Filed under: Software, iPhone, iPod touch
It's true, iReddit on the iPhone
reddit, an open source social news aggregator which has garnered a loyal following, has come out with a very slick, very handy little iPhone app for their service. Actually, it's the third one -- according to their blog -- but this one's "official." iReddit brings you the news ... you don't even have to join reddit, your iPhone will start spewing stories of all caliber and ilk at you the moment you launch the app (fortunately, a free account will let you start filtering the stream).
Don't tell the rest of the TUAW team -- many of whom were clamoring to post about iReddit -- but I'd never used reddit.com in any serious fashion until I got in on the iReddit beta. I'm now a frequent reader ... at least on my iPhone. The app itself is much like the website in layout. It's also elegant, responsive and heart-warmingly cute, the cuteness due in large part to the reddit mascot checking the time and tapping its toes while pages load. I'm quite serious when I say that it's one of the best "loading screens" I've ever had the pleasure of using. Articles open in the built-in browser, where you can read them, send them to Safari, e-mail a link, or save them to your reddit account.
The team behind the app is none other than our friends from WWDC, 280 North. You may remember (or be using) their online presentation app, 280Slides. iReddit is another fine accomplishment on the 280 resume. Check it out at the App Store for $1.99US.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Damien K. said 8:59PM on 2-18-2009
digg ftw.
end of story.
Reply
dagamer34 said 9:09PM on 2-18-2009
But no digg app for some reason. As much as Kevin Rose loves the iPhone, sometimes he acts like an idiot and a little kid.
Gaurav said 9:31PM on 2-18-2009
@dagamer34
Just because you can make an app for something doesn't mean you need to make a bajillion apps that replicate functionality which can be done in mobile safari, the appstore is not meant to clogged with apps because people don't want to make a web interface for whatever reason. Kevin Rose is smarter for not making one, shovel is really dumb and useless compared to m.digg.com which could have more functionality but because its not just for iphone users has been dumbed down in case of other mobile phones. In short digg ftw!
Gray_hat said 9:31PM on 2-18-2009
Good for you.
I believe that sums it up well.
Tariq said 9:54PM on 2-18-2009
@ Gaurav
Kevin Rose is an idiot for not allowing the API to be used in iPhone apps. The mobile site is crap, all you can do is Bury stories. So what if 100 apps pop up in the app store that all do the same thing. How does that make your life any harder? All I want is to have the most basic functionality of Digg (Digg/Bury stories, view/submit comments, and Digg/Bury comments) on an interface that is easy to use on the iPhone. You sir, are very narrow-minded if you think that closing things off is a smart move. As much as I love Digg over Reddit, this app alone is making me consider switching.
Ross said 9:23PM on 2-18-2009
reddit is vastly superior to digg.
Reply
Gray_hat said 9:41PM on 2-18-2009
Shhhhhhhh!
Don't tell them. It's a secret. We don't want to have to find another refuge, do we?
But in all seriousness, if anyone simply looks at the front page of reddit after using digg for an extended period of time and immediately concludes that digg is superior based on some non-substantiative quality, I don't want them on reddit. The community on reddit and the community on digg are very, very different—and I would not have it any other way.
philrj said 9:36PM on 2-18-2009
When this came out I was sold on Reddit as being above and beyond Digg and the others. I had both sites as web clips and tended to use Reddit more anyway. Digg just isn't what it used to be. And now, with the native app I'm 100% Reddit all the way. The app is amazing and it just works...and works well. The little Reddit robot or whatever their logo is....doing his thing while pages load....is absolutely priceless.
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Gray_hat said 9:44PM on 2-18-2009
He is an alien and he is hilarious. I just wish I could double-tap him or something to make him disappear once the content of a page has loaded and it's waiting for some script to finish executing or something-or-other.
It is rather annoying to not have the lower right quadrant of the screen blocked sometimes. Otherwise, I think it is the only load page that I have encountered that I can describe as entertaining.
Adam S said 11:14PM on 2-18-2009
Huzzah! Now I can pay $2 to view a website on my iPhone... wait... what? Why didn't they just write an iPhone friendly site?
Despite that, I might still be interested if the content on reddit didn't suck so bad.
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Buckingham said 3:15AM on 2-19-2009
Both reddit and digg are now filled with childish posters. Most of the news items are all about jokes and pranks and other non-insightful whatnot. The discussions and comments are just about one person trying to out-funny the other one.
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Coffee Jones said 10:23AM on 2-19-2009
Digg is a flaming hole in the ground. Better than youtube comments, but that's not saying much.
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CoffeeJones said 10:25AM on 2-19-2009
Whoops. Reddit.
Then again this applies to Digg and Reddit and Slashdot.