New Philippine STAR mobile app now out

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine STAR’s latest mobile app makes its debut on iOS and Android devices today, bringing the newspaper’s incisive reporting and wide coverage a step further into the digital arena.

The app, which is free to download on the Appstore and Google Playstore, provides readers on-the-go information and news with customizable features so they are provided the news they need, whenever and wherever they want it.

The STAR app lets users flip through the articles by swiping the lower-right corner of the screen, like turning the page of an actual newspaper.

The Philippine STAR app by Sven Ingenuity transforms your mobile device into a bustling newsroom, giving you the latest on national and world news, sports, business, lifestyle and entertainment. Combining intuitive and functional design with features that readers have come to expect of their favorite news apps, The STAR mobile app is designed to fit right into your daily reading routine.

Linking the print edition to the mobile version is the day’s front page, which opens in the first tab of the app, giving you a quick walk-through of the most important news of the day. The rest of the tabs provide a rundown of The STAR’s sections, from News and Opinion to Lifestyle and Entertainment. Users can customize these tabs in any order that they prefer, making it easy for them to navigate through the content that they want to read most.

Articles are laid out in a no-fuss, straightforward style. Articles can also be flipped- by swiping the lower-right corner of the screen, much like turning the page of the actual newspaper. This gives the organic feel of thumbing through the newspaper while enjoying one’s morning coffee or even when in transit. The feeds can also be pinch-zoomed when a particular article or photo catches one’s interest.

Share news and articles on your Facebook and Twitter feeds via the app’s social media links, available at the upper right portion of the screen. You can also bookmark articles so you can go through them anytime you want.

Top stories of the day are updated on the go so you can read developments of the latest news stories, straight from the field.

With the app, The Philippine STAR is proud to become the first newspaper in the country to boldly venture into the world of augmented reality with its LiveIt! feature. In the age of Google Glass and Iron Man3, The STAR aptly takes print to the next level with a breakthrough feature that mates the paper with one’s personal mobile device to give readers a new experience by letting them view supplemental videos related to news items and articles or the latest movie trailers, listen to audio commentary, get product details from advertisers, purchase products on their mobile devices, etc.

“We’re very excited to be the first to provide newspaper readers in the country a brand-new reading experience and limitless possibilities through augmented reality,” STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte said.

The augmented reality feature of the mobile app, called LiveIt!, will debut starting next week’s issues of The Philippine STAR. “It’s truly something to watch out for as it brings an opportunity for our readers to experience our content in a more engaging and interactive manner. For companies and brands, augmented reality provides them a wider avenue to collaborate with us,” quipped STAR senior vice president for sales and marketing Lucien Dy Tioco.

Download The STAR’s mobile app on Google Play and Apple App store today.