There never seems to be an absence of really great reference applications landing on the iPad’s doorstep. Just as we begin to beg for the next cool thing, some slick company pushes out their latest discovery service which allows us to further interact with our favorite content. Discover by Cooliris, like Flipboard, transforms Wikipedia into a unique magazine experience that’s irresistible to touch.
I don’t know if anyone should use Wikipedia as a reliable source, but it sure is a great way to read up on the history of your favorite video games or 90’s grunge band. Surely Cooliris thought the same thing, and they’ve churned out an excellent interface that gives Wikipedia it’s own bit of flair.
The magazine-style format transforms as you rotate the iPad between portrait and landscape positions, revealing related articles on current topics and the latest news on the front cover. Navigating with just the swipe of a finger, you can jump right to the good part by pinching-out to view the table of contents, or you can simply swipe down to pull out a convenient search bar. Everything is just finger away. Though some of the advanced gestures, such as shaking the iPad to return to the front cover or tapping-and-holding an article title to view the Wikipedia page in Safari aren’t easily discovered, a built in tutorial will quickly get you familiar with all the actions Discover has to offer.
Free on the iTunes App Store, Cooliris’ Discover is an excellent addition to your iPad’s home page. By turning Wikipedia into something fun and sensible, Cooliris has definitely made a big impact on how I consume content from one of my most visited websites.
