BBC News app gets go-ahead

I missed a significiant announcement while away on hols for the past two weeks: the launch of the free BBC News app for the iPhone and iPad.

The app was originally due in April, but the launch was delayed while the BBC Trust assessed the proposals and their impact on the rest of the industry.

According to Dominic Ponsford, editor of Press Gazette, "The concern the newspaper industry has is that the survival of our big independent news organisations largely depends on them being able to make money from new platforms other than print."

Of course, this is basically a reference to digital - both mobile, in the form of SmartPhones and apps, and the internet (in the form of ad-lead and subscription-based sites). It seems that iPhones and similar devices are the next big hope for the newspaper industry - although reports of the sector's death are 'greatly exaggerated' (as Mark Twain famously said in reference to his prematurely published obituary notice) since small business can still benefit from gaining coverage in the local media.

iPad is flash, but not Flash

One of the criticisms of the iPad that I've heard/read about most concerns its inability to run Adobe's Flash (get the Flash player).

Given that many websites - including big-hitters such as the BBC - use Flash to support their multimedia interactivity, the criticism may seem valid. But why Apple continues with the policy (Flash doesn't appear on the iPhone or iTouch either) remains debatable...

... until you read the report in this month's Wired magazine, which offers some interesting answers - and a rather playful image of Steve Jobs (above).

iPad hits UK

After a successful launch in the US, Apple's iPad today makes it across the Atlantic to certain European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the UK) as well as Australia, Canada and Japan.

Here's how online technology commentators Mashable and Tech Crunch reported it.

There's also an interesting article in this month's Creative Review - called "iCame, iSaw, iConquered?" - on the likely impact of the new device on magazine publishing, but you'll have to be a subscriber (or WH Smith/library loiterer) to read it.

However, there's plenty of other good stuff on the CR blog.

Not a good week for Apple

Two Mashable reports from this week show that it's not been a good one if you're an Apple employee (or fan).

The first story revealed that the international launch of the iPad had been delayed, although admittedly this was because the pre-orders had been higher than expected.

The second is that an iPhone OS 4 beta jailbreak tool has been released, meaning that the hackers must have been busy as Steve Jobs was making the announcement! There again, in today's digital age, hacking rather than copying could be considered the sincerest form of flattery...

iPhone 4.0 Operating System: The Overview

In case you missed it, here's a short video showing Apple's Steve Jobs previewing the new iPhone operating system.

And here's the report from Mashable on the event, highlighting the most important development as the ability to multi-task (have more than one app running at a time). This had been one of the major drawbacks of past and present generations of iPhone, and certainly the one that persuaded many business users to stick with their BlackBerry (where multi-tasking is very do-able).

Jobs also announced iAd, a mobile advertising solution that's built into the iPhone 4.0 OS so that interactive video content can be included in an ad without taking the user out of the application. This is likely to increase click-throughs and generate income for apps developers, while keeping app-addicted users happy. Sounds like it's a good solution.

iPad verdicts

OK, I haven't seen it live, touched it or used it... so this post is simply a starting point for further investigation into Apple's iPad.

Here are a few different viewpoints on its usefulness, drawbacks and potential:

* Mashable post #1 offers an overview of the new device

* Stephen Fry adds his unique perspective

* Mashable (#2) highlights the geographical limitations of iBook functionality

* Creative Review asks the fundamental question: what is the iPad for?

Whatever the reality/your own view, it must be true that this is yet another medium designed with applications in mind.

Developers - get your thinking caps on!