Bloomberg Reader

RATING:
5 out of 5

PRICE:
$.99

TASTY:
User-friendly Android interface to the popular Bloomberg business information website. Layout and design makes for easy reading in all settings.

BUMMER:
Doesn’t stream Bloomberg radio or TV to your phone.

COOL:
Provides simple, direct access to the latest business news, market snapshots, world indexes, stock quotes, and your Bloomberg.com Portfolio Tracker.

REVIEW:
If your stock and trade is, well, stock and trade, Bloomberg has long been a critical resource for the latest business intelligence. Up to the minute business headlines, U.S. and global market data, profiles of movers and shakers who are leading market trends, political insights, and more are available from the Bloomberg family of media outlets – TV, radio, and online.

The Bloomberg Reader (.99) costs less than a cup of joe and packs a caffeinated punch of features into a straightforward app. It elevates the basic interface available at mobile.bloomberg.com, formatting relevant graphics, data, and content for easy viewing on your handset.

My first take on the mid-1990’s graphic design – black background with white and yellow text – was less than favorable. But the more I worked with the app in my office and out on the road, I came to appreciate how easy everything is on the eye. It’s the first content-rich app I’m able to browse without feeling the urge to pinch-zoom my screen to get closer to the text or graphics.

The major content offerings – News, News by Region, Market Snapshot, World Indexes, Quote, and Portfolio – are opened by pressing on each category. The category names could be a bit larger, as I occasionally press the wrong item with my fat fingertips.

Getting around is a breeze, though the responsiveness of the interface was a bit lacking. Even with 4 bars or at home on my super-fast wifi network, pulling up stories and quotes takes about twice as long as it should.

That said, for .99 this is a must-have app for businesspeople who rely on daily Bloomberg data as one critical source of business intelligence to keep them on top of their game.