AOL has released ‘Editions’, a social newsreading app for the iPad, furnishing device owners with yet another way to get their news fix.
Like forerunners Flipboard and Zite, Editions pulls in data from your social networks (in this case, Facebook and Twitter) to help deliver a personalized news feed in a magazine-style format.
As with Zite, users can improve the results simply by reading; the app will learn what topics and sources readers tend to gravitate towards. You can teach the app by identifying sources they like and don’t like, and keywords they are and are not interested in, both in the settings panel and when they pull up individual articles.
Articles are rendered in an in-app browser, meaning that all of the original ads and formatting are displayed — and that it often takes a while to load. (It seems AOL took note of Zite’s early misstep in this department.) Readers can share articles via Facebook, Twitter and email, and bookmark stories for later reading.
All of this is pretty standard. It’s also several paces behind competitors. Flipboard, for one, allows users to pull in feeds from several additional social networks — including LinkedIn, Instagram and your RSS feed. It also allows users to search across all of the articles in the app.
But there’s more. AOL Editions improves on other social newsreading apps because it plays to the habits of both traditional newspaper readers and iPad readers.
For one thing, it provides a more holistic, organized newsfeed. Instead of just pulling in my interests, which would leave me with a jumble of media, tech, fashion news and little else, I swipe through the Top News section to pick up leading headlines across all sections from the last 24 hours.
Likewise, I can visit the Local News section to get a sense of what is going on in my neighborhood. That part is a welcome supplement given that I, like many others, no longer subscribe to a local newspaper.
I also like — although I expect other readers might not — that there’s a finite amount of content in the app. This is one of The Daily‘s big selling points. Editions is designed to be read once per day. Users set the time they want it delivered and it can be read from start to finish — which, in the days of the neverending web, makes for a nice contrast.
For a fuller preview, check out the gallery below.
Connect to your social networks to get started.
Customize your topics.
Customize colors and sections.
The home screen features local weather information, as well as upcoming birthdays, pulled from Facebook.
Articles can be shared via email, Facebook and Twitter, or bookmarked for later reading.
Teach the app what topics and keywords you're interested in.
Local news section.
More About: aol, aol editions, Flipboard, ipad app, media, ziteFor more Media coverage:Follow Mashable Media on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Media channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 01:08:36 +0000 at http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/Szx-wadTRg0/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/02/aol-editions-ipad/#comments
Like forerunners Flipboard and Zite, Editions pulls in data from your social networks (in this case, Facebook and Twitter) to help deliver a personalized news feed in a magazine-style format.
As with Zite, users can improve the results simply by reading; the app will learn what topics and sources readers tend to gravitate towards. You can teach the app by identifying sources they like and don’t like, and keywords they are and are not interested in, both in the settings panel and when they pull up individual articles.
Articles are rendered in an in-app browser, meaning that all of the original ads and formatting are displayed — and that it often takes a while to load. (It seems AOL took note of Zite’s early misstep in this department.) Readers can share articles via Facebook, Twitter and email, and bookmark stories for later reading.
All of this is pretty standard. It’s also several paces behind competitors. Flipboard, for one, allows users to pull in feeds from several additional social networks — including LinkedIn, Instagram and your RSS feed. It also allows users to search across all of the articles in the app.
But there’s more. AOL Editions improves on other social newsreading apps because it plays to the habits of both traditional newspaper readers and iPad readers.
For one thing, it provides a more holistic, organized newsfeed. Instead of just pulling in my interests, which would leave me with a jumble of media, tech, fashion news and little else, I swipe through the Top News section to pick up leading headlines across all sections from the last 24 hours.
Likewise, I can visit the Local News section to get a sense of what is going on in my neighborhood. That part is a welcome supplement given that I, like many others, no longer subscribe to a local newspaper.
I also like — although I expect other readers might not — that there’s a finite amount of content in the app. This is one of The Daily‘s big selling points. Editions is designed to be read once per day. Users set the time they want it delivered and it can be read from start to finish — which, in the days of the neverending web, makes for a nice contrast.
For a fuller preview, check out the gallery below.
Connect to your social networks to get started.
Customize your topics.
Customize colors and sections.
The home screen features local weather information, as well as upcoming birthdays, pulled from Facebook.
Articles can be shared via email, Facebook and Twitter, or bookmarked for later reading.
Teach the app what topics and keywords you're interested in.
Local news section.
More About: aol, aol editions, Flipboard, ipad app, media, ziteFor more Media coverage:Follow Mashable Media on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Media channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 01:08:36 +0000 at http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/Szx-wadTRg0/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/02/aol-editions-ipad/#comments