All the news that’s fit to read on your iPhone

I, like plenty of other iPhone users, spend a lot of my time surfing the web. Besides my compulsive Twitter-checking/updating and Wikipedia fact-checking, it’s usually so I can get updated about what’s going on in the world. Now, the Associated Press has made that task even easier by launching an iPhone-targeted service called the Mobile News Network.

All you have to do is visit the above address and you’ll get up-to-the-minute global, national, and local news headlines in a handy, iPhone-friendly format. For local news headlines, you’ll have to enter your ZIP code, but for those who travel frequently, don’t worry: you can enter multiple ZIPs and switch between them if you want. Other categories include Sports, Business, Entertainment, and even the perpetually useful “Wacky News”—you can set which sections appears on your home screen in the settings.

The site also gives you feeds of photos and videos, displayed in iPhone-friendly formats. My only complaint is that, as streamlined as the site is, it’s still a bit heavy for your EDGE connection, taking a not insignificant amount of time to load (especially if you’re looking at media). Wi-Fi users should have better luck, though.

Will this change the way I read news on my iPhone? At the moment, I often surf to CNN if I’m looking for the latest in breaking news or Google News if I want a larger picture, so I don’t know, but I appreciate that AP acknowledging the iPhone interface, and hope that other news sources pick up on the trend.

Category: Software

Posted by Dan Moren on May 5 2008, 12:45 PM ET

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