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Flipboard brings magazine curation to Android, gains web tools
If you're a Flipboard user, you'll recall that the app was recently updated to let you create your own magazines. Unfortunately, this functionality was limited to the iOS version. This changes today, as Flipboard brings magazine curation to Android. Creating a magazine is simple: just tap the plus button visible on each article inside the app or use the bookmarklet when surfing the web. This gives you a personalized way to collect posts, images and videos and share your ideas on Flipboard and beyond. The new Android version introduces some unique features. You're able to "flip" content into your magazines using the share button built into many Android apps. In addition to the existing social network integration, Flipboard now includes a share button of its own on magazine covers -- this allows you to share magazines via SMS, email or Pinterest. The app also makes it easier to create a new Flipboard account by supporting Facebook's Single Sign-on. Along with the updated Android version, Flipboard's rolling out a web-based Editor to help users manage magazines. This collection of web tools lets you reorder and delete content, rearrange magazines and check how often others have shared items in your magazines. Finally, the Financial Times is now available on Flipboard -- you'll even be able to read premium content by logging into your Financial Times account right within the app. Take a look at the gallery below and hit the break for the PR.
Flipboard lets users share their personal 'Magazines'
Flipboard has updated its iOS app to version 2.0. The popular RSS and social media reader allows users to collect feeds in their own Pinterest-like magazines. While there are quite a few updates in version 2.0, the coolest is that Flipboard users can share their personal magazines with other users. The new magazines feature allows users to collect social media and news feeds in their own "magazines." For example, a user could have a magazine called "My Entertainment" and it would contain feeds from entertainment sites like movies, comic books, etc. They could call another magazine "All My Friends" and could have it sort all their social media feeds. Once the user has created a new magazine, it is shared with the Flipboard community, however you can choose to make your magazines private. Check out the full Flipboard 2.0 release notes below. Flipboard 2.0 is a free download. You can now collect and save content into your own magazines, tap the new "+" button to get started. Your magazines are public, but can be made private (viewable only to you). Use the new bookmarklet to add items to your magazines from your browser. Get Flipboard notifications when people like, comment or subscribe to your magazines. Easily email or share magazines to Facebook, Twitter, G+, etc. Personalized recommendations for more to add to your Flipboard. Search is now front and center on your Flipboard, with new and improved results. Faster page-loading and faster flipping performance.
Flipboard launches user-created magazines, partners with Etsy (video)
Everybody loves Flipboard, right? If you're a fan like us, rejoice -- your favorite social magazine just got a whole lot better. Today Flipboard for iOS is receiving a major update that will let you create and curate your very own magazines. It also brings a boatload of other improvements to the table including a content partnership with Etsy. An update to the Android version will follow shortly. We were able to take the new version of Flipboard for a spin and get a demo from CTO Eric Feng. Hit the break to dive into the details and watch our hands-on video. %Gallery-183818% %Gallery-183819%
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 official: 1.6GHz Exynos 4 Quad, 1280 x 800 display, HSPA+ 21, Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2
We knew another Note was coming. After all, Samsung Mobile head JK Shin confirmed the news back in January. But here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the tablet's finally been made official. If you haven't already inferred from its name, Samsung's latest S Pen entry boasts an 8-inch 1,280 x 800 TFT display. That puts it on par with the Note 10.1's resolution, although here users will obviously benefit from a more eye-pleasing pixel density (189ppi) and smaller 210.8mm x 135.9mm x 7.95mm (8.3 x 5.4 x 0.31 inches) footprint. Beneath that love it or hate it sealed plastic chassis, lies the company's Exynos 4 Quad processor clocked at 1.6GHz and paired with 2GB RAM, radios for WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, GLONASS and HSPA+ 21 (850/900/1900/2100MHz), up to 32GB of internal storage (microSD expansion available), in addition to a 4,600mAh battery. And, as with most Android products rolling out as of late, the Note 8.0 will ship with version 4.1.2 of Jelly Bean onboard -- skinned with the requisite TouchWiz UX.
Flipboard refresh supports Android 4.2's Daydream mode
Flipboard readers on Android have a little more reason to celebrate beyond just the recent addition of tablet support. A quick update this weekend lets the curated news reader hook into Android 4.2's Daydream mode: news covers can become part of a screensaver that automatically updates with the freshest stories while on WiFi. It's a simple tweak, but it may help Android users catch stories they would miss while their mobile devices sit idle. Hit the source link if you're not already on Flipboard's latest page.
Flipboard lands on Android tablets, now supports Nexus 10
It's no secret that we're big fans of Flipboard here at Engadget, but there's one thing we've been longing for: a tablet-optimized Android version. Until now, running the app on the Nexus 10 (by sideloading the APK) or even the Nexus 7 (officially supported) meant living with a scaled-up phone experience. Today, Flipboard is getting updated in the Play Store to supports a variety of Android tablets such as Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1, the Galaxy Tab series and the Nexus 10. A setting lets you chose between phone and tablet modes, which is useful for mid-size devices like Amazon's Kindle Fire, the Nook and the Nexus 7. Flipboard worked closely with Samsung to optimize the app and take advantage of larger, higher resolution displays. This means more of your favorite tiles, larger story snippets and landscape support (at last). We spent a few hours using Flipboard's new app for Android and came away suitably impressed -- anyone familiar with the iPad version will feel right at home. PR after the break.
Daily Update for November 15, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Flipboard adds support for Apple's iBookstore
The developers of Flipboard, the magazine-style feed reader for the iPad, have announced integration with Apple's iBookstore. The new "Books" category lets customers browse a book's title, image and description. If you find one you like, there's a link to buy in from Apple right in the app. All of the categories currently in the iBookstore are available for perusal in Flipboard. Users in US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands and Brazil will find this feature available today.
Flipboard for Android gains audio, lets us tune into SoundCloud from our Samsung
Flipboard on iOS has had audio for some time, giving users the chance to go all high-brow as they listen to NPR while browsing the news on their iPad. It's Android's turn to adopt that cultured stance: an update to Flipboard on its newer platform includes the full, listen-in-the-background Audio category channel selection, whether it's thoughtful public radio snippets or spotlights on podcasts and artists. SoundCloud mavens get the biggest fill, both through a direct link to their account as well as a list of specialized channels. Anyone who can already use Flipboard for Android just needs to hit Google Play to add the new audio dimension; Kindle Fire and Nook owners should see a fully tailored experience in a matter of days.
iPhone 5 / iOS 6 app update roundup: new versions for a taller world
Call it a hunch, but we suspect that at least a few of you picked up an iPhone 5 today, or at least made the leap to iOS 6. If you're in either position, you may be wondering just what apps to feed Apple's flagship (or that fresh new firmware) once it's ready to go. We've got a quick-hit list of titles that have been updated to take advantage of the tall display and new OS that go beyond Apple's own work. The biggest upgrades of the lot come from keynote darling CNN as well as Flipboard: both have done more than add extra columns on the iPhone 5, offering an interface you won't see on any mere 3.5-inch iPhone. Some bread-and-butter apps have made the launch week cut as well, such as Facebook and Twitter. There's even more if you're willing to dig deep. Third-party Twitter client Tweetbot beat the official app to the punch by days, and we've likewise spotted updates to Evernote, its rival Remember the Milk and Yelp. We know some apps aren't fully iPhone 5- or iOS 6-native -- Instagram, for example, and most anything from Google -- but it's apparent that the holdouts are increasingly the exception, rather than the rule. Did you catch any other noteworthy apps that received a boost in recent hours? Let fellow owners know in the comments. CNN - App Store Evernote - App Store Facebook - App Store Flipboard - App Store Kindle - App Store Pulse - App Store Remember the Milk - App Store Tweetbot - App Store Twitter - App Store Yelp - App Store
We're the first to hit a million Flipboard subscribers, and now you can win a Nexus 7!
There are a lot of great ways to get your Engadget news, including our fine selection of apps and our tablet magazine Distro -- plus the good 'ol World Wide Web, of course -- but we've been shocked to see just how many of you have been consuming our wares daily on Flipboard. Shocked and, well, flattered. The service finally hit Android in June and, in the month after that, our overall Flipboard subscribers jumped and surpassed one million. That's a huge number on its own, but that's not all. We're very proud to say that we're the first to hit one million subscribers, making Engadget the biggest single property on Flipboard! We're so happy about that we want to give a little something back. So, we're picking up a Nexus 7 and will be sending it to one lucky reader. To enter, all you need to do is sign in and comment below. The full rules are below, so make sure you give those a skim before commenting. If you're a Flipboard user with feedback on the Engadget experience there, or a subscriber who would like to sponsor us on Flipboard, email us: flipboard [at] engadget [dot] com!
Flipboard adds dedicated video channels, decides reading isn't everything
Flipboard supports video, but it's always been focused on modernizing the reading experience. Until today, that is. The app is taking advantage of YouTube channels to give readers -- sorry, viewers -- a steady stream of video pattered along common themes. Basic feeds for concepts like cooking, music and news sit side-by-side with more esoteric sections for 'influencers,' fashion and (our favorite) science. Is it the end of reading? We don't think so, but it does mean we won't have to hop to another app to get our moving picture fix, which we're sure is as much Flipboard's dream come true as it is ours.
Flipboard enters content deal with the New York TImes
The New York Times announced today that it is bringing its subscription content to the popular social reader app Flipboard. Starting Thursday, June 28, subscribers to The New York Times will be able to read full articles, browse image galleries and watch videos using the Flipboard app. This is the first time all the NYT's content is available through a third-party service. Previously, the publication only made a part of its content available outside its own digital subscriptions. Denise F. Warren, general manager of The New York Times's Web site, told Brian X. Chen of NYT's Bits blog that "We realized that we have an opportunity to enable this kind of access for paying subscribers, and we thought it was something we ought to try and see how users react to it." This is a worthy addition to Flipboard, which already pulls down content from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google Reader and other social news sources. This also is the second big news story for Flipboard in the recent weeks. After a two-year exclusive stint on iOS, the app debuted on Android last week.
The New York Times is coming to Flipboard Thursday
Well, it's hardly the release of a new summer blockbuster, but getting full length content from the New York Times in Flipboard is certainly going to excite news hounds that also appreciate fine UI design. A lot of content from magazines and newspapers is presented in abbreviated format in the slick app, but now Times subscribers will have unfettered access to the "paper of record's" reporting. Even non-subscribers will be able to read some of the publications articles for free, just as they can through the site. Now all you have to do is wait for the switch to be flipped on Thursday and hope that other outlets follow suit.
Flipboard app launched for Android
After enjoying almost two years of exclusivity on iOS, popular social reader Flipboard has made its way to Android handsets. The Android version of the app first debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S III and is now available in the Google Play Store. Customers will be able to install the software on the Kindle Fire and the Nook from Barnes & Noble as well. Evan Doll, of-founder of Flipboard and former Apple employee, told the New York Times that "They [Apple] would love for us to be iOS exclusive from now until the end of time, but we're trying to reach as big an audience as we can." Flipboard isn't the first iOS exclusive company to make the jump to Android. Well-known iOS developers Instragram and Smule also recently launched apps for the Android platform.
Flipboard officially launches on Android, in multiple app stores and for more countries
Popular newsreader Flipboard is finally officially available on Android, coming out of beta and Galaxy S III exclusivity. As seen in the latest test version, it now supports integration of shared articles from your Google+ feed alongside Twitter and Facebook feeds, and has also added support for YouTube video feeds (all of these are now available on iOS as well). Beyond the Google Play app market, it's also available in the Amazon Appstore, Nook Store and Samsung Apps, so slinging the APK to your Android device of choice should be too difficult. We gave the final release edition a quick run through ourselves and found it just as smooth on a Samsung Galaxy S II as it has been on any iPhone or iPad, and being ICS-ready out of the gate is a nice touch, although we couldn't force it to switch to landscape viewing. Another handy toggle is the option to go full screen with no menu bar up top, if you need a few extra pixels on your display (optimized for screens up to 7-inches in size). Article sharing is also here and like other Android apps, shares to any services you have installed, not just Twitter or Facebook. The final update is news that Flipboard is launching fully localized editions for Germany, Korea, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands, in addition to the existing localizations for Japan, France, China, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. All of the details are in the press release after the break, or you can check out pretty much any app store to give it a try yourself. Update: It's out! As of 1AM or so. Hit the source link to grab it from the Play Store.
New Google+ API gives Flipboard a cuddle, Currents looks away angrily
If you're just taking down the decorations from your latest Google+ party, hang fire, it looks like there's more good news for the ever-burgeoning social starlet. It's just been announced that Google has developed an API that will make users' photos, posts and videos available on popular social reader Flipboard. Until now, the search giant's social network had been notable by its absence, but soon you'll be able to flick your way through your circles, just like your other streams. There's no indication as to when, but the new API shows Google isn't shy about spreading the love, even if it means treading on its own toes.
Mobile Miscellany: week of June 11th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Cricket found a new retail channel at Kmart and we received news that the HTC One S will soon arrive at Cincinnati Bell. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of June 11th, 2012.
Flipboard beta coming to all Android devices soon, hopes to handle resolution variety with poise (updated: it's live!)
Eagle-eyed readers might remember that Flipboard's long-awaited port to Android started with a fair amount of confusion; it showed up (seemingly at random) on Samsung's Galaxy S III, but soon after, we learned that it would only be available for that very phone over on the Android side of things. Recently, we uncovered the story of why, and what the company's planning for the future. Put simply, that "device diversity" that keeps developers on their toes is at the forefront of the issue here. For those unaware, Flipboard is quite the polished app over on iOS, and the outfit didn't want its product to offer a subpar experience on competing platforms. In order to gain a better grip on the app's appearance in the land of mobile desserts, it teamed up with Samsung to focus on a single screen, and a single screen resolution. Naturally, it's expecting a huge amount of GSIII shipments, so that's certainly not a bad device to start on. But in the effort of understanding Flipboard's future on Android, it's important to note that whole "start" phrase. Turns out, the company's eerily close to having a build ready for the rest of the Android smartphone universe. But, smartly, it's planning to release it to a small subset of users with a clear 'beta' label. The idea here is to offer it up to savvy Android users who understand the art of sideloading an APK, giving them the tools to submit bug reports and help polish up Flipboard on the many, many variations of devices out there. Truth be told, we wish more app makers would give this approach a try. Tossing that 'beta' label on there keeps expectations in check, and allowing early adopters to chime in with bugs enables the final product to be that much more stable across a wide gamut of screen resolutions. We weren't able to nail down a specific launch date, but Android aficionados hoping to get a few flips in shouldn't have to wait too many more months before that beta offering is made public. In the meanwhile, there's always the renegade method -- but of course, we'd caution that you proceed at your own risk. Update: It's here! Tips are pouring in from folks that have received an email from the Flipboard team with a direct link to the APK. If you haven't gotten the message yet, no worries, you can download it and sideload it yourself here. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
PSA: Samsung's Galaxy S III is out in the UK today!
If you're European, or you pre-ordered Samsung's Galaxy S III, then you're already registering for that extra Dropbox space, playing with Flipboard or clutching your Olympics tickets. For everyone else, today's the day you can wander down to your local store and buy the flagship handset in the flesh. No-one's certain if you'll be able to grab the handset in Pebble Blue on launch day, so best make sure that you really want the 16GB marble white edition, lest you're disappointed when you arrive in town.