Trying to read the news with a smartphone has been like trying to floss your teeth with razor wire. You could get the job done, but ouch. Wrong size, wrong materials, just the wrong tool. Only a mobile phone should be the right tool. Fast, conducive to sharing, perfect for on the go… the Circa News app may provide the news fix our teeth and eyes have been aching for.
Circa is a mobile application that delivers the news, with a special focus on breaking news. Unlike so many news readers that rely on algorithms or supply links to traditional sources that are ill-adapted to the smartphone screen, Circa provides edited content tailored for the smartphone – news condensed into chewable portions, with rich media supplements such a images and maps, and related stories likewise ready to be viewed.
I’d like to think we’re nearly at the point when we can look back and laugh at how we used to scroll interminably to read a story with our phone – and dealt with microscopic font, pages returning to the top before we reach the end, or batteries drained by the time we’ve finished the first paragraph. Sharp design, quick uploads, and news formatted for phone consumption should erase such headaches.
Circa News looks to do even better with its approach to breaking news. Rather than supply a tantalizing bit of an unfinished story, Circa reports known facts and then gives readers the option to follow stories as they develop. You don’t have to check back, or search around for more information. With a click, Circa will continue to deliver updates or notifications when breaking information becomes available. They aim to change how we read the news.
The expectations for immediacy have created a host of problems (e.g. credibility. Can you believe the Navy yard shooting, photo debacle? But that’s another story). Circa satisfies our thirst for knowledge of breaking stories without baiting us into insubstantial content.
Former Reuters social media editor Anthony De Rosa was brought in to serve as editor in chief. Circa’s made-for-mobile news is now available for Android and iOS. Matt Galligan is the CEO and Co-founder. In 2012, Quotidian Ventures, Lerer Ventures, Dave Morin, and Gary Vaynerchuk led a $2.4 million round of seed funding.
I remember feeling so proud when I learned how to turn newspaper pages at a countertop without spilling coffee or popping eardrums. A long time ago. With the Circa News app, I plan to revisit elegance when reading the news.
