BBC Focus Magazine

[M Paul Lloyd]

With the lack of a Focus Android App, the only alternative is to buy the magazine using the Zinio App rather than subscribe?
I travel a lot for work and have a Focus subscription but don’t get to enjoy my Focus magazine until I get home! if I was to purchase the Focus magazine using the Zinio App on my Android powered tablet (a transformer prime) I could read the latest issue of Focus wherever I am in the world, so wouldn’t need a subscription.

Please concentrate on an Android App as not everyone has been pulled into the Apple trap!!!!!

Hello David, I can only reassure you that Focus are doing all they can to meet the needs of its non Apple 'on line' readers, and sadly these things take time but I rather hope it will be worked out as soon as possible.

[worand]

Hi Focus.

Because I tend only to have time to read non work related things while travelling and the only thing I ALWAYS have with me is my TF201 I am starting to get behind in reading the magazine.
I am now seriously considering cancelling my subscription due to the lack of an Android app and I have been a subscriber since 1993 so i don't say it lightly.
It's been so long now since an Android app should have been out that it almost seems as though the BBC are endorsing Apple.
I would be prepared to forego the paper edition for an Android app (as long as it had the crossword which is missing from the iPad one), which I guess would save money for the mag.
I reckon this should be a priority.

All the best

[M Paul Lloyd]

Point taken Worand, but in all honesty it is not that the BBC (who are actually no longer directly involved in Focus policy) or indeed the good people at Focus Central who are endorsing Apple, it just seemed like a good place to start.

The problem is that since the decision to produce an Apple app we have found ourselves in the depths of a very serious financial recession and I'm sure you can appreciate that no-one is really willing to stump up the funds to apply an Android app when the quality of the magazine content takes priority?

As for cancelling your subscription, well it would be a shame to lose you, after all regular subscriptions help underpin future funding that might, when things are looking a bit rosier, underpin some new android app? but for myself, not being a fan of Apple systems in any shape or form, prefer to trust in the Editors judgement on this and be as patient as I can.

[Willxx]

I'm not sure how much knowledge there is of the inner workings of the mag but is there any possibiility a 'fan' app or crowd sourced android app could be made with the blessings and content from the mag itself?

there seems to be a reasonably knowledgeable user base, I'm sure between us we can knock up a basic webreader app? ( he says - with absolutely no idea what he's talking about! (but willing to learn ) if the mag can provide content?

Very cheap way to get at least something online for us android users (or apple apostates - which ever you prefer)

[M Paul Lloyd]

The only problem I can foresee Willxx is possibly one of copyright and who gets paid for what but I'll leave that to higher powers I think.

[pbrickne]

I've ended up cancelling my Focus paper subscription - would have loved to read the magazine on my Android Tablet, as I wasn't reading the paper edition quick enough, and I couldn't find a zinio subscription. Ended up subscribing to a similar American magazine via Zinio - 'Mental Floss'.

[M Paul Lloyd]

All the best with that pbrickne .

[Willxx]

i think theres a definite desire for an android app, I've now got a nexus 7 (very good) and I'm finding it is becoming my 'go-to' device for lots of media, news, books, tv, films etc I've just been away for a week and only booted my laptop up once.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I agree Willxx and speaking as one who has little time for Apple based systems and its insular attitude towards app's and general service software I very much want to see Focus available on Android but its not something that can be conjured out of the air I'm afraid so..... well, I'm just going to have to be patient I guess. ?

[Willxx]

I understand and accept that Apple's dominance has let it be a priority but the pendulum has swung back and android does now have a strong user base. (I'm not having a moan directly at you M.Paul, rather trying to keep the thread alive in the hope that someone within the BBC might take note that people outside MediaCity aren't all Apple devotees)

I must admit over the last 6 months I reckon I've only skimmed the magazine when I've received it in the post and put it to one side thinking "i'll read that later" but I don't tend to pick it up again whereas my tablet is always with me and I have google currents installed and keep up to date witha number of pulications through that.

I was always a 'books/magazines are a tactile paper based medium and electronic formats won't replace them' and I certainly wasn't an early adopter but it certainly looks to be the way its going for media in general.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Well we will have to see what the fallout of this recent US court ruling creates.

Personally I think Apple have shot themselves in the foot with this and once the Chinese take back their home market (50% of current Apple sales) well I think we might all end up with Chinese Huawei stuff anyway.

[focustom]

Hi
I'm looking (like everyone else) for an Android version of the Focus Magazine to read on my Android device. The Focus Website only provides an app for the iPad (which is a bit narrow minded to say the least).

However, within the Android Zinio Reader application there is the option to subscribe to the magazine and read electronic versions of it.

So my question is, why can't we be given the ability to enter our subscription information within Zinio and have access to the issues which are already there? I appreciate that funding may be an issue to prevent development of a dedicated application (as alluded to in a response to an earlier post), but as the content is already available via Zinio, surely an agreement can be made between the Focus team and the Zinio application team to allow us access to this content?

This HAS to be the path of least resistance as there is already an app available on Android (Zinio) and the subscribers to the application are more than willing to view this data on an Android platform (as this whole thread is testament to).

So come on? How about it? Can we have our favourite science and technology magazine in a format other than on recycled dead trees??

[Willxx]

Hi Ingajohn, Louise from Focus magazine here. Thanks for asking about the app - hope you are enjoying your Galaxy tab! At the moment the app is only for iPad, and we don’t have immediate plans to make an Android app but will certainly look into it and watch the market – over 90% of tablets owned at the moment are iPads, so it makes sense for us to concentrate on Focus for the iPad at the moment, but that may change in future...

In the meantime you can flick through the Zinio edition of Focus here: http://gb.zinio.com/browse/publications ... =500601540

Louise
BBC Focus magazine

*bump*

Android now > 30% of the market or Apple down from being the only kid on the block to 61.4% (nov 12).

Is, theoretically, a market which may encompass up to 1 in 3 of your readers developing into a sufficient enough market for Focus to consider android yet? Or is it a case of Steve Jobs took out a patent on the word "Focus" so its banned from any electronic media outside of the Apple framework?

It seems quite perverse that a magazine about science and technology should take such a negative attitude towards an important and rapidly emerging section of the market that is developing directly for media & technology.

[Shadowwolf]

Ah well now, funny you should mention this as...

Everyones favourite Sci & Tech mag is now available as a digital edition on devices running the Android OS. At the moment it is available but it is a vanilla version of the mag, thus it is not interactive / animated as the iPad magazine app currently is.

So if you'd like some BBC Focus goodness on your Android device then mosey on over to Play.Google.com.

Just a couple of things to be aware of mind:

1) Currently it is limited to the UK only but hopefully this will change soon.

2) It is not yet available to subscribers of the magazine presently and will not be until the New Year.

Focus Forum: News & Links

[Diablo]

I have found Focus on my android (samsung) phone and although its not the full monty I rather like it and really want more. So if you can then yes please.