Post-Google Reader Experience: An Update

I'm still experimenting with the post-Google Reader world. I find myself using two iPad apps fairly regularly to replace the Googe Reader experience: Flipboard and Feedly. Both have allowed me to import my old list of blog feeds that I read in Google Reader, and both allow a "magazine" type of experience to view articles, feeds, and so on.

The biggest difference so far is that Feedly has options to view "magazine" layout and the more Google like line layout.

 This picture (below) shows the "list" style, very similar to what Google Reader used as the default. You can see a number of article listings simultaneously. Tapping on a title will bring up the article or a short blurb that links to the full article.

This picture (below) shows the "magazine" layout, similar to Flipboard. It shows graphics from the original source, full title, and usually the first few lines or even first paragraph of the article. Tapping on the title will bring up the full article or a short blurb that links to the article.

 

Feedly now offers options to mark all or part as read, to save links, and to add additional feeds. It is a fairly good alternative to the old Google Reader, but I'm still having to remember to pick up my iPad to read it.

 

More on this as I learn to use the app more efficently.

 

Replacing Google Reader

I've tried several options to replace Google Reader, and none of them are quite as simple as Google Reader itself. However, I've used two iPad apps with fair success.

First, I connected my Flipboard app to Google Reader. It was fairly easy to do by accessing the red add ribbon, choosing Accounts, then tapping on Google Reader in the Accounts option. I signed in with my GR login, Flipboard picked it up, and away we went.

Likes:
All of my feeds are together.
I can browse all, or browse individual feeds.

Dislikes:
I can't figure out how to mark feeds as "read".
You need to "flip" pages instead of being able to scroll a list of titles and blurbs.

Second, I installed the Feedly app on my iPad. I was able to log in with my Google Reader ID, and Feedly pulled in my feeds. It was pretty easy.

Likes:
All of my feeds are together.
I can browse all or individual feeds.
It's easy to pull up a list of folders (from the original Google Reader setup) and choose one to read.
I can view either lists of posts or pages with squares representing posts.
It is searchable.
Lots of options for display.
I can mark feeds as read.

Dislikes:
I haven't found a way to access this from a web browser.

So for now, my favorite new RSS reader is Feedly. It has improved in look and performance since I first installed it last month, and is great for anyone using an iPad or similar device.

My third option, that bypasses using feed readers althogether, is subscribing to the emails from Pinhawk.

RSS readers

I am going to be testing out two possible replacements for Google Reader for my RSS feed browsing. Both will ask for permission to access your Google account to pull in your current list of feeds, then import it into their system.

The first, InoReader (www.inoreader.com), comes in a variety of formats. I will be testing the Chrome browser extention, the web version, and the iPad mobile version. I have initially set up the Chrome extension, and succesfully installed my feed list and even read a few posts. One advantage is you can get it to look like Google Reader, so there's less stress from figuring out how to read your feeds.

The second, feedly (www.feedly.com), seems to be primarily a mobile device app or browser extension. It also will let you sign in with your Google account, then import your current feed subscriptions. feedly has several ways to look at the posts, from Flipboard style "magazine" blocks to more traditional several line blurbs.

I will post an update after I've had time to work with each.

Follow up on Google Reader

I posted about Google Reader going dark July 1 and have wondered what to do about it. I found a workaround for now by accessing my Google Reader feeds via my Flipboard app on my iPad. If you use Google Reader and Flipboard, here are the instructions to get you started.

1. Open the Flipboar app.
2. Tap the red ribbon icon in the upper right corner.
3. Tap the Accounts link (should be second link).
4. Tap "Google Reader" from the ADD AN ACCOUNT listing.
5. Sign in using your Google Reader id.
6. Tap off to the side to dismiss the add content side bar.
7. Tap the new Google Reader icon to start reading.

You can still look at individual feeds and folders by tapping the Google Reader icon at the top of the page and choosing the "Feeds & Folders" link.

Pros: you can still access your RSS feeds.
Cons: you have to flip multiple pages to see the entire list for a feed.

Google Reader going dark July 1

I just saw that Google Reader is shutting down on July 1, 2013. I've used it to monitor my RSS feeds for several years now, and now will have to find a replacement. For more details, visit Google at http://support.google.com/reader/answer/3028851 or read the Ars Technica article at http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/03/poll-technica-where-should-we-go-when-google-reader-is-put-out-to-pasture/.

Legal Current

Legal Current is a legal business blog by Thompson Reuters. You can subscribe to the blog via RSS and email. The blog also have a podcast available on iTunes.

SEC Press Release Feed

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has a news release RSS feed: http://www.sec.gov/rss/news/press.xml

Bloglines Closing Nov. 1st

With Bloglines closing on Nov. 1st, I evaluated a few more RSS readers and decided to try Newsgator's FeedDemon. It is a free service that is an application tool. It quickly downloads to your computer, and exporting your current feeds to the application is easy. I also like the email features for each main entry. If you would like to try it, here's the URL.

Speaking of RSS Feeds....

New Media News has published a list of the "Best RSS Directories and Blog Submission Sites."

THOMAS Launches RSS Feed

I just saw this on the LLSDC Listserv.

The Congressional Record Daily Digest is now available as an RSS feed from THOMAS http://thomas.loc.gov/home/rss/dd.xml.

The Daily Digest from THOMAS is one of five RSS feeds available from the Law Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/law/news/rss.php page.

RSS Feeds Have Arrived For Findlaw Data

Findlaw has created RSS Feeds for a number of content, including my favorite, Greedy Associates!

To find your RSS Feed for your favorite topic, click here http://findlaw.com/RSS-index/.

Categories include:
News
Features
Case Summaries
Greedy Associates