Morning Brief: The NYT issues updates to news apps to fix subscription issue, Microsoft adds support for .ods files in update for iOS Office apps
The British media regulator, Ofcom, today released its annual news consumption in the UK report for 2015. It finds that only 31 percent of Brits now get their news through a printed newspaper, down from 40 percent just a year ago. In fact, the two largest categories showing gains were “Word of Mouth” and “Don’t Follow the News” – hardly a good sign.
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News from the Internet remained at 41 percent, though the source changed a bit as more news consumers chose mobile devices over PCs.
The findings are not necessarily such bad news for traditional news organizations, as many consumers continue to get their news from these sources, they have just shifted to the web.
“Of those who use the internet or apps for news, around half (51 percent) say they use the website or apps of TV and radio companies to get news,” the report’s authors said. “More than two in five (43 percent) respondents say they use social media sites13. This is followed by 37 percent who say they use search engines, 28% who use websites or apps of newspapers, 17 percent who use websites or apps of news aggregation sites, 16 percent who use websites or apps of online news organizations, 6% who use websites or apps of news magazines and 5 percent using blogs.
The music streaming service Rdio updated its app today, though the reason for the update was not to fix any bugs or to add any features, but to say goodbye to users.
The app description leads users to Rdio’s website where there is a farewell message:
Rdio is being acquired, and the service is shutting down worldwide on December 22. We’re excited to bring great music experiences to even more listeners in the future as part of the Pandora team.
We’re honored to have connected you with the music you love. We know you want to find a home for that music, so we’re providing ways for you to take it with you.
Aafter logging in with your Rdio account below, you will be able to download an archive of your collection and take a look back at your life on Rdio.
There were also several media app updates made because of subscription issues:
Choices: And The Sun Went Out has issued two updates this week, the latest one to fix a subscription issue with the app. See the post on this new app from Tin Man Games here.
The New York Times also issued updates, for both its iPhone and iPad apps, related to subscription issues.
On the productivity side of things…
Microsoft has updated each of its Office apps for iOS to add support for opening .ods files (OpenDocument Spreadsheet).
WordPress and Dropbox also updated their iOS apps today.
Lastly, there was a major update issued by Adobe for its Lightroom iOS app. The app update brings in iPad Pro support, which is rather important as Apple has been pressing the case that their larger tablet is perfect for professional photographers.
What’s New in Version 2.1.0
New: iPad Pro support. Take advantage of the iPad Pro’s brilliant visual experience while adjusting color, tone or brightness in your photos. iOS9’s Split View and Slide Over multi-tasking enhancements make Lightroom for mobile + iPad Pro the best combination for photographers on-the-go.
New: Shoot-through Presets. Apply one of five new, specially formulated presets while capturing a photo from the Adobe in-app camera. Preview how the presets will be applied to your photo before you capture, and enjoy the freedom of adjusting settings after capture with full non-destructive capabilities. Shoot-through presets are available for 64-bit devices only, such as iPhone 5s and later and iPad Air and later.
Enhanced: Tone Curve – Point Curve Mode. Now, take color control to the next level with a full function Tone Curve tool, enabling access to RGB as well as individual red, green and blue color channels in your photo.
New: Split Tone adjustments. Create a distinctive look to your photos by applying a color tone to the highlights or shadows, or to replicate the look of a split-toned black and white photo.
New: Notification Center widget. Get instant access to the Adobe in-app camera by enabling the Lightroom for mobile Notification Center widget. Automatically launch the in-app camera with a single swipe down.
New: 3D Touch support on iPhone 6s/6s Plus. Get direct access to the in-app Adobe camera from your home screen, and a quick preview of your photo with Peek and Pop within the Grid View.
Enhanced: Usability improvements throughout the app. Add photos to multiple collections easier, import photos faster, improved gesture support, and more, get you quickly organizing, creating, and sharing amazing images anywhere you are.