magazines

New Yorker's cover might be most digital ever

In almost nothing in life is the most venerable institution also the most forward thinking. But, in the world of magazines, "The New Yorker" comes pretty close.

The magazine, founded in 1925, continues to be its outstanding self in print. I try to read almost every issue cover to cover. And the ones I don't? Well, they chastise me from the side of my bed when they pile up.

But what's unusual is how well the magazine has done in the digital space.

Smart use of its Web site: NewYorker.com offers up the right mix … Read more

Kindle app update brings some Kindle Fire features to iPads

For any iPad owner who's seen those spiffy-looking magazines and newspapers on Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet and thought, "Hey, why don't my magazines and newspapers look this spiffy?", here's good news: Amazon just rolled out a Kindle app update that adds rich magazine and newspaper viewing to the iPad, among other things.

Kindle 2.9 for iOS offers several appreciable changes, and not just for the iPad. For example, iPhone and iPod Touch users will also notice a new scrolling menu atop their library; it lets you sort your view between books, magazines, and documents.… Read more

How to set up your tablet

A few weeks ago at CNET Gotham, I gave a quick live presentation called Tech Boot Camp: Tablet setup.

It consisted of a look at some of my favorite bits of advice for new tablet owners.

My focus was mainly on the iPad, but much of what I discussed could apply to Android owners, too.

So, here's a video we shot at CNET that recaps what I said then. Topics covered:

Picking a case that makes senseUnderstanding the cloud, and using itGet your "free" content! (Or, how to find things you've already paid for and get … Read more

Mobile devices bigger time suckers than papers, magazines

Mobile devices have surpassed magazines and newspapers in grabbing our time each day, says a new study from market researcher eMarketer.

On average, U.S. consumers now spend around an hour every day with their mobile phones, a 30 percent rise from last year.

In contrast, people are spending only 44 minutes a day reading newspapers and magazines, a small drop from last year. But the results stemming back from 2008 show a sharp rise for mobile devices and a steady decline for print publications.

Despite the popularity of mobile devices, people are still spending much more time watching TV … Read more

How to get started with Google Currents

Now you can read your favorite online materials while you're offline.

First, you'll want to grab a copy of the app. You can get Google Currents for Android, or Google Currents for iPhone.

Step 1: Open the app and select the Google account you'd like to sync with Currents, or add a new account.

After browsing through the tutorial slides, you'll have access to the app. Now you can start customizing the app to your liking.

Step 2: On the Library tab you'll notice that Google has added some magazine-style content for you … Read more

'Real or Onion': Can you spot the satire?

"Congress Accidentally Approves Arts Funding."

Did that headline come from a serious news outlet or did you just get duped by The Onion? A new addition to the AppStore called Real or Onion challenges you to a game of spot the satire.

Gelf Magazine co-founder David Goldenberg came up with the idea after pausing for a second to question the sincerity of a Reuters headline ("Rap music glamorizes drug use - study").

The game is simple. You're presented with a headline and it's your job to determine the source. Based on your guess, you'll either be taken to a mainstream news site or to the original article on The Onion, along with results that compare your overall score with that of to other players.… Read more

Hearst Magazines expects 1M digital subscribers in 2012, thanks iPad

As the year is coming to close, many companies step back and take stock of the decisions they have made over the last 12 months and determine if they are heading in the right direction. For Hearst Magazines, finally giving in to Apple's steadfast App Store rules has proved a wise--and lucrative--choice.

Talking to Reuters this week, Hearst Magazine President David Carey said that he expects to reach a million digital subscribers by the end of 2012, due in large part to the success of Apple's iPad and the ease of the new-to-iOS 5 Newsstand, which makes subscribing … Read more

Music magazine app on your iPad

Muzine is a music news app for iPad that lets you read the latest music topics in an easy-to-read format, or lets you customize your feeds to get news only from your favorite bands and sources. After launching the app, you're given a slideshow of featured stories--strangely, you can't go to a story by tapping on it, but instead need to hit the Features button to get access to full stories. Even with this oversite, the columned layout of the stories in the Featured section makes browsing for music news incredibly easy and enjoyable. A swipe upwards lets … Read more

Flipboard founder: We need more soul in Web content

Flipboard founder and CEO Mike McCue devoted his 10-minute Web 2.0 talk this morning to beauty, emotion, and design. Not data, the theme of this year's Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

"When you want to create a hit, you've got to be willing to look away from the data," he said. The backdrop for McCue's mini-presentation? A picture of a lipstick red 1957 Jaguar XK SS. McCue referenced the classic car, in part, to demonstrate how something beautiful can elicit a visceral reaction. "It makes you feel good, like the Jaguar,&… Read more

1-year-old thinks a magazine is a broken iPad

This will either make you giggle or weep. And even if you giggle, it might be out of nervous fear for the future rather than joy.

For here is a 1-year-old who believes all media are now touch-screen-enabled. She seems not to understand that a magazine--Marie-Claire, in this example--doesn't take to pinching or prodding.

The video was posted by Jean-Louis Costanza, George's lost French cousin (not), currently the CEO at Orange-Vallee, a subsidiary of the France Telecom brand Orange.

I thank Laughing Squid for alerting me to Costanza's 1-year-old daughter, who will clearly be ahead of any … Read more