Google has decided to engage in a little spring-cleaning in the middle of autumn; the company announced today that it would combine its Google Currents and Google Play Magazines into new the new Google Newsstands app.
The app gives users a cards-based view for magazine articles and blog posts. The app combines Feedly- or Flipboard-like access to RSS feeds and websites, but also allows users to purchase digital magazine subscriptions directly through Google Play.
Newsstand offers a subtle animation based on images in the feed for the background marquee as seen at the top.
First off, A tip of the hat must go to the Google design team for Newsstand's integration of subtle animated pans in the marquee background culled from images found within the feed. This design feature largely falls in line with Google's newfound emphasis on subtle background animations, which is used to great effect in the company's snazzy new Google Now landing page.
All about paid subscriptions
While Newsstand does give access to RSS and website feeds, it is no reincarnation of Google Reader, nor is it a direct competitor with other content apps. Newsstand doesn't offer bare-bones list views a la Feedly, nor does it offer social media or multimedia inputs a la Flipboard. What Newsstand does do is try its darndest to make consumers comfortable with purchasing digital subscriptions through Google Play.
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