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Al Jazeera English launches news apps for Android Tablet and BlackBerry 10
Al Jazeera Media Network today launched new Android tablet and BlackBerry 10 applications.
The Qatar-based news organisation claims the new apps provide users with full-featured news from the most popular sections of the Al Jazeera English website — along with free access to 24 hour live broadcasts and the latest current affairs programmes.
The BlackBerry 10 apps meanwhile are apparently built in conjunction with BlackBerry. This, Al Jazeera says, allows it to leverage native features of the device such as tight integration with BlackBerry Messenger.
Android tablet users on 10-inch and 7-inch devices can now enjoy a “lean back” browsing experience, where they can watch the live stream free of charge, listen to background audio, and also discover, watch, share and save the latest episodes from a variety of long-form programmes.
“We are delighted that Al Jazeera’s multi-award winning news and current affairs coverage is now available on Android tablet and BlackBerry 10 devices,” said Moeed Ahmed, head of New Media at Al Jazeera Media Network. “With the global Android market growing at an incredible pace, today’s announcement re-emphasises Al Jazeera’s commitment to ensuring that people can watch our coverage whenever and wherever they want — whether it is on a tablet, mobile device, PC or Connected TV.”
The news network has been pretty good at using mobile in innovative ways to get its content across. During the recent Kenyan elections for instance, it employed the use of both voice and SMS technologies to aid in its last mile coverage and citizen reporting.
Its voice service allows people with basic feature phones to listen to listen to, interact with and create citizen reports for Al Jazeera via low-end handsets without any need for a data plan. “The concept is to connect with audiences that are offline and often off grid, people who Al Jazeera cannot often access or hear from,” says Cynara Vetch the project manager of Al Jazeera Voices.
