Tech Report #1
WORLD NEWS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS UNDER ONE ROOF
Flipboard is a news creation app that allows you to follow topics that are important to you. Since its launch in 2010, the app became available for all Android and iOS devices. The digital magazine tool builds a personal experience based on topics that someone has selected, making it easier to see the news, lifestyle, sports, etc. Furthermore, the app has unique features that aren’t often talked about. One of the largest functions of the app is the curation feature because you can customize your own collection of articles that’s personal to you. All of the articles are displayed in a magazine format, meaning you can flip through what you have created out of articles and photos, which is essential to the magazine experience. Another important feature of Flipboard is that it’s a social network. You can share, like, or comment on articles and chat with other users which brings back the engagement element of the news.
Unlike traditional print magazines, Flipboard gives people an easy way to personalize your content based on your interests. It’s a smart magazine for our eyes. However, there are differences to other app technologies. Some of Flipboard competitors include Feedly and Inoreader. The Feedly app offers a unique way to browse content across your preferred websites, Tumblr blogs, and to watch your favorite channels on YouTube. (Harvey 1) Inoreader is a web-based content platform that uses RSS technology to find the best news articles and social media feeds for your needs. (Harvey 1) Flipboard is different from these apps because it puts you in control. It’s a “for you” feed located in a smart magazine. (Perez 1) Given today’s current events related to politics, COVID-19, climate change and others, most people on society want a break from daily news. That is, however, a downside of the app. People can’t get daily news if their “for you” page doesn’t show them. The features of the app matter because by introducing tools that allow users to personalize their feeds, Flipboard believes users will see improved mental health and spend more time on the app.
Flipboard has very little limitations, but I do have recommendations to make the app performance better. Since the user’s experience is entirely customizable, there is no opening quiz or survey to narrow down the selection of what the user wants. It would save time and energy to already select what the user wants based off their quiz answers, and then have them go back later to pick and choose what they want out of the selection.
Overall, I believe the app is useful and I don’t think it’s talked about enough. Print magazines are slowly dying out of society, and with having an app that can personalize your interests for you, I think it’s amazing that we can now look at our own news that resides with us. A highly personalized feed allows people to focus on the things that matter to them without being distracted with misinformation. People can build their platform that lets them control their media consumption rather than letting it control them.
Works Cited
Greenlee, M. (2020, May 28). ‘what is flipboard?’: How the social news app and its digital features keep you informed. Business Insider. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-flipboard-app
Moreau, E. (2020, August 8). What is Flipboard? all about the social news app. Lifewire. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-flipboard-4173617
Perez, S. (2021, August 31). Flipboard rolls out newsfeed personalization tools to save you from Doomscrolling. TechCrunch. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/31/flipboard-rolls-out-newsfeed-personalization-tools-to-save-you-from-doomscrolling/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACFgpyi9Ez6-RLgvRqKzgW5xzTu0JfrJNNNXW93opU9kQdzaxPpM9aqP5OO-G5O-jC6fRd08JoAte1OxGDsmNc9znZOpKNVL4YNSOFKjygNzaxqsCMhRaPky4zuhkgWCzR6yf6JCbR0OS77G0BRscd86aneTi94kR9vNrUJjRBx0