Flipboard magazines come to web

With an eye on expanding to more platforms, Flipboard has announced that all of the magazines that have been created on mobile devices as part of Flipboard 2.0 will now be available for viewing on the web as well.

Now when you create and share a magazine via mail or through a social networking website, anyone who is clicking on the link will be able to browse through your magazine, regardless of whether or not they have Flipboard on their mobile devices. Flipboard has ensured that their signature look and feel of “flipping” stories has remained in the web version of the magazines as well.

Flip through curated magazines on the web too

When you open up a Flipboard magazine on the web, you will be able to swipe using a click or scroll of the mouse and “flip” through it quite like you can on your mobile devices. Curators will still be able to continue adding articles and snippets from the web and through web magazines. However, if Flipboard coming to the web has excited you enough to start your own magazine, you will still need to go to the app via your Android or iOS device to create an account.

The web magazines will be supported in desktop browsers like IE9 and above, Chrome and Safari. Flipboard will support 11 languages including English, Japanese, Chinese, French and German. Once you’re viewing a magazine, you can click on the icon on the top left of the page to explore more magazines created by users.

Flipboard is all set to release apps for Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 devices, and making web versions of curated magazines available on the web seems like a great run-up to the launch. Particularly after Google Reader’s demise, Flipboard’s visually-rich magazines are turning into a great draw for users left in the lurch. With Flipboard on the expansion path, it looks like its taking the challenge to fill the void left by Google Reader head-on.