Smartphones have fostered short attention spans for years, and now Cartoon Network plans to take advantage of that with a new app designed to deliver entertainment in extremely short bursts. Later this year, the company will release Cartoon Network Anything, an app with 15-second videos, games, and other tiny chunks of entertainment, reports The New York Times. The free app won't be tied to any cable service provider, says Cartoon Network Digital's vice president Chris Waldron, who added that the company views it as a proving ground for new content that might be deserving of a longer-form production.

Entertainment in extremely short bursts

Cartoon Network is no stranger to mobile software. The company launched a mobile app to watch its programming for cable or satellite TV providers in late 2010, and has spun off more than a dozen mobile games from various shows since then. It's joined by sister network Adult Swim (which shares the same channel), which has produced mobile gaming hits like Robot Unicorn Attack and Amateur Surgeon.

News of the service comes as major changes are afoot at Time Warner's animation unit. President and chief operating officer Stu Snyder, who had held the post for six years, announced his resignation this week. A report detailing Snyder's departure in the Los Angeles Times yesterday suggested it was due to tensions with newly-shuffled executives, including Turner's new president David Levy. An internal memo from Levy, shared by The Times, said the change was "an opportunity for fresh thinking."