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Posts in iPad

Does The Time’s Paid Model Work?

This isn’t really Apple news per se asides from a few iPad users, but we thought it was interesting none-the-less. The Times is experimenting with their infamous paywall, a model where you’ll need to pay a subscription fee for online content. I personally don’t care for blocking access to written material, but we have some (unofficial) numbers on how successful The Times actually was. It boils down to this: 150,000 registered during the trial period during the first month of implementation. That’s not too shabby, but only 15,000 paid (of which there are 12,500 are iPad consumers). Unsurprisingly, site visits have declined by 67 percent during the time the paywall has been implemented. The Times hasn’t officially responded, though we imagine if they’re still racking in a good dime off of their few loyal customers, they certainly won’t be changing how they distribute content any time soon.

Personally I’m in favor of optional membership you’ll see on Daring Fireball, or even pay-to-comment models that the Sun Chronicle implements.

[via PaidContent.org]

Appsfire’s Appstream Helps you Discover Apps in the Matrix

Remember Apple’s mosaic wall of apps at WWDC? You too can replicate that on your iPad through discovery service Appsfire. No more messing with categories and top apps on Apple’s App Store – give yourself something interesting to browse through.

Appstream allows you to discover what applications are being found through Appsfire’s service. It’s interesting for sure, though like others, I occasionally have problems trying to download things I find. What’s also strange is that my taps on an app don’t always register – it seems I always pull up an app next to the one I’ve intended to look at. Exiting popups is also odd since you have to tap a back button. Still, it’s a neat visualization I’d encourage you to check out, especially since it’s free, and really: you got nothing better to do on a Monday.

[via TechCrunch]

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News Kiosk Brings Yet More Newstands to the iPad - 10 Codes Up For Grabs

So you think we’re done reviewing apps to read news on the iPad. No, and we’ve got even more coming. Actually, I think news apps on the tablet are the new “Twitter clients for iPhone”. They’re everywhere. They’re good. Developers can’t stop releasing them.

Today we’re taking a look at a new app for iPad called News Kiosk which - you guess - allows you to read your favorite blogs’ news in an all-new fashion.

As usual, we’ve also got some codes to give away.

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A Daily Digg for iPad

Look, we get it that you use your iPad to read articles online. We’ve talked oh-so-many times before about it. You have Reeder, Ashes, Instapaper, Pulse and Blogshelf already installed and placed on your home screen.

Now, you have Digg, too.

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Osfoora HD: The Ultimate Twitter Client for iPad?

The iPad is still waiting for its Tweetie: a Twitter client which will set new standards and raise the bar so high it’ll be difficult for developers to catch up. Twitterrific hasn’t raised the bar: it brought a blow of fresh air in a market that, since Twitter’s acquisition of Loren’s app, is struggling to find its new Messiah. For as much as I love Twitterrific 3.0 (it’s my default client on the iPhone) I can’t say The Iconfactory has reinvented the wheel. The first Tweetie for iPhone did.

Maybe the wheel doesn’t need to be reinvented. Maybe we’ve already explored all the possible ways to lay out a Twitter application and now we’re just waiting for the one developer who implements them best. It’s a subtle difference.

If we take this approach, Osfoora for iPhone and iPad might be the best example to take a look at. It started as a quite blatant Tweetie ripoff, but it slowly evolved overtime in a wisely developed alternative to much more celebrated clients such as the aforementioned Tweetie, Twitterrific but also Echofon, Twitbird and Twittelator. It’s really changed a lot since the last time Cody reviewed the iPhone version here on MacStories.

Even though its terrific evolution, this time I won’t be talking about Osfoora for iPhone. The iPad version, released last month, was updated yesterday with a lot of new features and now it’s seriously claiming the throne of the best Twitter client for iPad. App Store users seem to be on Said Marouf’s side.

Here’s why I agree with them.

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