iOS App of the Day: Planet Money
News junkies are always looking for a way to get their fix and NPR is notorious for providing reliable news outlets in the form of radio shows, news programs, and RSS feeds. I hate having to rely on apps that just have your typical text feeds, which is why I go to the NPR Planet Money app when I’m in need of a change of scenery on the news feeds. What’s glorious about the NPR iOS app Planet Money is that it adds an audio layer to the experience which is why this app is an ideal fit for anyone who wants to listen to the news anywhere, anytime.
Pros:
- Listen to full episodes of the show with easy access to the most recent episode.
- Save multiple stories for offline listening.
- Hear all Planet Money pieces from Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
- Read stories posted on the blog with photos, videos, graphics, and more.
- Easily share stories and episodes by email, Twitter or Facebook.
- Browse through a visual archive of all Planet Money content including episodes, radio pieces, and blog posts.
- Search for past content you may have missed.
- Explore stories by different content types, such as audio or text, or by themes like debt or trade.
- Get recommendations of related content to help you decide what to listen to next.
- Keep current with continuously updated stories and episodes.
Cons:
- Buffering between audio stories can take a while
- App forces closes during audio play sporadically
How it works:
- Download the app
- News feed will display once app is opened, scroll up or down to view titles of articles with a story photo
- To read a specific article tap on the title or photo
- Tap Dashboard icon (top left) to access shortcuts to app’s features
- To listen to full audio episodes of the show tap on play icon next to audio story title
- To save audio story to queue for later listening tap on the + Add to Queue button
- Filter options include: all planet money content, just audio stories, or just text stories
Conclusion:
The Planet Money app has thrived over time while other news apps have stayed stagnant with their boring text only news feeds. The audio aspect of this app is reliable with a clear and crisp quality. If you do want to just read the text stories, they are without distraction with easy to read text. If you’re looking for a different app to get your news fix or if you’re just a longtime NPR Planet Money fan, then this app is a must have.
Planet Money is available for free in the iTunes Store. Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later. iTunes Link
This is part of our iOS App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for iOS for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.
I LOVE Planet Money! Get the App! I have learned so much about the economy through PM and found myself easily able to converse with Europeans about topics from the Greek Bailout to the reason Germany is so worried about inflation.