Wired Magazine

Wired Magazine Review

by Chris Smith on June 27, 2010

There are plenty of magazines born for this medium. T3 is one, Wired is another. This publication’s very existence is centred on the digital age so it’s only right that it’s one of the first mainstream titles gets it’s own electronic edition, combining the rich magazine content with a host of neat  extras afforded by the new medium.

The layout is very in tune with the magazine, unfortunately including the mass of ads we’re compelled to confront within our glossy magazines. Pages are swiped right to left, but also reads in a downward trajectory akin with reading a digital article online.

But, as we mentioned it’s the added extras that make this a glimpse into what the iPad can really offer. The cover story of the first digital issue is on Toy Story 3. Here you can flick between different stages of animation and watch a video of the final sequence.

There’s also a video serving up some background information on Pixar. A lot of the app’s functionality involves taking you through the different steps, by serving up different photos and text captions.

This is especially apparent in the “What’s inside” feature which focuses on the ingredients of a particular product. Instead of reading through the steps, readers are able to cycle through the numbers for details on each.

Good news for UK readers is that the digital version is the  US version, which can often be harder to come by on these shores than sunshine and clean beaches. It is quite expensive though, at £2.99 an issue. In the US an annual subscription to Wired costs just £10, here we’d be expected to pay about £35.

We’re sure there’s more to come from this app, we’d like to see a more expressive use of photography, but it’s a great first issue.

iPad review: Video and pics | iPad ultimate guide