As a news app for the Kindle Fire HD, I have found this version of the BBC News app to serve the purpose very well indeed and it has proved to be an additional factor in making the most of the cost of my annual TV Licence fee. (Although the BBC News app is only available to UK users, I am of the understanding that there is a BBC Worldwide app, which is an international version and accessible to other nations. However I have never used this and can therefore not comment on its specific capability.)
Not only does the BBC News app provide access to news screens representing different categories, which can be selected and manipulated into a preferred order by a simple click and drag process in accordance with personal taste, but it can also provide a live stream of the current BBC News broadcast.
The specific categories can be selected via the "edit" screen at the top of the screen which shows the main news stories displayed in pictures.
By ticking the boxes to the right of the "edit menu," with a touch, it is possible to select or deselect the options.
By touching the three horizontal bars on the left of the categories it enables them to be dragged up or down to facilitate an order of preference.
From my own experience I have noticed that the fewer categories that are selected, the faster the app will load. There is also a facility from the other menu (which is accessible via each individual news item) for the user to send his or her own news story directly to the BBC from this app.
Automatic news updates and update frequency can also be selected from the above menu, although alternatively the refresh icon at the top of the screen will normally allow updates instantly when initiated and the screen states clearly when the last update was uploaded, so it is not really essential to select updates from the menu. The app also usually updates, if the tablet is connected to wifi, each time it is opened.
The app is readily adaptable to individual needs. For instance, by tapping on the menu at the top of the screen (which is represented by three squares vertically displayed) when viewing a news article, it provides the options to increase or decrease the size of the text. Once an appropriate text size has been selected, it will be remembered on the next opening of the app.
In order to make the most of this app without the requirement to use wifi on the move, I usually refresh the screens just before travelling and am then able to read them (offline) once on my travels.
This suits me fine, as the news when read offline in these circumstances is almost certainly more up-to-date than the latest newspaper hot off the presses.
A great app, which serves its purposes really well, from my own experiences of being a regular user.
Sold by:Amazon Media EU Sarl
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Latest updates
What's new in version 8.1.2.6003- This release adds suggested topics to follow in My News, together with improvements to our notifications integration and some bug fixes.
Product details
Release Date: 2012
Date first available at Amazon.co.uk: October 20, 2012
Developed By: BBC MEDIA APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
ASIN: B009SO3GR8
Customer reviews:
14,362 customer ratings
14,362 customer ratings
Developer info
Product features
- Breaking News & Top Stories from our trusted global network of journalists
- Local News & Weather to stay informed on your area
- My News, follow News that’s important to you
- Push Alerts for top stories & Breaking News
- Live News available 24-hours a day via the BBC News channel live stream
Product description
The official BBC News app offers you the latest live news you can trust from our UK and global network of journalists.Download the BBC News app, where you'll get top stories and breaking news, live reporting, and the option to follow news topics that match your interests. Our topics range from UK News, Health, Lifestyle, Culture, Business, Technology and Science and Environment. These can all be found in the My News tab in the app.
The BBC News app offers the following:
News, Features & Analysis
Headlines, detailed analysis, and exclusive features.
Breaking news and top stories
Get breaking news and top stories from our trusted global network of journalists.
Live news and developing stories
Follow developing stories with up-to-the-minute reporting available 24-hours a day via the BBC News channel live stream.
Local news and weather
Using the UK postcode in your BBC account, we'll show you local stories and weather to stay informed on your area.
Alerts for top stories
Opt-in to push alerts where you will receive notifications instantly to your device.
Follow news that's important to you with My News
Create a personalised My News experience that brings together the topics and stories you care about and trust the most. Access them quickly in the My News tab.
If you choose to receive push alerts, a unique identifier relating to your device will be stored by Airship on behalf of the BBC to provide you with the service. No other personal data relating to you (such as a username or email address) is processed.
You can choose to unsubscribe from BBC News push notifications in your device's 'Notifications' screen.
For attribution and analysis purposes, our data processor AppsFlyer collects the below information about you:
- Your device information, such as device type
- Your IP address to determine your location
- Activity data, such as the time you downloaded the app
- Which sites (if any) referred you to download and use the app
We also use this data together with your BBC account data to improve the BBC News service. You can opt out from AppsFlyer tracking by filling out their 'Forget My Device' form: https://www.appsflyer.com/optout.
The BBC News app uses technologies similar to cookies to measure audience behaviour. The app uses information collected through these technologies for internal purposes to analyse and improve the app and help us give you a better experience. You can switch this off using the Send App Statistics toggle on the BBC News app's Settings screen.
For more information about how and why we use information about you, please visit the BBC News App Privacy Notice: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/help-55320181
The BBC will keep your information secure and not share it with anyone else in accordance with the BBC's Privacy Policy which can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/privacy.
For more information about how the BBC processes your personal data to provide a personalised service to you, please see the BBC's Privacy and Cookies Policy at https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/privacy/how-does-the-bbc-collect-data-about-me/.
If you install this app, you accept the BBC Terms of Use at http://www.bbc.co.uk/terms/.
User Data Privacy
This information provided by the developer helps you understand the data that this app collects from you and/or transfers to third parties.
To learn more, visit the developer’s privacy policy.
Learn what data is collected by this app and for what purpose:
User Info:
App activity:
Device or other ID:
App info & performance:
Device or other ID:
Technical details
Size: Varies by device (26.2MB - 28.4MB)
Version: 8.1.2.6003
- Access information about networks
- Access information about Wi-Fi networks
- FOREGROUND_SERVICE
- Open network sockets
- POST_NOTIFICATIONS
- Read from external storage
- Get notified that the operating system has finished booting
- Change the Z-order of tasks
- Access the vibration feature
- PowerManager WakeLocks to keep the processor from sleeping or the screen from dimming
- Write to external storage
- Allows an application to receive messages via Google Cloud Messaging
- Receive message via Amazon Device
Minimum Operating System: Android 5.0
Approximate Download Time: Less than 4 minutes
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