News App Spun Tries to Digg Up Some Local Flavor
A new Apple iPhone news app aims to be a one-stop shop for local news about food, the arts and the overall flavor of a city. “We love cities,” said Spun CEO Andy Hunter. The app, launching today, is powered by human editors in each city, who curate stories from local Web sites based on their own judgment and social media buzz. Work on Spun began before Betaworks relaunched Digg, but Hunter acknowledged their similar approaches. He emphasized that the mobile app will notify users when they pass by something they’ve read about — for example, a local historical landmark or well-liked restaurant.