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The very first iPad app from Red Bull for its Red Bulletin sports magazine created a library where readers could download its issues, all of which are free of charge.
The dilemma for Red Bull, though, was that Red Bulletin comes in different flavors, an English edition and a German edition. Do you offer both editions inside the app?
For me I didn't think it was a big deal, they were, after all, all they needed to do was label the editions "International" and "US", something they didn't do originally.
But they must have gotten some negative feedback, or at least some expressions of confusion because now they have released a second iPad app just for the U.S.
The Red Bulletin US is also free, and it, too, creates a library where readers can access the issues, but now there is only the one version that can be downloaded.
The current issue, featuring American track and field athlete Lolo Jones on the cover, is constructed in a similar fashion to the first issue TNM looked at. But this time the issue is a modest 158 MB (or so) because there are only landscape layouts.
The issues are still packed with video and great photography – I'll leave it up to you to judge that actual quality of the editorial.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Red Bull releases a second iPad app for US edition of Red Bulletin magazine
A few thoughts on posts and deleted posts
Every now and then things slow down here at TNM. Often this occurs in the summer when the news cycle tens to take a siesta. But just as often it is because I have written a lengthy post, thought about it, and then decided to delete – either because I just felt it didn't merit posting, or for very personal reasons.
This morning I read this post from Roy Greenslade of The Guardian. Greenslade is in the middle of reading James O'Shea's The Deal from Hell: How Moguls and Wall Street Plundered Great American Newspapers, the former Tribune Company editor who in his book recounts the Tribune merger with Times Mirror and the purchase of the company by Sam Zell which eventually led to the company's bankruptcy.
The reason for the post by Greenslade is the point to Jack Shafer's post on Slate.com, where Shafer takes apart O'Shea's book. Shafer just doesn't get the that the blame for the industry's woes can be placed at the feet of those inside it since, he argues, have't companies like the NYT and WaPo also experience staff reductions?
Well, needless to say that I find Shafer's post laughable. It reads like the naive ramblings of a middling actor telling us that he finds Mel Gibson to be a worthy role model.
But ultimately I decided to trash that post for the simple reason that very few TNM readers appear very interested in the inside ball of the newspaper industry – they have already moved. Those involved in new media really don't care much about why the newspaper industry is failing, simply that it is and that creates new opportunities for those who will follow.
But for me, as a former newspaper executive, the whole thing is like a car crash, ugly to observe, but impossible to turn away from, nonetheless.
But all industries are made up of people, people who make decisions, who are responsible for their actions. But is it really surprising that journalists fail to see this? After all, every Sunday morning we all are subjected to the same news shows where journalists interview the usual suspects, the same people who have proved to be wrong time and time again, yet the journalists never question whether they should stop talking to the discredited, never mention the discretions. In today's world of journalism, people are not responsible, they are ruled by outside forces bigger than themselves. No one is to blame, therefore placing the blame is considered bad form.
Microsoft launches cloud-based Office service today
Microsoft today launched a cloud-based version of its Microsoft Office produce. Aimed at professionals and small businesses, the service is subscription based and lets users access email, documents, contacts and calendars via the web.
Called Microsoft Office 365, the service will cost small business $6 per month to subscribe, for each user, and requires that PC owners have Office 2007 SP2 or Office 2010 installed on their computers, or Office 2008 or Office 2011 for Mac installed. Enterprise users are charged from $10 per month, or $27 per month per user depending on the number of features needed.
The service will work on most common browsers.
The software giant's cloud effort is both an attempt to hold off other cloud computing products from Google and Apple, and also somewhat of a recognition that the company's Office suite is a now a legacy product that offers few reasons for consumers and companies to continuously upgrade every couple of years.
Comparing the new Microsoft product to Google one instantly recognizes that the new product is coming from the same company that continues to confuse consumers with multiple versions of its software products. While Google Apps will cost you $5 per month, Microsoft's product is tiered; Microsoft's product is less optimized for mobile devices that Google's (based on this early look by PC World). But there are a lot of people very comfortable with Office, and miss it when it is not available on their mobile devices – for them, this might be a good solution.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Bonnier releases disappointing app for Saveur
If you read my report on Thursday of last week on the slate of new tablet editions released by Bonnier you would have noticed that I ended that post wondering about their title Saveur. The world food magazine was conspicuously missing from the latest app releases, were they delaying a new app because they wanted to incorporate video and other tablet features?
Sadly, the answer appears to be no. Late on Friday a new iPad app appeared for Saveur and like the other Bonnier apps, it is essentially a replica edition, but one that no doubt uses the Mag+ system to compile the PDF pages. (Update: I have been told that it does not use Mag+ but another Bonnier system for replicas called MagLight.)
Like the other Bonnier apps, the Saveur app is free to download and offers a discounted in-app purchased subscription for $1.99 monthly, or $14.99 per year. Individual issues can be bought for $4.99. But print subscribers are screwed: you will have to pay again if you want to read this magazine on your iPad – which is why I only bothered to look at the preview issue, why pay twice?
The app is replica in every way: it has no landscape mode and the production team does not reenvision the layouts to take advantage of the iPad, forcing the reader to use pinch to zoom to read many of the articles because there has been no font adjustments.
The Saveur app is hugely disappointing and I can imagine that magazines like this one will suffer greatly once publishers realize the enormous potential tablets offer for food magazines.
Bonnier also released on the same day a similar app for its magazine Garden Design, but those who were expecting great things from the Swedish media firm have got to scratching their heads at this point.
Protesters occupy The Acropolis, only find ruins
In something straight out of The Onion, Greek communists have stormed The Acropolis in Athens. No doubt their first reaction was "damn, there is nothing here but ruins!" (Psst, guys, it's been a while since anyone but tourists were there.)
Photo courtesy of Reuters and The Guardian.
More seriously, unions in Greece have called for a 48-hour general strike starting tomorrow. The strike is timed to coincide with debates being held in the Greek parliament involving further austerity measures being considered by the embattled government of prime minister George Papandreou.
Meanwhile, in Spain thousands of anti-austerity protesters have begun a march to Madrid, setting off from different cities around the country. Called the “indignados”, the protesters are part of what is known as the May 15 movement.
While the debt situation in Spain is not as severe as Greece, the country's unemployment situation is dire, with adult unemployment over 20 percent.
Morning Brief: Meredith buys Eating Well Media Group, launches Recipe.com; Israel warns journalists on flotilla
Meredith Corp. announced this morning that it had acquired the EatingWell Media Group, and that it will be launching Recipe.com, which it describes as a site that will pair recipes with discount coupons.
Meredith already produces great food content across our brands, and food is our top advertising category," said Meredith Chairman and CEO Steve Lacy in the company's announcement. "In acquiring EatingWell and launching Recipe.com, we've added two anchor brands to serve the 75 million American women we engage every month, and the marketers that want to reach them."
The EatingWell group comes with a bi-monthly magazine with a circulation of around 350,000. EatingWell CEO Thomas Witschi will join Meredith as EVP and President, of the Women's Lifestyle group.
The Recipe.com website launch will feature in-store and manufacturer coupons, instructional video content and more than 20,000 recipes taken from the Meredith magazine catalog.
"Our goal is to create a multi-revenue food platform that aligns with the modern way women plan, shop and prepare meals for their families," said Liz Schimel, Chief Digital Officer, Meredith National Media Group.
Israel is threatening journalists who are caught on the Gaza-bound flotilla with deportation and a 10-year ban on entering the country. Oren Helman, the director of the Israeli's government press office called the flotilla “a dangerous provocation that is being organized by Western and Islamic extremist elements to aid Hamas," according to a NYT report.
One year ago, during the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla", Israeli forces killed nine activists.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Libya's Muammar el-Qaddafi and his chief of intelligence for war crimes related to the recent unrest and fighting.
Interesting how quick the court is to press charges when the person involved is not the head of a major western country, isn't it?
Did you watch the Gold Cup final? Chances are you didn't since it was not on shown on a major network. The US got crushed by a far better Mexico team 4-2. To these eyes this US is team is the worst I've seen in two decades.
