We are also a mobile society. Consumers demand to know things on the go. The following is a brief review of some popular phone apps that will bring the news to you.
Zite
Very easy to install and set up; asks for minimal information and learns what you like to read about; wide array of stories to choose from; easy navigation between top stories and specific lists.
Google Play Newstand
Takes the place of Google currents; provides a wide range of articles; does not personalize streams of information; searches will bring back items for purchase, like magazines, and sends user to other webpages; acts like an old fashioned newspaper in organization
Named for its flip-like motion as you swipe through pages; allows user to customize the news feed with a limited number of categories; adds personal Twitter and Facebook feeds to news stream; requires a log in for personalization
I like the easy to use and interesting format of Flipboard the best. The screen movement engages me and keeps me looking for more articles.
When you are ready for the full experiences of what information curation can do, it's time to look into some different sites on your computer.
Scoop.it
Highly graphic; meant to be shared and can be used to promote your brand; easy to find articles and navigate through topics; easy to share to social media sites; I like other people's sites more than my own, so there is certainly a learning curve on how to make it work best for you; Must pay to upgrade to get full usability; has a handy widget that can stay on your favorites bar for easy scooping
Paper.li
The definitive online newspaper! This is a favorite for morning reading. Maybe it's the format that reminds me of my childhood eating breakfast around the table, reading the comics while Dad perused the front page. Easy to set up, good variety of sources for articles; a great way to find new information in your topic of choice; has a widget that allows for quick additions while you are surfing the web
Prismatic
Very connected to social media; seems to be the most customizable by linking the articles your Twitter friends tweet; less newspapery and more list oriented; hard to find the original site due to the domain name being getprismatic.com instead of just prismatic; makes information a sharable commodity; layout is a not flashy or overly active
My favorite computer based tool is Scoop.it. This is a fast, easy way to keep up with information that you would like to share and remember for later.
With all this information swirling around my head, I wonder how people who don't read well, quickly, or accurately can manage the barrage of stuff to know. I found myself becoming a headline junkie and a non-close reader. There are many applications to education for these tools. I can't wait to explore them in more detail.
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