News Apps Roundup: AP Mobile News Network.

Constant news feeds are an absolute necessity for news junkies, and the iPhone is a great way to get a daily fix.  But which apps are best?  Which ones are hard to navigate?  Which ones will give me local news?  There is a lot to sort through, but I feel up to the challenge.

First up is the AP Mobile News Network.  This was the first news app I downloaded and the only one I had installed for the longest time.  That's because the app it is solid.

Simple, straight-forward delivery. Just the facts, ma'am.

When you open the app, you see that there is no filler.  You are immediately greeted with the top headlines for stories put together by the oldest and most trusted news network in the nation (I don't know if that is true, but I saw it in a movie once [Actually, it originated with reporters in rowboats. -ed.]).  Across the top bar, you can sort National headlines by "most recent" as well as "highly rated."  Since like-minded people tend to buy the iPhone and surf the nets, the "highly rated" section is usually pretty dead-on with what is most interesting or amusing to me, and the "most recent" tab is great if you are checking back often--such as during the past election cycle, when I was constantly checking for primary election commentary and voting returns.

Local in a Global sense.

Across the bottom of the screen are a number of buttons for different categories of news.  If you click "more," you are given a full list of categories to better refine your search.  There is even a local section, but this leaves a bit to be desired.  "Local" for Louisville, KY really just means all the news that has come across the "Kentucky State Wire". This results in a lot of stories that aren't really local.  Also, I've notice that the AP seems to miss some truly "big-deal" local stuff.  In other words, it's a nice feature, but you shouldn't depend on it.

The only other negative about the app is that sometimes the same story will appear in the headlines multiple times.  It will be listed as being posted "2 hours ago" as well as "35 minutes ago."  A small issue, but one worth mentioning.

"Headline stories" are determined by users, not an editorial committee.

The load time is as good as can be expected, and the AP provides pictures along with most stories.  There are also options to bookmark and email stories; this is a very handy feature. Overall, AP Mobile News Network is a very good, solid app with few bells and whistles.  But when I am looking for news, I don't want video commentary and interactive maps.  I want straightforward reporting, and that is what you get with AP Mobile News Network.  It's like having a very well-put-together national newspaper in your phone.

Cheers, AP Mobile News Network.  You have done your job well.

Next up is Pocket Express, an app I have already reviewed. But this time, I'll be going more in-depth about it's news capacities.