There’s a new way to view and consume information on your iPhone or iPad. Flipboard is an iOS app that was recently recognized as one of the best mobile apps of 2011 after previously being named the Apple iPad App of the Year for 2010.
Originally created just for iPad, Flipboard finally made its debut on the iPhone in December of 2011. After just one week on the iPhone market, Flipboard added over one million users.
For anyone who can’t resist keeping up with the latest information and favorite websites on the go, Flipboard is a must-have app.
What Exactly Does Flipboard Do?
Flipboard aggregates websites and RSS links found within your social circle, such as Facebook or Twitter, and displays the information in a clean and beautiful magazine format on your Apple mobile device.
For example, when you connect your Facebook or Twitter account to Flipboard, it will search through the types of media and stories people you follow are currently tweeting, or what links friends and pages are sharing on Facebook. Flipboard then takes those stories are then displayed in your very own personalized social magazine.
Why Use Flipboard?
Flipboard is an ideal tool for anyone who is active on social media and regularly enjoys reading a variety of blogs or websites. Collecting URL addresses, bookmarking every single website, and even getting through your RSS feed reader can be a difficult and disorganized task.
With Flipboard, you don’t have to worry about slow-loading pages, ugly site designs or general disorganization. All content is displayed very cleanly using a minimalistic design, and Flipboard makes it easy for you to share articles you like.
There are share buttons on every page (located at the top for iPhone/iPod Touch and at the bottom for iPad). Simply choose the share button that looks like an arrow and select your account, either Twitter or Facebook, to share or tweet the web link of that article.
Flipboard’s User Interface
The app was created to be very intuitive and easy to use. Once an account has been created and social feeds are configured with the app, the first page visually lists the content, which are divided into specific topics. Users can “flip” through the pages like a magazine and tap the title of a story to read it in full.
iPhone/iPod Touch: Pages flip using an up and down motion. Place your finger at the bottom of the screen and swipe it upward to flip forward through the digital magazine, or swipe it downward to flip backward through the magazine.
iPad: Pages flip using a left and right motion, just like a real magazine. Swipe your finger across the screen from right to left to move through the pages, or swipe it from left to right to go backwards.
Flipboard Features
Here is a general summary of the major features you can find on Flipboard for both iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad:
Cover Stories: The iPhone/iPod Touch app includes a feature called “Cover Stories,” which uses reader interactions like tweets and shares integrated with manual curation in order to deliver a customized list of top stories.
Topics: Choose stories from your Facebook feed, Twitter feed, Insude Flipboard, News, Tech, Lifestyle, Photos, Flipboard Picks, and More.
Profile: Set up a profile picture and manage your settings, including the topics and types of sites and stories that are displayed on your Flipboard.
Search: Search and browse through topics, keywords, website names or social media feeds.
Twitter: Send tweets directly through Flipboard. Tweet titles and shortened links of stories automatically, or retweet the original link that was tweeted first.
Facebook: “Like” links to stories directly through Flipboard that were shared on your Facebook feed, or re-post it on your own Facebook wall or Timeline without ever leaving the Flipboard app.
Add to Flipboard: When you come across a website, feed or magazine through the search function, there should be a plus sign displayed at the top of the page. Press this to add that site or feed to your Flipboard.
Add About.com to Your Flipboard!
Overall, Flipboard is a stellar app. And guess what? About.com is on Flipboard too!
Simply search for “About.com” and press the plus sign to add it to your Flipboard. Once added, you can flip through About.com articles, top stories and editors’ picks directly from your iPhone or iPad.
