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8 Google Reader alternatives for your PC

Posted by Harshad

8 Google Reader alternatives for your PC


8 Google Reader alternatives for your PC

Posted: 14 Mar 2013 05:38 PM PDT

Google Reader is going away. Which desktop RSS managers are sticking around?

(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

It's no surprise to Google obsessives that the company announced yesterday that it will draw the curtains on its popular RSS-managing Reader service. So what are you supposed to do with your 60 bazillion feeds?

First off, you can export them using Google Takeout. That's an important step to take so you don't lose track of any of the sites you're following. It lets you download your feeds output, called OPML, as a ZIP. Then you extract it all to a folder, and upload them to your prefered Reader replacement service. But which one do you go with?

Nick Bradbury, the creator of a popular Windows desktop RSS reader, just announced that he will shutter FeedDemon after 10 years. "Personally, I like Feedly both on the desktop (well, browser) and on mobile, although the magazine-style format takes some getting used to if you're coming from a river-of-news reader like FeedDemon," he wrote to CNET in an e-mail today.

For something more like FeedDemon, this is going to take a lot of trial and error for most people. Which Reader alternative you choose will depend on your RSS feed reading habits.

If you read your feeds mostly from a browser like Feedly or a mobile device, my colleagues Jaymar ... [Read more]

Apple releases OS X 10.8.3 and firmware updates

Posted: 14 Mar 2013 01:52 PM PDT

Apple has released its third update for OS X Mountain Lion, bringing the latest version of the software to 10.8.3 after over three months of development. Along with a number of bug fixes for problems users have been experiencing in 10.8.2 and earlier, the new version adds a couple of new features.

The first is that Mac users can now redeem iTunes gift cards using an iSight camera. Now if you take a snapshot of the card in the Mac App Store you can have the system identify its number and redeem it instead of having to type the numbers yourself.

In addition, the update addresses a couple of previous limitations in Boot Camp, so that it now supports Windows 8 and drives over 3TB in size.

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Beyond this, the update includes a fix for the File:/// URL bug that caused applications to crash, and some more application-specific bugs for programs like Logic that ... [Read more]

Google Reader news forces FeedDemon to shutter, too

Posted: 14 Mar 2013 12:59 PM PDT

FeedDemon

(Credit: FeedDemon)

How do you kill a FeedDemon? Apparently, all it takes is a decision from Google.

In a blog post, Nick Bradbury, the founder of the popular RSS feed manager FeedDemon, cites Google's call to shutter Google Reader on July 1 as the final "nail in the coffin" for his desktop and laptop app. Bradbury mentions numerous serious concerns, such as spending time with his family and recently being forced to take a day job, but he also talks about the inner workings of FeedDemon.

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The software, he explains, relies on Reader for synchronization, "and there's no decent alternative," he says. Bradbury announced on Twitter that he plans to create a version of FeedDemon without Google Reader sync, and then release it for free before the July 1 deadline.

"I think it's great that Feedly and Digg are... [Read more]

Firefox OS Simulator 3.0 makes its debut

Posted: 14 Mar 2013 09:02 AM PDT

Firefox OS in action.

(Credit: Mozilla)

Mozilla yesterday announced the launch of a new Firefox OS Simulator.

Mozilla acknowledged that the third version of the simulator is "a bit rough around the edges," but decided to release it to give users the chance to give feedback and contribute fixes.

Firefox OS is Mozilla's upcoming mobile operating system. Since late last year, the organization has been offering simulators showcasing its functionality and giving users the chance to try it out. As with previous versions, Firefox OS Simulator 3.0 is available to Windows, Linux, and OS X users, and runs as an extension in the Firefox browser.

The latest update adds a host of features to the simulator, including a Push to Device offering that automatically pushes apps installed on one Firefox OS device to another by being connected to USB. The updated simulator also includes rotation-simulation features, geolocation API, and new versions of the Firefox user interface, Gaia.

The Firefox OS Simulator can be downloaded from the Mozilla FTP server under its working name, r2d2b2g. After it's installed, users can access it through the Web Developer menu in the browser.

[Read more]

CBS launches full-episode streaming for iPad, iPhone

Posted: 14 Mar 2013 08:38 AM PDT

The new CBS streaming app.

(Credit: CBS)

CBS today announced that it has launched a new, free app for the iPhone and iPad that allows for full-episode streaming to Apple's mobile devices.

The app provides access to full-length episodes of CBS' top shows, including "NCIS," "The Good Wife," and "How I Met Your Mother." The latest episodes of daytime and late-night programming will show up within 24 hours after airing. Prime-time programs will hit the app eight days after their initial broadcast.

For now, the apps are available to iPhone and iPad owners. CBS, which owns CBS Interactive, the company that publishes CNET, says that its streaming app will come to "all major mobile and tablet platforms later this year, including Android and Windows 8."

[Read more]

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