Google Currents really sucks.

I spend a lot of time drooling over the next cool thing that Google decides to do.  I have run into a few instances where Google is clear ahead on a project and it ends up canceled because they can't find a good place for it in their ecosystem.  Google Wave was a clear example of this.  It could have been very useful if it had been introduced to the proper niche.  I feel that in a corporate environment it could have been interesting.  I think that as a social media addition it could have been very cool.  It didn't make it and I have to deal with it.  Oh well...

Google has something now that acts kind of like an RS reader.  Google Currents.  You can sign up for numerous magazines, e-zines and countless websites.  The app is then supposed to bring you the top news to you.  It is supposed to be tailored more toward your tastes based on what you signed up for.  In the end, it just sucks.

Most of the stories are simply trending topics.  Some of which aren't even the most current news.  The way that the app displays these things is hilariously bad.  The pictures are wrong most of the time and the generic pictures that it puts up when it can't figure out what to put is even worse.  The headlines aren't displayed in a manner where you can really figure out what the story will be about.  It's really all kind of sad.  Add to that there are UI performance issues and it just slides downhill rather quickly.

There is a lot that can be done to infuse this app with the life that it needs to be a real winner.  To be something that Google would be proud to put their name on, but I'm not sure if it's being done.  I don't see a lot of talk about Currents and considering it is so new and is supposedly taking the place of the Google Reader... I'm not sure I have a lot of hope.  Don't get me wrong.  It CAN be good, it just needs work.

With some reductions in UI lag and how easy it is to pick a story/feed/trending topic the UI can be helped.  Offering different versions of styles based on phone or tablet would go a long was as well.  Allow stories or videos to pop up in a browser or in YouTube, don't keep them within the app (this has been a MAJOR issue for me).  Put some work into actually making the entire package usable and orient it more toward the individual user.  I have given you ALL of my information.  You know me.  You can tell me how much traffic there will be on my way home, but you can't give me topics that REALLY interest me?  Come on Google!