Thoughts on iPads and e-editions

I shared some thoughts on The Californian's iPad edition on the fine blog of Steve Yelvington, a web visionary whose post on newspaper replica editions prompted a related thread on Twitter that caught my attention. 

I'll share more on in the future on our work with e-editions of The Californian, but Yelvington's post is a good start for people who are in the business of producing replica editions of printed publications. There's life in these editions that many -- including myself -- once considered substandard products. 

Screencast of Bakersfield Californian e-edition

Here's a simple screencast I created recently to help explain the features of the desktop version of The Bakersfield Californian e-edition. 

I used the free version of Screenr to capture a 5-minute screencast. There are a few sections where audio and video is clipped but those burps don't dilute the overall message. For a free product, the simple Screenr tools deliver pretty good results.  

I'd like to do a screencast for our iPad app but I'm unaware of integrated software that captures iPad movements. All I've seen are videos shot from above the screen, an angle that while it captures hand movements, is hard to get right because of screen glare. Please let me know if you're aware of a screencast tool that works on iPad; it seems to be one of those "holy grail" products that no one has been able to produce. 

Putting the spotlight on The Californian's e-edition

The Bakersfield Californian has kicked off a substantial months-long multimedia campaign to market the iPad and laptop/desktop versions of our e-edition, which is a digital replica of the printed newspaper. 

One of four billboard designs promoting The Bakersfield Californian's iPad app features popular regional destination Morro Rock as a backdrop. The campaign features print and online display ads, TV commercials (watch them above and below), digital billboards and bus wraps. The messages promote the idea of escaping with The Californian -- anywhere, anytime. I won't spill the beans on all the creative until it's all ready for prime time, but I will say there's a neat trick we'll be doing with the digital billboard. And the bus wraps will turn heads. 

I've written previously about our highly rated iPad app and how it's a perfect match for The Californian's tabloid format. We're finding that our e-edition subscribers are extremely loyal in reading daily and spending a sizable amount of time with each edition. 

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