Apple’s big News 

Apple has released a preview of a new offering called Apple News, a platform that the company describes as a personalized news reader which delivers stories it thinks the user will be interested in reading. The app dispenses these stories in a simplified format that does not infringe upon the privacy of its users.

“News seamlessly delivers the articles you want to read in a beautiful and uncluttered format, while respecting your privacy, because Apple doesn’t share your personal data,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services said. “We already have nearly 20 publishers representing more than 50 titles joining us, including Condé Nast, ESPN, The New York Times, Hearst, Time Inc., CNN and Bloomberg.”

Working with prominent content publishers, Apple News sifts through stories that users want to read, and places them all in a customized news feed called For You. Users can view the topics they’re following and the publishers who specialize in them under the Favourites tab, while the Explore function helps to introduce readers to new topics and content. The app becomes more customized as the user browses and reads through more subjects and associated content.

Scheduled for a fall release, News will be available as a free software update included with iOS 9. It will be compatible with iPhone 4S and up, fifth-generation iPod touch, and all later forms of iPad 2 and iPad mini. Content publishers can join Apple news by visiting www.icloud.com/newspublisher.