• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, November 13, 2013

LinkedIn on Wednesday launched LinkedIn Pulse, a new version of the newsreader app that’s now more tightly integrated with the professional network.

Along with offering more visual appeal, the revamped app allows users to share, comment and like stories. Those actions are then automatically synced to the desktop. In fact, LinkedIn Pulse will become the main social news property across mobile and the desktop, replacing LinkedIn Today.

“Pulse and LinkedIn technology have been fully integrated to offer a more relevant news experience with content tailored to your professional interests both on the Pulse app and on LinkedIn.com,” stated Ankit Gupta, co-founder of Pulse, in a blog post today.

LinkedIn acquired Pulse in April for $90 million and announced plans last month to release a redesigned version more closely wedded to its own platform.

In addition to content from third-party publishers like Time, Lifehacker and the Associated Press, users of the updated app will also get blog posts from LinkedIn Influencers they follow. LinkedIn says it has also improved the search functionality with faster autofill suggestions, and has made it easier to see “What’s New” and what’s trending.

One thing the new app doesn’t offer at launch is advertising. LinkedIn started rolling out Sponsored Updates in users’ news feeds across desktop and mobile, but a company spokesperson said that for now, it’s focused on “providing a more relevant and personalized content experience" with LinkedIn Pulse.

The free LinkedIn Pulse app debuts today in the App Store and Google Play.