14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier today, Google unveiled a new, experimental project aimed at making it easier for users to read and find new news stories by allowing them to 'flip' through articles with an intuitive and fast interface. While the idea may be interesting enough, the implementation left somewhat to be desired. But, along with the regular website, Google Fast Flip was also launched for iPhone and Android-powered mobile phones for which it may be much better suited.
“With this webapp you can literally flip through stories with the swipe of your finger. To get more information or view the entire article, simply tap on the screen. You can browse headlines and popular articles, and view trending topics. Searching for a specific topic lets you make your own 'magazine.' Fast Flip makes sharing articles easy as well. To send an article to someone, simply tap on the 'Email' link in the upper right,” Steve Kanefsky, a Google Mobile software engineer, wrote on the company's mobile blog.
For the mobile version, the basic functionality is the same, users are presented with a list of articles to choose from, as well as with several browsing options based on the source, how popular they are or on categories. After they choose an article, they are presented with a screenshot of it with unnecessary bloat removed, leaving just the original content.
Navigating the website is much more natural and intuitive on the touchscreen mobile devices, as users actually get to 'flip' through the articles. The small screens and lower quality Internet connections also mean that mobile users can really see a difference when using Fast Flip rather than going to the original website.
For now, the site is just a project, hence the 'labs' designation, but Google plans to generate revenue by serving ads next to the articles that it will share with the content owners, a move that is sure to please at least some news organizations, which are struggling with big drops in income.