog was a great first phase, it allowed us a solid foundation on which to build more three-dimensional stories now. And we're having ideas we would have dismissed on the blog. There is a story about a Tetris piece on strike in here that we would never have run, it's not particularly topical even with the satire, but in a magazine format you're not thinking about that so much. You're there for a good story and that's what you get, so we are finding that the types of stories we tell are more universal stretching far beyond our heavily political roots. And the stories are funnier, at least we hope! Q. Will the content mirror what you are doing on the podcast or will the magazine be completely different? A. We've found that it's all related, we'll create a character for a skit on the podcast and all of a sudden that character gets a magazine sidebar, or even a fake commercial in the magazine, and then someone will think of jokes the character can say on twitter. We're finding the whole experience, from podcast to social media to magazine, gels so well organically that we can move ideas around between platforms and make them even richer. Q. You chose HTML5 for the format of your magazine, instead of an iPad app. Why? A. We wanted to stand out, and we wanted to be able to say whatever we wanted without waiting to hear if we'd get into this or that app marketplace. The app space is totally crowded anyway, we're betting on a native web trend that's about to pour out a lot of awesome stuff. But mainly it's because we wanted to be able to tell bad jokes about Steve Jobs. Q. Were there any challenges to working with HTML5 and formatting it for the iPad? A. The biggest challenge with regard to developing this as a web application is the fact that HTML5 is still not a standard. That is to say there are a lot of ways to make certain features work that have been hacked together based on what's possible now, and a day or a week from now our lives could be made much easier, or much worse when different device makers decide to change how their tablet OSes interact with their web browsers, and how their web browsers interact with and/or support various HTML5 and Javascript features and calls. Even aside from the code, it's great to have something that can potentially operate on so many devices - but building in support for so many devices is incredibly time consuming and difficult. For example in this issue we have a feature called "Maya Angelou's Icebox", where you're able to move words around on the famed poet's refrigerator door. It works great on iPad, which we designed it for, but on other devices two things start to happen. First, the images get resized based on the size/aspect ratio of the device's screen - which is very inconsistent across devices, then the interactive portion which is governed by Javascript, and the position of the tiles which is governed by CSS are called slightly differently by different devices. As a result the layout looks a little different each time. An iPad user for example will love it, but the user of an Android device with a smaller screen might wonder why all of the words are slightly right of center. There are a few fixes that we can implement to promote a more standardized experience, but as you support more devices this becomes increasingly difficult and time consuming. It also doesn't help that our programming is performed solely by a gerbil. He's a decent enough coder, but his contract stipulates that he gets 8 hours of wheel time per day. As such, how can we in good faith ask him to sacrifice his hard earned wheel time to go bake in support for the Asus Transformer Pad TF300? So in effect our biggest advantage is also our biggest problem. We love the openness and flexibility of developing this as a web app, but as we start implementing more and more features we end up having to drop support for some devices. It's a tough balance, but so far we have settled on first rewarding those who have the most money, and pay the most for their devices, the "job creators" if you will. So the magazine is currently 100% compatible with all iPads (the most expensive devices), and over the coming weeks and months we'll work on bolstering support for Android devices (which are about 75% compatible right now), down to Kindle Fire, or "The Poor Man's iPad" as we all call it in house. Q. How will you deliver content to readers on a regular basis? With an iOS magazine, the content is downloaded automatically and the reader is alerted by a notification. How will users be alerted there's new content from your magazine? A. Content will be updated regularly through the app that gets installed on your iPad, so you don't have to make a point of seeking out and downloading new versions of the magazine when they're released. But in the second part of that question you've hit on one of the major deficiencies that web apps have right now in terms of developing for tablet devices. Currently there isn't a way for websites to push information to devices in the same way that App Store apps can. So there won't be any device level indication that new content is ready. In order to combat that, however, we're trying to create an immersive experience that doesn't solely involve the magazine. Yes, we want magazine readers, but we also have a weekly podcast that supplements the magazine that we'd like people to subscribe to, as well as Twitter accounts for not only Blackline, but a few characters from our stories and sketches. So we want people to be invested in the entire experience, which will aid in keeping them up to date on new issues and features. For example when you hear us mention the new issue on the podcast, or see a tweet from us or one of our characters, you'll know that all you have to do is click that same icon on your home screen to see the new issue. In a way, that almost even feels a bit more warm and genuine than a number appearing on top of an icon, or the cold OS dialogue box that a traditional app would employ.
Distro Issue 37 chats with Microsoft's Bill Buxton on the future of the natural UI
Chin up, friends. The week is coming to a close and a fresh issue of our tablet mag is hot off the e-presses. Front and center this week, Microsoft's Bill Buxton discusses the future of the Natural UI. We also feature the start of Reaction Time, a regular column from Joystiq's Editor-in-chief Ludwig Kietzmann. Here, he'll tackle the current state of gaming from week to week. Also new this time around, a look back at the hands-on opps that we've had over the past seven days and Switched On continues its look at smartphone growth. The HTC One V, Titan II and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) get put through their paces while Darren Murph offers some thoughts on Facebook's role as a digital scrapbook. IRL offers a regular peek into our gear habits, the Stat breaks down screen resolution, DigitalRev's Kai Man Wong runs through the Q&A gauntlet and Box Brown has the Last Word on Angry Birds Space. So what are you waiting for? Head on down to the link of your choice to begin your download. Distro Issue 37 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (For sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Distro Issue 36 lands with The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, the New York International Auto Show, Ultrabooks and Nikon's D4
Buckle up, folks. The latest installment of our weekly e-publication is chock full of awesome. First, we caught up with The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne to chat about the role of tech in their music and, more specifically, the group's upcoming album. In case you were napping, we take another look at what the New York International Auto Show had to offer this year and what Google needs to do to keep it weird. For your gadget fix, we put the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 and 15-inch Samsung Series 9 Ultrabooks as well as the Nikon D4 through the wringer. To top that all off, Snap Analysis looks at Facebook's purchase of Instagram, the Stat counts Android flavors, Crackberry founder Kevin Michaluk tackles the Q&A and Box Brown has the Last Word. An e-copy of your very own is a few clicks away, as your download link awaits below.Distro Issue 36 PDFDistro on the iTunes App StoreDistro in the Android MarketDistro APK (for sideloading)Like Distro on FacebookFollow Distro on Twitter
Distro Issue 35 gets smart with the Smartphone Buyers Guide, HTC's army of Ones and Nokia's Lumia 900
Just last week, Nielsen announced that smartphones now account for almost half of US mobile ringers. As such, we thought it only fitting to dedicate this, the 35th issue of our fine weekly, to those intelligent pocket dwellers. In it, we'll bring you our top handset picks from the big four and beyond, with the Spring 2012 edition of our Smartphone Buyers Guide, as well as our in-depth impressions of the HTC One S, One X and Sense 4 UI and Nokia's Lumia 900. Also in this issue, a look back at the history of the smartphone in this week's Stat, a Q&A with Jared Polin of FroKnowsPhoto and the comic stylings of Dustin Harbin for the Last Word. So hit the appropriate link below and enjoy!Distro Issue 35 PDFDistro on the iTunes App StoreDistro in the Android MarketDistro APK (for sideloading)Like Distro on FacebookFollow Distro on Twitter
2600 Volume 1 released as a DRM-free ebook: phreak like it's 1984
Long-running hacker magazine 2600 has been digging into its archives quite a bit as of late (it began releasing videos of the early HOPE conferences in December), and it's now gone back right to the beginning for its latest offering. It's just released 2600: The Hacker Digest - Volume 1, a DRM-free ebook that collects its first year of newsletters -- reformatted in book form for easier reading, but with every last detail intact (including typos). That's available in both the Kindle and Nook stores, as well as through 2600's own site in plain old PDF form, each of which set you back just under $4. What's more, while there's no firm word on any additional volumes just yet, 2600 says it'll keep them coming if there's enough support for the first one.
Next Issue Media launches on Android, $15 a month for access to 32 magazines
If you've taken issue with your usual choices for buying magazines on your tablet, be it pay-per-issue or per-subscription, you're not alone. If you'll recall, it was nearly a year ago that Next Issue Media launched the preliminary version of its "Hulu-meets-magazines" app on the Galaxy Tab, and it's finally ready to release this physical newsstand alternative officially. After raking in a slew of deals last November, its Android 3.0 app is now available -- users can fork over a monthly fee of $10 to access all of its monthly and bi-weekly content, while an extra five bucks adds in weekly content, essentially giving you access to every publication on offer. Singular subscriptions are also available for two to 10 bucks, and you'll currently have a choice of 32 mags from the likes of Car and Driver to The New Yorker. Interestingly, TechCrunch notes that NIM plans to get the app over to iOS "soon" -- it'll surely be interesting to see how it competes with Apple's own Newsstand. You'll find more info at the via links below, and you can flip over to the source for details about a 30-day trial offer.
Distro Issue 34 takes a 'Shot in the Dark' with Canon's 5D Mark III
If you were lucky enough to grab a 5D Mark III when they hit shelves last week, you know how well the slick shooter performs with the lights down low. If you're still pondering plunking down $3,500 for the DSLR, on the other hand, you can check out the camera's night moves in this issue of Distro. And if you're looking for even more of our expert opinions, we have reviews of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7 for Verizon, a 14-inch Series 5 Ultrabook, a pre-production Galaxy Note 10.1 and SYNC by 50 Wireless Headphones. We'll also grill Mutemath's Darren King and give you an Angry Bird's-eye view of the smartphone market in this week's Switched On. So grab your device of choice and hit the appropriate download link below.Distro Issue 34 PDFDistro on the iTunes App StoreDistro in the Android MarketDistro APK (for sideloading)Like Distro on FacebookFollow Distro on Twitter
Report: Newsstand apps for the iPad generate about $70K per day
A report from Distimo suggests iPad Newsstand apps are generating US$70,000 per day for Apple and its top 100 participating publishers less than six months after the category debuted in iOS 5. Not surprisingly, the top grossing apps are The Daily, the NY Times for iPad and The New Yorker Magazine. Though it pales in comparison to some categories like Games which generates millions of dollars in revenue, the growth in the Newsstand category is a sign that magazine and newspaper apps have potential, especially on a tablet device like the iPad.
Reader's Digest creative director offers tips for magazine iPad design
Robert Newman, creative director of Reader's Digest, sat down with TMG's Engage to discuss how the magazine made the digital transition to publishing on the iPad. The article offers good advice in how to take a publication digital, as well as how it could influence a print product in return. It's also great for iPad design in general, and is a great reference for those wanting to get into this field. "If there's one crucial mistake that people make on their apps it's that they don't pay enough attention to the text font and the size and the width-and how it navigates," Newman cautions the would-be iPad designer. [Via Charles Apple]
Distro Issue 33 takes on Apple's new iPad -- Now in HD!
Late last week, Apple unleashed its new iPad on the world, and in this issue of Distro we'll let our review of the high-res tablet loose on you. While the iPad may be out in front in terms of sales today, our Weekly Stat shows that the army of Android competitors may surpass it by 2016. We'll give one of those soldiers, the Acer Iconia Tab A200, the review treatment in this issue, as well as Wacom's latest tablet of another sort, the Intuos5 Touch, and Samsung's rugged handset, the Rugby Smart. Also on offer in our 33rd edition are a host of regular exclusives: Recommended Reading, Switched On, a Q&A with Tekzilla's Patrick Norton and the comic stylings of Box Brown. So grab the tablet of your choosing and hit the appropriate download link below, but make sure to update your app if you're sporting Apple's latest slate -- we've optimized Distro for high-res viewing.Distro Issue 33 PDFDistro on the iTunes App StoreDistro in the Play StoreDistro APK (for sideloading)Like Distro on FacebookFollow Distro on Twitter
Conde Nast to track iPad readership
It's been two long years for advertisers working with Conde Nast and their digital magazines. Until now, the publication has provided advertisers with only minimal details on its digital readership. An AdAge report suggests this is all about the change. Because of the newness of the medium, Conde Nast had to develop new tools and new ways to gather significant data from iPad, Kindle and Nook readers. The publishing company has ironed out some of the kinks and is ready to provide regular data on: the magazine's paid tablet subscriptions and single-copy sales during the reporting period the number of readers that actually opened the issue's tablet edition, including print subscribers using their complimentary digital access the total number of times that readers opened it and the time that readers spent with it The is welcome news to advertisers like Robin Steinberg, Executive Vice President and Director of publishing investment and activism at MediaVest, who said, "There is no doubt this is not only a good move but the right move."
