Feedly for Android scores 300 percent faster start time, raft of refinements

Google Reader stand-in Feedly has picked up a bounty of tweaks and features in its latest version, which just hit Google Play. Now in its 17th iteration, the app starts up 300 percent faster, boasts smoother scrolling, a retooled widget and a new discover section to peruse stories. Design buffs will be pleased to see improved fonts and a refined visual design geared towards readability. In addition, pro users will now be able to use an enhanced search to scour the entirety of their feeds. The minds behind Feedly have also given their application some future-proofing as well -- particularly for an era that includes smartwatches -- with optimizations for the Samsung Galaxy Gear and Android Kitkat. Unfortunately, details on what was fine-tuned for Google's upcoming operating system are MIA. Faithful iOS users can't get ahold of the updates just yet, but that should change shortly as the app will embark on the App Store approval process Friday.