Flipboard launches a new update today that introduces Flipboard Accounts, giving users the ability to sign in and personalize their favorite sections and social networks in the iPad feed reader. This feature heralds the imminent arrival of Flipboard for iPhone, which today’s announcement acknowledges is “forthcoming.”
Personalization allows people who share an iPad to keep separate Flipboard arrangements, but it will also sync the iPad version with the upcoming iPhone release. Today’s update also adds integration with Tumblr and photography site 500px alongside Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, Google Reader and Instagram as built-in options for browsing those networks in Flipboard’s clean, magazine-style layout.
The update comes amidst a bit of a gold rush in the tablet feed reading world. CNN acquired Flipboard competitor Zite in order to have its own tablet reader in-house, and AOL released Editions to do the same. Just a few weeks ago, Yahoo launched Livestand, and Google will be launching one called Propeller soon.
But Flipboard has good technology, strong partnerships, and is already well on its way to monetizing with new full-page ads from high-profile brands. Flipboard has carefully considered its next moves, and with today’s launch of Flipboard Accounts, it acknowledges that the iPhone version is just over the horizon.
You can download Flipboard from the iTunes Store.
Which reading apps do you use?
