Further details have emerged of Facebook's long-rumoured Google Reader replacement, said to be an attempt to create a Flipboard-style service specifically for mobiles.

Called Reader, recent versions of the project are looking fairly similar to Flipboard's own application, according to those working internally at Facebook. The aim is to bring Facebook users' own content into a new visual format along the lines of a newspaper, making it more interesting to read.

The reason for all the Reader development is to try to push more people towards the mobile side of Facebook and in turn see more advertising on smartphones and tablets.

Facebook continues to struggle to get its mobile offering correct. The company knows that social networking's future lies in the world of smartphones, but has so far failed to launch a really convincing product.

The latest mobile effort from Facebook, called Facebook Home, is a specially made Android launcher designed to transform your mobile into a Facebook-centric device. Launched alongside it was the HTC First, which was created specifically for Facebook Home. Sales were so insignificant that it was dropped from US shelves soon after launch and never made it to the UK.

LinkedIn just recently spent $90 million on acquiring Pulse, a mobile news reader. Facebook, who's purchases include the likes of Instagram, may be looking to bring its own in-house developed reader to market.

While we can't be sure exactly when, if ever, Facebook's new Reader app will launch, clearly the company is working very hard to fix its mobile offering. Expect a Flipboard-style reader to be just one solution.