Scribd reader floats onto more screens

Scribd has launched a new suite of products called Float to make consuming web content across different devices an easier experience.

The suite comprises a web app, web bookmarklet and free iPhone app designed to make reading digital content easier across any device, the company said in an announcement on Tuesday. It also provides integrated sharing features and can offer personalised content, according to a user's interest and recommendations from friends.

"Digital reading is fragmented," Trip Adler, chief executive of Scribd, said in a statement. "There are different formats, devices, applications and paywalls for reading web content and we want to offer a better solution."

Float includes content from more than 150 websites and blogs including CBSNews.com, CNET News and Wired.

Users have the option of reading the floating text vertically, as is normal on a computer or horizontally, like a book. It also includes 12 preset custom reading styles, for example, a night mode or bright sunlight mode, and has an offline reading list for when there is no internet connection.

The service is free for now but premium content will be introduced later in the year via "a simple subscription" plan, the company said. It also said it planned to introduce advertising to the platform in the future.

An iPad and Android app will also be available soon, it said in a separate blog post.