Internet giant Yahoo has unveiled an app that provides users with tailored news feeds based on their interests.
Yahoo claims that the News Digest app offers readers all the stories they “need to know about” and ticks them off once read.
The software bases itself on an app called Summly, which was developed by UK teenager Nick D’Aloisio.
Some analysts have questioned the relevance of such an app, while others have praised it.
Mark Mulligan, who edits a media blog, said he believes the software could fit in easily with the busy lives of consumers.
Speaking to the BBC, he said:
“There’s a huge amount of information of varying quality being created, and people require a way to steer through all the news – it’s a tyranny of choice.
“The idea of cutting through the clutter and being a trusted curator that can offer quality bite-sized chunks of information definitely addresses a need.”
However, a consultant who worked on the launch of the BBC’s online news facility, Bob Eggington, said:
“If people are being told they have read enough news they are being misled.”
Yahoo reportedly paid around $30m (£18m) for Summly, which D’Aloisio developed when he was just 15.
The 17-year-old whiz-kid revealed the app at the CES 2014 event in Las Vegas, during a presentation hosted by Yahoo’s chief executive.
News Digest calls on a number of online media outlets to present users with stories, including Associated Press, Sky News, Reuters and Business Insider.
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