AOL takes on Flipboard with Editions app for iPad

Another entrant into the personalised news aggregation market.

AOL has launched an iPad personalised news magazine app called Editions, which has buzzed-about service Flipboard squarely in its sights.

Described as "a beautiful, new, daily magazine that reads you", Editions is a free download, but for now appears only to be available in the US App Store.

It aggregates news stories in 16 categories, including news, tech, business, sports, entertainment and music. Users can add, remove and sort categories in whatever order they like, while also adding their own keywords and sources.

There are also sections for local news and weather, and the ability to connect the app to a Facebook account to pull down a user's calendar and events. Articles can also be shared with friends via Facebook and Twitter.

The business model for Editions will presumably be advertising, although Flipboard's strategy so far has been to push for reach and new features rather than rush to make money. The competition between these and other personalised news apps on iPad should ensure that these apps continue to evolve quickly, but how many of them will ultimately survive and prosper?