Google Fast Flip
{{Short description|Online news aggregator from Google}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox website
|name = Google Fast Flip
|logo = Fast flip logo.png
|screenshot = Google Fast Flip screenshot.png
|screenshot_size = 275px
|caption = Screenshot of the Fast Flip homepage
|url = [http://fastflip.googlelabs.com fastflip.googlelabs.com]
|commercial = Yes
|type = News
|language = English
|registration = Not required
|owner = Google
|author = Google
|revenue =
|current_status = Discontinued
}}
Google Fast Flip was an online news aggregator from Google Inc. that mimicked the experience of flicking through a newspaper or magazine, allowing visual search of stories in manner similar to microfiche.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology/2009/09/15/bing-and-google-launch-visual-search-115875-21675590/|title=Bing and Google launch visual search|date=15 September 2009|work=Daily Mirror|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922181536/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology/2009/09/15/bing-and-google-launch-visual-search-115875-21675590/|archive-date=22 September 2009|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Search-Engines/Google-Fast-Flip-is-Geared-to-Generate-More-Ad-Dollars-184305/|title=Google Fast Flip is Geared to Generate More Ad Dollars|last=Boulton|first=Clint|date=15 September 2009|work=eWeek|accessdate=21 September 2009}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8256054.stm|title=Google turns page on news content|last=Shiels|first=Maggie|date=15 September 2009|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=21 September 2009}} It was launched in beta by Google Labs at the TechCrunch 50 conference in September 2009.{{Cite news|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10352342-265.html|title=Google testing Fast Flip for Google News|last=Krazit|first=Tom|date=14 September 2009|work=CNet|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722101518/http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10352342-265.html|archive-date=22 July 2011|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2009/sep/15/digital-media-newspapers|title=Google's Fast Flip is for publishers|last=Bunz|first=Mercedes|date=15 September 2009|series=PDA: The Digital Content Blog|work=The Guardian|location=London|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129082630/http://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2009/sep/15/digital-media-newspapers|archive-date=29 January 2016|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/sep/21/google-newspaper-fast-flip|title=Google's mission to drive up newspaper revenue|last=Allen|first=Katie|date=21 September 2009|work=The Guardian|location=London|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129082630/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/sep/21/google-newspaper-fast-flip|archive-date=29 January 2016|url-status=live}}
The site presented images of stories from Google's news partners, which could be clicked on to navigate to the story on the news provider's own website. Stories could be scrolled between using the mouse or cursor keys. The presentation of stories used a similar algorithm to Google News, but stories could be ordered by publication as well as by subject. Krishna Bharat of Google News has said that "Fast Flip is mostly for longer shelf-life content, the kind of content you want to recommend to other people." Fast Flip was created after Larry Page "asked why the web was not more like a magazine, allowing users to flip from screen to screen seamlessly." Fast Flip was available as well on iPhone and Android mobile devices.{{Cite web|url=http://fastflip.googlelabs.com/mobile|title=Mobile Preview|work=Google Fast Flip|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922185527/http://fastflip.googlelabs.com/mobile|archive-date=22 September 2009|url-status=dead}}
Users of Fast Flip were able to follow friends and topics, find new content, and to create their own customized magazines around their searches.[http://pcmike.com/2009/09/25/googles-fast-flip-is-pretty-slick/ "Google's Fast Flip Is Pretty Slick"] {{dead link|date=September 2015}} (25 September 2009). PCMike.com.
At launch, there were 39 mainly US-based news partners. Google said that it would share the majority of revenue from contextual adverts with its news partners.{{Cite news|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/businessbreakingnews/ci_13335796|title=Google news feature mimics print sources, lets people browse stories|last=Johnson|first=Steve|date=14 September 2009|work=San Jose Mercury News|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927012014/http://www.mercurynews.com/businessbreakingnews/ci_13335796|archive-date=27 September 2012|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://fastflip.googlelabs.com/sources|title=All Sources|work=Google Fast Flip|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922185532/http://fastflip.googlelabs.com/sources|archive-date=22 September 2009|url-status=dead}}
Fast Flip was praised for allowing visual,{{Cite news|url=http://industry.bnet.com/technology/10003382/google-fast-flip-becomes-the-news-stand-pressure-on-publishers/?tag=shell;content|title=Google Fast Flip Becomes the News Stand, Pressure on Publishers|last=Sherman|first=Erik|date=15 September 2009|work=BNet|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925010812/http://industry.bnet.com/technology/10003382/google-fast-flip-becomes-the-news-stand-pressure-on-publishers/?tag=shell;content|archive-date=25 September 2009|url-status=dead}} fast{{Cite news|url=http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200938/4447/Google-offers-swift-page-perusal-with-Fast-Flip|title=Google offers swift page perusal with Fast Flip|last=Smith|first=Stevie|date=16 September 2009|work=The Tech Herald|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923074949/http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200938/4447/Google-offers-swift-page-perusal-with-Fast-Flip|archive-date=23 September 2009|url-status=dead}} and serendipitous{{Cite news|url=http://industry.bnet.com/media/10004137/googles-fast-flip-and-the-return-of-serendipitous-surfing/|title=Google's Fast Flip and the Return of Serendipitous Surfing|last=Taylor|first=Catharine P|date=16 September 2009|work=BNet|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922230056/http://industry.bnet.com/media/10004137/googles-fast-flip-and-the-return-of-serendipitous-surfing/|archive-date=22 September 2009|url-status=dead}} browsing of news stories, but it has been criticized as being a novelty,{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/web/news/2009/09/hands-on-limitations-of-google-fast-flip-make-it-a-novelty.ars|title=Hands on: limitations of Google Fast Flip make it a novelty|last=Cheng|first=Jacqui|date=15 September 2009|work=Ars Technica|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922182407/http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2009/09/hands-on-limitations-of-google-fast-flip-make-it-a-novelty.ars|archive-date=22 September 2009|url-status=live}} anachronistic, as it emulates print media, limits navigation and presents few news sources,{{Cite news|url=http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/why-google-s-fastflip-misses-the-point-635923|title=Why Google's Fast Flip misses the point|last=Merritt|first=Nick|date=21 September 2009|work=TechRadar|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922173955/http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/why-google-s-fastflip-misses-the-point-635923|archive-date=22 September 2009|url-status=dead}} and as being more focused on the needs of publishers than of readers.{{Cite news|url=http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/09/new_google_serv_1.html;jsessionid=1OR13LQ2CE5LTQE1GHPSKH4ATMY32JVN|title=New Google Service Nothing To Flip Over|last=Hickins|first=Michael|date=16 September 2009|work=InformationWeek|accessdate=21 September 2009}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailytech.com/Is+Googles+Fast+Flip+News+Service+a+Stud+or+a+Dud/article16251.htm|title=Is Google's Fast Flip News Service a Stud or a Dud?|last=Mick|first=Jason|date=16 September 2009|work=DailyTech|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922213611/http://www.dailytech.com/Is+Googles+Fast+Flip+News+Service+a+Stud+or+a+Dud/article16251.htm|archive-date=22 September 2009|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/172010/is_google_fast_flip_really_just_a_slow_slider.html|title=Is Google "Fast Flip" Really Just A Slow Slider?|last=Coursey|first=David|date=15 September 2009|work=Tech Inciter|publisher=PC World|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916142313/http://www.pcworld.com/article/172010/is_google_fast_flip_really_just_a_slow_slider.html|archive-date=16 September 2009|url-status=live}} Its visual search has been compared to the beta visual search of Microsoft Bing{{Cite news|url=https://www.pcworld.com/blogs/bizfeed/172056/google_fast_flip_bridges_digital_and_print_media.html|title=Google Fast Flip Bridges Digital and Print Media|last=Bradley|first=Tony|date=15 September 2009|work=PC World|accessdate=21 September 2009}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/6202660/Microsoft-Bing-visual-search-takes-fight-to-Google.html|title=Microsoft Bing visual search takes fight to Google|last=Beaumont|first=Claudine|date=17 September 2009|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923003357/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/6202660/Microsoft-Bing-visual-search-takes-fight-to-Google.html|archive-date=23 September 2009|url-status=live}} and to The Onion's microfiche iPhone app.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2009/sep/16/onion-microfiche-iphone-app-news|title=The Onion Microfiche: all the satire that's fit to fit on your iPhone|last=Arthur|first=Charles|date=16 September 2009|series=Technology Blog|work=The Guardian|accessdate=21 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129082630/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2009/sep/16/onion-microfiche-iphone-app-news|archive-date=29 January 2016|url-status=live}} Fast Flip has also been cited as a demonstration of Google's power in the news marketplace; by setting up another news interface that uses publishers' content without returning much value.{{Cite web|url=http://platform.idiomag.com/2009/09/fast-flip-for-iphone-and-the-power-of-google/|title=Google Fast Flip|accessdate=28 October 2009|date=27 October 2009|publisher=idiomag|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011112911/http://platform.idiomag.com/2009/09/fast-flip-for-iphone-and-the-power-of-google/|archive-date=11 October 2009|url-status=dead}}
In September 2011, Google announced it would discontinue a number of its products, including Google Fast Flip.{{cite web |url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-spring-clean.html |title=A fall spring-clean |author=Alan Eustace |date=2 September 2011 |publisher=Google |accessdate=2 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907013015/http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-spring-clean.html |archive-date=7 September 2011 |url-status=live }}