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Flipboard gets a makeover and thousands of new topics
The folks at Flipboard must have been crazy busy these past months: the company has just unleashed a huge update for its iOS and Android apps, a few weeks after finally releasing an app for Windows Phone. This update gives the digital magazine/social network aggregator a major makeover, with a new font and a brand new menu bar at the bottom. The menu, which you can see above, gives you quick access to your home page, redesigned profile, news tiles, notifications and an improved search function. In addition, the app comes with a feature called "The Daily Edition," a curated roundup (by the Flipboard team) of all the top stories from the day before, complete with an animated GIF at the end.
Flipboard finally arrives for Windows Phone
Have you been frustrated that your Nokia handset hasn't had the same Flipboard access as your Windows PC and tablet? Well, you're in luck. The popular reading app has finally made its way to Microsoft's mobile OS. Outfitting Windows Phone 8.1 devices with at least 1GB of RAM, the software has been retooled specifically for smartphones with easy access to Cover Stories' highlights, search and sharing options. It'll come preloaded on the Lumia 830 that's set to arrive soon, and compatibility for phones with less memory is in the works as well. If your device meets the current requirements though, you can get to downloading right now.
Flipboard is ready to annoy you with video ads
You may see Flipboard's reading app as an oasis from an internet full of video services like YouTube, but it appears that you can't quite escape those moving pictures. The magazine-like service is now rolling out full-page video ads in a pilot program; browse through major sections (such as News or Entertainment) starting today and you'll see promo clips from the likes of Chrysler and Sony Pictures. If all goes according to plan, the pilot should expand on November 1st. It's hard to cheer the arrival of more elaborate sales pitches, but look at this way: none of the ads will auto-play, so you won't have to endure movie trailers and recycled TV commercials while you're catching up on the day's events.
Google is bringing Android apps to Chromebooks
Google I/O wasn't all about Android and wearables. The Mountain View company unveiled more information about Chrome OS, that other Google operating system, as well. The big news? Google is finally bringing Android apps to the Chromebook. Sundar Pichai, Google's Senior VP of Android, Chrome and apps, showed off the Vine Android app on a Chromebook Pixel on stage. As seen in a picture (after the break) different apps work differently, with Flipboard showing up larger, and Vine appearing in a phone-sized window. The apps can access local hardware so you can record a Vine from your Chromebook's camera if you wish. Additionally, when your phone and laptop are connected, a notification will pop up on your Chromebook letting you know if your phone battery is low; there are alerts for incoming calls and text messages too. At last, it seems Google is working to bring Chrome and Android together in a unified experience. Update: A post on Google+ indicates that the only approved apps right now are Vine, Flipboard and Evernote. Others will need to be added to the list before you can access them on your Chromebook this fall when the feature launches. Want a say in which app is next to make the jump? Nominate your preference on Chromebook.com/newapps to let the team know.
Weekends with Engadget: the future of Oculus Rift, new HTC One review and more!
Welcome to Weekends with Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines from the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. For even more news, subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Zite newsreader sold to Flipboard
My all time favorite newsreader, Zite, has been sold by CNN to Flipboard for a deal reported by Reuters to be worth about US$60 million dollars. Flipboard has also struck a content deal with CNN. CNN bought Zite in 2011. In a conference call this morning, Flipboard CEO Mike McCue said Zite's technology drew Flipboard to the deal. Indeed to my mind what made Zite so attractive was the fact that it learns what I am interested in, while Flipboard does not. Zite is a terrific app, but was never really as popular as Flipboard. Zite will stay up and running until the Zite technology appears in a new version of Flipboard. Zite started as an iPad-only personalized news magazine, then moved to the iPhone. I just talked to Zite CEO Mark Johnson, who told me Flipboard is really impressed with Zite, and Johnson said he expects much of the user interface and technology that makes Zite so good to be quickly incorporated into Flipboard. The entire Zite team, minus Johnson, is heading to Flipboard, which I view as positive. Said Johnson, "Leaving is bittersweet, because Zite is the best product I've ever worked on and I can't imagine how I'd get my news without it. However, I'm confident that Zite + Flipboard will create a more magical product than Zite is today." Johnson adds that he's going to take a welcome three months off and go from there.
CNN's Flipboard rival now belongs to... Flipboard
CNN bought the news-aggregation service Zite to get a fast track in the mobile space, but it never gained much ground versus Zite's archrival, Flipboard. Accordingly, the TV broadcaster is throwing in the towel -- it just sold Zite to Flipboard for $60 million. The deal brings a raft of previously unavailable CNN content to Flipboard's news-curation platform, ranging from articles to video feeds for shows like Anderson Cooper 360 and Inside Politics. The network has also agreed to produce custom magazines (shown here) that go beyond what you'd normally find online. CNN's content is available today, and it's launching alongside a big Android app update that lets readers sign in with Google, control article density, curb their data use and attach photos to custom magazines.
Paper news-reading app makes Facebook prettier, a bit less functional (hands-on)
Upon installing Facebook's newest app, you're greeted by a friendly female voice. "Welcome to Paper," she says. And, for many folks, Paper will be a welcome change indeed. But, before we tell you why Paper may be preferable to the full Facebook app, let's establish just what Paper is -- it's only been a few days since it was revealed to the world, after all. Generally, Paper is a news-reading app that shows users the stuff they already get in their News Feed, in addition to stories pulled from third parties (including Engadget, of course) by Facebook's in-house team of tastemakers.
Flipboard now learns from your reading habits, arranges your favorites in sections
In an effort to predict what you want to read, Flipboard is updating its Cover Stories to learn from your perusing habits. This section of the app learns how you navigate content and will feature articles from sections that you spend the most time reading -- rather than displaying selections in the order they're posted. Here, stories will also be sorted by source, social network and topic for quick scanning, and the mute function is still in play for the text you wish to hide. The outfit plans to integrate the functionality in other areas of the app too, like its curated magazine The Weekend. Android and iOS users can expect to see the new Cover Stories features soon, as the roll out has already begun.
Flipboard launches direct sharing on iOS, makes magazines from your friends' suggestions
If you've ever stumbled across a Flipboard article that you just had to share with the world, you'll want to grab the iOS app's latest update. The new version lets you share articles directly from the app, delivering notifications to friends if they're already Flipboard readers. All shared articles now show up in a central area, and you can turn this list into a magazine if your friends have impeccable taste. Flipboard hasn't said when Android and Windows users will get to spread the literary wealth, but we'd expect a corresponding app upgrade before long.
Flipboard finally makes its appearance on Windows 8.1
Fans of Flipboard's curated content experience that are running Windows 8.1 have had to go without a native app on their Microsoft-powered machines, until today. That's right folks, after promising it was coming, the app is finally here. And with it comes the ability to pin specific sections, magazines or a general Flipboard live tile to your Start screen. Naturally, this version of Flipboard's been tailored to take advantage of Win8's gestures as well, so a swipe up provides buttons to subscribe, refresh, edit and flip things, while pulling down from the top lets you see additional content from contributors or stuff others are reading. And, the app supports Windows' snap feature, so you can use Flipboard side-by-side with other programs. Should you wish to see for yourself before you decide to download, a video walkthrough awaits after the break.
Flipboard goes commercial with shopping catalogs curated by brands, celebrities and users
Plenty of companies have tried to digitize the shopping catalog experience, to varying degrees of success. But, if anybody has a chance at truly capturing the pleasure of flipping through glossy pages filled with the latest fashions and gadgets, it's gotta be Flipboard. The app has already brought some of the joy of paging through magazines to tablets and phones, now it's turned its eye towards commerce. Along with news, technology and sports, you'll also now find a shopping category. Inside are catalogs assembled by the likes of Banana Republic, which can even be divided into smaller sub sections such as fall flannels, complete with giant red buttons that allow you to buy the products you see. But, Flipboard isn't stopping with the traditional company catalog, it's also delivering curated shopping experiences, built by celebrities and regular users. It's a move that pushes it into much more direct competition with a service like Pinterest. An updated flip.it bookmarklet will let users clip products, complete with category and pricing details, and add them to a customized collection. At launch Flipboard won't allow users to earn cash through affiliate links, though, that may change in time. Instead, it's focusing on building out its shopping category at the moment by adding lists from public personalities and bringing in new retail partners. Though, it may be slow going at first since each catalog has to be hand formatted by the Flipboard team. You'll find the new shopping section in your Flipboard app today, nestled between sports and photo & design.
Flipboard refreshes iOS app interface, adds onscreen alerts
Flipboard got an iOS 7 makeover from the get-go, but now its developers have polished its interface even further, made it faster and sprinkled in new features. While its changelog doesn't include anything huge, the updated aggregator now shows onscreen alerts for incoming feeds so you don't miss any breaking news. Version 2.1 also takes advantage of the relatively big iPhone 5 and 5s screens by adding more section tiles on the front page. As a nice extra, the devs threw in a setting that lets you adjust text size within the app. Get these changes (along with a bucket full of bug fixes) via the iTunes source link below.
More magazines coming to Flipboard: Time, Fortune, InStyle and People
If you work in new media, there's a sure-fire way to know if you've made it: traditional media starts paying attention. Time Inc. is following in some, ahem, illustrious footsteps after announcing that it's bringing InStyle, People, Fortune and Time to Flipboard. The first two will be arriving on the platform this week, with the latter pairing debuting in December. With specially paginated content, readers will see a "unique brand experience" when you delve into each title -- presumably with plenty of space for benevolent advertisers like Gucci to exhibit their wares.
Flipboard coming to Windows Phone 8 and Lumia 2520 tablet
Windows Phone naysayers have always argued that the OS doesn't have enough of the most popular apps out there, but Microsoft is quieting down the critics, one a handful of apps at a time. This time around, we can add Flipboard to the list of in-demand apps that are finally coming to Nokia devices. We'll first see the app on its first Windows RT tablet, the Lumia 2520, as the company just announced on stage at Nokia World, before it rolls out to Windows Phone 8 devices in the coming weeks. The Lumia 2520 is also set to launch with Nokia's new Storyteller app, displaying photos and videos in the form of stories, as well as the updated Camera app, which is already coming to Nokia's 6-inch smartphone: the Lumia 1520.
iOS 7 app update roundup: it's a flat, flat, flat world
Even if you don't feel like coughing up the cash for either the iPhone 5c or iPhone 5s, those eligible for an update (that's if you own an iPhone 4 or up, or an iPad 2 onward) can at least console themselves with iOS 7, which debuts today. Gone is the skeuomorphic design of the Forstall era, and in its place is a flatter interface that promises an entirely new experience for iOS devotees. As such, developers everywhere have been scrambling to get their apps redesigned to match the new mobile OS out of Cupertino. While we can't possibly cover every update, we've compiled a quick list after the break of the more substantial app revamps that have come our way.
Flipboard arrives for BlackBerry 10, but you can't use it yet (update: counterfeit app)
Bored, BlackBerry toters? Flipboard is now on BlackBerry World to save your commute, but wait: there's a rather big catch. It'll only work with BlackBerry 10.2 OS (since it's an Android port), and that version isn't out yet, unless you're okay with a leaked copy. If so, you'll be able to use its magazine-style interface to share on up to 12 social networks, save stories for later perusing, curate your own editions (with help from your friends) and more. There are also customized versions for 15 countries, including the UK, Australia and Canada. If and when you get the right OS, you can grab it at the source and starting maxing out on content -- including this very tech site. Update: It turns out the app -- while a fully-functioning Android version -- was in fact a counterfeit, according to N4BB. That means an illegitimate company managed to slip the version past BlackBerry World gatekeepers, and Flipboard had nothing to do with it. That seems like a rather large oversight on BlackBerry's part, considering the stature of such an app, but it's now been pulled from the store. If you managed to grab it, it goes without saying that it's not a good idea to install it on your device.
Flipboard competitor Material goes live
Flipboard (and Google Currents, et al) competitor Material has gone live in the App Store. From a quick glance, Material look like just another magazine-type newsreader, but Material has tackled one of the biggest annoyances about newsreaders that others haven't: the setup. With most newsreaders, the first time you launch the app, you need to tell it what types of news you are interested in and from what sources you like to get your news from. Material skips that mundane setup phase altogether by bringing you the content you want to read straight away. It does this by scanning your Facebook and Twitter feeds and sees the types of articles you like to read and the people you are following and adjusts your preferences accordingly. Of course, Material also does allow you to custom configure your news sources, but I suspect that many of its users (who are active on social media anyway) will find the app fine to use with its preselected sources based on your social media footprint. Material is a free download.
Flipboard iOS app update introduces animated GIF support
Flipboard users with Android devices have been able to enjoy the mindless fun of animated GIFs for some time now, but their iOS counterparts have only been able to look on in envy. Casual hyperbole aside, Flipboard's latest iOS update -- available today -- brings GIF support to the app along with a slew of GIF-friendly magazines for your perusing pleasure. Now, GIF aficionados (is there such a thing?) can enjoy titles like Just GIF It, GIF Pop and GIF Me a Break. The update also includes top stories in the tech, news, business and sports sections as well as the obligatory bug fixes. You can get your paws on the update by clicking on the iTunes link below.
Flipboard brings magazines to the web, launches 'Big Ideas'
By now you're probably familiar with user-created magazines on Flipboard, a feature that was introduced for iOS back in March and added to Android in May. Starting today, you'll be able to enjoy Flipboard magazines on the web, including access to the By Our Readers section. This web edition even lets users with Flipboard accounts subscribe to magazines and "flip" stories right from within the browser. While the mobile app is still the best way to fully experience Flipboard, the web edition supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari and IE9+ in 11 languages. Moreover, the company is introducing "Big Ideas," a new category in the Flipboard Content Guide which "celebrates innovative ideas, great speeches, industry thought leaders and inspirational organizations." Take a look the gallery below and find the PR after the break.
