AP experiment with Windows Internet Explorer 9 creates Timeline Reader, a chronological reader experience

NEW YORK -- Working with Microsoft Corp., The Associated Press has created a way of presenting news in a visual format that allows readers to scroll through a timeline of top stories in a range of categories.

The Timeline Reader represents AP’s first experimentation with HTML5, and is optimized for viewing on Windows Internet Explorer 9, the latest version of Internet Explorer launched today.

“We are always looking for ways to improve the way users find and engage with news,” said Jeffrey Litvack, AP’s general manager of global product development. “This project combined a number of new tools and opportunities to push that experience further.”

“The Associated Press has supported Internet Explorer 9 through the Platform Preview development process, and as a result of the collaborative effort, we are bringing more benefits to customers,” said Dean Hachamovitch, corporate vice president for Windows Internet Explorer at Microsoft.

The new features on Windows Internet Explorer 9 enabled AP to use HTML5 to create new layouts and animations, making the reader experience much more visual. The Timeline Reader uses Windows Internet Explorer 9’s cached content ability to save user settings as well as allow users to create a custom story queue to read chronologically, including top news, sports, entertainment and business. AP expects the experimental project to run for about six months.

It can be found at http://html5.labs.ap.org. For the best experience, users should visit the site with Windows Internet Explorer 9.

About The AP

The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world’s population sees news from AP. On the Net: www.ap.org.