The Flipinator: Google Propeller Sets its Sights on Flipboard and Facebook
By Rob Scott
September 19, 2011
September 19, 2011
- Google is working on a social and news reader designed to rival Flipboard, according to numerous sources close to the project. Dubbed “Propeller,” the “souped-up version of similar reader apps” will reportedly allow users to navigate multiple social media feeds through a polished interface.
- “I heard from someone working with Google that Google is working on a Flipboard competitor for both Android and iPad,” posted Robert Scoble on his Google + social feed. “My source says that the versions he’s seen so far are mind-blowing good.”
- Flipboard is currently the most prominent company offering this type of service, and even turned down an offer from Google last year to buy the company. (Flipboard is available only for the iPad, although an iPhone version is in development.) Similar apps include AOL’s Editions, Yahoo’s Livestand, Zite and Pulse. Facebook is also creating social versions of publications that enable personalized, reformatted content when users access a pub’s page through Facebook.
- “All these apps are part of the drastically changing habits of media consumers, helping them better navigate numerous social and media feeds — such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as news sites and more — using handsome interfaces and touch technologies,” reports Kara Swisher in All Things D.
4 Comments
It looks as if Google will come through with its promise to challenge Flipboard, following last year’s failed acquisition attempt.
This is a welcome entry to the field, particularly as last time I checked, there was a “wait list” for magazines that want to get onto the iPad with Flipboard. While one imagines that Apple will keep the Google app from being iPad compatible, it is a welcome offering for non-Apple users. Will be interesting to see if Google makes its app “Android-only” or more generically PC-based.
It looks as if Google will come through with its promise to challenge Flipboard, following last year’s failed acquisition attempt.
This is a welcome entry to the field, particularly as last time I checked, there was a “wait list” for magazines that want to get onto the iPad with Flipboard. While one imagines that Apple will keep the Google app from being iPad compatible, it is a welcome offering for non-Apple users. Will be interesting to see if Google makes its app “Android-only” or more generically PC-based.
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