magazine

PressReader, Zinio get dazzling Retina makeovers

When it comes to consuming newspapers on an iPad, I've long preferred PressReader to individual newspaper apps (like, say, USA Today and my local Detroit Free Press). With the latter, I'm just sifting through headlines. But PressReader makes me feel like I'm actually "reading the paper," mostly because it provides a picture-perfect digital reproduction of the real thing.

Now it's letter-perfect as well. PressReader 3.1 has been optimized for Retina displays, meaning newspapers viewed on the new iPad look nothing short of dazzling.

In case you're not familiar with it, the app lets you subscribe to the digital editions of more than 2,000 national and international newspapers -- great for news junkies and folks who want to keep up on what's happening back home.… Read more

MAD for the iPad

Despite Apple's ostensibly strict rules that prevent inappropriate content from its App Store, DC Entertainment, publisher of such upstanding heroes as Superman and Wonder Woman, is about to sneak through its first dedicated MAD Magazine app.

Not available until Sunday, which is known to watercooler comedians as both April Fools' Day and the birthday of MAD mascot Alfred E. Neuman, the MAD app might surprise you: it's not a waste of time.

Guarantees against it insulting your intelligence, however, have yet to be made.

The app itself will be free and offer some free content, although full issues … Read more

iPad users spending $70K a day on newspaper and magazine content

A new report, released by the analytics firm Distimo (via Business Insider), finds that iPad users are spending upwards of $70,000 each day on magazines and newspapers for their iPads.

The report looked at the top-100 Newsstand apps in terms of gross sales, finding that iPad users seem willing to pay for newsy content. At the top of the list, as expected, are apps from The New York Times, The Daily, and the New Yorker. Also interesting to note, news apps account for 7 percent of the top-200 grossing apps.

The revenue from those apps comes largely at the … Read more

Apple's Newsstand raking in $70K a day, study says

Just how much are people spending on digital editions of newspapers and magazines on Apple's digital Newsstand app?

In a study of Apple's App Store for iPad during the month of February, market research firm Distimo says the top 100 publications brought in more than $70,000 a day. That metric -- which is just revenues from the United States -- is led by News Corp.'s The Daily, followed by The New York Times and The New Yorker magazine, the firm said.

Apple launched Newsstand as part of iOS 5 in October, providing a way for users … Read more

Put Kindle on your Android

The free Kindle app for Android is a rock-solid e-reader option that seamlessly ties to your Amazon account. It may not have many bells or whistles, but it does its job well, and can easily reach into Amazon.com's enormous library of downloadable works.

The app opens up directly into your Kindle library, which shows all of the books tied to your account. If you want to expand your library, you can tap the Kindle Store button on the top right and sift through Amazon.com's catalog of books, magazines, and newspapers. And thanks to a recent update, … Read more

The world's most beautiful turntables

The iPhone and iPad are truly elegant designs, but they are the rare exceptions in the rather drab world of consumer electronics. Most cameras, printers, computers, home theater receivers, and speakers are pretty sedate, but there is one product category that stands out: turntables. I've picked a choice selection that represents remarkable achievements in industrial design, and they're highly functional, exquisitely engineered products.

The Redpoint Model A turntable has an aluminum and composite Teflon platter, damped by silicone oil, and the turntable features a battery-powered 12-volt DC motor with precious metal brushes. The turntable weighs 90 pounds.… Read more

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