New York Times iPad App Gets Overhaul, More Content

The New York Times on Friday released an updated iPad app that adds content from more than 25 of the paper's sections.

The newspaper promised more videos and photos, breaking news alerts, and enhanced section and article navigation.

After downloading the app, the top news, most e-mailed, business, and video sections will be immediately available. To access other sections, users must log-in with an existing NYTimes.com account or sign up for a free one within the app. A pop-over option will allow for switching between sections.

The app is currently free in the Apple App Store. But the Times is for its Web site next year. When that happens, access to the expanded section within the iPad app will also require a subscription, the Times said.

"More and more, our readers are connecting with the Times across a variety of platforms, and we are developing products that allow them to engage with our content in a meaningful way," Yasmin Namini, senior vice president of marketing and circulation, said in a statement. "With the NYTimes App, our readers can immerse themselves in our award-winning journalism and rich multimedia, all tailored for a premier experience on the iPad."

The app will include posts from the Times' more than 50 blogs. Users can switch between stories in a given section by swiping. Users can watch videos within the story or expand to full-screen view. Slideshows have also been optimized for the iPad. Articles can be shared via e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter.

Breaking news alerts notifications will be display even when the app is closed.

For now, the app will be ad-supported, with Fox Searchlight, Mercedes-Benz, and MicroStrategy serving as the app's initial advertisers.

The original NYT iPad app has been downloaded more than 650,000 times since its April 2010 launch, the company said.