Blancspot is one of those forward-looking apps that you're pretty sure has a place in today's media but you're not really sure exactly where that might be.
The idea is similar to Flipboard's aesthetic treatment of RSS and social feeds, but Blancspot goes a bit further, fostering a discourse around daily headlines that deepens the news while making it a little easier on the eyes and ears.
Blancspot works by using both software and live editors to aggregate news and commentary from the open Web in such a way that it's not only interesting but exhaustive. The day's headlines are then presented with a provocative music slideshow.
By roping in a user's social communities, as well as fostering new communities specific to Blancspot, the app provides a unique 360-degree discussion of news, sports, culture, politics, business and other topics.
Camille LeBlanc, CEO and president of Blancspot, says the app, which was recently ranked in the Top 5 recommended apps at the App Store, was a labor of love. It's aimed at bringing media-savvy young adults who are typically turned off by the negative deluge of depressing headlines, back into a discourse that focuses on the headlines.
LeBlanc took very deliberate steps to appeal to the young adult demographic. After poring over the results of some recent research, she says the conclusion was that young adults are "repelled by the news." As a result, Blancspot had to come up with a presentation that would trigger an emotive reaction to what they were seeing.
"They like things that transport them," Leblanc says, noting that the Blancspot experience is meant to engage by creating a user experience not unlike that of a documentary film, with music and subtle animations that affect the user. But it's not just image. Blancspot aims at promoting a serious, in-depth discussion of today's news.
"It truly is from the open Web. The easiest way to think about it is that we don't really care about the source, we care that it's the best thinking," LeBlanc says, stressing a discriminating editorial team and software that sit behind the scenes.
Blancspot's tagline invites users to experience the "Art of News." To be sure, this is an app that achieves at least an artful gateway to an in-depth discussion of today's major headlines.
Blancspot is available for $2.99 for the iPod touch and iPhone, with an iPad version coming in the near future.