TED, a small non-profit dedicated to spreading the ideas and reflections of leading minds, released its first official app, which is available exclusively for the iPad, Thursday morning.
The free app [iTunes link] provides a more convenient and engaging experience for viewing TED’s streaming library of nearly 800 video presentations on the device. Users can browse videos by date, popularity and keyword. A special Themes section lets users explore groups of videos that address the same question or topic, such as “What Makes Us Happy?” and “How the Mind Works.”
Each video can be viewed in high or low-quality mode, and is accompanied by a short biography of the speaker, summary of the talk and links to related content. Presentations can be downloaded and saved to a Saved Talks section for offline viewing.
What’s special about the app — besides the wealth of fantastic video content it contains — is its Inspire Me feature, which allows users to create video playlists that fit their mood (such as courageous, inspiring or funny) and the amount of time they have available.
Although the Inspire Me and Saved Talks features take the app a step beyond the web experience, there are plenty of opportunities for improvement in other areas. The video quality isn’t fantastic and doesn’t scale well on the iPad’s screen. In-app commenting would be a welcome addition, alongside other options for sharing content, such as e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.
TED says a second iteration, complete with video subtitles, is in the works. A version for the iPhone and iPod touch are slated for release in the first quarter of 2011, the non-profit says.
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