Sporting News moves into the Newsstand; ABC Player updates its app for the new iPad's 'retina display'

Few publications have experimented as much with tablet editions as Sporting News, 125-year old sports magazine.

When TNM first spoke to the (then) new publisher Jeff Price Sporting News had just launched a free daily digital edition through Zinio (it had previously created a Flash driven flipbook for its website). Next came a branded app, also through Zinio. Next came its own branded app, released last fall. (You can read the original 2010 interview with Price here.)

This morning that same app, Sporting News, has been updated to move it into Apple's Newsstand.

Many readers told us to get on Newsstand as quickly as possible — well, we heard you loud and clear. As of today, The Sporting News is now available on your Apple iPad Newsstand. If you already use The Sporting News on iOS5, just download this version to move the app to your Newsstand. Every morning, your new edition will feature a cover image instead of the red SN app icon. Just make sure your iPad is connected to WiFi or a 3G network.

Sporting News has experimented with paid models, but this app and its content remains free to read at this time.

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Another app that has just issued an update because of the introduction of the new iPad today, is ABC Digital.

It has just issued an update to ABC Player which the app description says "is now optimized for the new iPad retina display."

But in addition to the adjustment in resolution, the app also has added closed captioning, device content syncing, and most importantly, the app is now universal (meaning it can now be used on an iPhone or iPod touch). The app and its content remains free thanks, as the app description states, "courtesy of our sponsors".