Iconology, Inc.

While there are still quite a few good comic book reader apps on the App Store, there's really only one choice for buying digital comics directly from the publishers: Comixology's aptly title Comics app. Comixology launched early on iOS devices, beginning with a web interface and then the very popular iPhone app. Since the introduction of the iPad the company's really started to shine, bringing in huge partnerships with publishers like DC, Marvel, and Image Comics. Comixology provides both a very slick and usable reading interface and a very well-designed store that delivers digital comics through in-app purchases. Comixology's VP of Marketing, PR, and Business Development Chip Mosher kindly met up with us on the floor of Macworld | iWorld this week, and he agrees that the App Store has brought a lot of success for Comixology, both the app and the company itself (which also runs a few other standalone apps). Even so, Mosher says "really good" still isn't good enough. While Comixology does have most of the major comic titles covered, Dark Horse Comics still delivers its titles through its own store, and Archie Comics also come through a dedicated app run by competitor iVerse Media. There are still some whales out there that Comixology is hunting in terms of delivering digital comics on the iPad. Mosher balked at revealing any major features of the app in the works, but he does say that Comixology is aiming for a "buy once, read anywhere" plan with its digital downloads. Even before iCloud took off, Comixology offered its own syncing service, so any titles purchased on the iPhone would show up automatically on the iPad and vice versa. Mosher says the plan is to do that with everything, so purchases also cross over to Android devices, plus any readers on desktop computers or the web. He agrees that as long as the company can provide readers with their purchased comics when and wherever they need them, customers will be happy to jump in and buy them under the Comixology banner. Mosher shrugs at the mention of Apple bringing comic books to iBooks in a more official way. Certainly, Apple has shown some interest in bringing periodicals to iBooks, and a few comic authors are publishing their own books using iBooks Author. But Mosher believes Comixology will just have to continue to provide content users want in an app they're happy to Read More

ComiXology has grabbed yet another major comic book publisher for its iOS app, this time recruiting Image Comics to publish to the digital platform day and date with the paper releases. The app has already landed both DC and Marvel in publishing agreements, so adding the Image stable of comics to the mix really rounds out the selections. ComiXology will publish Image's comics same day on the iOS and Android apps, as well as in digital form on the company's website. And Image will use ComiXology's tech to power its own digital website, as well as run its own branded iOS app. That's good new for fans of Chew, The Infinite, The Walking Dead, or any of the other comic books currently being published under the Image Comics heading. And it's also good news for ComiXology, which is slowly building up a comic book digital publishing empire, all built on Apple's iOS platform. The company is slowly expanding its operations beyond the App Store's borders, but there's no doubt at all that much of its success is predicated on the original App Store app (one of the first comic book readers on iPhone and later on the iPad). There's been a lot of talk about the battle between ink and paper publishers and the new digital publishing industry, but ComiXology is right out there on the front lines, and appears to be doing quite well. Update: Just to clarify, Image already had a few comics in the ComiXology system. But the fact that the entire line is now day and date is the news here. Read More

Posted 07/23/2011 at 3:24pm | by Andrew Groen Even if you've never stepped foot in a comic book store in your life, you don't have to sit out on the action. Comic book readers for iOS let anyone indulge in stories of adventure and superheroes. In honor of Comic-Con, we found 10 of the best -- some are free apps that let you buy comics as in-app purchases, and others are paid library apps where you upload digital comics you already own. But at least one should suit every true believer's needs. 1 of 10 ComicsComics, more commonly referred to as Comixology after its developer, is notable for one specific reason: it's the only place where you can buy comics by DC along with publishers, which makes it a must-have for comic fans. The free, universal app may not be the best software for reading, but when you've got the weight of the world's finest comic book library in your download store, that becomes a bit less important. Panelfly Free iPhone app Panelfly isn't flashy, and doesn't have the biggest library, but it's dependable. You probably won't want Panelfly to be your only iOS comics reader, but its a great addition to any list of comic apps. Its reading experience is one of the best on iPhone, and it gets bonus points for being perhaps the speediest of the stores we tested. Graphic.ly Graphic.ly, free for iPhone and iPad, is all about community. Each book has its own forum, and readers can share comments specific to each issue. Whether you thought the artist dropped the ball on one specific page or you want to discuss conspiracy theories about what's coming next, you can share on Graphic.ly. IDW Comics Let's face it: you're never going to need or want 10 different comic book apps taking up space on your iPad or iPhone. That makes it tough for the indies to compete, but free, universal IDW manages to make it work, offering a vast library of independent books. IDW specializes in licensed properties like G.I. Joe, Star Trek, Transformers and more unique fare like Locke & Key and Zombies vs Robots. Star Trek Comics Quite a few standalone comic apps are available for specific series; IDW Publishing in particular puts out several, like free, universal Star Trek Comics. These are a great solution if you're a huge fan of a single series and Read More

...turns your iPad into a collection of Touch Instruments and a full-featured recording studio — so you can make music anywhere you go. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play pianos, organs, guitars, drums, and basses on your iPad. They sound and play like their counterparts, but let you do things you could never do on a real instrument. Enjoy a full range of Smart Instruments that make you sou... Read More

Looking for the best apps for your iPad 2? There are plenty of great applications available, but sifting through everything to find those good ones can be tough. We’ve put together a list of applications that will help any new iPad user get started. There are some games, news apps, movie apps, reading apps…to put it simply, there’s something for everyone. The list below isn’t the end all-be all list of essential applications, but it is a list that will show you some of the best ones to start with. Now that you have your iPad 2, it’s time to check them out. Hit the jump to see the apps (along with their App Store descriptions): Get Netflix on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Just download this free app and you can instantly watch TV shows & movies streaming from Netflix. Download the ABC Player app to watch your favorite ABC shows for free on the iPad wherever and whenever you want to watch. View full-length episodes of Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, No Ordinary Family, Desperate Housewives and more. Movies by Flixster is the #1 movie app to watch movie trailers, find showtimes, get critic reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, and share movie ratings with your friends. The Kindle app is optimized for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, giving users the ability to read Kindle books on a beautiful, easy-to-use interface. You‚Äôll have access to over 850,000* books in the Kindle Store, including best sellers and new releases. Amazon Whispersync automatically syncs your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across devices (including Kindle), so you can pick up where you left off on another device. iBooks is an amazing way to download and read books. iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest best-selling books or your favorite classics ‚Äì day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark or add notes to your favorite passages. The only iPhone/iPad comic platform that has Marvel, DC and The Walking Dead. Purchases made can be read on the web, too, at comics.comixology.com! Evernote turns the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad into an extension of your brain, helping you remember anything and everything that happens in your life. From notes to ideas to snapshots to recordings, put it all into Evernote and watch Read More

Posted 12/31/2010 at 1:47pm | by Roberto Baldwin We thought about throwing a bunch of hardware on the floor and letting our pets pick the winner. Sure that sounds awesome in theory, but the bosses said we were being lazy, that we needed to put our animals away and get back to work. By the way, they picked the MacBook Air. Pets love the Macbook Air. A piece of paper that fell into the pile came in a close second. So here is the top wares for 2010 as picked by the Mac|Life editors. Editor in Chief Paul: Senior Editor Susie: Reviews Editor Ray: Associate Online Editor Flo: Associate Editor Nic: Editor in Chief Paul: Senior Editor Susie: Online Editor Robbie: Associate Online Editor Flo: Associate Editor Nic: Editor in Chief Paul: Online Editor Robbie: Reviews Editor Ray: Associate Online Editor Flo: Associate Editor Nic: Editor in Chief Paul: Senior Editor Susie: Online Editor Robbie: Reviews Editor Ray: Associate Editor Nic: Editor in Chief Paul: Senior Editor Susie: Online Editor Robbie: Reviews Editor Ray: Associate Online Editor Flo: Associate Editor Nic: Tags: Read More

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Dec 28, 2010 | Have an iPad and curious which are the best, most must-have reading apps you need to check out? Want to really get the most out of that big 9.7-inch screen? Well read on for TiPb’s top 5 most recommended readings apps for your iPad. Note: Many of the reader apps are free but individual books, issues, etc. are available via in-app purchase. Those prices vary. Amazon’s Kindle eBook reader for iPad isn’t as good looking as Apple’s iBooks but simply has the largest library of titles and the most cross-platform support on the market. If you’re looking for a book chances are you’ll find it for the Kindle app, and if you buy it you’ll be able to read it on iPhone, iPad, Kindle devices, and other smartphones. Better still, if you stop reading it on one device, thanks to WhisperSync you can pick up right where you left off on another device. Universal app – download once, use on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. [Free - iTunes link] Also check out: Since neither Apple nor anyone else has been able to provide a real, multi-publisher iTunes-like experience for magazines, it’s hard to pick one app as the best. Zinio at least comes close, with support for a wide variety of magazines across a wide array of devices. We’re still waiting for our next-generation iMags but this will hold traditionalists over until we get there. Universal app – download once, use on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. [Free - iTunes link] Also check out: Press Reader is much like Zinio, an attempt to provide a one-stop shop, in this case for newspapers. It boasts 1700 international papers in its library. Again, we’re still waiting for Apple to pick up the subscription ball with an iNews-type solution, but in the meantime Press Reader gets the job done. Universal app – download once, use on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. [Free - iTunes link] Also check out: Comics by comixology is the closest thing to a unified comic books store on iOS. It helps that they also make the Marvel, DC, and Image apps using the same engine, but their own Comics apps is the only place to get stuff from all those publishers all in one place. The experience is the same across comics, Marvel, DC, and Image — browse or search for books, Read More

There are often those Apps we totally love, but never get the recognition we feel they deserve. It's unfortunate considering how great these Apps are. These don't belong in any single category. Two are games, some are reading material and another is just for entertainment. Definitely do yourself a favor and check these out, you may find that you really enjoy them. Here's our list of favorite under-appreciated Apps of 2010:   1) Kiko: The Last Totem (99 cents) We found this one while browsing around the App Store and really ended up liking it. The gameplay is simple, you must guide Kiko and his cat-like friends (all of whom are sleeping…typical cats) by sliding them around the level to little panels that match their color. It all sounds very easy, but that's what makes a great game: easy to grasp but difficult to master.    2) Frotz for iPad (free) We are huge fans of text adventures. While trying to find an iOS version of Zork, we ran into this beauty. It's a collection of text adventure games compiled for the iPhone and, more recently, the iPad. It's fun, it's entertaining and its classic gameplay before fancy HD graphics…before graphics of any kind, actually. Yes, the writer of this post wasn't even born when many of these games were first released, but that doesn't mean he can't love the genre.   Cracked is the magazine many of us grew up reading as kids. It was like Mad for a younger generation. Of course the magazine eventually died off and as of today is no more. However, Cracked took a totally new approach with great lists such as 5 Silver Linings Now That Identity Theft Ruined Your Life, 11 Celebrities Who Were Secretly Total Badasses and 6 Deadly Injuries You Think You'd Survive (Thanks to movies). The lists are actually quite informative given the comedic nature of the posts, and you will actually find yourself learning a lot.   4) Discover – Wikipedia in a Magazine (Free) Say what you will about the accuracy of Wikipedia, but we think it's a fun website. Much of what's available is gathered from credible sources. It's also just fun reading, because you can get a pretty good amount of general information there. Discover turns Wikipedia into somewhat of a magazine, dividing each section into separate pages. We learned a lot about the Metroid series on this Read More

Fans of the Scott Pilgrim comic series will be happy to hear that their favorite awkwardly awesome comic book pseudo-hero has come to the iPhone and iPad in eBook form! The AppStore is now home to the official Scott Pilgrim eBook, which is available as a “plus” app that is optimized for both the iPhone and iPad – and it includes the first chapter of volume one of the six book series for free! If you’re thinking of getting into the comic series ahead of the Scott Pilgrim movie, starring Michael Cera, this would be the perfect time to do so. The comic takes you on Scott’s journey as he battles for the love of his sweetheart, Ramona. But, before he can call her his girlfriend, he’ll have to showdown against all seven of her evil ex-boyfriends in a serious-but-don’t-take-it-too-seriously story about love, awkward teenage years, and duels to the death – all told through a loose “video gamey” theme. The free app includes the first chapter of the first volume of the series, after which you can choose to purchase volumes one through five for $7 a piece and the sixth (and final) volume for $12. The app works equally well on the iPhone as it does on the iPad, so there’s no need to download separate apps. – Scott Pilgrim (FREE) [iTunes link] Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see... Read More

CNET's Crave blog compiled a great list last week of twenty great, free comic books to read on your iPad. For me, more than anything else, the iPad seems perfect for a visual, interactive medium like comics. Movies are better on my big screen, and books can be read on a Kindle (or just on paper -- weird, I know), but for the iPad, having the ability to zoom in on a great piece of comic art or download new comics straight to the device to be read on that big, colorful screen seems perfect. Enter this list, which has some great free samples from both the DC and Marvel comics apps, or a few other free Comics reader apps available on the store. There's some really good stuff out there for the low price of absolutely nothing, from some classic books that are hard to find in print to some newer promo books for current series or comics that have been made into movies. Man cannot live on free alone -- if you're really into comics, you'll probably want to buy a few from their official apps (though it's a shame that pricing and selection isn't quite there yet, but hopefully Marvel and DC will eventually figure that out). And this article doesn't even mention the tons of great single-app books you can find on the App Store, for both the iPhone and the iPad. The iPad was designed for consuming media, and comic books are one of my favorite media around. Read More