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USA Today's publisher had to update all of the sports posts its AI reporter botched
A week after "pausing" its AI high scool sports reporter, Gannett publishing has has had to recheck and update every post the machine had written.
Roku's latest free TV channels include Fubo Sports and USA Today
The Roku Channel just became more enticing if you crave as-it-happens TV. Roku has added five live and linear networks to its free offerings, most notably the Fubo Sports Network. The live network provides event coverage, sports talk and sports-related entertainment. You won't confuse it with ESPN given the dearth of live sports (though that may change in the future), but it could be helpful if you want to catch up on your favorite leagues at the end of the day.
Trump team wants to meet with Silicon Valley execs next week
The Trump transition team has invited a number of tech industry leaders to New York next week for a roundtable discussion. USA Today reports that Reince Priebus, Trump's chief of staff, Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, and advisor Peter Thiel are engineering the December 14th summit.
Follow local schools with USA Today High School Sports
We have seen a real surge of interest in high school sports over the last several years. The growth spurt coincides with the big increase in coverage of major college recruiting in basketball and especially football. Now with the USA Today High School Sports app you can get on the bandwagon and track high school sports locally and across the country. The free universal app requires iOS 5.0 and covers a lot more than just football and basketball. The list includes: Baseball Volleyball Track & Field Soccer Softball Wrestling Lacrosse Field Hockey When you first open the app you can choose what region of the country you are interested in following. The app uses your device's GPS to pick your location or you can choose about fifty more from a list in the Settings. Once you have made you decision, the news and scores available in USA Today High School Sports are geared toward that choice. You will be able to access the latest news, video highlights, photos, and features. You will also find current USA Today rankings of the top teams in various sports from around the country. Users can also select previous years and find out how their teams ranked at various points during earlier seasons. The app also provides a wrap up of all the previous week's scores from the Top 25 teams. One feature I found interesting is The Predictor. USA Today High School Sports uses current statistics and other data to predict the outcome of future games involving your team and future opponents. Or you could select some of the top ranked teams from around the country to see how your team would do if they matched up against them. In the example below I matched last week's top ranked team Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas against last year's national championship and currently fifth ranked team, Booker T. Washington of Miami. I tried the games twice swapping the home teams in each case. At home Booker T. wins a close four-point victory but loses by a single point if the game was played in Las Vegas. The local coverage available in USA Today High School Sports is provided by newspapers and television stations from around the country. The app has fifty-five local affiliates and that provides fairly good coverage from around the country. However the app has some glaring holes. In California, the nation's most populated state, you will only find two affiliates, one in Palm Springs and one from Sacramento. There is no local coverage from Los Angeles, San Francisco, or San Diego. In Texas there are five affiliates but none west of Dallas, and in Florida, one of the top high school football states in the US, we find five affiliates but none from Miami which is arguably the home of the best high school football in the country. USA Today High School Sports offers a lot of news and other features you won't find in other apps and provides a national perspective. However you might find more localized apps do a better job if your primary interest is in your local teams.
Jony Ive, Craig Federighi chat with USA Today
In anticipation of Apple's worldwide iPhone launch this Friday, Apple executives have been hitting the interview circuit. Earlier today, we pointed to a Businessweek interview with Tim Cook, Craig Federighi and Jony Ive; and now comes yet another chat with Apple's higher-ups courtesy of USA Today. In detailing why iOS 7 does away with the skeuomorphism so favored by Steve Jobs and Scott Forstall, Jony Ive explains: When we sat down last November (to work on iOS 7), we understood that people had already become comfortable with touching glass, they didn't need physical buttons, they understood the benefits," says Ive. "So there was an incredible liberty in not having to reference the physical world so literally. We were trying to create an environment that was less specific. It got design out of the way." On the same note, Craig Federighi explains that graphical improvements in mobile devices have somewhat negated the need for previous iOS mainstays like drop shadows. "This is the first post-Retina (display) UI (user interface), with amazing graphics processing thanks to tremendous GPU (graphics processing unit) power growth, so we had a different set of tools to bring to bear on the problem as compared to seven years ago (when the iPhone first launched)," he says. "Before, the shadowing effect we used was a great way to distract from the limitations of the display. But with a display that's this precise, there's nowhere to hide. So we wanted a clear typography." Ive jumps in. "Yes, we wanted to defer to the content, and just get out of the way." There's a whole lot of interesting information in the interview, and seeing as how interviews with Apple executives are rather hard to come by given the secretive nature of the company, the USA Today piece is certainly worth reading in its entirety.
Timehop partners with USA Today to bring old news back to life
The iOS app Timehop offers you a glimpse into your social networking past, but with its newest update, it also lets you take a peek at antiquated news stories as well. TNW reports that Timehop has partnered with USA Today to offer the top news stories from years past that were published on whatever date it happens to be. Think of it like a "this day in history" experience, but with a social twist. Another new feature that has been added to the app is called "Friendversaries." As the name implies, the new feature notifies you of the exact day you befriended certain people on your various social networks. The update is now live on the App Store, and as always, Timehop remains free. The nostalgia-centric app made our Friday Favorite list recently.
How apps are helping small business save money
During its keynote presentations, Apple often showcases how educational institutions and Fortune 500 companies are using the iPad and iPhone. Many people don't realize that small businesses are also benefiting from Apple's iOS devices. A report in USA Today sheds some light on how small business owners are using the iPad to increase productivity and save some cash. It's the iPad's portability and its robust App Store that make the tablet so attractive to businesses. With only a few thousand dollars, a small business can arm several employees with iPads so they can conduct business on the go. For example, the iPad lets a real estate agent take pictures, jot down notes, draw floor plans, and manage open house showings. When someone is ready to buy, the agent can have the buyer sign all necessary documents in the field. Though some companies have embraced the iPad whole-heartedly, many small companies are proceeding cautiously. According to a Forrester survey, only 24 percent of workers in small businesses use a touch-screen tablet for work. Apple has an enormous opportunity, if it can reach out to these reticent companies and show them how the iPad or iPhone can save them time and money.
Apple is fastest-growing US retailer
One of the topics of next week's Apple third-quarter financial results call is sure to be the performance at Apple's retail outlets. USA Today is reporting that retail sales expert David Berman has named Apple the fastest-growing major U.S. retailer, based on sales growth. He's basing that laurel on the previous quarter's results, which showed Apple's U.S. sales rising by $4.6 billion, which was a 80% increase from the same period in 2010. On its own, Apple's sales growth accounted for one-fifth of all sales growth by publicly-traded U.S. retailers. While part of that statistic reflects on the general malaise of the retail industry right now, the rest is entirely due to Apple's growing influence in the consumer technology business. The one product line expected to see a decrease in sales is the iPod. Consumers are moving away from the single-function devices and replacing them with iPhones. It's that reliance on the iPhone, which currently accounts for close to 40% of Apple's sales, that could also be its Achilles Heel. If a savvy competitor can launch a new phone that is much of a quantum leap over the iPhone as the iPhone was over almost everything in the cell phone industry in 2007, the company could be hit hard. For the time being, though, Apple can bask in its incredible success in the midst of a two-year-and-counting economic downturn.
USA Today sees iPad app as "real positive" for industry
While many newspapers are struggling financially and trying to figure out how to move from paper and ink to digital content, it appears that Gannett's USA Today is doing quite well on the iPad. Last August, the paper was in the midst of a restructuring and cut 130 staff members. At that time, USA Today made a commitment of resources to the iPad app. Now The Telegraph is reporting that the app is turning out to be a boon to USA Today. Gracia Martore, COO of Gannett, said on Monday that "The iPad has been a real positive for USA Today," and will "translate into a much more significant improvement" in revenues. Over 1.4 million copies of the app have been downloaded since April, and at this time, the digital newspaper is still ad-supported and free. That might change in the future as competition warms up (News Corp's The Daily is set to debut tomorrow), although the ads in the app command a price about five times that of standard web ads and appear to be fueling revenue growth at the paper. USA Today's happy story is in sharp contrast to reports from many magazine publishers, who are seeing rapid declines in readership for iPad editions after initial success. Tomorrow's unveiling of The Daily will usher in an in-app subscription feature, which should eliminate publisher frustrations with the current need for readers to purchase each issue separately. Whether or not USA Today and other iPad publishers will adopt the new subscription feature is unknown, but it will make it much easier for readers to purchase and renew their subscriptions to iPad newspapers and magazines. That, in turn, should help content providers gain and keep readers for the digital editions. [via AppleInsider]
Ongo for iPad is a good start, but it's far from a home run
We told you yesterday that Ongo was on the way to the iPad. It's now on the App Store, and I've had some time to play with it. Ongo is a joint venture by several newspaper companies to create a paid, ad-free news aggregator that is easy to use and will appeal to the news junkie. After some hours using the app, I found it attractively designed and easy to use. You can see and share top stories from several publications like the New York Times, USA Today and the Washington Post. The app doesn't cache much, so reading offline does not appear to be an option. You can save stories, called clippings, but once saved, I could not retrieve them without a data connection. The app allows you to sort news by type, like US or Arts and Entertainment, but there are no sections for tech (!) or even politics. It seems a glaring omission. You can certainly read stories on those subjects, but you can't sort them on your own. All the news in Ongo is created by a staff of five editors, so you're not getting the full NYT or USA Today. The staff choose what will be available, which I found troubling. Also, when searching for "Opinion," I only got material from the Washington Post. Worse yet, Hints from Heloise came up under the "Opinion" heading, with tips on cleaning pewter. Sorry, but I don't think that was a good editorial choice. There is a search function, and a query for Steve Jobs brought up many stories, none of which were relevant. They were just stories that mentioned someone named Steve and had the word "jobs" somewhere in them. An identical search in Google News worked perfectly. %Gallery-115241%
USA Today updates and improves iPad app
There are plenty of news apps for the iPad, but I'm happy to see USA Today aggressively improving what was already a useful and easy to use app. Version 2.0 is still free, and it has added more extensive tech coverage. Tech reviews feature iPad apps, and there is a video player, along with a spiffy This Week in Space section. The app has also increased travel coverage, along with a map that displays airport delays. The app now multitasks in iOS 4.2, and the developers seem to have squashed a nasty crash on startup that many people were seeing. With more and more news apps, like the the New York Times and the Washington Post, getting ready to slip behind a pay wall, it's nice to see USA Today maintain this app as a free service. %Gallery-114889%
Chrome Web Store, HTML5 and the iPad: symbiosis at its best
It's all coming together, folks. It doesn't take much of a gander at the Chrome Web Store to notice a trend: some of the flashiest, most mature "apps" are actually just in-browser versions of iPad apps. And you know what else? Most of these "apps" actually run fine in Safari on the iPad. We're not sure how long Google gave developers to port their experiences over, but it seems like most of the best work had already been done in the form of HTML5 apps that were merely wrapped in app form for App Store delivery. Google's just taking things to the next logical step. Continue after the break as we expand this thesis paragraph into a number of supporting blocks of text, a few jazzy pictorial examples, and a stunning closer.
USA Today talks about converting its iPad app to HTML5 for the Google TV
The Android market may not be accessible from Google TV devices just yet, so webapps are where it's at for now, and USA Today is one of the ones bookmarked by default. For those wondering about the development of such apps to ease viewing on TV screens, it has a blog post detailing some of the technology used and features available, for example to switch from column to column. If you're using Chrome or Safari you can pull up the page on a computer and have a look as well.
News publishers looking to the Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook for refuge as well
In case you were worried that it was just Apple love that got major news outlets on the iPad so quickly, you should know that the general sense of desperation (or is it their never ending sense of adventure?) pervading the likes of the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today has them building apps for the Galaxy Tab as well. The news comes courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, and has yet to be announced officially by the parties involved -- though we have a hard time doubting any of it. It makes sense, of course: the big cost is producing content for a tablet form factor, not building the reader app, and the Galaxy Tab naturally won't be the last of its Android kind. The WSJ and The Financial Times are also apparently some possible gets for RIM's PlayBook, though less is known about those deals. On the Tab, The New York Times is supposed to be pre-loaded with some carrier's versions of the device, and its app will be free until January of next year when The Times starts charging for its website.
Starbucks reveals plans for a Digital Network, made up of 'exclusive and premium' digital content
Free WiFi not enough of an enticement to get you to step into a Starbucks? Don't worry, the ubiquitous frappuccino purveyor has another card up its mocha-stained sleeve. Beginning this fall, Starbucks locations will be enriched with a new Digital Network, a freely accessible portal unto exclusive content from some of the more highbrow providers. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today will flesh out the news offering, Yahoo will pick up business and career duties, and Apple's iTunes will provide free downloads to sate entertainment needs. Curiously enough, nobody is exchanging any cash up front -- Starbucks isn't paying for this and neither are you -- but the trick is as always to try and upsell you on to even more premium goodies, in which case the coffee chain and content provider have a revenue-sharing deal in place to split the profit. Doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world to us, bring on the freebies!
USA TODAY for iPad adds crossword, stocks
One of the first iPad applications, USA TODAY (free), has been updated to version 1.5, which adds the long-awaited crossword puzzle and customizable market and stock information. I've been waiting for the crossword puzzle to go live for a long time, and now that it's here I'm not disappointed. You'll find it in the app's Life section. Give it a tap and the day's current puzzle appears. It looks good in both landscape and portrait orientation, but I prefer landscape (at right). The puzzle grid is in the center of the screen, flanked on either side by the down and across clues. To enter an answer, tap the beginning square once for across and twice for down. The row or column you're working on will be highlighted in purple. At the top of the screen you'll find a hints button and an archive of the previous two weeks worth of puzzles. There's also a timer for those who like to see how quickly they can finish. Finally, the settings let you hide or display the timer, show your mistakes (there's no eraser with the iPad!) and skip filled squares. I've always enjoyed newspaper crossword puzzles, and it's nice to see one migrate to the iPad so successfully. Additionally, customizable stock information has been added to the app's money section. Tap the Markets box to pop that section out. You can quickly search for a company you're interested in or tap Edit Stocks to re-order the market listings or add and remove particular companies. The next time the app is launched, it will remember your settings. Version 1.5 is a nice update to an app I've used consistently since buying my iPad. Let us say, "Well done" to everyone on USA TODAY's iPad team.
iPad apps: news and magazines
Apple's done a pretty good job convincing the old media that the iPad will save their industry, so we've taken our time trying out the launch titles in the App Store -- it's plain to see that different publishers have radically different ideas about how you're supposed to buy and consume their content, and everything from pricing to UI is currently up in the air. But while the apps we've seen so far are definitely intriguing, we haven't seen any silver bullets yet -- and to be perfectly honest, in several cases we wondered why an app was preferable to an iPad-optimized web site, or even (gasp) a paper subscription. Let's run down the launch lineup, shall we? Update: We added in NPR and Zinio by popular request, check 'em out below!
Reflections: A day and a night with the iPad
Getting an iPad was an unplanned part of my day. My original idea was to wait for version 2, but I found myself at a local Best Buy taking pictures and interviewing people in line, and the manager came out and said there were some available. Bingo. Reality distortion field. Up went my hand. I spent yesterday afternoon and last night getting a pretty good idea of what this baby does and doesn't do. Here are a few preliminary thoughts: Setup is easy, but a bit slow. I plugged it into iTunes, selected what music, movies and apps I wanted to copy to the iPad and I was on my way. It seemed like the sync took forever, and subsequent syncs are VERY slow. Lots of spinning beach balls. Maybe it's my system. Maybe not. The iPad alerted me that there were quite a few app updates that gave direct support to the higher resolution screen, so I was happy for that. How is the iPad to use? In a word, interesting, liberating, sometimes frustrating. It's heavier than I thought it would be. I think for most people, it is not a one-handed device. Sitting on my lap, or on a table, it's just dandy. As others have noted, the iPad is very snappy. Web pages render quickly, graphics are quickly updated. The screen is beautiful, and movies and photos look striking. The screen is very reflective, so you may have to fiddle around with angles if you are in a room with sunlight streaming in.
Edward C. Baig: iPad is a winner
Edward C. Baig at USA Today is among those at top newspapers who posted their first take on the iPad this evening. His verdict? Definitely a winner. Look out, Nintendo and Sony. Amazon, go cower in the corner with the Kindle. The iPad will be giving all of them a run for their money, Baig says. "At the very least, the iPad will likely drum up mass-market interest in tablet computing in ways that longtime tablet visionary and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates could only dream of," Baig points out. Ouch. Point to Steve Jobs. Baig's review goes through a rundown of the iPad that we're all familiar with -- both its strong points and its faults. But, he points out the magnificent capabilities -- especially when it comes to things such as e-books as he describes the hands-on experience with one particular app that's more like an e-book: "The iPad's splendor and power may be best shown by The Elements: A Visual Exploration. The $13.99 program is more electronic book than traditional app, but it's not like any e-book you've seen. The periodic table of elements comes to life when you touch your finger against any element. Handsome photographs of objects spin around so you can observe them from all vantage points." Read Baig's complete review at USA Today. And see an iPad video review by his co-worker, Jefferson Graham, after the jump.
More games and players in 2009, but fewer sales
The gaming industry wasn't immune to the economic turmoil around the globe in 2009, but it appears that more people are playing games -- even if they aren't necessarily buying "core" games. USA Today has a year-end piece noting that 2008's record $21.3 billion in US sales isn't in the cards this year, with NPD data revealing that, as of November, consumers bought 12.2 million consoles, compared to 14.2 million the year prior. An optimist could argue that'll be made up for in software sales, but we'll need to wait until January for that data. EEDAR's Jesse Divnich reiterated that "the big games are getting bigger," indicating that blockbuster, marketed games are siphoning more sales from everyone else. Then again, casual games like Farmville on Facebook had 65 million players. A complication here is that retail sales may be declining (which is tracked by organizations like NPD), but we don't really know what goes on in closed digital distribution systems. The actual industry sales figures may be debatable, but we'll take the rise of casual games as a sign of demographic diversity within the industry.
