CBS-owned technology news Web service CNet has launched a free, ad-supported application for the iPhone called CNet News.

The application is CNet's first offering for the iPhone as the company plans to roll out on multiple platforms. CNet News was the fourth most downloaded free news application for the iPhone as of August 4.

?First and foremost, we built this app to satisfy loyal users of CNet who have been asking for a mobile news app to read and share CNet news, blogs and tweets from our editors,? said Kelly Morrison, director of platforms at CNet, San Francisco. ?But, we also expect this app to appeal to any user who is interested in consumer tech news and opinion, which is a wide swath of users.

?The fact that it?s free and very easy to use makes our news much more accessible to all from the iPhone,? she said. ?So far, it seems to be resonating.?

CNet is owned by CBS Interactive.

How it works
The CNet News application is available for free in Apple?s App Store and is optimized for the iPhone and iPod touch.

When users launch the application, they access a Top News screen with recent CNet articles.

A navigation bar on the bottom of the screen lets users toggle between the application?s different features, including:

? News feeds, arranged by category

? A Twitter feature that includes recent tweets from CNet editors

? A search feature that browses the application for specific content

? A Favorites section, where users can find articles they have saved for offline reading

Here is a screen grab of the application:

In the News section, a navigation bar along the top of the screen lets readers switch between different categories such as Top News, Business Tech and Wireless.

Each category?s section contains a list of relevant news stories arranged in reverse chronological order.

Users can read stories by clicking on the corresponding links in the news feeds.

When users click on links within the articles, a window opens within the application that lets the reader view the linked page without leaving the experience.

Readers can share articles through Facebook, Twitter or email, and save ones they like for offline reading by clicking on the Favorite button at the bottom of each news item.

?Mobile devices are driving a fundamental change in how we distribute and present content, in much the same way that blogs shook the foundation of traditional publishing,? Ms. Morrison said. ?I see this as a big opportunity for media organizations, and a potential disaster for those who can?t keep up.

?Designing for mobile necessitates paring down the user experience to what really matters, both on the content and the product side,? she said. ?It presents many new opportunities for connections between our content experience and the social Web.

?And, it makes timeliness, relevance and getting to the point even more important than ever.?

CNet signals aggressive strategy
News organizations big and small, from ABC News (see story) to The Dallas Morning News (see story), are launching mobile applications.

CNet has already released a number of applications, including a bar code scanning platform for Android devices (see story).

The company has plans for a number of additional mobile offerings, including a CNet News Android application, CNet TV applications for the iPhone and Android platforms, and another bar code scanning application for the iPhone.

It is also eyeing a move over to the iPad platform.

?CNET wants to be where our users are,? Ms. Morrison said. ?That means building out a robust experience on all platforms that matter to our users.

?You can expect to see many more apps from CNET in the coming weeks and months,? she said.

Final Take
Peter Finocchiaro, editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York