The New York Times has launched a new app gathering political news from the paper and other sources around the web. The free app, “Election 2012,” aggregates news, opinion, polls and — eventually — election night results, all in one clean interface.

The articles are picked by the Times’ editors, so you’re guaranteed to find quality links, and when a new story is loaded, there’s a red dot next to it so you don’t miss anything.

The app sounds great, however, there is a catch: Full access to the Times’ links are only available to digital and/or print subscribers. But if you’re a subscriber and own an iPhone, we think it’s worth checking out.

Occupy Wall Street has now spread to the “5 Things You Need to Know This Week” studio. In this week’s episode, we help out a group protestors, share some exclusive iPhone news, talk about Advertising Week, and get five fashion tips from Stacy London, host of TLC’s “What Not to Wear.”

For more videos, check out Mediabistro.tv, and be sure to follow us on Twitter: @mediabistroTV

• TVNewser: The most trusted political reporter? “Don’t Know.” Yup, that sounds about right to us.
• SocialTimes: iPhone and iPad users are downloading five million games per day. Of those, 4,999,996 get played for about one month, then are never played again.
• TVSpy: Let’s make fun of a guy who got drugged and robbed! Alright!

The Wall Street Journal is equipping its print reporters with iPhone 4s, hoping to capitalize on the phone’s unique video capablitlies. According to Kevin Delaney, Managing Editor for the Journal, the paper uses a ton of video footage and that footage attracts a lot of views, so it’s important to have a device that allows reporters to produce high quality content. The New York Times’ staffers also use iPhone 4s for their video reporting.

Delaney tells Beet.TV that about 24 reporters are now being trained to use the iPhones, and eventually many more will be distributed.

FishbowlNY assumes that only senior reporters will be issued the new white iPhone 4, because it’s very special. At least that’s what the ads tell us.

XXL magazine has launched its first iPhone app, and if you’re an aspiring emcee, this is a must have. Features include a hip-hop news feed, trivia section and a geo-tracking section that allows users to find their friends.

The app is already a hit, having reached number seven in the iTunes music apps category with 10,000 downloads in a little under a week. The reason for such quick success? The “Ready or Not” function, which allows users to upload 30-second freestyles and submit them directly to XXL editors to be judged. If they like your mic – er, iPhone – skills, your freestyle could be feautred on the magazine’s website.

Every aspiring rapper knows how hard it is to get noticed, so this app – and specifically the Ready or Not function – is actually very cool. Vanessa Satten, Editor-in-Chief of XXL, calls the app an American Idol for hip-hop:

Singers have American Idol but aspiring rappers have limited outlets. ‘Ready or Not’ lets aspiring rappers get heard by those who can actually help launch their career.  Established artists, label A&R executives, XXL editors and industry heavyweights will all be reviewing submissions.  We believe this can be a really important tool for hip-hop.

So what are you waiting for? Download the app and submit some rhymes. Hey, you never know. If Yelawolf can get signed, there’s hope for all of us.

• SportsNewser: C.C. Sabathia used to eat an entire bowl of Cap’N Crunch cereal a day. Hey, we’re not mad at him, the peanut butter version is – according to FishbowlNY official research – among the 20 best foods ever.
• eBookNewser: There are rumors flying about a new smaller, cheaper iPhone. However, the source that everyone keeps citing says that the “iPhone Nano” could be delayed or never even become a reality. In other words, the source is saying something about nothing, unless that nothing becomes a something, but watch out because it could remain a nothing. Perfect!
• PRNewser: New York Fashion Week designers are promoting themselves in new ways, such as designing clothes that people would actually wear.

Vibe has launched a new iPhone app called Vibe Guides. The tool provides users with editorial reviews of places like salons, restaurants, nightlife, and of course, music. Much like the Yelp app, users can search for spots or use the phone’s GPS to locate places close to them. There are also Vibe Picks, which are top choices from the magazine’s editors. So far Vibe Guides has 60 cities covered, but there’s surely more to come.

The app also ties in the magazine by displaying the recent covers each time it’s launched, and allows users to check in places via Foursquare.

Someone tell Kanye about this app. We’d love to have him provide guest editorial reviews like, “This place is dope because I’m here. When I leave in ten minutes it won’t be as nice, because I won’t be there anymore.”

Celebrity tabloid OK! is going digital, pairing with digital publishing company Zinio to bring the magazine to computer screens and iPhones everywhere.

Until recently, Zinio, which has published digital versions of magazines, could only provide content via computer. But a recent app for iPhone and iPod Touch means that the company’s digital magazine selection, now including OK!, can be read on the go. It’s also especially timely since the world expects Apple to release its version of a tablet e-reader — which will presumably have access to iPhone apps — very soon.

So OK! looks pretty smart for launching a digital version with Zinio today. The magazine’s January 25 issue was available this morning, and new issue will now be available at midnight Wednesday each week. Readers will have free access to the first five pages of every issue, and a yearly digital subscription can be purchased for $33.99.

Said Lori Burgess, OK!‘s publisher:

“We’re an international brand with a global readership, and Zinio gives our consumers the instant access they crave, wherever they are. This is an important time of change in the publishing industry, as young, tech-savvy readers look for increasingly efficient ways to get their news and entertainment. We’re excited to be one of the publications leading the charge.”

If it can bring the magazine to iPhones and tablets, we think the deal sounds pretty promising. But now magazine publishers need to take it one step further: create a digital version that will drive conversation and add value in the digital form.

Full release after the jump

Previously: Esquire‘s New iPhone App: A ‘Reimagined’ Version Of The Mag

Read more

After testing augmented reality in its December issue, Esquire is taking on e-reading technology.

Starting with its January issue, the men’s magazine will publish a full issue available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The $2.99 app will give digital readers a “reimagined” version of the print magazine, so that it can be enjoyed in a small, digital format on an iPhone screen. Esquire described the functionality of the app, which was developed in partnership with ScrollMotion:

“Quotes, photos, articles or parts of articles can be copied and saved, e-mailed or posted to a user’s Facebook page instantly. The magazine app is entirely searchable across all issues, and its contents are easily navigable by article title or subject category from anywhere in the issue.”

This app seems to make a lot more sense than the augmented reality features of the last issue. It also reminds us of Sports Illustrated‘s preview of its digital version for the yet-to-be-released tablet device, although this can be downloaded and used now. But will this app bring in more subscribers for the print mag or send them away from print towards digital subscriptions?

If anyone has tried out the app, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave them in the comments below or send us an email.

Update: Looks like GQ put another digital issue up in the iTunes store today, too, available for $2.99.

Previously: Poll: Would You Buy An Augmented Reality Mag?

Today on the media- bistro.com Morning Media Menu podcast, host Jason Boog of GalleyCat and special guest host Joe Ciarallo from PRNewser welcomed author Shani Petroff, who has penned the four-book Bedeviled series about a teenage girl whose father is the devil.

“[My books are] supernatural for the younger sister,” Petroff said, noting that girls that are not quite old enough for Stephenie Meyers‘ Twilight series are the ideal audience for her Bedeviled series.

Petroff also spoke about some of the challenges facing the publishing industry and some of the publicity she’s been doing for her series. She also offered some advice for writers looking to get published.

“Stick with it,” she said. “For me, Bedeviled was not the first thing I wrote but it is the first thing that got published, and I’m really excited about it. But if I had given up after the first thing I wrote, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. So I think the first thing is just believing in your stuff and following through and keeping at it.”

Also discussed: today’s big media headlines, including Twitter’s $100 million in venture capital funding and the growth of paid iPhone apps.

You can learn more about Petroff and her first Bedeviled book “Daddy’s Little Angel” at www.ShaniPetroff.com.

You can listen to all the past podcasts at BlogTalkRadio.com/mediabistro and call in at 646-929-0321.