The ad-free format that makes NPR so pleasant to listen to on the radio gives the public news service's mobile app one of the cleanest interfaces in the business. Top stories are listed in chronological order. Or you can pick a topic — business, music, science — to narrow the focus. Either way, you get articles as plain black text on a white background — easily readable and blissfully unburdened by ads or reader comments. Of course, NPR never stood for National Public Reading. The app delivers unparalleled radio content. You can start audio in a pop-up player that allows you to continue browsing while you listen, or add audio to an in-app playlist for later. You can also browse content from All Things Considered, Car Talk, and other top shows.
WIRED Uses GPS to stream radio from local NPR affiliates. Handy list view (or thumbnail grid on the iPad) highlights stories with accompanying audio content. Searchable by keyword.
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