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Browse 'The New Yorker' archives free of charge for the rest of the summer
Let's face it: We miss out on a ton of great content due to paywalls. After a recent redesign to improve reading via its website across a range of devices, The New Yorker has opened up its archive for the rest of summer free of charge. The repository houses issues dating back to 2007 that will be displayed with the magazine's responsive layout, tidied-up look and larger images. Once the trial is up, the publisher's paywall will be similar to that of The New York Times -- unpaid web visitors can read a set number of articles, with paid subscribers gaining full access. Before now, the magazine allowed unlimited perusal of free stories while those marked as paid content remained locked away. No word on exactly when the free admission period is up, so you'll want to take advantage before the leaves start changing. [Photo credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images]
'Computerworld' ends its print run, becomes a digital-only magazine
After nearly half a century Computerworld is ending its existence as a print magazine. Next Monday the final issue of the stalwart publication will be circulated on processed wood pulp. Computerworld won't be going away completely, however, an online version will continue to exist. It's a story that is becoming increasingly familiar. Countless magazines and newspapers have closed up shop as print has suffered what can only be described as a long and slow death spiral. But plenty have carried on as digital versions, as publications try to breathe new life into their struggling properties. In addition to the website, Computerworld will launch a digital magazine on August 1st that will be optimized for tablets and desktop PCs. Oddly, it seems the initial version will neglect truly mobile formats. Now all that remains to be seen is if one of the oldest computer magazines in the world can survive the continued evolution of the publishing world.
Future publishing restructure resulting in loss of 170 UK jobs
Restructuring at magazine publisher Future will result in the a loss of over 170 jobs in the UK, the publisher reported in its half-year financial results (ending March 31, 2014). Known for gaming publications like OXM, PC Gamer, CVG and Edge, Future announced its global plans to "refocus and simplify" at the beginning of the month. Future reported an increase in its normalized UK revenues by two percent to £41.5 million ($69.4 million), which accounted for 85 percent of the group's total revenue. Its normalized U.S. revenue was down 14 percent for the half-year to £7.3 million ($12.2 million). Part of Future's plans involves the sale of the company's sport and craft properties to Immediate Media for up to £24 million ($40.1 million). The sports magazines include Procycling, Cycling Plus and Mountain Biking UK, whereas the craft publications in question include both the UK and US Mollie Makes magazines, The Knitter and Simply Knitting. [Image: Future PLC]
The world's smallest magazine cover is 2,000 times smaller than a grain of salt
No, National Geographic Kids didn't forget to buy colored ink -- that's a blown-up view of the smallest-ever magazine cover, created by IBM to set a Guinness world record. The tech firm used a miniscule, heated silicon "chisel" to etch a polymer image measuring just 11 micrometers by 14 micrometers, or 2,000 times tinier than a grain of salt. The image is more detailed than you might expect at such a miniscule size, too. IBM's instrument responds to subtle changes in pressure in the same way that a 3D printer might, giving it accuracy down to a single nanometer.
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.
The Loop Magazine 2.0 improves on the original ... big time
Former Apple employee, guitarist, publisher of The Loop and minion-of-The-Beard Jim Dalrymple has been doing something fun for the past six months -- publishing an electronic magazine known as The Loop Magazine (US$1.99 per issue subscription). It's an eclectic magazine, with article topics running the gamut from dog rescues to the latest iPhones. In the past, The Loop Magazine was published in a quite traditional and staid "pictures and text" format, but with the latest issue, Dalrymple has brought electronic publishing kicking and screaming into the future. Meet The Loop Magazine 2.0. Once you've downloaded the updated app to Newsstand on your iOS 7 device, the differences are immediately recognizable. Starting with the list of issues, which features a 3D carousel-like presentation of the issues in front of an animated backdrop, you know The Loop Magazine 2.0 is going to be different. The animation continues in the magazine itself, but never overwhelms the content. Individual articles are once again placed on a swipe-able carousel in front of an animated backdrop, and with a tap, the articles open. Inside the articles, you're greeted with text and images, but as you scroll down a page to an image, it expands to fill your screen -- a nice way to actually look at the pictures instead of having to tap them to expand to full-screen. Scrolling down, the images shrink into the text and you're back to reading. Links to websites expanding on the article magically appear and face as you scroll through articles. Scroll all the way to the bottom of one of the eminently readable articles, and you may see links to the author's website or Twitter account. Scroll past the bottom of an article, and the next article slides into place from the right side of the screen -- once again, that subtle animation is at work. In case you're wondering about the tool The Loop Magazine 2.0 is published with, it's called Glide. Dalrymple says that it's the easiest tool he's ever used for app creation, saying that it "can create and update Apps simply by putting files in a DropBox folder. It's the easiest system I've ever seen to build a magazine." I won't spoil the fun; go get a copy of The Loop Magazine 2.0, which is free this issue to celebrate the launch of the new platform. You'll enjoy the articles as well as the design of the app -- this issue starts with a piece by actor Matthew Modine talking about his experiences during the filming of Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket.
Cinefex 'classic collection' coming to iPad in 2014
One of my favorite things in the world, Cinefex magazine, has funded the digitization of its older magazines to its iPad app thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that has become the fourth most-funded publishing project on the site to date. Cinefex, for those who don't know, is a magazine that takes a behind-the-scenes look at special effects work for Hollywood movies. Back in my film school days, I would get an issue when I could afford it, and pore over the photos and text, which took me backstage to some of the world's most talented artists, designers, animators and more. Much of what Cinefex documented shows the evolution of effects work as well, not to mention rare glimpses into what made some of our favorite movies work. The photo of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man on the Kickstarter page should be enough to clue you in as to how awesome this magazine is for film buffs, never mind anyone actually working in the industry. And to supplement the current Cinefex iPad app, now those older issues of Cinefex will be available via its iPad app by January 2014, according to the Kickstarter page.
The last days of Distro
On Friday, September 27th, Engadget will publish the last issue of our weekly tablet magazine, Distro. However, Distro (unlike disco) isn't dead. When Distro launched in October 2011, we were entering a relatively new space. At the time, we were one of the first online-only publications to produce a companion magazine app. We launched the same day as Apple's Newsstand and landed there (and on the Android Market) less than two weeks later, while some of the biggest names in publishing stood by to see if the tablet was worth the investment. Over the course of two years, Distro has served as a jumping-off point for award-winning design, in-depth analysis and a focus on long-form storytelling, and we plan to bring everything we've learned to Engadget at large. Along with a commitment to thoughtful design and feature content, you'll start to see some of our favorite recurring features popping up here on Engadget's homepage. So, while Distro will no longer live in the Newsstand, or Google Play or Windows Store, it's not quite time to pull out the bagpipes. So instead of saying goodbye, let's leave it at we'll see you tomorrow. Distro will continue to be available in the Newsstand, Play Store and Windows 8 marketplace until early October. After that, you'll be able to download archived PDFs from Engadget.
Kobo adds magazines, kids store to its online offerings
Kobo's not quite done with the news tonight. In addition to an e-reader, three tablets and Pocket integration, the Canadian-turned-Japanese company has also got some announcements on the content side of things. First up is the addition of magazines to its store, bringing titles from Conde Nast, Hearst and a number of other publishers to its proprietary tablets and iOS / Android apps. Also on the docket is a brand new kids store that features safe-searching and nearly 100,000 offerings, including the likes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Hunger Games titles. Magazines are coming to Kobo's mobile app in September and will be available for its new tablets when they launch the following month.
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.
Nook's Android app now supports HD magazines on tablets
Next time you fire up the Nook app on your Android tablet, you'll be able to browse HD magazines -- assuming your device has a 1280 x 720 screen. Introduced three months ago on Retina iPads, the feature now jumps to the latest version of the Android app, along with a number of other updates. New magazine titles aside, version 3.4 lets you enlarge book illustrations and adds support for the system's assistive technology for blind and low-vision users. So, you can go wild with screen magnification on Android 4.2 or higher, or listen to the app speak via TalkBack on 4.1. Meanwhile, the Nook app for iOS comes equipped with bug fixes and a better way to organize books in a series. Sure, these updates don't bring a bunch of new major features, but they show that Barnes & Noble isn't likely to axe its mobile apps in the near future like it did the ones for Macs and PCs.
Flipboard now lets others contribute to your magazines (video)
There's typically more than one person involved in building a traditional magazine, at last check. It only makes sense, then, that Flipboard just opened up its internet-based magazine curation to groups. Those who've built a magazine can now invite friends to add content at will, whether it's through one of the mobile apps or a web bookmarklet. We doubt that the resulting collaborations will give big league publishers a reason to panic, but Android and iOS users alike can test that theory by downloading the updated Flipboard today.
The Loop launches a new magazine on iOS Newsstand
Jim Dalrymple of The Loop unveiled a new iOS magazine that'll complement the short news briefs found on his website. Inspired in part by Marco Arment's The Magazine, The Loop magazine will feature long-form articles on music, design, technology, games and Apple from some of the best writers in the business. The Loop Magazine will be published twice a month and will be distributed through Apple's Newsstand. It'll cost US$1.99 a month and will be delivered automatically to your device when a new issue is released. Dalrymple will feature some of the content on his website, but the main avenue of reading will be your iPad or iPhone. You can read more about The Loop Magazine in Dalrymple's announcement post and in the section of his website that is dedicated to the magazine. Production for The Loop magazine will be done with TypeEngine, a publishing platform that expects to deliver 16 new titles this month.
Magazine slips in a free T-Mobile WiFi hotspot, courtesy of Microsoft (video)
Microsoft has tried more than a few publicity stunts to get us using Office 365, including WiFi hotspots in UK park benches. A magazine with a hotspot, however, is fresh -- and might just get us to notice the ads we normally skip. Americans who've received a special issue of Forbes have flipped past the articles to discover a fully functional (if stripped down) T-Mobile router tucked into a cardboard insert. Once activated, it dishes out 15 days of free WiFi for up to five devices at once, at up to three hours per charge. Microsoft is naturally hoping that we'll see the value of always being in the cloud and pony up for an Office 365 subscription, but we're sure that many will just relish having an access point while they're reading on the train home -- it sure beats settling for a Twitter feed. [Thanks, Britton]
Kids' iPad magazine Timbuktu rethinks in-app purchasing model
Timbuktu is an iPad magazine meant for children, and as our friends over at TechCrunch have noted, its developers recently rethought how it implements in-app purchases. The previous incarnation of Timbuktu (and most famously, Smurf Village, among others), made in-app purchases too tempting and easy for children. The result was high rates of in-app purchases, which was good for the company, but bad for parents who didn't approve of the large associated costs. Before, Timbuktu had little virtual bubbles that you "popped" to make an in-app purchase. The interface was clearly designed to pique childrens' interest, perhaps too much so. Now, Timbuktu has implemented a subscription plan, so that parents can buy lots of content all at once, and then kids can be free to discover it themselves without accidentally spending any money they're not supposed to. That definitely sounds more reasonable. It's worth noting that there are other ways to block in-app purchases. For example, Apple's Restrictions settings lets you to disable all in-app purchases entirely. Also, you can customize the amount of time iOS will require your Apple ID between successful App Store purchases. By default, it's set to 15 minutes. Keeping your children from spending too much on in-app purchases is an avoidable problem, and it's good to hear companies like the makers of Timbuktu are taking steps as well.
TRVL celebrates 100 magazines, 1 million app installs
I love traveling, so back in September 2010 when Jochem Wijnands and Michel Elings came out with the first-ever iPad-exlusive magazine called TRVL, I jumped on the bandwagon as a fan of their amazing photojournalism. Fast-forward to April 2013, and the free app magazine is celebrating its 100th issue and over 1 million app installs. To celebrate, the 100th issue of TRVL is a special edition about Timothy Allen, a former BBC and Human Planet photographer. The issue features 40 of Allen's most amazing images, and he talks about his career and life as a professional photographer. Within a few months, Wijnands and Elings expect to unveil their magazine publishing platform, Prss. Here's hoping that the duo is as successful in creating more magazine startups as they've been with TRVL.
Zinio magazine app heads to Windows Phone 8 as a Lumia exclusive
Zinio's magazine app for tablets and smartphones has already found its way onto quite a few platforms (even some now-defunct ones), and it looks like it'll soon be heading to yet another -- at least partially. The company announced today that its Windows Phone 8 app will be available in the coming weeks, although you'll need a Nokia Lumia phone to use it. Yes, this is yet another exclusive deal for a popular app, but if past history is any indication you can likely expect it to hit other devices sometime after the initial rollout. As TechCrunch notes, Zinio is also using its venture onto Windows Phone to branch out a bit from its traditional focus, with the the new app able to pull content from multiple sources into a reading list -- as opposed to simply letting you jump from one magazine to the next. You'll also expectedly get WP8 live tile support, as well as what Zinio describes as "improved text mode support" to make reading on a smartphone-sized screen a bit easier.
Nook for iOS adds support for high-res iPad magazines, Nook Comics
Barnes & Noble may have saved most of the limelight today for in-app purchasing on Nook hardware, but it's not leaving other platforms by the wayside. Its Nook 3.4 update for iOS focuses heavily on visuals, with new support for both Nook Comics as well as "HD" magazines on Retina display-equipped iPads. Likewise, there's some spring cleaning afoot: the app offers better organization for periodicals, the option to expand book illustrations and newly animated page turns. Swing by the App Store if you've got enough of a toehold in Barnes & Noble's ecosystem to use its software.
The Daily Grind: Would you buy an e-zine dedicated to your favorite MMO?
Last week's closure of EON, the quarterly print magazine dedicated to EVE Online, barely registered on the MMO news meter. CCP's MMO boasts somewhere in the neighborhood of 500,000 subscribers, but apparently few of them were willing to part with enough meatspace money or ISK to keep EON afloat. I'll miss the mag, even though I've never been anything other than a casual EVE player. The high-quality layout and the absence of real-world advertising made for a terrific reading experience, as did some of the fanfic, the interviews, and the full-page corporation spreads. I'd love to see an EON-like publication for several different MMOs, in fact, but I'd prefer it on my tablet at this point. What about you, Massively readers? Would you subscribe to a digital zine dedicated to your favorite MMO? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
EVE Evolved: End of an EON
This week we heard the disappointing news that EON, the official print magazine for MMO EVE Online, has officially closed down. The quarterly magazine first launched back in 2005 and may have been the first official magazine dedicated to a single MMO. The first edition was packed full of current news, sneak peeks, coverage on major events, fan-written fiction, features, and guides. The experimental magazine was produced by MMM Publishing under official license from CCP Games and proved to be a big hit, going on to publish 30 editions over the next seven and a half years. Though EON has had a much longer run than most official MMO print magazines (the World of Warcraft magazine lasted all of five issues), it's still disappointing to see it go. The closure has a special significance for me because it was at EON that I and many other players started out as writers and editors. It's thanks to the work of the mag's editor Richie "Zapatero" Shoemaker that I went on to get this job at Massively, where I've written the weekly EVE Evolved column for almost five years now. EON Magazine was a real gem that will be sorely missed by dedicated fans, but the biggest shame is that those who might support the mag didn't know it was having financial difficulties until it was too late. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at what made EON great, ask why it failed, and interview editor Richie Shoemaker on his thoughts behind the closure.
