Miracle Reading App? I think so.

Miracle App?  Well, for one 17 year old Brit, who became a $30 millionaire yesterday, it surely was.  But when I tried to download it to my iPad today, it was dark – as they say in show business. Yahoo purchased it, and apparently will now charge for it, or integrate it into their business plan. They pulled the free download. The name was Summly. 

That set me off to find the “next best” thing to Summly.  And I found it. PC Magazine gave it the editor’s choice award – I can surely see why.  Called FlipBoard (for I phone and I Pad, probably Android as well).  This is a new step up, and for me this might change everything as regards viewing news and photos, et al.  

FlipBoard has a home page on the App, where you select the things you are interested in, topics, so to speak.  News, Technology and so forth. Photography perhaps. Then it creates a custom magazine-like newspaper for you, that dazzles, and is constantly updated (I presume).   The next step is the “front page” that shows all your choices with photos and attractive text.  You then choose your first look-see of the session, and it opens like a magazine.  And your turn the pages with your finger like a magazine. And wow, on the iPad it is so smooth!  First page turning App I have enjoyed, you can flip back and forth, the binder is in the middle, but it disappears as the page displays, very clever.

How this differs from a real magazine

1.      it is custom made to your interests

2.      it has gorgeous color photos, back lit, as only an iPad can do it, much cheaper than all that ink for a magazine.

3.      touching a photo you like generally makes it full screen, 8 x 10

4.      it can drill down, as you touch it will show more of a story than a magazine would have room to print – so you get an enhanced experience

5.      sometimes there are even videos, so you can see a story, not just look at still photos

6.      the entire process is the first I have seen that truly replicates and improves on a magazine experience

And, to top it all, the App is free !

Your comments and opinions are welcome. NOTE --- one day after I wrote this, Walter Mossberg, the Wall Street Journal Technology Editor wrote up this APP with praise !!  Great minds think alike?  I hope you enjoy his article as well.