One of the ways I like to start my day is catching up with the news, both from the trusty local paper and from the various feeds I subscribe to. The tablet apps that I use to read the feeds have come a long way from the first RSS readers I used years ago, and I have to say, the improvements are quite welcome. Now, with these well designed aggregator apps, moving from one content source to another is fluid, and the reading experience has never been better.

All apps listed below are available for both Android and the iPad and are free.

Flipboard: I think it would be safe to call Flipboard the king of this category of apps. How did it earn its title? By being the leader in well designed, feed aggregator tablet apps that let you combine multiple sources, like trusted news sites, alongside your Google Reader RSS feeds to form one cohesive, smart package. iPad, Android

Feedly: This app was suggested by reader Dvturner, and I can see why they like it. Think of it as a less image heavy and less bandwidth intensive Flipboard. iPad, Android

Zite: This aggregator is the most old school looking of the lot, and takes its design cues from the news magazine world. While it's probably not the best format for quick browsing, it's interesting to see how the app lays out the different pieces of information on the page. iPad, Android

Google Currents: The best way I've found to describe this app is it's like a more visually compelling Google Reader. Think of Google Reader with a nicer layout and images and you have Google Currents. This app is Google's answer to all of the other magazine layout apps out there, and it's pretty slick. Android, iPad.

Pulse: Most of my colleagues seem to be either in the Pulse or Flipboard camp, and since they are so similar it really comes down to what design suits your taste. While I personally like the format of Flipboard a bit better, I love how Pulse integrates with Pocket and Evernote. Android, iPad

What are your favorite feed aggregator apps and why?

(Image: Joelle Alcaidinho)