Android users might soon be presented with a more convenient way of finding content from their favorite publications.  Rumor has it that Google’s trying to put together a "digital newsstand" through which people would be able to purchase magazine- or newspaper-specific apps.

Russell Adams and Jessica E. Vascellaro reported, "The e-newsstand would include apps from media companies offering versions of their publications for smartphones or tablets running Android, say people familiar with the matter."

This would "provide a more consistent experience for consumers," and perhaps a wide selection of material, too.  Google’s supposedly in talks with Conde Nast (GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired), Hearst (Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Popular Mechanics, Seventeen), and Time (Entertainment Weekly, Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated, This Old House).

As for why the media companies may get onboard, Adams and Cascellaro noted that a central newsstand could "help publishers collect payment for their apps . . . ."  Plus, Google could offer better terms than Apple has for similar deals, seeking less than a 30 percent cut of app revenue.

It should be interesting to see what happens here.  Whether or not a deal is sealed will hint how publishers view Android versus iOS, and also suggest how serious Google is about making Android successful on tablets.