Two of the most difficult things to stay on top of are new technologies (especially apps that are constantly coming and going), and current awareness tools. At the rate that technology is changing, just as you get used to one thing, something else comes along and makes your favorite tool obsolete. Current Awareness is often just as hard to work with, with so much new content being created daily. It can be hard to sort through the static and find the content that you want to read.

One solution to both problems is to use Flipboard, a free app/website that has established itself as an app mainstay and aggregates news articles on a particular topic or from a certain source and makes them easily readable.

Flipboard is extremely easy, and dare I say fun, to set up. You can download the app from either the ITunes store or Google Play, or create an account online. Once your account is created, your Flipboard page will be synced across devices.

Here is what a typical home page for Flipboard looks like:

In this example, the person is using Flipboard for personal news (which is great too!), but you can also locate a bevy of topics on the law, ranging from biotechnology to Constitutional Law. You simply search for a topic or 'magazine' using the magnifying glass in the top right-hand corner, find your topic and follow it. Your topic will then be pinned to your page, making it easy to follow.

Flipboard gives you the option of adding individual blogs to your feed, 'liking' certain articles so it knows what you like to read and what you don't, and suggests similar topics based on what you are reading.

Of all the various news aggregator tools out there, Flipboard is one of the most functional, useful and intuitive. I even like how it's laid out: like a magazine with high definition pictures. If you want to stay current on a wide range of topics on the go, then Flipboard is a tool that you should try. I'm happy to help set it up, demo it, or discuss some tips and tricks. Happy Flipping!

Submitted by Kristopher Turner on March 17, 2016

This article appears in the categories: Law Library