Spaced 3.0

I’m no expert of astronomy or space missions, but I enjoy reading about the subject because I’m completely fascinated by it. I don’t subscribe to dedicated blogs about space news, because I don’t really follow the scene actively – I’m casually interested in reading what’s new when I have the time. For the past two years I’ve been using Spaced to keep up with the most important space news and discoveries; the team behind the app released today a major 3.0 update that adds a completely redesigned UI, iCloud support, and more sections.

Spaced aggregates news from well-established publications and sources and it is perfectly suited for people like me: folks who are curious to know about space but who don’t have the time to read every news item from blogs and magazines they are not even following. The new Spaced comes with a gorgeous black UI that gives even more depth and contrast to the beautiful imagery of NASA including Astronomy Photo of the Day and Image of the Day. In a sidebar on the left, you can now access a Home page featuring a collection of news, missions, NEO data, and photos, or you can browse individual sections to see more photos, videos, and live TV from NASA (including a programming schedule). You can tap on the Missions tab to learn more about single missions like the Webb Telescope and Mars Science Laboratory, or you can just head over Videos, tap Play and watch.

The big new feature of this 3.0 version is iCloud sync: in the Saved view, you access photos, articles, and videos you’ve saved from your iPad or iPhone. iCloud integration has been working reliably for me both on WiFi and 3G. You can also activate push notifications in the Settings for articles and other items, but I decided to keep them off as I prefer opening the app when I have time to read.

I recommend Spaced 3.0 to anyone who’s interested in space news but doesn’t have the time or patience to keep up with blogs, NASA webpages, and magazines. The app is only $0.99 on the App Store.