Newsstand

APP OF THE WEEK:Gen cert, Apple, iOS 5 * * * *

If you have an iOS device, there’s a good chance you might have noticed the Newsstand application appearing when you updated the software to the latest version, iOS 5.

As the name suggests, Newsstand is a virtual home for digital versions of newspapers and magazines sold through the iTunes store. And there are plenty to choose from, from GQ, Esquireand Cosmopolitanto special interest magazines such as Runner's Worldand Prima Baby UK.

Anything you buy will be displayed in a bookshelf, so you find the latest issue you’ve downloaded. There’s a direct link to the store within the app, so you can find your favourites at the touch of a button.

A few publications offer you a limited version of their downloads free of charge, or a discount for a particular issue, so you can see exactly what you will get if you pay up. And with many offering subscription deals, there’s a good chance that you can save some money over the paper versions. Plus you can access the latest edition as soon as it is published. Reading the publications works better on the iPad, due to screen size, but if you’re stuck, the iPhone will fill in.