June 25th, 2008
I have been hearing about RSS Bandit for some time now. It is the sort of thing you read about it as one swims across the hundreds of RSS posts everyday. And no wonder it has undergone around ten releases.
RSS Bandit is an desktop based RSS Reader written within the .Net Framework.
What does RSS Bandit do?
- It lets the user view news items in newspaper view
- It synchronizes and updates read/unread status across multiple computers
- It deletes expired items after a certain amount of days
- It can Control how often items are downloaded
- It has support for password protected feeds
- It reduces bandwidth consumption by using HTTP conditional GETs and GZIP encoding
- It has search folders
- It allows viewing and posting of comments in the reader
- It has integrated Web search
- It has tabbed browsing
- It has security settings for disabling unsafe browser features like ActiveX.
Looks impressive for a Desktop RSS Reader. What I liked about it is that one can view and write comments from the reader. The feature that deletes posts after a few days might be a double edge sword that can go eitheir way. One thing seem certain it gives one more control over the the information flow. A pity its only available for Windows.
I love its icon as well.
Tags: RSS bandit
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By Juned -- 0 comments
June 22nd, 2008
If you were going to improve RSS and information feeds what would you do? What features would you add or remove? The question is somewhat similar to designing the better mousetrap or Wile E. Coyote finding a way to catch the Road Runner. In the process make the Acme Co. a little bit richer. But if you were given a chance to do changes to the RSS feed what would you do?
Me?
1. I would like to make it more simpler. Simpler than it is now. Now its a two click process. Maybe just a one click process and options like:
1. Simply subscribe
2. Customize the feed
Simply subscribe will just activate the subscription and that is it. Customize the feed will let you filter the feed to display on what one wishes to see.
2. All feeds be full text versions.
3. Feeds color coded to see the active and not so active feeds.
4. Ability to comment from the reader. I know this is being done now with FriendFeed and all other such services. But to see it directly from the reader would be nice.
How would you improve RSS feeds and the way they are delivered?
Tags: RSS
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By Juned -- 1 comment
June 22nd, 2008
The Internet and the Web is a great place to store and look for information, data and knowledge. Now you often hear us talk about information overload. On the web there is also the problem of getting the correct information.
You know the situation: Anyone can and has set-up a website that will deliver or present information. You just do not know if it is the right information.
Enter Kigose - a search engine for students and teachers to find educational resourses. Some information about Kigose:
The search engine is powered by Google Custom Search and Google AJAX Search although the website and search engine is not owned by Google Incorporated.
Scope and limitations of Kigose:
- It includes public websites set-up for educational purposes.
- Subscription Educational websites are not included
- The list of the websites included were and are being suggested by teachers, parents and students.
As of May 2008 the Kigose database officially has the following:
70 educational websites are included for web search.
6 websites are included for image search.
7 websites are included for video search.
21 websites are included for story search.
4 website are included for sound search.
23 Websites are included for teacher search
[Source]
Ok. It may not be that big. But at least the information here is correct - having been screened. At least this seems to be reliable information.
Tags: Kigose
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By Juned -- 0 comments
June 22nd, 2008
Present information and knowledge with Wordle. Developed and offered for everyone by Jonathan Friedle. It is an on-line application that turns any set of text provided into a word cloud.
The application gives you a representation of your text based on frequently used words in the text. This one of the more effective ways of representing ideas. With one look you get to see the important ideas being discussed or in that specific set of text.
And you just need to add the text. Then voila! You have your word cloud.
Try it here.
Its free and the word cloud can be embedded unto one’s blog.
And its free for you to use. A nice to spend five minutes. Just make sure the text you post is your own and no one else.
I wonder who owns the word cloud once it is generated.
Tags: Wordle
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By Juned -- 0 comments
June 22nd, 2008
A typhoon struck our place recently. This resulted in a few hours of life without electricity and even without Internet. Some of the ISPs were knocked out during the typhoon.
Luckily, the ultraportable named Mr E was powered up. And it was just a matter of looking for wifi to get back into the Internet.
Unfortunately, Being used to the Internet and being used to it as constant companion one realizes ones dependency once it is gone. Specially when it comes to RSS feeds and specially when one uses an online RSS feed.
With the Internet connection gone the RSS Reader and its content is gone as well. So remember to activate the offline option on your RSS Reader.
It would also help if you had a desktop RSS Reader.
Tags: RSS
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By Juned -- 0 comments
June 22nd, 2008
RSS feeds like newspapers, books and notes have a tendency to grow. More so the posts and articles from an RSS feed. Its very nature is to grow. grow. grow and grow.
(i)If you do not check your RSS Reader for a day or two you will see yourself drowned in a sea of information that has filled up your RSS Reader. (ii) And you also notice there are feeds that you often do not read anymore (not as often anyway) and this also contributes to the growing lake of information in your RSS Reader.
There are two things you can do:
1. Click on the select all and then select Read.
2. Even, simpler just click on the Read All Button
One way to avoid this situation is to do a monthly search and destroy mission on your rss feeds. There are feeds that needs to be let go - to unsubscribe.
It is up to you to decide what the criteria you use to select the feed or feeds that must be unsubscribed. (i) For me a big criteria is always use: Do I read it often or do I make use of it.(ii)Another thing to consider is how important the feed is to you and (iii) Is the feed even updated?
If it is important, your read it and it is even updated then keep it.
If it is important keep it.
If it is read often then keep it.
If it is not important, you do not read it oftem and it is not even updated then throw it into the dustbin.
Makes one’s day easier.
Tags: RSS
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By Juned -- 1 comment
June 22nd, 2008
There are two main things that makes Feedbooks interesting. The France-based company provides e-books for free in several formats and it allows you to read an RSS feed in PDF format.
It is not limited to searching and downloading e-books in different formats but FeedBooks also allows users to publish their work. Ready for the downloadable in several formats. This is cool.
This is just the first main thing that FeedBook offers. The other thing or feature or services that FeedBook offers is that it allows users to read their favorite RSS feeds in PDF formats. All you have to do is drop the link and click. Check it out here.
This feature will prove handy if you would like to bring your most favorite RSS feed or mash-up along with you.
And the books available are not bad also.
Tags: FeedBooks
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By Juned -- 0 comments
June 17th, 2008
All I can say is Feedly sexied up my Google Reader. If you are using FireFox as your browser you can install Feedly - which was formerly known as Feedo. It markets itself as one’s start-up page on your browser. Two important thing that it does:
1. It displays your Google Reader feeds like a magazine. You get the on-line magazine feel for your RSS Feeds.
2. It allows you to mark and share your content with friends and er friends. And this work both ways.
In a nut shell this is what Feedly delivers. But there is more one can also use Feedly to manage your feed. I guess since it uses your Google Reader, once you update or change anything on Feedly it is automatically and instantaneously reflected on Google Reader.
Furthermore as a start-up page it is not bad since it comes bundled with Google Search. There is a provision for adding emails and bookmarks but at this point it does not seem to work. I will try again later.
More updates on Feedly can be read at their blog, which is by the way the blog of Feedly man - Edwin Khodabakchian.
A comprehensive review of Feedly was written by Louis Grey entitled: Feedly Brings New Social Experience to Start Page, Leveraging RSS.. But again in a nutshell Feedly:
1. Presents the feeds that you read like a magazine.
2. Feedly allows you to comment, annotate, save and share any post
I like it and hope for more positive things to come from Feedly.
Tags: Feedly, Feedo, Google Reader
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By Juned -- 0 comments
June 15th, 2008
In Manila a bomb explodes in a commercial district. Calls are made from parents to children. Friends exchanged sms messages. Surprisingly, the media is caught unaware for the first few hours. What happened? Was the question of the hour? Then news came trickling in.
It was not from the press nor from media but it appeared as random posts on Twitter and other microblogging sites. An soon this micro posts or twits find themselves reposted and syndicated by RSS to other applications spreading the news.
Does this make twittering or any form of microblogging a form of embedded news reporting? Sort of. However, The speed and nature of the microposts - because it is local and personal also carries with it some inherent errors or potential errors. Aside from getting the incomplete information, there is the danger of getting wrong information by accident or design.
It still is powerful with Plurk you can now add pictures and videos.
So there is still a need to verify and check things out but it does not take away the fact the microblogging and syndication by RSS feeds provides a great potential pool for news, information and knowledge.
Tags: RSS, Twitter
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By Juned -- 0 comments
June 15th, 2008
Ars Technica has a post,Ars at WWDC: Exclusive preview of mobile NetNewsWire, that provides a sneak preview of an RSS reader for the IPhone. As you might have figured out from the title of the Ars Technica post that the reader is NetNews Wire and its developer Brent Simmons.
Read the article it is a good read and contains several screen shots of the reader.
The IPhone version of NetNewsWire has the a number of features similar to its desktop based and famous namesake. It, the mobile version of NetNewsWire though has been tweaked and customised for the mobile and IPhone environment.
Simmons believe that the application will be available when the IPhone app stores open.
With new technology comes new technology. The new IPhone catalyzes new apps, services and gadgets to come out.
Tags: NetNewsWire.IPhone
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By Juned -- 0 comments
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