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Zinio arrives for the Touchpad, with fashionable lateness
The Touchpad may no longer be with us, but that hasn't stopped Zinio from launching its reader app on HP's abandoned tablet. The tool hit the App Catalog earlier this week, bringing magazine subscriptions and single-issue purchases to users still clinging to their 9.7-inch slates. The newsstand is available as a free download, and, by all appearances, doesn't stray too far from the layout and functionality found on previous iOS and Android releases. News junkies can grab the app now, though according to some early users on PreCentral's forums, it may act a little buggy.
Daily iPhone App: Alien Blue
Here's an app that lets you browse through the popular link board Reddit. You probably don't want to see everything there is on Reddit -- just like Digg in its day and other message boards like 4chan, some of the discussion over there can get pretty wacky. But Reddit is definitely a great community of people, and if you ever want to take the temperature on what the 'net is thinking about the news of the day, browsing through Reddit's links can be very informative. There is an official Reddit app called iReddit, and it works pretty well. But Alien Blue is really the better option. I like the layout better, and it has excellent features like inline comments, Instapaper and Read It Later support, and the ability to actually post and edit your own comments on the service. The app itself is free to check out, but you can spend US$1.99 for an excellent pro upgrade that opens up a "Canvas" view for pictures and a host of other streamlined options for reading, sharing, and browsing Reddit. There's also an iPad version available for a straight $3.99 price. You may balk at that, especially if you're happy with the free official app (or willing to read the site through an RSS reader). But for regular readers and commenters on Reddit, odds are that Alien Blue is worth the extra few bucks.
Adobe releases Adobe Reader for iOS
iOS owners have another way to view PDFs files on their devices now that Adobe has released its popular Reader app for iOS. Adobe Reader for iOS lets you open a PDF from any app that supports "Open in," including mobile Safari and iOS email. It'll let you open password-protected files and view additonal PDF content like annotations and drawing markups. It also supports bookmarks and thumbnails, both of which can be used for navigation. The app is desinged to be a reader only and has a minimalistic interface. When you are within the program, you can search the document, copy text to the clipboard and print. The Adobe Reader app is available for free from the iOS App Store.
Kindle 3 gets software upgrade, ready to soar into the cloud
Amazon has pushed out a new update for the Kindle 3, now operating under the alias of the Kindle Keyboard. This gives the well-buttoned e-reader access to some of the cloud features found on its freshly unboxed younger brother, and includes the ability to view any archived documents, notes and highlights you've added to that intangible pile of books and articles. You'll need to tether the Kindle to your PC, point your browser towards Amazon, and download the file corresponding to the right region and model. Excitable annotators can grab the upgrade now at the source link below.
Google Reader Android app updated with new UI, Honeycomb support
Well, it's taken long enough, but Google has finally updated its Reader app for Android and added support for Honeycomb. That's right RSS addicts, you can now peruse your feeds in full two-pane glory on your Xoom, Galaxy Tab 10.1 or other comparable slate. The move to version 1.0.1 doesn't just benefit tablet owners either -- the small screen UI has received a fresh coat of paint that's a tad more polished. As far as new features, there doesn't seem to be anything Earth-shattering, but the ability to quickly share posts via social networks or add them to your Read It Later list on a tablet is greatly appreciated. Hit up the Android Market to download the latest edition -- seriously, right now.
Microsoft closes the book on MS Reader app
We're wishing a heartfelt farewell to Microsoft Reader today, because the folks at Redmond have decided to pull the plug on their e-book application, more than a decade after it first launched. Pre-dating the rise of the e-ink medium, the forward-looking MS Reader was originally designed to display digitzed books on an LCD screen, using the company's ClearType font display. Over the past few years, however, the app has slowly faded into obscurity, with the latest desktop version dated from 2007 and its last update rendering it compatible with Windows Mobile 6.1. The concept was clearly ahead of its time, but it ultimately fell behind what would become a swelling trend, ushered in by the Kindle, Nook and other e-reading hardware. No word yet on whether Microsoft plans to introduce a similar tool for Windows 8, though the timing of Reader's demise certainly leaves ample room for speculation.
Amazon releases web-based Kindle Cloud Reader app, optimized for iPads
Amazon may have changed its Kindle iOS app to comply with Apple's revised in-app subscription policy, but the retailer has now come out with its own, web-based alternative, known as the Kindle Cloud Reader. Compatible with both Chrome and Safari, the new app is essentially a browser version of the Kindle eBook reader, providing PC, Mac and Chromebook users with access to their digitized libraries. The tool also offers local storage, allowing for offline reading, though Amazon's device limit still applies, so if your library's already strewn across multiple gadgets, the app's reading functionality may be limited. The company unveiled the Cloud Reader today with relatively little fanfare or explanation, but its site highlights the service's main attractions, including its iPad optimization. Interestingly enough, the reader still isn't compatible with iPhones (or, as Android Community discovered, any Honeycomb tablets), though we imagine it's only a matter of time before Amazon's cloud coverage expands even further.
Editions iPad app: yet another way to ingest your technology news (and Engadget!)
You've seen us on Flipboard, Boxee, Roku and even the world wide web. And now, you can see even more of us, slotted between some of the world's greatest technology sites in Editions. It's a snazzy new iPad news app, taking its place alongside a smattering of formidable alternatives while presenting a highly customizable view. Upon first launch, you're presented with a veritable plethora of options, enabling users to create an "Edition" consisting of local news, technology, business, politics, etc. You're even able to add and subtract actual news sources from within a category, amongst other subtle personalization tweaks. Of course, you can download our app on a handful of platforms, but if you're looking for a bit of variety (and really, why wouldn't you be?), hit the source link to give 'er a go. It's free, after all. Update: Seems to be US-only for now, but we're told it'll hit the UK and Canada "in the coming months." Disclaimer: This app was created by AOL, who keeps the lights on around here.
AOL launches Editions into the personal-newspaper iPad app fray
Well before the iPad was even a gleam in the most ardent Apple-lover's eye, the marriage of tablet computing and a personalized newspaper was already a foregone conclusion/killer app in waiting. Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick even captured the possibility of the 'Newspad' in the 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Now we've got scores of apps aiming to deliver the same focused dose of information to iPad users: from social-focused tools like Flipboard, Zite and Taptu to reimagined versions of the daily newspaper like The Daily (not to mention the apps from actual ink-and-paper outfits like USA Today, the New York Times and more). Add to the list a stylish and somewhat innovative offering from our corporate parents at AOL: Editions, launched today and free on the App Store. Editions bills itself as a "new daily magazine that reads you," and while that may sound a little bit creepy the concept is quite nice. Editions lets you define sections that mirror what you might see in a daily paper: Top News, Business, Tech, and so on. There's even a Local News section that will deliver stories from your neighborhood (partly driven by AOL's hyperlocal Patch.com sites). You choose the sections you want, along with your font size and banner cover, and your magazine starts composing itself -- complete with snazzy cover and weather info where the subscriber label would be. The banner looks like it might be a tribute to Time Inc.'s Western regional magazine Sunset. Of course, you can get quite a bit more granular than just the high-level section choices. If you hook Editions up with your AOL, Twitter and Facebook identities, the app will take a look at the news sources you mention and the topics you're interested in to sketch a rough profile of the news you can use. You can dive into your complete sources/interests profile and delete the automatic assumptions, or add new ones. A note of community interest: Adding sources is by the name of the site, not the URL, so if you want to find TUAW you need to start typing our full name, 'The Unofficial Apple Weblog.' As you browse through Editions, you can give instant feedback on the tags/keywords associated with a story: 'show me less about The Bachelorette' or more, if that floats your boat. Similarly, if there's a particular news source you appreciate or one you'd rather not include, just mark them with a check or an X in a story to let Editions know how you feel. Your feedback gets rolled into your personal profile so that the next day's issue has more of what you like to read, and less of what you don't. Editions is built to download new stories once a day -- actually giving you a limited bite of news, and letting you have the satisfaction of 'reaching the end of the Internet' rather than continuously providing a stream of new content round the clock. True news junkies may furrow their brows at this parsimony, but the experience is a lot like The Daily's reasonable level of content: not too much, not too little, and certainly enough to get you through a morning. One thing to keep in mind about using Editions is that for most stories, you'll only see an opening excerpt in the magazine interface; when you tap to see more, the in-app browser takes you directly to the news provider's site, thereby delivering pageviews to the original publisher. This is possibly a more ethical (and less litigation-prone) approach than some other newspad apps have used, but the drawback is that you can't do as much reading when you're offline (for that, I'm a big Instapaper fan). The exception is content drawn from AOL-owned sources like the Huffington Post, Patch, WalletPop, Engadget (and, well, us); those stories load in full and are available offline. If you're looking for an attractive daily news app that's easy to configure and should learn more about you as you read, take a look at Editions and see what you think. %Gallery-129818% AOL is the parent company of TUAW.
Sony not giving up on Readers, new models expected in August
Word has come, straight from the mouth of Sony's vice president of digital reading, Phil Lubell, that the company has some new Reader models in the pipeline. According to Bloomberg the latest Kindle competitors will probably land in August, just ahead of the launch of the S1 and S2 tablets. Beyond that, it's all just a guessing game, but it's probably safe to assume the touchscreens and pleasantly hefty aluminum bodies will remain. Let's just hope, for the sake of Sony, the new models also come sporting a new low price. With the company's entry-level Pocket Edition starting at $180, it's had a hard time keeping up with the Nook and Kindle which start at $139 (without ads).
Zinio adds full Froyo and Gingerbread support, now available for all Android devices
Earlier this summer, Zinio released its reader app for a small handful of Android tablets, bringing more than 20,000 full-format magazine titles to the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and a half dozen other slates. Now, the app is available for all current Android 2.2 Froyo and 2.3 Gingerbread devices, including tablets and smartphones. At launch, you'll have access to a dozen free current issues, including ESPN The Magazine, Maxim, and Robb Report. You'll be back to paying full rates after downloading those 12 single issues, however, so prepare for a bit of sticker shock when you're ready to hit the subscription page.
Nook WiFi and Kobo eReader Touch Edition assault the Amazon Kindle fortress: a chart
The e-reader market just got a lot more crowded this week with the launch of the touch-enabled Nook and Kobo eReader Touch Edition. Will either device be able to take down the Amazon's industry defining Kindle? We've broken down the specs on the two new readers, the Kindle, and Sony's comparable Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350SC) to find out which device will come out on top. There's a lot of overlap features between the different readers, like infrared touchscreens and Pearl E Ink displays. All of those important details and more in the chart after the break. Check it out, because you obviously like reading things.
Lexar dual-slot CF / SD reader packs USB 3.0, downloads cards six times faster (video)
For professional photographers, every second counts when downloading images on a deadline -- especially when you throw enormous HD video files into the mix. With the $50 Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader, photogs now have a fast transfer option to compliment their pricey high-capacity CF and UHS-I SDXC cards, theoretically enabling downloads at up to 500MB per second (though current cards max out at one-fifth of that). You'll need to have a USB 3.0 port and high-speed flash to take advantage of faster transfers, though the reader is backwards-compatible with USB 2.0 and older cards -- you'll even be able to use that 32MB CF that came bundled with your DSLR. And what about appearance? Lexar Director of Marketing Jeff Cable sums it up: "It looks similar to our older card reader, the USB 2.0 reader, except that it says USB 3.0 right here on the front." Bam!
Adobe dominates Kaspersky Lab's top ten PC vulnerabilities list
Being number one is usually an honor, but not when it comes to Kaspersky Lab's top ten PC vulnerabilities list. Unfortunately for the software giant, Adobe took top dishonors for Q1 this year, pulling in five total spots on the list, including the top three. According to the security firm, all of the vulnerabilities appearing on the list allowed cyber-criminals to control computers at the system level. The number one spot was occupied by a vulnerability in Adobe Reader that was reportedly detected on 40 percent of machines running the application, while Flash Player flaws took second and third. Other dishonorees included the Java Virtual Machine, coming in at fourth and fifth place, Apple QuickTime, Winamp, and Microsoft Office. That ain't bad, considering Microsoft ruled the vulnerabilities roost in 2010.
A visual history of NetNewsWire
NetNewsWire is, as Second Gear's Justin Williams says, "the elder statesman of the Mac OS X platform." Brent Simmons' newsreader has appeared on countless "must-have" app lists, and it was one of the most treasured pieces of Mac software since even before anyone outside of Cupertino knew the iPhone was going to exist. On the third birthday of his app, Today, Williams takes a nice look at NetNewsWire, both how it has worked visually over the years, and how it has grown along with the platform and stayed relevant for so long. The app originally started as MacNewsWire -- there were only a few set Mac news feeds, and no Safari, WebKit or Core Data implementation (because those things, you know, didn't actually exist yet). Over the years, the app has both grown and become more tightly focused, aimed at both what users have requested and, of course, Simmons' own vision of what the app is supposed to be. We've talked with Simmons before about translating the app over to iOS, but this is an excellent look back at NetNewsWire's history, and it's a great guide for how to keep a Mac app strong and popular for a long time.
Adobe finds another 'critical' flaw in Flash, Steve Jobs smiles smugly
Hey, guess what? Adobe has found yet another serious security flaw in Flash. We can already hear the iOS fanboys warming up their commenting fingers. The vulnerability affects all platforms, including Android, though only attacks on Windows have been seen in the wild so far. Just like last month's exploit, this one is spreading via malicious .swf files embedded in Office documents, only this time it's Word instead of Excel being targeted (a hacker's gotta keep it fresh, after all). Once again Reader and Acrobat are also vulnerable, but attacks can be thwarted using Reader's Protected Mode. When exactly Adobe plans on plugging this hole is anyone's guess, so when a deposed Nigerian prince tells you about the fabulous sum of money he'd like you to transfer, you'll have yet another reason not to open the Office attachments in his email.
This year's hottest pocket mirror is also a USB 3.0 multi-format card reader
We always knew that the worlds of technology and popular culture were on a collision course of epic proportions, and if this isn't proof... well, you might say that proof simply doesn't exist. Brando's newest gizmo has an identity crisis that Charlie Sheen would simply salivate over, but if we had to guess, we'd surmise that a USB 3.0 SuperSpeed card reader -- complete with support for CompactFlash, SDXC and M2 cards -- does a lot more #winning with a mirror slapped onto the side. Pre-order yours today for the tidy sum of $25, or alternatively, a vial of #tigerblood.
iPad, iPad 2 get unofficial CF card compatibility (video)
Given the impressive knockoffs and official camera kits we've seen, we'd say the iPad's definitely got the stuff to help out most shutterbugs, but up until now, uploading content from a CF card wasn't exactly easy. Well, our friends over at MIC Gadget recently showed off an iPad / iPad 2-compatible card reader that fixes that on the cheap. Simply called the CF card reader for iPad and iPad 2, the thing slips right into the slate's dock connector port and, as you can see from the video below, it transfers HD video and high-res images in a snap -- it also sports USB connectivity. Like its predecessor, the reader's available from MIC for $29.90, but you'll have to wait at least a month to get your hands on one. Oh, and a word of warning, you might want to make sure the iPad supports your camera's video format before shelling out the dough, as MIC found the slab couldn't playback video from a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
Adobe patches Flash flaw with Acrobat / Reader update
Armageddon averted. Exactly as promised, Adobe has rolled out a fix this week for the zero-day security vulnerability in Flash that had us sweating the world was about to come crashing to an end. It's a somewhat circuitous route to getting your system patched up, however, as you'll need to download an out-of-cycle update for Acrobat and Reader -- the other software affected by this issue. Still, a small price to pay for protecting yourself from the evils of the internets. [Thanks, Paul]
Google patches Flash vulnerability in Chrome, leaves other browsers hanging
Remember that massive security vulnerability that Adobe identified in its Flash Player, Acrobat and Reader software? Well, shockingly enough, it hasn't yet taken over the internet and ground productivity to a halt, but Google's been proactive about it and patched the flaw by itself. Of course, the fix applies only to its own Chrome web browser, Firefoxes and Internet Explorer types will have to wait for Adobe's fix, which is expected any minute now. Still, it's good to know someone's looking out for the security of our data, even if that someone already has access to most of it anyway.
