Flipboard goes all-in on tech coverage

Flipboard is launching an array of new features in an effort to hone its tech coverage.

Why it matters: "We already have significant number of people who follow tech on Flipboard," says CEO Mike McCue. "This gives us a stage on which to have our partners and curators really build relationships with that audience."

Flipboard is adding a richer content experience through this update with curated stories, videos, books, products and podcasts from more tech insiders and publishers.

New packages will include featured curations from tech-based publishers, like TechCrunch's "Features," The Verge's "Gadget News" and Wirecutter’s "Deals of the Week," as well as magazines that are curated by Flipboard's editorial team.

• Other editorially curated roundups will include Longreads, Reviews, The Full Story, (deep dive into the biggest story of the day) and Book Picks, a new weekly series of book recommendations from tech influencers like Wired Editor in Chief Nick Thompson and Fast Company’s technology editor Harry McCracken. 
• The news platform is also launching a private team "magazine," or collection of curated stories, that professional teams can use to discuss interesting or relevant topics. Users can invite colleagues to the team magazine via email, Slack, or text.
• A personalized tech morning briefing email will be sent every weekday morning to users who follow Tech. It will include highlights from the users's team magazine, their personalized tech feed, and top stories selected by Flipboard’s editors.

The eight-year-old news curation app, which hit profitability last year, will also feature content bundles from companies like the The Verge (with a roundup for Gadgets News and Artificial Intelligence), TechCrunch (with features) and the Wirecutter (with deals of the week.)

Tech will be the first of more professional "verticals" to come, says McCue. Flipboard is looking at other topics that they could potentially go deep on as well, like sports, entertainment, finance, politics, etc. "When we talk abut informing and inspiring people, we think about it in terms of work, play, and life," McCue says.

Bottom line: With these updates, Flipboard is positioning itself as a competitor to some niche tech websites, like The Verge or TechCrunch, as well as general news curation platforms, like Apple News.