:: DISCOVERY SERVICEWNYC, the flagship public radio station of New York City, has an awesome app that lets you find the best live radio streams of news, commentary, cultural reporting, and more. But that awesome app is now getting just a bit more awesome with the addition of a new "Discover" feature that lets you build a custom radio playlist based on the interests you provide, as well as how much time you have to spend listening.
For example, if you care to listen to "arts," "media," and "technology" for about 90 minutes, the WNYC app will take those interests and that time slot and prepare for you a custom-made hour-and-a-half playlist of the best shows in public radio pertaining to those interests. As always though, the app will continue to let you listen to your favorite live and on-demand streams of their famous radio shows.
You can grab the new WNYC app on the App Store for free.
:: VARIED DISCOVERIESUpdate: Discover 1.1 has now been released, allowing you to rediscover content in your history without the need of an internet or data connection - meaning if you're ever in-air or without a data connection, or there's just no hotspots nearby, you'll have all your past information right at your fingertips. Who says you only need to discover things once? Full info here.
The free application "leverages the power of the iPad platform to deliver an enjoyable experience for Wikipedia's vast collection of articles" (Aaran Wessels, Cooliris), by simplifying article navigation through a new "smart search" feature and showcasing daily-updated featured articles and photos. Cooliris developers recognize that "the outstanding breadth and depth of information ... [can] make it difficult for users to navigate", and so the new simplified navigation will ensure that only directly relevant content is provided on-screen, with links to other concepts and ideas provided elsewhere. Photos will be centre-stage in an application that aims to make full efficient use of the iPad's 9.5" display.
“By turning Wikipedia into a ‘live magazine,’ we offer readers a virtually limitless source of quality content that is delightful to use on a daily basis” spoke Soujanya Bhumbar, co-founder and current CEO of Cooliris.
iPad owners will again continue to reap the benefits of developers' intuitive designs in magazine format, most evident in the release of the social networking magazine Flipboard earlier this month. The application, also free, renews the way you see what's happening on Facebook and Twitter by integrating both social tools into a three-by-three square board.
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