Once Upon an iPad: Summer Reading List

Once magazine.

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“Take time to stare,” beckons the tagline for Once, a new-media paean to old-school photojournalism. Cocreated by ex-MoJo intern Taylor Wiles, Once is the first tablet-only magazine devoted exclusively to narrative photo essays. (Sign up on the Once website to get the first issue later this summer.) Below, four more Pad-tastic innovations not funded by Richard Branson or Rupert Murdoch:

The Atavist: The “boutique publishing house” commissions original nonfiction, formats it especially for digital devices, and sells it a la carte.

Byliner: Best known (so far) for Jon Krakauer’s “Three Cups of Deceit,” this startup offers “Byliner Originals” that fall somewhere in length between magazine stories and books. The writer gets half the proceeds.

Instapaper: A commuter favorite originally designed for the iPhone, this do-it-yourself reader allows you to clip and save articles into an elegant instant newspaper.

Palimpsest: Think of it as a bespoke aggregator based on your own reading habits. Each day, curators from sites dedicated to the long form handpick articles from The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, GQ, and other mags. The selections are then customized to taste.

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Our news will always be free to read, watch, and listen to online. But what is its value?

Unbiased reporting on the issues that billionaire-owned newsrooms won’t touch. Fearless research into the dark corners of government and corporations. Ferociously fact-checked news that focuses on the facts, and the facts alone.

It IS free for you and every reader, viewer, and listener to utilize. But it’s not free for our team to make. So, what’s it worth to you? Let us know by making a donation: Make a one-time donation today to support this work. Or make a monthly sustaining donation to help us plan for the future.

Whatever you choose, know that you’re supporting more independent, investigative journalism in a time when we need it most.

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