Recent breakthroughs in mobile technology are opening up more possibilities for newspapers seeking to publish electronic editions.

Several vendors are offering newspaper versions that can be read online, offline, on black and white editions printed remotely or viewed via laptops and cell phones.

Case in point: Apple Inc.’s iPhone, which combines the functions of a cell phone, an iPod MP3 player and an e-mail and Web browsing platform.

The latter feature should pique the interest of e-edition vendors such as NewspaperDirect, NewsStand Inc. and Olive Software Inc.

That’s because iPhone users will be able to easily and quickly view and zoom into Web pages by tapping on the device’s multitouch display, the company said.

Apple’s phone, available this summer, is the latest mobile device to allow users to access newspapers’ electronic editions.

In October, NewspaperDirect made its PressDisplay.com app available to PocketPC and smartphone users.

Subscribers can browse and read more than 350 newspapers, NewspaperDirect said. Articles, translated on the fly, are available in up to 12 different languages and users can use the app to listen to stories as well.

Multiple papers available

In addition to the mobile service, NewspaperDirect offers remote printing of more than 450 newspapers from 69 countries and 37 languages via printing kiosks.

One client, The Washington Post, touts the service because it enables readers to access the paper worldwide. Using NewspaperDirect doesn’t require any additional staffing, said John Lipp, market development manager for The Post’s electronic edition.

“Because the same images are used for both the print and electronic product, no additional Washington Post personnel are required to publish the electronic version,” he said.

Publishers are also using e-papers to save on print and delivery costs in areas like the Newspaper In Education Program.

Branching out

Last December, The (Nampa-Caldwell) Idaho Press-Tribune began using Olive Software’s ActivePaper Daily for students participating in NIE. The paper has more than 1,770 subscribers in the program with plans of expanding it to 2,500, said Laura Stewart, circulation director.

Currently, the Press-Tribune is delivering electronic replicas to 14 local schools and an adult learning center. It even made it to myspace.com, with the help of a local student who posted her picture content using Olive’s e-edition article clipping software.

All schools

By the end of 2008, the paper wants to send its replica to all of the area’s middle and high schools, Stewart said.

“We thought it was an effective way for folks who don’t have time to read the traditional morning newspaper to get their news in an online format, updated daily and at half the cost,” Stewart said.

The newspaper received positive feedback from readers who liked having each edition available before the print newspaper is delivered to their doorsteps.

Users also liked the fact that articles and photos are printable and that ads are linked to the advertiser’s home page, Stewart added.