The Written Word
By Damon Brown
The first batch of iPhone commercials hyped up reading The New York TimesNew York Post or any other graphic-intensive newspaper Web site. Wi-Fi browsing is okay, but using AT&T's default EDGE network is nearly unbearable online, but going through the front page on the iPhone can be kind of slow.
There is also the frustration of accidentally tapping on one item when you actually meant to jog to another - something very common on the busy Times Web site since there really isn't a resting place for your finger. It's clear the Times site wasn't built for something like the iPhone.
Fortunately, we now have Leaflets, a free third-party app and portal that turns the iPhone into a big RSS feeder. It aims to improve the Web experience by optimizing applications for the iPhone's often-limited access speeds.
Leaflets gives several reading options from the get-go including the The New York Times,
Major League Baseball scores and Newsvine, a news aggregator that
collects the best items from the Web. The popular bookmarker
del.icio.us is also available, so all your favorite Web sites can be
reached quickly and easily.
The New York Times RSS feed is
smooth and efficient. A bulk of the screen is the main story. A small
left-hand column highlights all the major sections of the New York
Times, such as Frontpage, U.S. and Technology. Of course, all parts of
the display can be tapped and stretched for more detail. The
streamlined topics, vertical layout and text-focused design make the Times feed much smoother than the original Web site.
Damon Brown wrote the "Pocket Idiot's
Guide to the iPhone" (Alpha/Penguin Books), the first book on the
iPhone, available at in our "BOOKS" section or your favorite bookstore.
Damon also writes for Playboy, SPIN and The New York Post.
