"Everything is available in one place now," says VOA Director David Ensor. "This is a big step forward, and these apps open up the Internet to a new generation of mobile users."
Chinese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, English and more - they are all there at the touch of a button on two of the world's most popular mobile platforms.
The Apple iOS and Google Android apps are free and provide the latest news and information in text, audio, and video. You can even pick your favorite stories and download them for offline viewing to watch or listen later when wireless reception is poor.
Content is divided by region as well as topic, with special news sections on science and technology, health, and entertainment. Users can customize the fonts and content for 43 of VOA's languages, and the apps are designed for touch interactivity, so that you can easily change stories by swiping across the screen like you are reading a newspaper or magazine.
"Another feature we are very excited about is the capability the apps give to citizen journalists who can now use their mobile phones to directly share photos, audio, text or video with VOA editors in Washington, who can post them to any of our language service websites," Ensor says. Users can also share their favorite stories on Facebook and Twitter.
On the technical side, the app can prioritize content for users in areas with slow connections or expensive data rates, says Will Sullivan, the Mobile Project Manager with the Broadcasting Board of Governors' Office of Digital Design and Innovation, which spearheaded the rollout of the app.
"This app allows you to switch to a low bandwidth mode, so, for example, in parts of Africa where connectivity is slow and data charges are high, users can get our content streamlined for their needs," Sullivan says.
Additionally, the Android version of the app has integrated functionality with proxy server connections, so audiences can get unfiltered VOA news in countries where the Internet is censored by the government.
To download the iPhone and iPad app, which offers news in 43 VOA languages, go to the Apple iTunes Store. To download the Android app, which includes 33 VOA languages, go to the Google Play Store.
(VOA)