Technology
Why does everyone except Google want to build a reader?
[GIGAOM]
I have been baffled by Google’s decision in March to euthanize the Google Reader instead of trying to reinvent it for the mobile/tablet age and use its strong (if small) community of users to build a new news reading experience. It is ironic because everyone seems to be getting into the reader business. Digg. Feedly. AOL. Even Facebook thinks it can be a player in the news reader game. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that this rumored reader is:
- A year old and centered on mobile reading experience.
- An attempt by Facebook to go after Flipboard experience.
- The work of Michael Matas, a well known designer who previously worked for Apple and Nest Labs and is project lead.
I wonder if this is yet another proof of Facebook’s Twitter envy! Jokes aside, as far as I am concerned, unless Facebook can figure out a way to work with Twitter and generally embrace RSS, any Facebook reader experience is going to be fairly limited.
Read more about the future of reader apps at Gigaom.