Monday, October 10, 2005

Google Feeds the World

Google has added new experiment to Google Labs: Google Reader.
Reader makes it easier to keep up with your ever-expanding reading list of content from across the web.
Adding feeds to the Google Reader is quite easy. You log into the Google Reader with your Gmail Id or by using your Google Account. Once logged in, you can search for a particular site or a keyword and then pick up the feeds you want to subscribe to. Or you can directly add a site's URL or the Feed URL to the reader.

The Google Reader, once it loads, is quite nifty and allows you to browse through your various subscriptions quite easily. You can sort your subscriptions, or individual posts in the subscriptions, by date, read/unread, etc.The Google Reader also claims to arrange your list, automatically, according to the items you read the most.

The Google Reader supports labels like Gmail. You can also "Star" the feeds/posts that you think are important. And when you come across something worth sharing, you can email it or blog it from within Reader.

I couldn't, however, use it with Firefox. It worked quite well in Internet Explorer. The feeds, however, took some time to load. I couldn't figure, if it was a network issue at my end or a problem with the Reader itself.

If Google can iron out these issues (It undoubtedly will, Google Reader is still in beta), the Reader will be a great tool to "bookmark" and carry and access your regular webfeeds everywhere and anywhere in the world.

Try it out here. You can take a tour of the Google Reader here.

(Hat tip via email from Dinesh Warrier)

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