Flipboard releases app for Windows 8.1
Although a Windows Phone app is still a ways off, the social news app launches a Windows 8.1 version that includes live tile support.
Flipboard is releasing a new app Thursday that will work on devices running Windows 8.1, including Microsoft's new
The company designed the new app to take advantage of Windows 8's signature live tiles, and users can feature Flipboard as a live tile on their Windows Start screen. While the app appears to be aimed at tablet users, it will also work with Windows 8.1 desktops and laptops. The app is available for download at 4 p.m. PT, according to a Flipboard spokesperson.
Windows Phone users will have to wait a while longer. A Flipboard app for smarthphones with Microsoft's mobile OS won't come out until next year.
CEO Mike McCue said in a recent interview with CNET that the Windows 8 version of Flipboard was a "special edition" built from the ground up. He called the tiled system an operating system where "content becomes the interface," a set up that's similar to Flipboard's design.
Users will be able to pin certain Flipboard magazines or sections to their Start screen. The app also uses swipe motions for actions. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see multiple actions like Subscribe, Refresh, Edit, or Flip It. Swiping down from the top brings up "Contributors" or "People Also Read" sections. Within Cover Stories, the gesture will bring up "More For You" and "Magazines You Might Like."
For a full tutorial on the new Windows 8.1 app, check out Flipboard's video below.
CNET Staff Writer Nick Statt contributed to this report.