We’re extremely pleased to announce that a brand new version of PressReader for iPad is now available from the iTunes App Store. In addition to the popular SmartFlow horizontal reading stream released in version 3.0, PressReader 3.1 now brings iPad 3 users full retina display support as well as translation and integration with Evernote!

With PressReader for iPad, users have the ability to read over 2,000 full-content newspapers and magazines from 95 countries in 54 languages. Check it out here:

The new iPad is a dream come true for people who enjoy the wealth of newspapers and magazines that PressReader has to offer. The breathtaking resolution of thMe new iPad Retina Display means that we can render razor-sharp text, at any zoom level,” said Alex Kroogman, CEO of NewspaperDirect. “Our new SmartFlow technology really shines at high resolution, and the integration with the best clipping applications like Evernote raises the bar for every other news app out there.

New features added in PressReader 3.1 include:

• Optimization for the new “Retina Display” resolution of the next-generation iPad. Pages, text views and images are rendered at 264 pixels per inch, resulting in amazing clarity, even when zoomed in.
• Instant translation of full publications in up to 12 languages is now possible when a title is opened. Or, a reader can choose to auto-translate all publications into a specific language with the ability to specify language exceptions.
• Clipping App integration enables any article to be captured and synced across devices. Articles can also be emailed or shared using Twitter or Facebook.

Clipping Web pages is one of the most popular ways of saving information in Evernote. PressReader does a beautiful job of extending this functionality, making it easy for users to read and clip newspaper and magazine articles on their iPads,” said Seth Hitchings, VP of platform strategy, Evernote. “The Evernote integration is seamless, and the clipped content can be searched and read in Evernote on any computer or mobile device. We recommend readers also try our Clearly app, which creates an optimal reading experience for articles, blog posts, and any other content you interact with online.

We would love to hear your comments on the new PressReader for iPad features!  Post a comment here or contact us at iphonesupport@newspaperdirect.com and let us know what you think.

Cheers,

Michael

These days it feels as if news content is more commonly consumed on the web or through newspaper apps designed for all the latest and greatest smartphone, tablet and eReading devices on the market. The reality however, is that millions of people around the world continue to enjoy the tactile sensation of reading newspapers the old fashioned way – in print, something not likely to change overnight.

For those out there who continue curling up with their favorite reads, Kooaba has developed a convenient mobile app that helps readers bridge the gap between the static printed newspaper format they hold near and dear to their hearts with the dynamic social sharing utilities that have become so commonplace, and perhaps almost necessary, in today’s tech ladened world.

Once downloaded onto an iPhone or Android smartphone, Paperboy as it’s aptly named, lets readers snap pictures of full pages or articles of interest in their favorite printed newspapers. The application’s powerful image recognition technology goes on to identify that page or article from NewspaperDirect’s extensive inventory of over 2,000 same-day, digital newspapers replicas – the very same inventory that drives PressDisplay.com and PressReader, the world’s largest digital newsstand and its companion reading application for iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Win 7 operated devices.

Once successfully matched within Paperboy, an electronic version of the page is returned which users are able to share immediately via Twitter, Facebook, e-mail or SMS or store for future reference on my.kooaba.com or Evernote. Just think, no more random newspaper cutouts lying around the house!

While the service is certainly exciting for readers, it’s beneficial from a publisher and advertiser point of view as content from their print publications, once destined for the bottom of recycling bins, can be shared instantly or referenced at later dates.

Newspaper content within Paperboy will roll-out over 4 phases with October 10, 2011 already seeing NewspaperDirect’s German, Swiss, Austrian and International titles available for recognition.  US, UK and Canadian newspapers will be available by November 1^st. Phases 3 and 4 will occur on November 15,2011 and December 1, 2011 respectively.

Kooaba’s Paperboy application without question adds a new twist to an old favorite.  If you’re a staunch print subscriber, what’s not to like about that?

Cheers,

-Michael

Hey PressReader fans!

Our developers have just added a new feature to your favorite app, and we want to know what you think of it.

Just released for iOS devices, we’re introducing a  feature we’re calling “Newspaper Radio” — a new text-to-speech reading capability similar to many other on-screen text-reading tools for the visually impaired. Newspaper Radio lets you enjoy  your newspaper when safety or other reasons make it difficult for you to be looking at your device all the time!

Like our new fan and 40tech reviewer Bobby Travis pointed out:

“ Your newspaper story can be read to you, keeping your hands and eyes free for more important things — like not killing yourself while driving. I’ve seen more than one moron on the road that was reading a newspaper while in motion — and I’ve called the cops on the idiots, too”  

You can read his full review here. 

Much like Windows Eyez, Open Book, and other on-screen, text-reading tools designed for people with disabilities, our new feature allows anyone and everyone to enjoy their favorite publications, wherever they are, no matter what else they are doing. So, whether you’re driving to work, cooking up a feast for dinner, cycling, suntanning on the beach, hiking in the mountains or even exercising, you can catch up on the news through most of your favorite publications that you purchased and downloaded through PressReader.

Newspaper Radio doesn’t just read an article out loud. When you access one of your purchased downloads, you can now also:

• Listen to your newspaper as its downloading
• Jump from article to article at the *swipe* of a finger side to side
• Jump from section to section at the *swipe* of a finger up and down or through the table of contents
• Instant pause and play with the touch of a finger
• Like/Not Like an article while listening to it

We’ll be releasing this feature on all the platforms soon enough, but we want to get your thoughts on it first on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Check out the video below and let us know what you think:

Useful? Coolest thing you’ve ever seen? Let us know your thoughts so we can make you’re your favorite app even better for YOU, our loyal fans.

Through the course of May, 21 new titles or supplements were added to NewspaperDirect’s digital publishing network.  PressDisplay.com subscribers and PressReader users now have the ability access and read any one of these exciting publications online or off on their PC or Mac or on their favorite tablet, smartphone or eReader.

Make sure to check them out below!

• Belgium | Het Belang van Limburg – Magazine
• Brazil |Diario Catarinense
• Brazil |Zero Hora
• Canada |The Lunenburg County Progress Bulletin
• Croatia |Vecernji List – Sport-Max
• Finland | Syd Osterbottens
• Japan |Mainichi Shimbun Digital
• Japan |Mainichi Shougakusei Shimbun
• Norway | Ostlendingen (Nord-Osterdal)
• Norway |Ostlendingen (Solor and Sorfylket)
• Norway |Ostlendingen (Trysil and Engerdal)
• Philippines |Sun.Star
• Sudan | Aljareeda
• Thailand |Muaythai Boxing News
• Thailand |Post Today – Smart Finance
• USA |Athens Daily Review (Athens, TX)
• USA |Greensburg Daily News (Greensburg, IN)
• USA |Jacksonville Daily Progress (Jacksonville, TX)
• USA |Philadelphia Daily News
• USA |The Daily Item (Sunbury, PA)
• USA |The Philadelphia Inquirer South Jersey edition

For a complete list of the titles available through NewspaperDirect’s publishing networks, please click here.

Cheers,

-Michael

Hey there PressReader fans! Your favorite iPad and iPhone newspaper app has just been updated and is now ready for download through the iTunes App Store.

PressReader version 2.3.1 brings readers a couple of new user requested features and fixes.  Here’s what you can expect:

• Added support for right-to-left page flipping in full newspaper view (on applicable publications only)
• Reintroduced automatic zoom out when flipping pages (now controlled in Settings – set to “On” by default)
• Fixed issue causing PressReader crash when default iPad language set to Italian

As always, we would love to hear your feedback! Please feel free to email us with your comments, questions or suggestions at iphonesupport@newspaperdirect.com or by using the “Send Us Feedback” option available through PressReader.

Please enjoy and feel free to rate PressReader on iTunes!

And just a quick heads up – if you receive a “Wrong Activation Number” error after installing the latest version of the app, simply de-authorize your device and re-authorize it using your existing PressReader user credentials.

Cheers,

Michael

Over the month of March, 19 new publications were added to NewspaperDirect’s Digital and Print-on-Demand networks.  Make sure to check them out online through PressDisplay.com or on your favorite tablet or mobile device through PressReader.

• Argentina | La Voz del Interior
• Australia | Sunday Mail (Brisbane) – U on Sunday
• China | The Time Weekly
• Croatia | Sibenski List
• Latvia | Diena – Sestdiena
• Poland | Angora
• Russia | Literaturnaya Gazeta
• USA | Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Northwest Edition)
• USA | McDonald County Press
• USA | Northwest Arkansas Times
• USA | Rogers Morning News
• USA | Siloam Springs Herald Leader
• USA | Springdale Morning News
• USA | The Benton County Daily Record
• USA | The Times (Northeast Benton County)
• USA | The Union-Recorder (Milledgeville, GA)
• USA | The Weekly Vista
• USA | Washington County Enterprise-Leader
• USA | Westside Eagle-Observer

For a complete list of the titles available through NewspaperDirect’s publishing networks, please click here.

Cheers,

-Michael

…spoil the whole bunch (and your future).  The Apple Tax, while totally unjustified, isn’t worth losing sleep over.  In the big picture, it’s really no big deal.

Although the iPad led tablet sales in 2010 (easy when you’re the only game in town), Apple’s position at the top doesn’t mean very much (it’s an early adopter market), and it won’t last long.

Research firm IHS iSuppli estimates that by 2013, the iPad’s market share will decline to less than 50% of the overall market. And although I’m not an industry analyst, frankly I think that share will decline a lot faster than that.  Here’s why…

For 10 years, Apple dominated the portable mp3 player market because it had no challengers.   And yes, the iPhone had a lead time of 3 years without any real competition in smartphones, but when Android phones hit the shelves, the iPhone was displaced from the top in 6 months.

Less than a year ago, the “extraordinary” iPad was launched and already it is facing serious competition from exciting new Android, WebOS, BlackBerry and Win7 devices hitting the shelves.   These devices are open, have more functionality (USB, memory cards, Flash, …) and will be cheaper than the iPad.  The iPad will be “just another expensive iOS device” in the not-too-distant future.

Okay, so let’s look at today…

15 million iPads were sold in 2010 – no doubt a great market for Angry Birds and other apps of general global appeal.  But most newspapers have a local audience.  And locally, most of their readers aren’t carrying around an iPad.

(Sidebar: if publishers think they have a product that can compete in a global market, they should launch a start-up for it and not jeopardize their core business).

Bear with me while I walk you through my logic on why iPads aren’t worth worrying about…

Pew Research’s State of the News Media 2010 reports that 71% of internet users, or 53% of all American adults, get news online today.   Only 35% of online news consumers have a favorite site (i.e. they are avid readers). And according to PEW, one in five avid readers (20%) would be willing to pay for their  news online.

So let’s assume that 2/3 of the 15M iPads were sold in the USA.  That means across the total population of the USA, about 3.23% own an iPad.  From PEW Research, we know that 31% of the population reads news online, 35% of those are avid readers, and 20% of avid readers are willing to pay to read the news.  So that’s the audience we’re really interested in, right?

If I just look at daily newspapers in the States and not even consider the 5K+ weekly papers, you can see that on average a newspaper has maybe 100 or so subscribers who are willing to pay for their daily newspaper on an iPad.

You do the math – it’s a very very small audience.

Now I have every confidence that tablets will be a major platform for newspapers  and NewspaperDirect is committed to offering more support on those devices than anyone else.  In fact, ND is already working with a number of manufacturers on their new tablets.  And while I cannot disclose the details (I’d have to shoot you), I can say “Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised”.   Many of these competitive products are significantly better than the 1^st gen iPads and, from what I’ve heard, the 2nd gen too.

So instead of panicking over the 30% tax, let’s just “bite back” and focus on that multi-platform strategy we discussed before.  Sure, Apple is known for great innovation and creating a outstanding user experience, but it’s running out steam quickly with the iPad.

Stay tuned next week for more on the next generation of devices and technology that will make you feel even more confident about the future of your newspaper.

Gayle

Will you be attending this year’s Publishing Expo conference on March 1^st and 2^nd in London, England?

If you are, make sure to catch Nikolay Malyarov, NewspaperDirect’s Vice President of Publishing and Legal Affairs and the Irish Independent’s Patrick Lenehan, CTO – INM Ireland Digital, team up for The Big Digital Debate: Which Platform? And What Strategy? scheduled for Wednesday March 2^nd at 2:10 pm.

And what can you expect if you attend? Well, nothing short of a great debate on hot button issues like:

• Which of the many varied digital options will suite you and your company best?
• Is the iPad right for you? and…
• How to build a multi-faceted strategy for the varied digital platforms available to consumers?

Guaranteed to be riveting, Nikolay, Patrick and other panelists will attempt to provide those in attendance with clarity and perspective on issues those in the publishing world are currently facing, so don’t miss out!

And don’t forget to drop by and chat with Johanie Marcoux, Director, Publishing at NewspaperDirect at booth B25 to see all the latest releases of PressReader and SmartEdition apps on the newest tablets.

We hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Michael

As 2011 quickly moves forward, let’s take one quick look back at December 2010 and the 37 new titles that became available through NewspaperDirect’s PressDisplay.com service and PressReader applications.  Check them out here:

• Australia | Campaspe Valley News
• Australia | Friday Trader – AutoAustralia
• Australia | Friday Trader – Property
• Australia | McIvor Times
• Australia | Pastoral Times
• Australia | Southern Riverina news
• Australia | The Australian Jewish News – Bar Mitzvah Magazine
• Australia | The Riverine Herald
• Australia | The Riverine Herald – Real Estate
• Canada | West Canada Weekly
• Canada | Xinmin Evening News
• Croatia | Vecernji List – Obzor
• Croatia | Vecernji List – V MagazinGreece
• India | Dinamani
• India | Kannada Prabha
• India | The New Indian Express
• India | Sunday Express
• Japan | Mainichi RT
• Saudi Arabia | Al Nadi Sport
• Saudi Arabia | Okaz
• Saudi Arabia | Roaa
• Saudi Arabia | The Saudi Gazette
• Singapore | The Business Times
• Ukraine | Investgazeta
• USA | Ada Evening News
• USA | Ada Evening News Sunday Edition
• USA | Enid News and Eagle
• USA | Norman Transcript
• USA | San Francisco Chronicle Late Edition
• USA | The Joplin Globe – Enjoy
• USA | The Norman Transcript – Homes
• USA | The Norman Transcript – Pop
• USA | The Oskaloosa Herald
• USA | Valdosta Daily Times – Homefront
• USA | Valdosta Daily Times – Sunday Business
• USA | Woodward News
• USA |The Americus Times-Recorder

For a complete list of the titles available through NewspaperDirect’s digital publishing network, please click here.

Cheers,

-Michael

It is my distinct displeasure to share with you this week’s recipient of the  “You Can’t Be Serious Award”… iPad gatekeeper, Mr. Steven Jobs.

Last year, under the guise of offering us freedom (freedom from porn, flash, etc), Mr. Jobs became the iPad/iPhone dictator, decreeing what was appropriate for iPad/iPhone users and what was not.  I was rather surprised by his holier-than-thou declaration, “We do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy an Android phone.” but didn’t pay it a lot mind back then.

But now Apple’s CEO has gone too far.  Apple is now rejecting newspaper applications it used to approve because Mr. Jobs wants a cut of every publisher’s business, citing ““Apps utilizing a system other than the In App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an app will be rejected.”

This story in TownNews.com states pretty well what’s going on…

The nut of the matter is that newspapers or magazines will have to play by Apple’s strict rules – including a 30 percent revenue share – if they want to distribute newspapers via the Apple App Store. Apple also has strict rules about sharing with publishers, information about customers who download newsstand applications.

Apple has made it clear that it won’t approve any apps that try to by-pass Apple’s revenue cut. Newspapers and magazines won’t be able to have any kind of “pay wall” that doesn’t include 30 percent for Apple. Passwords, registrations and other sign-on devices will be barred by the App Store unless Apple gets its cut.

Mr. Jobs sure didn’t have any problem “using” newspapers to sell the iPad at launch time last year. Now he’s doing his best to destroy their business and double-charge their subscribers.

So, what does that mean to you the readers?

It means that you can’t get your newspaper on the iPad without paying Mr. Jobs directly.   Apple will only accept apps that use a 100% “in app purchase model” (i.e. Jobs will control all the money and all the users).  No longer will your publisher be able to offer you a great deal – like bundled print/digital subscriptions. If you’ve purchased your newspaper online (i.e. can read it in Safari on the iPad), you have to pay again for the right to read it as an App on the iPad.  Paying twice for the same content – how ridiculous is that!

What does that mean to publishers?

It means that you cannot run your business the way you want.  Mr. Jobs will charge you 30% for the pleasure of hosting all your valuable content on his servers.  You won’t even know who all your readers are – Mr. Jobs will own your customers and declare “freedom from data piracy” as the justification for stealing what should be rightfully yours.   No other device manufacturer out there tries to control user data.  What gives Apple the right?

It’s really very scary; Mr. Freedom Fighter is showing his megalomaniac stripes.  I guess it should come as no surprise after Apple announced it wanted to do its own newspaper app.  We should have seen it coming that Jobs would find a way to hold publishers hostage – it’s his way or the highway!

European publishers are already getting ready for a legal battle and I expect North America won’t be far behind.  Meanwhile, all we users can do is fight this injustice with our “Freedom of Choice”.  The iPad is a cool device, but the “cost” of “freedom” is too high.

Android is  looking better every day!

Gayle