I just learned that The Project is going live tomorrow. You’ll note the cover with Jeff Bridges, and various other articles about “design, entertainment, technology, entrepreneurs”.
We’ll see how this one goes. So far, it looks like it is off to a good start.
I know that a lot of magazines have come to the iPad, like Wired and Time. Sir Richard Branson has one called the Maverick, and it would appear that he has another coming out called the Project.
According to my Source, the magazine covers travel, entertainment, business, design, as well as international culture.
Eureka embraces interactivity right from the get-go. Just like swiping to unlock, the application requires that you swipe to enter, after which you are greeted with a navigation and content video revealing the true extent of the information that Eureka holds. In this edition, How Science Is Changing The Human Race, there are five main categories, each with a plethora of subsets containing information that’ll amaze you as much as the application itself. Each category, subcategory and page hosts its own unique design and interactive integration, from audio and video to landscape mode and swiping. For the purposes of this review, I’ll focus on one category – Engineering.
Tapping the Engineering molecule once opens an introductory page, where six main headings are listed as well as an audio recording of Matthew Syed’s engineering comments. Heading one, an archive slideshow, is required to be viewed in landscape mode, with a graphic alerting users when this is the case. One rotation later a full Big Picture-style collection of images is presented, presented not only in high quality but with a morsel of information regarding each picture. Heading three is more magazine based content, where focus is placed equally on images and text. Again, the interface is very elegantly designed the only underlying trait between each section between Eureka’s trademark two blue parallel lines that give pages colour and separate images. In addition, pre-downloaded audio is accessible in a single tap.
Moving on, heading four reveals Formula One’s knock-on effect on car safety, allowing readers to take apart an F1 car and understand the complex steering wheels that go with each vehicle, all through tapping different parts of the screen. It’s such a beautiful, seamless interface. The designers haven’t thought outside the box, they’ve changed what the box should be: everything feels right.
Suffice it to say, I’m impressed with Eureka, even though there are one or two problems. The constant changing between landscape and portrait mode – and lack of ability to view content in both (only one or the other) – does mean that you are constantly moving the iPad about in your hands, which doesn’t make the user experience as enjoyable as it should be. In addition, the initial download is painfully large and the application looms over most others when it comes to installed size: over 500MB, because of pre-downloaded audio and video. Options to stream these, or download category by category, would be much preferred.
Nonetheless, Eureka pushes the boundary forward when it comes to magazine applications. It makes the iPad feel special and unique in a technological world where competition is fierce. And for that, Eureka deserves every bit of its 4.5 stars.
If you prefer the shiny screen of an iPhone or iPad to the rough texture of a newspaper or glossy pages of a magazine then you’re in luck, as Kobo has announced it is expanding its eReader service to include dozens of US and Canadian periodicals. Those who download the free app are granted a two-week subscription to try out the service. If you like what you see, then you can choose to buy a monthly subscription for your chosen newspapers or magazines.
“Kobo continues to build on our commitment of making sure that consumers have the best reading experience on any device with the largest selection of content worldwide, ” said Michael Serbinis, CEO of Kobo. “We’ve had tremendous success with eBooks and we’re very excited to expand the Kobo offering to include newspapers and magazines with a two-week free trial, allowing consumers to try first without any obligation. We continue to bring on top publishers to ensure that Kobo’s newspaper and magazine offering meets our customers’ highest expectations.”
The company has a solid lineup of periodicals available, though the selection is far from exhaustive. Newspapers include the New York Post and New York Times, and the National Review and Harvard Business Review can be found in the magazine section. For the full list head on over to Kobo’s website and see if anything tickles your fancy. Subscription rates vary, but usually range from around $2 a month for magazines to $15 a month for a daily paper.
While this is definitely a viable option for folks wanting to use their iOS device as an eReader, it’s also important to shop around and compare prices. The New York Times and Post already offer iPad subscriptions directly, so it’s really a matter of deciding which service is best for you. Still, now you have yet another choice and Kobo will group all your subscriptions into one convenient location, so it’s definitely something to consider.
It’s hard not to envision a day when magazines are all made primarily for digital devices like the iPad. The form factor is right, digital gives all sorts of multimedia freedom, and I’m sure publishers are dying to cut down on production costs.
In what is surely the first of many, Sideways Magazine is a new start up that is designed and written specifically for the digital tablet. Unlike traditional print media, or even most of the stuff on the iPad, Sideways tells its stories with a blend of “video, audio, photos, text and even maps.” For example, the current issue (October) features a map based story by Professor Dinty Moore, director of creative writing at Ohio University, about his run-ins with famed author George Plimpton. In the article, each location that you travel through in the map offers up a new tale in the story, turning a typical story article into more of an interactive experience.
The issue also includes:
* Special spy gear advertising section with deep links to retailers, enabling instant purchase of advertised items
* A look at which colleges have the best fictional alumni
* Interactive guide to chili peppers and hot sauces with do-it-yourself recipe
* Feature article on how social media improves writing
* Overview of tablets being released as rivals to the iPad
* Feature on best ways to watch video on the iPad
“We created Sideways to demonstrate the iPad’s multimedia capabilities and deliver features that are immersive and engaging in ways that traditional magazines are not,” said Jim Sweeney, editor-in-chief of Sideways. “We continue to evolve the publishing platform for mobile devices with the October issue.”
Each issue of Sideways is available, in part, for free in the App Store and can be fully unlocked via in app purchase. Check it out, I think you’ll like it.
It’s hard not to envision a day when magazines are all made primarily for digital devices like the iPad. The form factor is right, digital gives all sorts of multimedia freedom, and I’m sure publishers are dying to cut down on production costs.
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