Sometimes the road to new habits and new technology is littered with temporary bridges and make-do paths, products with a very important but very short shelf-life, and products that fill a gap until a better idea comes along.
Is Google Fast Flip one of these, or is it the start of something much bigger?
In a media industry that focuses on every piece of info, trivial or not, press coverage of Fast Flip the last few days has been middle of the road, respectable but not overwhelming.
The New York Times wrapped up Fast Flip nicely in its article. PC World and Mashable provided similar coverage.
Google’s Fast Flip is basically just a new way to view the news. Google has 39 partners, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar.
Give it a try. Click on an article and flip through the article, a la traditional media. There are ads on the pages, and it’s a revenue share with the partners.
Maybe it’s a short-term play, has a comfort level for some and bridges the gap for others. Maybe it’s a keeper.
And maybe – just maybe – it doesn’t need a lot of analyzing. It’s just another way to read, and whenever that happens, it’s good.
Also, not a bad thing that Google and traditional media found a way to work together.