AP Mobile

The South by Southwest Interactive Festival picked AP as a finalist for its mobile category.  The conference is considered a hub for cutting edge work and has been a powerful platform for introducing Twitter and media technologies to the world.  Our team is honored to be nominated!  The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony Sunday, March 15. Stay tuned …

Check out the complete list of finalists: http://sxsw.com/interactive/web_awards/finalists

You can vote for the AP team in The People’s Choice Award, once per day until March 6.

So please help us get out the vote! http://sxsw.com/peoples-choice

– Caroline Kim, Mobile Editor

The economic crisis was one of the top stories of 2008, and continues to make headlines in 2009. MNN users can stay up-to-date on the latest news from the street with a new business subcategory called “Markets,” which adds even more specialized financial news from AP.

1. Ahead of the Bell stories offer an outlook for the day’s stock movements. Published between 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. EST, they feature economic indicators, analyst research and company news that could affect stocks, sectors or the entire market.

2. Sector Snaps, published between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST, provide market updates and spotlight newsmakers in various industries, including banking, airlines, retail, construction and more.

3. The Markets section also features Wall Street and overseas markets reports that are updated frequently throughout the day.

If you’d like to see other subjects included in MNN, send feedback to mnnfeedback@ap.org.

-Caroline Kim, Mobile Editor

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Sept. 15, 2008 in New York. A stunning reshaping of the Wall Street landscape sent stocks down sharply that day with the demise of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Bank of America Corp.’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co. (AP Photo/Jin Lee)

Version 1.5 of the Mobile News Network for iPhone was released to the app store and we suggest that all users of the Mobile News Network upgrade. Download it directly from the iTunes App Store at http://bit.ly/mnn.  The latest version addresses a number of bugs and increases the stability of the application. In addition, the application adds the following features:

1. Refresh the content of a category on the fly with a new refresh button.
2. Rate stories and see how others have rated the same story.
3. Added more Business and Tech content
4. Server-side search now allows you to search all available news stories for the last 30 days, not just those cached on your device.
5. Watch high resolution video over WIFI and when you are out and about watch low resolution video over EDGE.
6. The app now remembers where you were in a list when you go navigate back from a story.
7. Send report has been moved to the top level. Send the AP breaking news reports from your iPhone.

If you have any issues or would like to get in touch with the team with suggestions, please use the form below.

- Benjamin Mosse, Director, Mobile

One of the new features in the Mobile News Network is the Ask AP content tab. Ask AP is a weekly question-and-answer column where the Associated Press answers readers’ questions about the news.

Each week, editors select three or four e-mailed questions, and journalists who are experts on the topic provide the answers. In addition to MNN, the Q & A appears online and in newspapers.

Readers can submit questions to newsquestions@ap.org. Since the feature launched in early 2008, the AP has received nearly a thousand questions. They have ranged from “Where do reporters go to stay safe during a hurricane?” to “What ever happened to Tiny Tim?” (You’ll have to read the column to find out).

When choosing to answer a question, editors consider whether the question would be of interest to the general public, its relevance to recent news developments, or if it would elicit an answer that offers interesting historical perspective on the news.

Please note, all submissions are read by AP editors, but we don’t answer questions we’ve answered before or use the column to respond to reader opinions.

Submit your own questions to newsquestions@ap.org and check out the latest installment: http://tinyurl.com/64j53a!

– Caroline Kim, Mobile Editor

The addition of an advertising component to the iPhone and other Mobile News Network applications has generated significant feedback from users – largely negative. At present, an ad-supported model is our best option to provide MNN apps free to the user. However, we recognize that ads can be frustrating and we’d like to explain why advertising is a necessary component, at least for now.

   
The AP is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative. The Mobile News Network is part of an initiative aimed at finding new digital outlets for news and information produced by AP members. It’s designed to offer users access to local and national news from trusted sources and it makes AP members competitive in the mobile news business.

Ads on the Mobile News Network allow us to supply you with the best possible comprehensive news application on the market.  We’ve gone to great lengths to make the user experience a positive one as we understand that a mobile device is very personal. We’re happy to see that user reviews and media coverage of the MNN have been overwhelmingly positive.

Developing mobile applications, especially native client applications, is a very costly proposition. They require not only start-up capital but ongoing investment in maintenance, upgrading operating systems, developing new features, building new releases and delivery platforms, etc. The MNN is not a one-time, self-contained, downloaded app, but a live application that ingests content from a central system on a real-time basis.  Multiply this by multiple carriers, device manufacturers and operating systems and you can start to understand the complexity and costs involved.  AP has a responsibility to operate the cooperative efficiently for its members and is not in a position to underwrite or fully subsidize these costs.  

Mobile screens vary in size but there is limited real-estate available for ads. We continually work to make ads on the MNN as unobtrusive as possible while ensuring they’re an effective vehicle for advertisers. We plan to monitor and make changes as necessary in future releases to maintain this balance. Currently the ads on the MNN disappear quickly and move to the end of the story you are on. We may explore other options in the future.

Some users have said they’d prefer a paid application as an alternative to the ad-supported model.  We have been exploring, and will continue to explore, this path and invite you to participate in a user poll so that we can better gauge the appetite for paid applications.

We encourage you to watch this blog for new information about the MNN applications, including information about how we’ll handle ads in upcoming releases. We sincerely appreciate your continued support of the Mobile News Network and look forward to your feedback in the future.

- Michael Boord , Deputy Director, Mobile Operations

The AP has a long history of devoting expertise and resources to capture the best photos. We’re asking you to be a part of that by sending us the news around you via the Send Report feature available on the downloaded version of the MNN for iPod Touch and iPhone.

A recent example of great citizen work came after the Minnesota bridge collapse. Because savvy citizens quickly uploaded photos to sites like Flickr and Facebook, and agreed to share their images with AP, we provided those images as part of our coverage.

With Send Report, you can send images directly to AP editors. The feature can be found at the bottom of any story. Hit the icon (bottom middle), fill in your information, attach your photo, write a description and send. It’s important to provide your contact info. We’ll need that if we decide to use your photo.

All photos submitted to the AP are vetted by editors, like Jim Collins in New York. Jim first determines if the photo is newsworthy. “We’re not just looking for pretty pictures,” he said. “We’re looking for pictures that capture a news event of a highly unusual situation from places where, for whatever reason, we haven’t been able to get our own staffer.” Then, a team of editors decide if the photo is legitimate and, if it is, the AP makes legal arrangements with the contributor to use the photo. Here’s AP’s policy on handling electronic images:

AP pictures must always tell the truth. We do not alter or manipulate the content of a photograph in any way. The content of a photograph must not be altered in PhotoShop or by any other means. No element should be digitally added to or subtracted from any photograph. The faces or identities of individuals must not be obscured by PhotoShop or any other editing tool. Only retouching or the use of the cloning tool to eliminate dust and scratches are acceptable. Minor adjustments in PhotoShop are acceptable. These include cropping, dodging and burning, conversion into grayscale, and normal toning and color adjustments that should be limited to those minimally necessary for clear and accurate reproduction (analogous to the burning and dodging often used in darkroom processing of images) and that restore the authentic nature of the photograph. Changes in density, contrast, color and saturation levels that substantially alter the original scene are not acceptable. Backgrounds should not be digitally blurred or eliminated by burning down or by aggressive toning.

If you find yourself in a breaking news situation, try to find the best angle for a photo. Brian Horton, a longtime AP photographer, says the difference between a great picture and a good one can be an instant. “When you make pictures, think about pictures you have seen in the past and what made the good ones stand out in your mind,” Brian said. A person in the picture gives the reader a point of reference on scale, Brian said. Getting up on a ladder or down on one knee gives the reader a different perspective on how the person fits in to the scene. Good composition is the key.

– Arian Celeste Smedley, Mobile Editor

Rescue workers care for the injured near the remains of the Interstate 35W bridge after it collapsed during the evening rush hour Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Tim Davis)

Some users have been experiencing a timestamp issue in headline packages on the iPhone 1.4 and 1.4.1 MNN releases, with a “December 31, 1969″ date showing in place of the  correct date or “X minutes ago” notice.  

We are working to resolve the problem.  Until then, the recommended workaround is to change your device clock from 12 hour mode to 24  hour mode.  We will update this posting once a permanent fix is put into place.

If you continue to have problems, email us at mnnfeedback@ap.org or complete the form below with your email address, device type (iPod Touch/iPhone), the Reference # (available from the Mobile News section in Settings) and a short description of the issue.

We’re pleased to announce a new release of the Mobile News Network (v1.4.1) for the iPhone. It is available in the Apple App Store. As a result of your feedback, we’ve identified and addressed a number of issues and recommend that all users upgrade to the new version.

Specifically, 1.4.1
- Speeds up initial launch time
- Resolves application crash resulting from a memory leak associated with images
- Fixes an issue related to users switching between networks while downloading content
- Improves users’ ability to see and download all available content

We appreciate your feedback. You can always download the Mobile News Network from the App Store. Here’s a link.

Mobile News Network 1.4 for iPhone Mobile News Network was released today on Apple iTunes. Version 1.4 includes patches that offer both more stability and more content. We recommend that you upgrade to this version as it adds a number of new features and functions requested by users.

At the same time, we have noticed comments in the App Store that some users are having problems installing the application. For those experiencing problems we recommend the following helpful solutions:

1. If you see the following error message, “Mobile News experienced an error updating. Please restart and try again” we recommend that you restart your iPhone after downloading the application. Manually power down your iPhone and then re-power up.
2. Alternatively, if the problem continues after trying this fix, manually delete the application from your iPhone and then reinstall it from the App Store.

Please note, that this version of the Mobile News Network was released for iPhone 2.1 and if you are using 2.0 you will need to update your phone to use the application.

One final note, please be aware that the first time you use the application, you will notice a delay while content is refreshed. You won’t experience this delay again — it’s a function of  downloading content for the first time.

UPDATE: In some instances, especially in photo galleries, we have noticed that users have had problems with the application crashing. We’ve been able to replicate the problem here and will have a fix ready shortly. If you continue to have problems, email us at mnnfeedback@ap.org or complete the form below with your email address, device type (iPod Touch/iPhone), the Reference # (available from the Mobile News section in Settings) and a short description of your problem.

Welcome to our first posting for the Mobile News Network (MNN). The purpose of this site is to provide our users with relevant information about upcoming product enhancements, including new features and product rollouts. In addition, we’ll use this site to share tips for getting the most out of your MNN experience and to answer your questions.

As our growing base of loyal users know, the Mobile News Network is the unrivaled source of trusted news for your mobile phone, with more than 1,000 local sources of news available to date. MNN was launched on May 5 by a dedicated mobile team at The Associated Press, in conjunction with AP’s membership, and is the first product out of AP’s Digital Cooperative. Since the launch of the Mobile News Network mobile Web site (www.apnews.com) we have developed a downloadable client application for the iPhone and released a beta version for the Blackberry (available from App World). We are committed to becoming the best mobile news source and welcome your feedback (we can be reached at mnnfeedback@ap.org).

Our first update posting announcing new product features and functions for the iPhone (based on your feedback to date) will be later this week.