EveryJoe » RSS Reader

Mobispine acquires NewsAlloy

Juned — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:30:36 +0000

Mobile Internet aggregator Mobispine AB has acquired Web based feed reader NewsAlloy. The acquisition seems to be aimed at providing users a seamless product that can be viewed both on the mobile phones and PCs.

Acquisition is an interesting word. Often we hear mergers and acquisition. But when one hears the word acquisition it has very different meaning. Merger means the joining of two or more companies while acquisition means the purchase of one company by another.

Nothing negative really. It just implies the direction the two companies are going to take. And
Mobispine, which now has 300,000 plus active mobile users per month, will make use of NewsAlloy to drive momentum to reach its goal of reaching 10 million users.

And they do this by providing improved and easy-to-use service.

Mobispine is available as a free download for Internet-enabled mobile phone.

Other features or services offered by Mobispine include but no limited to the following:

- View Web content

- Save datatime,

- The unique feed search function makes it easy to search the feeds.

Post from: EveryJoe

Mobispine acquires NewsAlloy

Reading feeds from the Cellphone

Juned — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:22:42 +0000

I am not really a heavy cellphone user. Normally, I would use it to call or send sms or text messages. Although, as of late I seem to be using it a lot for using Internet-based services – emails and Web 2 applications. Recently, I have been trying the phone’s RSS Reader.

The Financial Costs:

Reading feeds from a cellphone can be done two ways accessing the Internet by Wifi or accessing the Internet by 3G. Both seem fairly reliable. Although the WiFi option is most of the time free and accessing by 3G will cost you money.

Ease of Use:

So far it was easy to set-up a feed into the phone’s feed reader. Similar to what you do when accessing through a computer one just has to subscribe. Two seconds and you are in.

Readability:
The posts that can be read are not full text. And is not as information heavy as its Interenet counterpart. It is basically just the post.

Initial Observations
Readings RSS feeds from the cellphone is practical, easy but at the moment seems to its limitations. Such limitations seem to include:

1. No full text
2. Not all data are included
3. Seems to be practical for only a few feeds.

Its not going to be your main feed reader. However, It seems to be useful as your carry-anywhere RSS reader and Internet device. And its for free if you can access WiFi. And can be used anywhere and anytime as long as there is power in the battery and you have WiFi or 3G connection.

NewsGator, SenseArray and APML

Juned — Sat, 24 May 2008 21:26:02 +0000

Remember Attention Profiling Mark-up Language or APML in the previous post? I this it? , NewsGator Technologies, Inc. said that it included the filtering capabilities of Uprizer Labs’ SenseArray collaborative filtering into its RSS readers [Source]

According to Uprizer Labs CEO Ian Clarke, SenseArray recommends stories or articles or posts based on a user’s everyday interaction with their NewsGator Reader. Clarke said that based on early tests the system has been very accurate in predicting taste and interests.

Newsgator VP for products Brian Kellner states that “Collaborative filtering” is used already being used to help users find products on Net Flix and Amazon. Kellner adds.“NewsGator is using our huge stream of relevance actions in a truly innovative way with the SenseArray collaborative filter to provide the same kind of recommendation capabilities with RSS articles.”[Source]

So it is APML. It sures smells and sounds like it.

And this is a good thing because it makes RSS user-friendly. It seems to me, at least, that it, SenseArray and APML,far outweighs any concern … for now.

Post from: EveryJoe

NewsGator, SenseArray and APML

Random sweetness of Snackr

Juned — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:44:58 +0000

I like the way AdobeAir seems to be stirring up things. And it is stirring up things in a good way. Take for example Snackr. But what is Snackr? Well it is an Adobe Air app that functions as a ticker for RSS feeds.

But what does Snackr do? Oh this is the fun part … Snackr displays random items
across your desktop. If you encounter a title you might find interesting a click will make it pop up on a window – ready to be viewed.

The first thing that pops into what one would normally call a brain is Why Random? Could it be the same reason given why a ticker was chosen as the way to deliver feeds? In the FAQ sheet of Snackr the answer was:

Aren’t tickers obnoxious? Sure. But if you’re like me, you don’t have time to read all the stuff being pumped out of blogs at an alarming rate. You just want to be distracted occasionally in boring meetings, or when you’re supposed to be doing real work. If so, Snackr is for you.[Source].

Randomness aside I think this is a very interesting rss reader because it requires minimum effort. You just sit back and wait for the RSS feed to pop up. Then again randomness has its benefits.

Updates about Snackr can be read and viewed at Narciso Jaramillo’s blog, much ado about something, who just happened to be the developer of this app, check out the category for this app.

Post from: EveryJoe

Random sweetness of Snackr

Google Reader for the IPhone and other mobile devices

Juned — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:08:53 +0000

I check and read my feeds on the computer – desktop and my Asus Eee. It has been sometime since I check or read my feeds on cellphone. I might And this is because … well It is choice really like not bringing home work from the office or problems to the dinner table. It is a decision. However, there are times when being able to access one’s feeds on the mobile might be needed and even an advantage.The people at Google seems to know this and now we have Google Reader for the Iphone and other mobile devices.

Google announced it via a post, Brand new Google Reader for iPhone, at the Official Google Reader Blog.

The reader, which is still in beta, can be used by going to http://www.google.com/reader/i/ on your phone. It can be used on the IPhone and other mobile devices.

According to the Google Reader Blog, It ,the reader, has the same features as the desktop and at the same time is designed so that the user can quickly and easily act on items:

If you’ve used list view, then it should be familiar to you. Scan the titles for an item that interests you, tap and it expands in place. Starring, sharing, and keeping unread are done in place, so you never have to leave the list view or refresh the page. We think it’s a very fast way to power through your reading list.[Source]

It is in it is beta stage so two things that one can do. First, bookmark the site, Second, Give feedback to Google.

It always is good to give feedback.

Me, The smallest screen I am comfortable reading my feeds is that of an Asus Eee. I prefer reading my feeds on a computer monitor. Then again that is me, how about you?

Post from: EveryJoe

Google Reader for the IPhone and other mobile devices

Xbox RumoRSS could it be true?

Juned — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:56:31 +0000

According to a post, Rumored Xbox 360 Spring Update Touts “Motion Sensor” Features, Game Installs, on Kotaku the new Xbox will come out with new features.

Any guesses what would be the most interesting feature for A Feed Is Born?

Take a look …

35. Windows Live Mail integration – includes support for Xbox LIVE Vision.
36. Web feeds integration – text, images, audio. Includes support for specific item codes on Marketplace.
37. Option to display gamer picture or standard picture as display picture in Windows Live Messenger.[Source]

Web feeds integration means only one thing and that is RSS Reader.

So will this make the Xbox an RSS Reader?

Post from: EveryJoe

Xbox RumoRSS could it be true?

ReadAir the practical and adaptable RSS Reader

Juned — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:07:22 +0000

Would you want to read your Google Reader on your desktop? And would you want to read it indifferent way while at the same time retaining the features of Google Reader? If your answer to both questions is yes then you might want to try ReadAir.

But not before installing AdobeAir.

Wait, how about your OS?

It does not matter because ReadAir can be installed on Windows, Mac and Linux.

ReadAir lets you read your feeds through three pane interface.

ReadAir retains familiar features from Google Reader like Starring posts/articles, addin and as welll as tagging or labelling feeds.

Unfortunately, it lacks the other features of Google Reader like keyboard short cut. This and other features of Google Reader not included in these app shoud be added at once.

And the really nice part about this RSS Reader is that its GRATIS or in other words free.

Post from: EveryJoe

ReadAir the practical and adaptable RSS Reader

WaSnake the Shelf RSS Reader

Juned — Sun, 11 May 2008 10:13:14 +0000

If you are tired at looking at your computer when reading the latest feeds. Why not try WaSnake. Featured on newlaunches, it is shelf made from wood and elastomer than can be reconfigured to fit almost any shape or purpose, plus it displays SMS and RSS feeds.

WaSnake was developed and designed by Jean Louis Frechin and was exhibited at International Milan Furniture Show. It can display anything delivered by SMS or RSS feeds. A computer acts as an interface between the information (selected and/or created) and the screen, which is composed of a cluster of colored LEDs and optical fibres.

Ok the WaSnake may not be your everyday appliance but it does have its practical applications. Remember it is a public display system and can probably used to deliver the news or posts in areas where normally there is no RSS feed – offhand it might be useful in a campaign headquarters, a newspaper room and in brokerage firm.

Then again it could be for tech bling if there is such a thing.

Post from: EveryJoe

WaSnake the Shelf RSS Reader

Times sure is pretty

Juned — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:30:36 +0000

If you have a Mac OS X you might want to try Times. An RSS reader developed by Dustin MacDonald and gives a new and very pretty experience for Mac users.

Why is this so?

What makes Times different from the other Mac RSS Readers?

For me it seems that Times is an effective, not to say pretty, RSS Reader because:

1. It looks and feels like reading a newspaper or magazine.

2. Through its features and protocols makes the punter choose feeds carefully, ie eliminates backlog

Times developer Dustin MacDonald’s gives a good description of what Time is in his post, What is Times. And Bob Rudi wrote an extensive post/ review, Read RSS Newsfeeds In Style With “Times”, at the Apple Blog. I strongly recommend reading both posts before downloading this pretty rss reader.

Download it here.

It sure is pretty. If I were a Mac user I would download it and try it.

Post from: EveryJoe

Times sure is pretty

ZebTab the Unreader

Juned — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:44:22 +0000

Admittedly there is a slight pause when one mentions the word RSS. It is as if a mind cloud seems to hover about a person’s brain when one speaks of it. It does not help that RSS stands for more than one set of words. It just seems to scare the beejesus out of anyone. If I had a penny every time someone tells me that A Feed Is Born is about chicken feeds I would be several pennies richer now. But enough of the rant. Now a software application and service company aims to avoid the word and other such phrases together while delivering the service so to speak. Meet ZebTab and its RSS Agreggator er desktop channels.

What is ZebTab? Well according to its website:

Welcome to Zebtab, the award-winning desktop content channel that keeps you connected to your passions and interests, effortlessly!

Whether it’s breaking news, video, music or sport, Zebtab delivers it all.

Zebtab is free, requires no registration to use and
downloads in just a few seconds.
[Source]

ZebTab is an RSS aggregator that runs on Windows. Once installed it appears like an online magazine with tabs for each channel. And it comes with a number of preset channels You can download the application for free at their website.

It seems to have been conceptualized add designed as a no frills and jargon free desktop RSS reader.

Truly a dog by any other name. And it does seem to have a big potential. Now if only it could be run on a Mac and a Linux … or even from the Web.

Post from: EveryJoe

ZebTab the Unreader