For a lot of folks, the transition from print to digital publications has been wrought with reluctance, distress, and a general unwillingness to bid farewell to traditional paper-printed media. AOL’s iPad-friendly app
Editions by AOL aims to fight this uneasiness, and tug on the heartstrings of both digital and print connoisseurs alike. Like many of it’s apptastic predecessors, including the critically acclaimed Flipboard and Zite,
Editions by AOL gives users a magazine-style approach to their daily news.
In order to receive the most personalized and targeted news, users select and organize categories akin to those you’d find in a daily newspaper. Common sections like Business, Local News, and Sports can be combined with more specific options like Technology, Design, and Gaming. Once users fill out a few personal preferences, and opt to connect via Facebook, Twitter, or AOL, they are shipped their first “edition”. The edition arrives on your homepage complete with magazine-style cover, headline, and even that little annoying name and address subscription sticker you try always try to peel off.
Slide to the first page, and you’re greeted with local weather, friends’ birthdays (pulled from Facebook), and upcoming events (pulled from Facebook or your device’s calendar). The follow-up pages offer a letter-from-the-editor-style introduction and a table of contents.
Once you reach the news portion of the app, it works a lot like most tablet readers: scroll through for articles you like, tap to enter online mode, and share via email or social networking sites.
Editions by AOL leaves even more space for personalization by allowing you to delete topics or articles that don’t interest you. For instance, if you’re flipping through the music section and see an article about your least favorite band, just click the “x” next to the band’s tag in the drop-down menu, and you’re all set.
Custom home pages, text size, and “delivery” time, make
Editions by AOL a front runner in the great magazine-style news app race. A few more customizable features, and website-specific news options would do this app good, not to mention a redesign of the white-space friendly table of contents. All in all, it’s a well-designed app with little left to be desired.
AppPicker Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
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Editions by AOL
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