Tag: Google Reader »

Flipboard is already considered a must-have iPad app, but now it's even more irresistible thanks to a massive update. The social media app is now capable of including Google Reader, Flickr and live article previews. Really, what more could you ask for?

First up, those using Google Reader will find it to be nearly identical to what their familiar with on their desktop, but with a few minor concessions. You won't be able to share items with a note, run a search or manage subscriptions, though those features may become available down the road. For now though you can still read through items, star items, share without notes and most of the other familiar Reader features. It's not an exact duplication of the true experience, but it's pretty close.

Flipboard now also finally supports Flickr, one of the web's biggest photo hubs. Now you can easily view photos, mark favorites and leave comments, as well as thumb through Flickr groups and daily albums. Finally, you can leave snarky comments about your friends' drunken shenanigans right from your iPad. How did we live without this?

Another nice feature is that Flipboard will now let you preview articles before opening them, so if you just want to get the headline and a paragraph or two you won't have to wait for the whole piece to load. Also, the websites on which articles appear now pop up below whatever story you're reading, so if you want to see more stuff from the same outlet all you need to do is drag the screen up and surf the site as you normally would. Congratulations, it's now easier to be distracted than ever before!

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what the new Flipboard has to offer, but we don't want to spoil the fun of discovery. Check out the video of the new features and then start digging into them for yourself. And if you don't yet have Flipboard then what sort of crazy person are you?

Dang, it's August already. Time for Back To School Specials and the slow waning of summertime, at least in the northern hemisphere. Here's another weekly dose of new releases onto the App store from the past week. Enjoy!

Osmos - Apple's App of the week. Our first look here.
The #1 hit iPad game, now available for the iPhone, with full Retina display support! Enter the ambient world that GameAndPlayer called "a work of genius," and IGN called "a beautiful, absorbing experience." Osmos features elegant, physics-based gameplay, dreamlike visuals, and a beautiful electronic soundtrack. Your objective is to grow by absorbing other motes; propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you; but be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Progress from serenely ambient levels into varied and challenging worlds.

Yertle The Turtle and The Big Brag - If you're like me, you've grown up on Dr. Seuss books. They're a cultural touchstone for many of us, reaching deep into our consciousness, ethics, and worldview. Now that I have kids of my own, it's become important to me to pass along these treasures. I can do so, now, right on my iPad or iPhone. These apps will read to your child, either with a tap on each page to advance the story, or auto advancing through the whole book. They'll also allow a more traditional book experience, with the "Read It Myself" option, for those big boys and girls in your life that are reading on their own.

Feeddler RSS Reader Pro for iPhone - Big Google Reader user? RSS fan? Feedler has quickly become the cream of the crop with their Universal App for the iPhone and iPad. They've just released an iPhone-only version, which comes in at 2.8 Mb, as compared to the 5.0 Mb of the Universal App. They're also selling it for $.99 as a launch special, so if you want just an iPhone version to help your device save a bit of space, this is the one to grab. The devs continue to add great features to the app, like unread list filters, mark as read synchronization and the like.

Loopseque for iPad - As a musician, I'm always having fun with music in some way. This new app looks to be a cross between a music beat creator and a rhythm game. The developers have tried to make it as simple and intuitive as possible, which could lend itself to some great experiences for kids as well as adults. Two modes provide the interface for pattern creation, Big Wheel mode (for easy pattern creation) and Wheel Matrix mode for switching quickly between patterns. There's even two team play modes, Tap and Sync. Save your patterns and load them for further editing or just listening.

LIFE Wonders of the World Photography Book - Retailing for $22 in the dead tree edition, this truly breathtaking photography coffee table book from the amazing photojournalists at LIFE magazine is priced for launch at a much lower $4.99. It's for your iPad, and wow won't you love paging through this. Wait, I mean wow won't you love showing your iPad off with a total of 100 images of 50 wonders of the world. While it doesn't look like you can set it up as a slideshow (yet), there is a clickable Table of Contents and a filmstrip tool for easier navigation.

Reeder is one of the better looking and functioning Google Reader enabled RSS readers for the iPhone. We got word last week that the currently in-development iPad version is getting closer to release. In addition, the developer posted a few screen shots for us to take a look at.

From the looks of the preview screens, Reeder is going to be as gorgeous and innovative on the iPad as it is on the iPhone. We don't know if Reeder for the iPad will be released as a separate app or as an Universal update to the iPhone version yet. Definitely one to keep an eye out for though.

Hit the jump for more screen shots from the upcoming Reeder for iPad.