Google debuts new Reader for iPhone

The search company released a new version of its mobile Google Reader product, aiming to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the iPhone.

Google Reader has been available to mobile surfers for quite a while: the first release debuted in May of 2006, but was written in XHTML -- the language of choice for mobile Web development.

While the application allowed for the use of most features of the Reader service, the simple nature of mobile Web development before the iPhone limited its usability. With this latest release, Google hoped to make the application easier to use.

"This new version is designed to offer many of the same features as the desktop, while making it quick and easy to act on items," the company said.

List view looks much like the desktop, and users can tap on items of interest which "expand in place." Features such as starring, sharing and keeping unread are also done from the main page.

As well as the iPhone, other devices with advanced browsers will likely be able to use the page.

Users are not automatically sent to the new page during the beta, Google said. Instead, users must navigate manually to the page, which is located at www.google.com/reader/i.