Killer iPhone app: New York Times Mobile

Chris Tompkins — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:57:38 -0700

The New York Times application for the iPhone or iPod Touch is the perfect reading companion for any news junky or subway commuter who wants to stay informed and entertained. It’s a spiritual successor of sorts to the New York Times Reader, another innovative and sharply designed syndication program created by the New York Times Production Team. The mobile application lets readers wirelessly sync the entire daily paper to a mobile device, and read it throughout the day. That’s right -- no cellular or Wi-fi connection required. Before you start your commute, just tap the Nytimes icon, let it sync, and then read it whenever the urge strikes.

Of course, updates can come in throughout the day when an Internet connection is available, but a reader does not need a live connection to read articles already downloaded.

I cannot stress enough how great this application is. The New York Times Production Team got it right because they designed an app that carefully considered the many obstacles a commuting reader has, especially dead zones in subways and other locations.

Now, when it comes to design, this is where the app really shines. Somehow, designers were able to slim down the same first-class experience as the print edition into a relatively small screen. The app displays the excellent photography and fonts of the print edition and translates them in a perfectly readable manner to the mobile app. The accelerometer tracks how you're holding it, rotating the text for horizontal or vertical reading as needed. The Times' top-notch photography is always displayed next to headlines to cater to readers who browse visually. Finally, four custom sections can be assigned to a bar along the bottom of the screen, allowing easy access to most-read sections.

The application is so good, that I’ve stopped buying the print edition before I hop on the subway for my morning commute. Forget struggling with an oversized paper while people crowd around you in the car. the New York Times mobile app can be used one-handed while the other is grasping a rail or holding a bag. Also, there is no need to take my headphones out and untangle them, as podcasts require, just open and go.

But lest I sound like a giddy fanboy, I do have a few small complaints. First, wireless syncing takes a while, especially the first time. It's not surprising -- after all, it involves downloading an entire newspaper, including photographs. It's a happy tradeoff for having offline access. Second, advertising, while necessary, is awkwardly placed and slightly oversized for the limited reading space. Finally, I did experience a few small glitches, but none of them crashed the program. Most returned me to the front page. Lastly, the New York Times crossword is not included. You can't have everything!

But despite these drawbacks, the New York Times application shines, and is a benchmark for excellence in mobile computing. Unbelievably, it’s free -- a major benefit, considering the daily newspaper costs north of $800 dollars per year to buy off the newsstand.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Prediction: 3G iPhone jailbroken within a week
Prediction: Facebook announces iPhone application platform at F8
News: Is the iPhone 3G slowing down AT&T's network?
News: Apple grants MobileMe users a 30-day stay of payment, kills the word “push”
News: Pandora betters last.fm in the iPhone music war

The Industry Standard - Killer iPhone app: New York Times Mobile - Comments

Killer iPhone app: New York Times Mobile