Tablet app ‘The Brief’ developed by ABC Innovation

 

ABC INNOVATION launched its new, free tablet app The Brief this month.

It has been made available on Apple’s iOS platform and plans before the Federal Budget cuts to ABC funding  were to make it available son on Android. It is not yet known if the funding cuts will impact future plans for the app.

The Brief presents readers with eight stories each week, in what the ABC calls “re-imagining ABC content for tablet and delivering a rich immersive experience to audiences”. 

“We know our audiences want ABC content anytime, anywhere,” ABC managing director Mark Scott said. “The Brief is part of our journey to understand how we can re-imagine and re-purpose ABC’s broadcast content for tablets.”

ABC director of Innovation, Angela Clark, said, “The Brief explores new territory for the ABC in creating a rich, interactive custom tablet experience that we hope will harness the breadth and depth of the ABC’s media to new audiences.

“Tablets are an increasingly important device for media consumption and are often considered a more ‘personal device’ so we are keen to understand what audiences want on a tablet and the potential of these devices for immersive media experiences.”

The Brief editorial team includes editor, Matt Buchanan, and journalist and ABC Drum host, journalist Julia Baird. Content ranges from news and current affairs features to ABC archival content, movies, profiles and sport.

“The new project led by ABC Innovation relies on the cooperation of content teams across the corporation,” Mr Scott said. “We look forward to audience feedback and engagement in the months ahead as we develop the product.”

The ABC will be inviting audience feedback on each edition of The Brief. The first edition included stories on the impact of the ICAC by Quentin Dempster, the Indian general election, jailed Russian punk band Pussy Riot, and a time-lapse photography feature from an ABC Open contributor. Editions are available every Friday afternoon.

In 2014 ABC Innovation launched three new educational games, QED, Zoom and ConCensus, for the learning portal ABC Splash!

The team also won two AIMIA awards in April including Most Innovative Digital Product or Service in Content Innovation for The Opera House Project; and Best of Smartphone, Publisher for the ABC Mobile Flagship App.

http://www.abc.net.au/thebrief

ends

POSTED MAY 18, 2014