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The Times: iPhone app review

Written on July 2, 2011 – 11:08 am | by Ashley Johnson

The Times’ iPhone app has been out for some time, but the newspaper recently relaunched the app, making it free for a limited period of time. 

The newspaper says it now has more than 100,000 digital subscribers, though it doesn’t say how many are subscribing via the website or on other platforms such as the Kindle and iPad.  

Clearly, The Times hopes that a free preview of the mobile app will convince people to pay the £2 per week subscription when the paywall comes back down. 

At £2 per week, it is relatively expensive compared to The Guardian’s app, while those of other broadsheet rivals The Telegraph and Independent, are currently free. 

So how does The Times’ app compare? 

I like the look of the homepage, which recreates the look of a newspaper in the same way that the website does. 

The use of images with links to each story helps users to scan and quickly see an article that may interest them, while showing the full headline should provide enough of an ‘information scent’ to attract clicks. 

Also, the fact that the headline and image can be clicked to access the article improves usability for users of touch-screen phones. 

There are customisation options which allow users to move three of their favourite sections to the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. 

This is handy enough, but it is limited, and doesn’t allow you to customise the home screen at all. 

Articles are easy to view, and can be enlarged, while users can click the icon on the screen to save articles to read later or offline. Also, click

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Tags: App, Iphone App

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Why aren’t you using animation yet?

Written on July 2, 2011 – 5:26 am | by Ashley Johnson

Animation is often overlooked when planning a marketing campaign, meaning that many organisations can miss out on using this powerful tool.

When Google launches a new product or service, it often bases its marketing campaign around a single piece of content, an animation.

For Google, animation allows it to explain a new idea in a succinct and clear way to a wide audience. It’s the best way to communicate their message.

Take a look at the animation for Google Offers…

The reason that animation works so well for Google is that its products are not tangible things. You’re not buying a thing, you’re buying a service… an idea.

But explaining ideas is difficult; have you ever found yourself in a coffee shop scribbling on the back of a napkin as you explain an idea to a friend?

Well, that’s exactly what animation is about – talking and drawing at the same time. 

Imagine having to explain how interest payments work on a bank account or illustrate how a new drug targets cancer cells. These thin

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Tags: Animation

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Does Uncle Sam Pay More?

Written on July 1, 2011 – 9:43 pm | by Michael Harris

According to a recent study by USA Today, federal employee average salaries are higher than their private-sector counterparts. The study includes a range of professions- some of which are nurses, graphic designer, janitors, marketing managers, IT managers, secretaries, financial analysts and lawyers.

Some Interesting Findings

Of the 226 job categories analyzed, 180 were paid more at the federal level. They include white-collar, blue-collar, management, professional, and technical jobs.

The private sector pays higher on average for very specialized occupations such as airline pilots, lawyers, and computer research scientists. The study, based on reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that 216 occupations covering 1.1 million federal workers exist in both the federal and private sectors. An additional 124 federal occupations covering 750,000 employees — air-traffic controllers, tax collectors and others — did not have direct equivalents. Che

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Largest life insurance companies

Written on July 1, 2011 – 6:11 pm | by Admin

Economic status of the world is not at a good stage in the current status. There are many individuals that have become wealthier than before and are billionaires and richer. As the economic stability as to question, the person earning for a household has to think of the family before going for any decisions. The person responsible for the earning for a family is always at risk about the family and think what will happen if the person dies. Some plan ahead and think of having a life insurance for them. Earlier life insurance was rarely used by people and not many people applied for a life insurance.

Some basic rules need to be followed in order to get life insurance or term life insurance these days. There are many life insurance companies that help people regardless the status of their financial problems. The companies will look into the personal details about the person seeking a life insurance. Medical reports and any other documental reports can also be requested by the life insurance companies. Read more…

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Helios affiliate to acquire Telkom’s Multi-Links

Written on July 1, 2011 – 10:13 am | by Ashley Johnson

Telecoms group Telkom said late on Tuesday that it had signed heads of agreement on Multi-Links with an affiliate of Helios Towers Nigeria.

Telkom failed to sell its CDMA business of Multi-Links Telecommunications to Visafone Communications after certain conditions precedent to the deal had not been met.

Telkom’s board also announced earlier this month that it would stop funding the Nigeria based Multi-Links.

In April Telkom outlined its proposed sale of Multi-Links Telecommunications’ CDMA business to Visafone Communications for $52-million. The settling of the Helios Towers Nigeria dispute, however, was one of the conditions precedent to the transaction.

Telkom suffered a setback after the Lagos High Court in Nigeria found in favour of Helios Towers Nigeria in the matter regarding the validity of a master lease agreement between Multi-Links and Helios.

Telkom said on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with an affiliate of Helios Towers Nigeria on the future of Multi-Links. Read more…

Tags: Affiliate, Affiliate Acquire

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