Twitter activity stream provides a consolidated view of popular items based on a wall algorithm function.  It’s amazing to think of how perfectly this micro status startup has turned into the platform that will probably have the longest lifecycle and viability for the future.

The new twitter user interface looks very interesting and takes one step forward toward a more comprehensive user engagement experience. As Facebook and Twitter become our core pop culture social platforms for both business and leisure, every magazine publisher should be finding ways to utilize these social channels to engage current and new readers.

Own your magazine niche.

In addition to the the news of the Wired iPad Magazine Edition we posted in terms of magazine app development, I wanted to point out the other dimension that larger magazine publishers will need to consider – Circ Audit.”  Chris Anderson’s post also included that the app had been approved by ABC.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations ABC has approved the app as a replica digital edition of the magazine. The Wired app is available now for $4.99 from the iPad App Store or at http://www.wired.com/app. This is the third ABC-approved digital edition from Condé Nast, following GQ and Vanity Fair, which are available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

via Wired Magazine’s iPad Edition Goes Live | Magazine.

The magazine circulation audit capabilities will certainly bring new transparency to readership.  So be sure that you focus on real value to your audience niche and the the circ engagement reporting dimensions will take care of themselves.

I’ll be downloading my Wired iPad app edition today but also feel that there sould be some connection or incentive for existing magazine subscribers to get the iPad, iPhone, Andriod, or other tablet editions.  Although the iBookstore isn’t helping publishers identify readers, perhaps all users would initially pay the $4.99 rate but existing subscribers would receive each subsequent edition at a reduced rate or free (once registering their email within the app itself) as long as they keep their “print subscription” active.  I’m holding on to the print medium here because we don’t know the long term implications of moving an audience to digital channels, especially during the early adopter phase of the tablet edition technology.

Magazine App Guide: Wired iPad Edition

The quest for innovative digital magazine iPad editions continues.  If you have a sample, demo, or introduction video of an iPad Edition or other tablet magazine edition I’d like to add it to my Advontemedia blog post.

I’m interested in others creating dedicated tablet app magazine editions but would also love to see and share your results with browser based tablet editions.  Many digital magazine edition vendors are making progress to demonstrate their iPad (no flash) compatibility.

I’ve also just added the Facebook LIKE script to the media inspiration blog posts on my company blog – very simple.  More info here.

Digital Magazine iPad Editions.

Since my original post and excitement about magazine design for tablets (iPad Magazines Post) I am now a proud owner of an iPad.

Once I unpacked the iPad I dove right into the iBooks app to look for my first ipad magazine.

Next I headed to the iBook store app which is not pre-loaded but is prompted as an app download once the ipad in sync’d for the first time.

After installing the iBook app I searched for magazines and also looked at the categories tab to learn that magazines don’t yet have a seat at the table for the ipad.  I’ll post updates and look forward to seeing new magazine apps listed.  It would be excellent to have an iPad magazines featured section in the store.

The Apple iPad is real!  If we adopt this eReader and multi-use device we may ditch our keyboards in the not too distant future.

The new device will have to be far better than the laptop and smartphone at doing important things: browsing the Web, doing e-mail, enjoying and sharing photographs, watching videos, enjoying your music collection, playing games, reading e-books. Otherwise, “it has no reason for being.”Apple’s answer: the iPad.

via Live Blogging the Apple Product Announcement – Bits Blog – NYTimes.com.

Big news for the magazine printing sector.  Two large magazine printers are joining forces.

SUSSEX, WISCONSIN and MONTREAL, QUEBEC, January 26, 2010 – Quad/Graphics, Inc., the largest privately held printer in the U.S., and World Color Press Inc. TSX: WC, WC.U “Worldcolor”, the second largest provider of print, digital and related services in the Americas, today announced that their boards of directors unanimously have approved a definitive arrangement agreement whereby Quad/Graphics will acquire Worldcolor, enhancing Quad/Graphics’ position as a leader in the printing industry with increased efficiencies, greater geographic reach and broader product and service scope.

via Quad/Graphics to Acquire Worldcolor, Adding Products and Services, Entering New Geographies and Enhancing its Position as a Printing Industry Leader.

Zinio has just released a new iPhone App.  This is great news for magazine publishers who ultimately will depend on technology providers and specifically magazine digital edition solution providers for mobile and magazine app delivery of their content.

Zinio has always been the leader in the digital magazine space and sets the bar for other digital magazine vendors.  Zinio is more focused on the broad consumer magazine market so it’s likely that your favorite niche title or trade magazine will not yet be listed.  In the past year however, we have seen Zinio move toward the business and regional market with special programs for these publishers.

Lets look at the Zinio App in the iTunes Store.

Glad to see the app is free.  Obviously this market is more valuable from a overall market expansion perspective than making  a buck or two on the app.

Once you download the Zinio App and tap, it launches to the initial account initialization or setup screen.

Existing Zinio users (register online at zinio.com) can enter their username and password.

You then see the main digital magazine iPhone reader interface.  The App launches to the “My Library” screen as expected.  You can sort your iPhone magazine library by Date or Title.

The magazine app’s iPhone newsstand is where I expect to see some real growth in the futere app updates.  As more titles are added, you can bet this section of the app will enable Zinio to feature and promote new titles in a similar format to the iTunes store.

The Zinio App “More” menu presents administrative elements of the app.  There’s room for an additional main screen app menu and perhaps this is where we will see app magazine previews and other features in future updates.

Selecting an iPhone app magazine title in the app newsstand launches Safari to complete the digital magazine app subscription.  Once accepted, the Zinio App is re-launched from Safari and you may download your digital magazine app to read on your iPhone.

As you view your digital magazine in 1 page or 2-page layout mode, you’ll appreciate that for article and feature text, the app developer has created a “Read Mode” which brings the article into a text mode for ease of reading.

Overall, the simplicity and quality of this magazine app for iPhone makes this an app that any magazine enthusiast will want to grab.

Zinio iPhone App Video

More information about the iTablet… or shall we say the Apple iSlate, or just call it the SLATE?

Hmmm…. TiPb’s just been calling it still unannounced device the iTablet, others have called it the iPad, but how does iSlate grab you?

via Apple Owns iSlate.com, Let iTablet Name Rumors Commence! | The iPhone Blog.

More from Jon4lakers with http://technobuffalo.com/

So is Jan 26th the announce date for Apple?

While several large publishers made news with tablet concepts, many other publishers are likely to wait for technology providers to set a path for eTablet and eReader access to their print layout designed content.

Publishers made 2009 the year of the concept newspaper and magazine.  via 2010: The Year of the Tablet – Bits Blog – NYTimes.com.