Pressly is a platform based on HTML5 that will convert online publications into tablet-friendly apps, making them easier to read and more comfortable to browse.
No matter how much the design of online publication websites gets optimized for mobile devices, the pack of features a tablet has could not be put to use in its entirety. Pressly is meant to change that, by radically altering the way people browse such publications. First of all, the developers of this HTML5-based platform noticed how difficult it is to scroll on the websites and how much space is actually wasted. The content is scattered all over the page, so it would not be a mistake to say that Pressly makes these online publications more cohesive. With Pressly, tablet users do not only have access to all that device has to offer in this context, but also to all the good things in HTML5.
CEO Jeff Brenner and CTO Peter Kieltyka cover in an extensive 14-minute video the main features of the platform. According to them, the service detects automatically if the site of an online publication has been accessed on a tablet and will display the content of the website in a manner that eases interaction. Getting from one page to another is done by swiping. Images can be enlarged when tapped on. Font resizing is also available, for the ones who face difficulties while reading. In order to close the articles, all that tablet users need to do is to pinch on the display. Navigation is hidden at the top and at the bottom, until the user needs it.
Ads are no longer displayed on the sides of the pages. Instead, advertising companies can opt to squeeze full-page interactive ads between the pages of an online publication. This is meant to change online advertising into a form that is more helpful both for advertisers and for potential customers.
Pressly may be developed with the iPad in mind, but it will work equally fine on BlackBerry PlayBook and on all the Android tablets out there. Currently, the platform is not yet finished, but on its website, there are three demos available, which can be tried directly on the tablet. The first one showcases the way TechCrunch would look like when converted into an app. The second example, the one of BigPicture, gives us a glimpse at the way advertising could benefit of all the things HTML5 has to offer. Not at last, the CNN online app can also benefit of the flexibility of Pressly. The platform will be launched this fall and will be free to use on all the tablets that are compatible with it.
If you liked this post, please check the Tablet Boom and the Radi app.
