People magazine has launched its iPad app, a highly interactive version of the magazine featuring multiple scrollable areas and enhanced navigation features.
The app, designed by Zaandam, Netherlands-based Woodwing Software, was reported delayed due to a dispute between the magazine and photo agencies representing paparazzi over additional compensation, according to several news outlets on Wednesday.
Spokespersons for parent company Time Inc. said the delay was due to product fine-tuning, not negotiations with the paparazzi.
The photo-heavy app features a graphical page flipper and large thumbnails for easy orientation. When the bottom toolbar is visible, an icon in the upper left corner of the screen enables the reader to open a scrollable vertical table of contents.
Movie trailers and song samples are available to view and hear. E-commerce options are integrated in book and music reviews, enabling the reader to immediately buy the reviewed book or album directly from within the app.
"The People magazine app pushes iPad publishing to a new level, setting a new standard for the industry," Erik Schut, president of WoodWing Software, says in a company press release. "We are delighted to be able to support People magazine with our digital magazine tools to create such a stunning app."
While photo agencies have traditionally settled for a fraction of the fees they would earn from print publication, paparazzi see tablet devices as potential game changers, according to the Hollywood Reporter, which says People, in negotiations with photographers, has sought to characterize the app as a marketing tool—allowing them to treat photos for apps as repurposed content—rather than as a primary publishing medium.
