Digg’s Google Reader replacement to launch publicly on June 26, here’s what it looks like

When Google announced it was shutting down Reader, struggling web company Digg announced that they would develop a replacement service. In a blog post on Monday, the company announced that its much-awaited RSS service would open to the public on June 26th.

The service, which will be called Digg Reader, will have very basic functions, including a feature that allows users to vote stories to the top that they believe are important. When the company surveyed more than 18,000 users, many wanted the service to be clean, simple, and fast. Digg, of course, says it has met all of those demands.

Within 60 days of the launch, many features will continue to be released, including:

• Android app.
• Speed.
• Integration with additional third party services (like Buffer, Evernote, and IFTTT).
• Better tools to sort, filter and rank your reading lists and feeds, based on your networks, interests, likes, and so on.
• Collecting and responding to user feedback.

At first, the service will be free, but Digg can’t guarantee that will be the case all along.

Given the compressed time frame for this sprint, we decided early on that we needed to focus on one type of user. We asked ourselves who had most to lose from the shutdown of Google Reader, and the answer was fairly obvious: the power user, the people who depend on the availability, stability, and speed of Reader every day. The good news is that these users are also the most eager to contribute to the development process. (Over 18,000 people signed up to provide feedback on the product.)

Digg Reader will launch to the public on June 26th on iPhone/iPad and the web (Android coming later), though Engadget says a beta will be available on June 19th to friends and family.