By Katie Olson
@nosloka

In the world of Flipboard and digital versions of international newspapers, is there even a need for another digital news resource?

Maybe that’s what you’re thinking after watching the promotional video for Paper, an app from the developers at Facebook. Here’s your answer: Paper isn’t just another news app.

Paper, an app from Facebook, is a gorgeous alternative to the standard Facebook application.

The app combines your Facebook newsfeed with news of your choice. The user can choose from sections like Headlines, Pop Life (Entertainment), Enterprise, Ideas, Exposure (Photography), and so on. Paper is a curated news service.

While the user is receiving his or her daily dose of news, they have the immediate option to share or “like” anything they read to their Facebook timeline. The sharing process is simple with three buttons at the bottom of every story, just like the user sees on Facebook: like, comment, or share.

The simplicity of Paper isn’t the only enticing factor. The seamless design of the user interface is hard to ignore. When the app is launched, it’s easy to notice the clean, well-designed “Facebook aesthetic.” Tips are given to the user to help him or her have ultimate Paper experience. Photos from friends on Facebook are displayed in high definition, and the user can tilt his or her phone left and right to see the whole photo up close, or can double-tap the photo to zoom out.

Stories also appear in automatic full-screen mode to erase the possibility of distractions. Links in articles are also easily accessed by swiping upward.

Keep in mind that this app is only available for iPhone at the moment. The one complaint I have is that there is no way to prioritize news sources in the different sections. But if you don’t have a preference between The New York Times and The Wire, Paper is a sleek and beautiful app that can replace the regular Facebook application.

See for yourself:
Here’s the preview.