The year’s just three days old and already there’s a lot to keep up with, from fiscal cliff folly to Oscar predictions to (guilty pleasure alert) Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy and daily fashion picks.
That’s why I love the Store’s new News Rack collection, which assembles an entire newsstand’s worth of top-notch journalistic sources for your phone. These apps are timely for another reason: Many of them received significant updates or launched new Windows Phone 8 versions in the last few weeks. So if one of your resolutions is to be better informed (or just less boring at cocktail parties), now’s a good time to grab a few and get reading. Here are a few of my favorites. See also: Apps for making your New Year’s resolutions stick
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Weave News Reader
If there’s one news app to have, it’s Weave News Reader (free), which arrives loaded with nearly 200 high-quality news sources. Customize it by choosing the interest categories you like most, from news, art and celebrity gossip to movies, wine and travel. The recent redesign of this top app has made it faster and even more beautiful.
NY Times
The official New York Times app (free) gives you all the news that’s fit to print, and lets you read the Top News section and see videos even without a subscription. Its fresh, new redesign offers better performance and great options, too — like saving content to the cloud for viewing from other devices, and easy syncing to your Windows Phone for reading later.
USA Today
For a fun and colorful read, USA Today (free) for Windows Phone 8 is a great choice with a gorgeous, speedy new interface. Browse headlines quickly, then access stories and multimedia content directly. Sharing is a snap, too.
AP Mobile
Wherever you go in the world this year, the Associated Press is already on the ground and reporting. Their dynamic Windows Phone 8 app, AP Mobile (free), offers breaking international stories, local news, weather, photos and video, and lets you share articles easily. One touch news junkies will love: The ability to decorate your lock screen with AP’s award-winning photojournalism. The app also lets you submit your own breaking news reports directly the venerable wire service.
WSJ Live
Keeping you abreast of the financial and business worlds is what the Wall Street Journal is all about, and their WSJ Live app (free) delivers nearly five hours of live news and on-demand original programming daily. Thousands of WSJ reporters worldwide cover the markets, tech, lifestyle, politics, and businesses big and small — all for you.
Vogue
Fashionistas have an amazing resource in Vogue (free). Loaded with pictures, insider interviews, and some of the best Fashion Week coverage around, this official app puts you on the runway’s front row. Pair it with the official Glamour app for celebrity insights and you’re all set.