Review: 'Reeder' RSS Reader for iPhone
|
|
CREDIT: Apple
|
Those looking for a stand-alone app to browse Google Reader feeds have an excellent option with Reeder.
If you are not familiar with RSS (Really Simply Syndication), it is a system used to stream content from a number of websites into one standard format. RSS readers, like Google Reader, can display all your feeds in one application so you don’t have to browse all over the web to read your favorite content. The drawback to using Google Reader on your iPhone is that you have to access it through Safari. And iPhone users know how less stable Safari is in comparison to a quality stand-alone app.
Setting up Reeder is easy – just input your Google account information and connection is pretty instantaneous. The interface makes it easy to browse through your RSS subscriptions and read entire stories from within the app. By using the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen, you can quickly switch between all feeds and only those with unread items. Another feature users may particularly like is that once a story is read in Reeder, it is also marked as read when using Google Reader on a desktop browser . This means users will no longer have to re-mark stories that they have already read. However, unlike Google Reader, Reeder does not offer content searching.
Another of Reeder’s strengths is its integration with social media and save-for-later services. By tapping on the sharing icon, many options pop up, allowing you to forward the article to social networks or view it in another format. For example, users of the save-for-later services Instapaper or Read it Later can send an article to their account. Google Reader’s sharing button is also available (this shares an article with anyone who follows your Google account), as well as links to Twitter and Delicious. Facebook was strangely absent – probably the largest hole in an otherwise good network of sharing services. Another plus is that any of these services can be turned on or off through the settings menu.
The sharing button has another use. It gives you the option to view an article using Google Mobilizer or Instapaper, which reformats the text to a mobile-friendly version. This makes it easier to read the article by scrolling instead of the endless tapping, zooming and pinching necessary to make most text readable.
With a quick swipe, the iPhone’s top icon bar displays Reeder’s syncing status. It is a nice touch and a break from the usual "thinking circle" (the iPhone equivalent of the spinning beachball in Mac or the whirling circle in Windows 7) that we get in most applications.
Reeder is among the best RSS readers currently available in the App Store. A suggestion would be to add Facebook and content searching. This would make an already great app nearly perfect.
Price: $2.99
File Size: 1.0 MB
Developer: Silvio Rizzi
Platform: iPhone & iPod touch
TechNewsDaily Rating (out of 4 stars): ★★★★
