Google is crafting its own alternative to Flipboard, Zite, and other curated news apps for tablets, tipsters divulged Thursday. Nicknamed Propeller, details are vague but would make it a rare cross-platform app, serving both Android and iPad users.
The app is one piece of a puzzle in a larger campaign of social apps and other related content. Propeller’s exact reason isn’t fully understood yet. At a minimum, it would likely help with use of +1 and Google+ for sharing favorite articles, both with the general web and with friend circles.
It may also fill a wide gap in Android’s app portfolio. With the exception of occasional ports such as Pulse, Android tablets have often been cut out of the hot curated tablet news app space. Flipboard is currently an iPad exclusive and will only eventually reach Android.
