What's This?
By Todd Wasserman2013-06-24 13:10:21 UTC
Aiming to engage more mobile users, Facebook is working on a Flipboard-like news reader, according to a report.
Facebook has been developing the project for more than a year, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cites "people with knowledge of the project." The report comes after Tom Waddington, a web developer for the blog Cut + Keep, wrote that he spotted Facebook code for RSS feeds, with each showing multiple entries and a list of subscribers. Waddington's report came about a week before Facebook's announcement that it was adding video to Instagram. However, many speculated that the announcement was actually going to be about the introduction of an RSS reader, especially since Google is planning to retire its Reader by July 1.
SEE ALSO: AOL Reader Coming Soon to Fill Google Reader Void
Reps from Facebook could not be reached for comment.
For Facebook, such a project would not only let the company become a sort of digital newspaper for readers on mobile, but also let the platform partake in more real-time discussions, a goal implicit in the company's recent embrace of hashtags. In both cases, the goal is to create more opportunities for advertising.
Image courtesy of Flickr, Johan Larsson
Topics: Advertising, Business, Facebook, Flipboard, google reader
By Todd Wasserman2013-06-24 13:10:21 UTCAiming to engage more mobile users, Facebook is working on a Flipboard-like news reader, according to a report.
Facebook has been developing the project for more than a year, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cites "people with knowledge of the project." The report comes after Tom Waddington, a web developer for the blog Cut + Keep, wrote that he spotted Facebook code for RSS feeds, with each showing multiple entries and a list of subscribers. Waddington's report came about a week before Facebook's announcement that it was adding video to Instagram. However, many speculated that the announcement was actually going to be about the introduction of an RSS reader, especially since Google is planning to retire its Reader by July 1.
SEE ALSO: AOL Reader Coming Soon to Fill Google Reader Void
Reps from Facebook could not be reached for comment.
For Facebook, such a project would not only let the company become a sort of digital newspaper for readers on mobile, but also let the platform partake in more real-time discussions, a goal implicit in the company's recent embrace of hashtags. In both cases, the goal is to create more opportunities for advertising.
Image courtesy of Flickr, Johan Larsson
Topics: Advertising, Business, Facebook, Flipboard, google reader