Off the Wire(d)

Wired -- the brand, magazine and online publication is now tapping into the tablet market. It is no surprise that Wired, the trustworthy tech related news source is dominating the digital distribution game.

Just this past Friday, Wired Magazine CEO, Chris Anderson lead a demonstration at the Technology, Entertainment and Design Conference where he presented a six-month in the making tablet application. Wired, which is known for “breaking the rules for print”, has collaborated with Adobe to create an interactive interface where subscribers can read, watch and participate with the magazine. 

Delighted by the tablet technology, Anderson announced that “we are entering a new era of media, where we finally have a digital platform that allows us to retain all the rich visual features of high-gloss print, from lavish design to glorious photography, while augmenting it with video, animations, additional content and full interactivity.”

Next month's issue will be the first for readers to access Wired via the tablet application. Seeing as how the iPad’s release date is also around the corner, I doubt this is just a timely coincidence. However, in case you are not dazzled by Apple’s iPad, all Adobe AIR applications will be compatible with Flash to satisfy your alternate tablet needs.

What is most impressive is that the design team tweaked their preexisting pages, produced with Adobe InDesign (the standard program used for many magazine publications) to orient their layout so that the user can interact with the articles and advertisements.

It may only be a matter of time before other publications fallow suit and offer their own tailor made Adobe AIR application.  Although a magazine subscription for a tablet would be much cheaper, I am not convinced that impressive graphics and interactivity are enough to entice the average reader to give up their print subscription for a digital one.


 I can’t see every magazine benefiting form this sort of thing. After all, a copy of Vogue would not be as enchanting without its stacked spine, glossy pages and fragrant perfume samples.