Pen City Current launches new app and photo gallery

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - In an effort to continue to maximize its digital information presence in north Lee County, the Pen City Current announced Tuesday the launch of a new digital app.

The app is now available on the Google Play Store for Android-based devices. The app will be available for Apple-based devices in the next two weeks out of the Apple Store.

Company President Lee Vandenberg said the company has been working toward the goal of having an app for its customer base since the beginning of the year.

"We watched what our readers and customers were doing and how our website was being used by visitors and we think we've come up with something that is extremely user friendly. We're very excited to have this option and we're hoping to have it for all devices in the next 10 days or so," she said.

To get the application, she said just go to the Google Play Store in your devices application folder and type in "Pen City Current". Vandenberg said you may have to scroll down a little and then just install like you would any other app. A white icon with the company's signature ink-blot logo will be installed on your home page. As all devices are a bit different, Vandenberg said if you have trouble locating the app, which you shouldn't, you can do a Google Search for Pen City Current App or click the link here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hr.apps.n207165401.

Then just click the icon and the app opens with eight icons at the bottom. The first icon is the Current's e-edition weblink. A click on that icon will take you to the Current's e-Edition which stores all the Current's issues with most recent edition at the upper left corner, but they are all searchable.

The other links in order are YouTube, that will hold our most recent videos, JOBS which will have our current help wanted listings, CLASSIFIEDS - a link to all the Pen City Current's classified advertising including Real Estate, NOTIFICATIONS where you can customize notifications from the app, SUBSCRIBE - which provides the Current's subscription information, PCC WEBSITE - a link to our website home page and finally CONTACT US where you can reach the staff.

"With this addition to our line of digital services, now our daily e-edition is literally a couple clicks away," Vandenberg said. "We think this is a game changer that allows you to get the Current even easier now."

Another addition to the digital services will be a photo gallery that Vandenberg says isn't live yet, because staff is currently uploading pictures to the gallery.

"These will be raw photos taken by our staff that are fully downloadable. Some will be pictures that have run in our daily product and some will be others that we didn't have room for in the post or e-Edition," Vandenberg said.

There is a $5 charge to download the photos and the gallery will be located at https://www.pencitycurrent.com/photo-galleries. Payment is processed through PayPal and any credit card can be used in the system.

People who see a picture they like on one of the Current's digital outlets will be able to get that photo to use for their own use in raw form and size.

"You could make posters out of these pictures for your family or 8x10s - whatever you need, in regards to personal use. To use any Pen City Current photo or graphic for commercial use, permission is required and can be requested by emailing admin@pencitycurrent.com," Vandenberg said.