Smartr Undergoes A Facelift, Plus Adds The Smartr Reading Network
May 20, 2011
The first major update to Factyle's Smartr social-networking app is now available. Smartr v2.0 provides a complete user interface redesign of the main screen that is well worth downloading the update as soon as possible.
Reading the material wasn't a problem in recent versions, however, changing sources was cumbersome. That's why Smartr is now equipped with a more streamlined UI, moving most of the navigation to the bottom with easy to read and access buttons -- plus it looks much snazzier. The article UI hasn't changed, but that was cleaner already.
Now switching from Twitter to Facebook or vice-versa is a fraction of a second delay that requires only a single tap. In the Twitter view, a new grid icon button appears in the top-left, which offers access to specific Twitter feeds, such as lists and mentions.
The Smartr Network is a way for people to share what articles they're reading with other Smartr users. Access your Smartr Network feed by tapping on the leftmost button of the new bottom navigation bar. Of course, you will need a free Smartr to use this feature.
For those unaware, Smartr is an app to convert your Twitter and Facebook feeds into something that resembles a mobile newsreader. The app scans your tweets and Facebook wall posts to locate those with links, then extracts and trims the page material down to a format similar to Instapaper and related before providing a preview entry.
When reading an article, you can change the font attributes and turn on Dark mode (white on black) by tapping on the font icon in the top-right and selecting the preferred option. Across the bottom are the sharing, mark as favorite, and enter fullscreen mode buttons.
Smartr is designed for iPhone and iPod touch running iOS 4.0 or later, and is available in the App Store as a free download.
