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The New York Times Leap Motion app: for all the news that's fit for gestures (video)
Few of us reading the morning news enjoy putting our greasy hands on a tablet or newspaper just to flip through articles. With the newly unveiled New York Times app for the Leap Motion Controller, we won't have to. The release lets news hounds navigate stories (and ads) through a unique interface optimized for touch-free gestures. Both Mac and Windows versions of the NYT app will be available in the Airspace store on July 22nd, the same day Leap Motion ships to customers. More importantly, the app will be free -- at least at launch, readers won't run into the usual paywall. If the prospect of contact-free news has you intrigued, there's a video demo available after the break.
New York Times to refine subscription model in wake of sliding ad revenue
If you're an avid reader of The New York Times, you're probably already familiar with its complex subscription model that ranges in price between $15 and $35 per month. Yes, it's sometimes costly to stay in the loop, but on the upside of the paywall, company CEO Mark Thompson says that readers will soon find a wider array of content packages, including less expensive options. The move may be necessary, and according to Bloomberg, the CEO painted it as "the single most important thing we're doing in the company." Today, The New York Times released its earnings for the quarter, which came in slightly below expectations and revealed a decrease in advertising revenue. Recognizing the shift, Thompson will work to make the organization less reliant on ad revenue and more focused on digital subscriptions. As for its growth strategy, it's said that we can expect lower pricing tiers that offer access to specific content such as politics, technology and the arts, along with premium tiers that provide feature content and access to events. Curiously, videos and even games will be in the mix, but it's currently unclear where that'll fit into the tiered strategy. The New York Times currently serves 708,000 subscribers, which represents a 45 percent increase from the first quarter of 2012. It's said that we can expect the refined subscription model to arrive sometime in late 2013 or early 2014, and it'll be very interesting to see just how complex the outlet can go with its pricing. [Image credit: Adam Kinney / Flickr]
Google Glass app from The New York Times now available to Explorers
As if Google Glass and its clever surprises weren't intriguing enough, Explorers now have a new app to play with that's courtesy of The New York Times. As you'll recall, this service was first unveiled at SXSW, which delivers the latest headlines and accompanying imagery upon a wearer's request -- even to the point of reading an article aloud, if you so desire. If you're lucky enough to have Glass in your possession, you can configure the app at a special landing page on The Times' website. There, once you hit the Connect My Glass button, you'll be asked to link your Google account with the service, and grant it access to basic account information, your location and your Google Glass timeline. We've configured the app on our own headset, but for the moment, aren't able to retrieve any articles. That said, the crew at TechCrunch have found better luck, who describe the ability to easily navigate through a stream of news and photos with a quick tilt of the head. If you're willing, head on over to The New York Times' website and give the service a whirl -- and kindly share your impressions in the comments below.
New York Times videos now exempt from paywall, free 'for the foreseeable future'
The New York Times announced this morning that its paywall is coming down from the videos section of its website, meaning that you can now enjoy more than 10 videos per month about vegetable caramelization best practices. The free access comes at the price of advertiser content, of course, which runs ahead of the videos and hocks both Microsoft wares and Acura vehicles currently. A NYT press rep told Engadget that the move to unlimited video access isn't temporary, but "never say never." We were also told that it isn't a test, and, "This is what we're doing now. In terms of when and if we'll move it back behind the gateway, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We literally have no idea. For the foreseeable future, it's free." The Grey Lady has been experimenting with its digital presence for several years now, and the publication instituted a site-wide paywall in 2011. The setup allowed readers free access to 10 pieces per month before being forced to login with a paid access account -- like so many paywalls, it can be easily gotten around using alternate web browsers, and, for a long while, by simply removing a chunk of the URL that redirected visitors to its paywall, anyone could read an unlimited amount of stories / watch unlimited videos. The paper's seen financial success in digital form as of late, reporting increased subscriber numbers and increased digital revenue alongside ever-decreasing ad sales.
NYT wins Pulitzer for Apple 'iEconomy' investigations
The winners of the 2013 Pulitzer Prizes were announced Monday, with the New York Times winning this year's prize for explanatory reporting. The award was for the paper's "iEconomy" series investigating the way business has adapted to the changing global economy, largely focusing on Apple. The reporting lead to changes in the Chinese factories where Apple products are made. Criticism was leveled at the reports for focusing too much on Apple, without addressing the other tech companies who also use cheap Chinese labor for production. The Pulitzer Prize is a annual series of awards given to recognize excellence in journalism and the arts.
ABC has live-streaming mobile app in the works
The New York Times is reporting that ABC is working on an app to stream live ABC programming to the iPhones and iPads of cable and satellite TV subscribers. ABC, which is a subsidiary of Disney, would become the first American broadcaster to provide a live internet stream of both national and local programming. By providing the stream only to those who already pay for cable or satellite TV, the Times notes that ABC "preserves the cable business model that is crucial to the bottom lines of broadcasters, while giving subscribers more of what they seem to want -- mobile access to TV shows." This isn't the first time that ABC has taken a giant step away from the home TV -- the network was the first to sell TV episodes through iTunes and pioneered streaming free episodes of shows on its website. Parent company Disney has live-streaming and on-demand apps for ESPN and the Disney Channel, but there are some legal barriers to overcome for the ABC app. Many of the contracts signed between ABC and production companies were put into place before mobile video streaming became possible, and local ABC stations might feel threatened by an app. There's no word on exactly when the app will arrive in the App Store, but the Times believes that it may become available to some cable and satellite subscribers later in 2013.
Google shows off Glass apps: New York Times, Gmail, Path and more
Google just took some time at SXSW to show off Google Glass, and it's pulled back the curtains on some apps that are currently in the works. As it turns out, Page and Co. have been working with the New York Times to build an application. Just ask for some news and Glass will deliver a headline, a byline, an accompanying image and the number of hours since the article in question was posted. What's more is that users can tap and have the eyewear read the story's text aloud. The duo are also testing a breaking news feature where notifications regarding fresh stories will appear as they're published. Gmail also got some time in the limelight with its very own app. An email sender's image and subject line will appear on the device's screen, and users can reply by dictating their messages. Evernote and Skitch received some love from the folks in Mountain View too, with the ability to send images to the services through Glass' share functionality. Social networking app Path has found its way onto the wearable computing bandwagon as well. Not only do Google's spectacles receive curated updates from the network -- to keep you from being bombarded, of course-- but they allow users to add emoticons to a friend's post and reply with comments. Not impressed? "This is just where we started with a few friends to test the API in its early stage," says Google Glass developer evangelist Timothy Jordan.
New York Times now serving up 15 free articles a day to Starbucks patrons
This paywall is making me thirsty.
NYT says Tesla Model S review the result of shaky judgment, Musk calls it even
The dust-up over the New York Times' Tesla Model S review may have left no real winners, but that doesn't preclude at least trying to reach the truth. According to the newspaper's Public Editor, Margaret Sullivan, the final answer rests where it often does: in between the two extremes. Following interviews with driver John Broder, Tesla staff and others involved in the tale, the scrutineer believes the review was conducted honestly, but that improper decisions and less-than-precise notes led to the charging woes and accusations of deception that characterized the drive. Broder should have topped up the way the company recommends, but wasn't planning on dragging anyone through the mud, Sullivan says. Whatever you think of her verdict, it's enough for Tesla founder Elon Musk to relax -- he's already saying that the inspection "restored" his trust in the Old Gray Lady's integrity. About the only demand we have left is to get enough Supercharger stations that there's never a repeat incident.
The Weekly Roundup for 02.11.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 7 days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
NYT reporter responds to Tesla Model S data logs, impropriety accusations
Data logs of the Model S that left New York Times reporter John Broder stranded revealed a "violation of common sense" according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, but Broder is now offering his side of the story to help make sense of the information. According to the journalist, he wasn't provided with "detailed instructions on maximizing the driving range" before his trip, and he placed roughly a dozen calls to the folks at Tesla about how he could address the car's declining range and make it to his destination. Apparently, some of the doubt-instilling data was caused by following the advice of Tesla representatives on how to maximize the vehicle's charge. For example, Broder says the auto lost a drastic amount of juice while parked in the cold over night, and a low-power one-hour charge was recommended by Tesla reps in conjunction with driving at a moderate speed to "restore" the lost power. Broder also mentions that he didn't drive around a parking lot to run down the battery, but did so since he couldn't find the poorly-lit and unmarked Supercharger at night. New York Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan called Musk several times throughout the day and couldn't get ahold of him, but plans to ask the company's founder to open source the logs and other information. Come Friday, Sullivan expects to have some conclusions on the matter. Click the bordering source link to see Broder's entire point-by-point response to the logs for yourself.
New York Times says Apple is developing a curved glass smart watch
In today's Bits column, New York Times writer Nick Bilton says Apple is developing a curved screen watch. Apple has declined to comment on any of this, as usual, but an Apple-branded smart watch been long rumored. There has been a good deal of interest in a smartphone-connected watch. There was lots of excitement around Kickstarter-backed Pebble watch, and I personally tried the iPhone-connected Citizen watch with decidedly mixed and mostly negative results. There's no denying how nice it would be to get mail and messages without having to dig my iPhone out of a pocket, and integration with Siri and other services would be a winner. To add a little juice to the rumor, Corning Glass, which makes the Gorilla Glass used in the iPhone, is about ready to launch bendable glass called "Willow Glass" which might be just the ticket for Apple to introduce on a smart watch. Former Apple UI designer Bruce Tognazzini recently wrote a lengthy treatise about an Apple iWatch, discussing not only the drawbacks and features of existing smart watches, but what the "killer apps" for a wrist-based Apple device might be. The watch industry has been in the doldrums for many years, with a lot of younger users simply not buying watches and getting the time of day from their cellphones. If anyone has a chance at helping the watch make a comeback, Apple is a good candidate. Like all rumors, take this with a few grains of salt, but it makes sense for Apple to pursue this.
NYTimes for Android updated for tablets, scales for different screen sizes
First Flipboard, then an experimental iPad app, then a Windows 8 app and now, here comes the NYTimes optimized for Android tablets. That last bit says it all, as the Grey Lady's digital gurus have re-worked the application allowing all the news that's fit to print to now scale natively for different screen sizes. The update also brings with it a few minor tweaks, giving users greater control over how they receive "Breaking News" alerts, a new, quick preview window from within Top News, as well as delivering a host of the requisite bug fixes and performance enhancements. You can grab it now from the Google Play link at the source below.
NY Times: App gold rush leaves many struggling developers
The New York Times appears to have finally caught on to the big secret that many independent developers have known for a while -- the days of grabbing a pot of gold by writing an iOS app are over. In a Saturday post, the Times regaled readers with the stories of two app developers who have seen very different results on the App Store. The success story noted in the Times article is that of Ethan Nicholas, who released the iShoot artillery game (icon at right) back in the early days of the App Store. Nicholas was able to get his app into the store in 2009, and made over US$1 million -- in fact, he sold over 17,000 copies of the $2.99 app on January 11, 2009 and quit his day job the next day. Nicholas is now part of a healthcare app startup and attributes his early success to "sheer dumb luck and being in the right place at the right time." At the other end of the spectrum is the sad story of couple Shawn and Stephanie Grimes, who formed Campfire Apps to develop educational apps for kids. The couple started Campfire Apps after Shawn lost his job as a computer security specialist at Baltimore financial firm Legg Mason. Stephanie quit her job as a teacher, and the couple estimates that they've made a paltry $4,964 from the eight apps they sell. The moral of the Times story? Don't expect to become a millionaire independent developer overnight, as those heady early days of the app gold rush are over. But we already knew that, didn't we?
Google puts Hurricane Sandy on its crisis map, hopes to help you weather the storm
Just because Google abandoned its October Android event doesn't mean it's left its users out to dry -- Hurricane Sandy now has its very own Google Crisis Map. It isn't the first time Mountain View has lent its mapping tech to folks in harm's way -- survivors of Hurricane Issac used a similar Crisis Map to track the storm, follow public alerts and find shelters. Sandy's map is no different, providing locals with information on the storm's path, forecast information, evacuation routes, areas of high wind probability and even links to webcams surrounding affected areas. Google isn't the only firm lending a hand, either -- both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are lifting site paywalls during the storm, ensuring the public has access to developing news as long as their internet connection doesn't give out.
New York Times releases Windows 8 app for all the news that's fit to tile
The newspaper of record announced today that it will be arriving on Windows 8 tomorrow, offering up full articles, videos, photos and blogs to subscribers. Non-subscribers, on the other hand, will just get access to the Top News section. Also new in the world of New York Times / Microsoft teamups is the arrival of a NYT channel in the Bing News app. More info on both after the break.
How Apple's mobile devices are re-defining medicine
The New York Times examines how Apple's iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad are changing the way the health industry works. Of course, a light, powerful, and simple touchscreen computer can be handy almost anywhere, but that's especially true in the field of medicine. Much of the work involves reference materials and careful measurements, and Apple's little devices are quickly becoming many doctors' first step in helping patients. From huge reference books slimmed down into easy-to-access apps and websites, to special accessories designed to measure specific patient conditions. In fact, the Times notes, some professors of medicine are cautioning their students to remember that they have more tools at their disposal than just that iPhone in their pocket. Examining and dealing directly with the patient is always a priority, obviously, and some doctors in the piece say certain tasks just call for a good old fashioned pen and paper. But Apple's iOS devices are certainly great tools to be used in the medical field, as we've seen before. Apps and accessories both, in conjunction with Apple's great computers, are just adding more and more weapons to doctors' growing arsenal of tools to do their jobs.
The New York Times launches HTML5 web app for iPad
The New York Times has launched an experimental HTML5 web app specifically for viewing content on the iPad. The web app has a few different features from the regular iPad app, including the ability to find out which articles are trending on Twitter and a continuous wire feed. It supports swipe gestures and orientation for portrait or landscape viewing. The Verge theorizes that the newspaper launched the app to sidestep Apple's subscription fees, but NYT Corporate Communications Manager Linda Zebian told the site that it was a push to get content across to all mobile platforms, and that the iPad was a natural testing ground to make sure that it worked. "It is not an attempt to avoid Apple's purchase fee and we have no plans to eradicate our native iOS apps, it's just another way our subscribers can access Times content," Zebian said. The web app is only for subscribers that have tablet access in their subscription package. Those subscribers can visit app.nytimes.com via Safari on the iPad to install it.
New York Times releases 'experimental' HTML5 iPad app, puts Twitter trends front and center
The New York Times isn't beyond a little "experimentation" -- not when it comes to iPad apps, at least. The old gray lady today is showing off its "experimental" iPad web app, an HTML5-powered reading experience available to digital subscribers with its Web + Tablet and All Digital Access packages. The app's got four ways to consume all the news that's fit to digitize, including the Trending format, which offers up the past hour's top 25 trending stories on Twitter and the more traditional Today's Paper, which recalls those days when people used to get their news from dead trees. More info can be found in the press release after the break, and if you're on an iPad, you can access the site via the source link below.
FTC considering new settlement process so companies can't deny wrongdoing
Google recently paid the FTC $22.5 million and Facebook was ordered by the commission to change the way it handles data, but you might be surprised to hear that both companies did nothing wrong. Well, not exactly, but by settling their privacy violation cases, the internet giants are entitled to deny any misconduct. The New York Times reports that J. Thomas Rosch, a commissioner who voted against both settlements, feels that current rules will invite "denials of liability in every case in the future." Rosch wants the policy changed so companies can't deny responsibility when settling, much like the way the SEC handles similar indiscretions. Most of his colleagues weren't in a hurry to back his opinions, but three did say that refining the process could "avoid any possible public misimpression" of how the FTC strikes such deals. The commission is expected to look at the issue in the near future, but until then, we're sure you're more than able to separate the reality from the legalese.
