Let’s get the debate out of the way. Yes, sites like Twitter and Facebook, and iPad news aggregation apps like Flipboard and Zite have made RSS feeds something of a fossil. That said, for getting the information you want, when you want it, from any blog or website without clutter, RSS is still unparalleled. It’s not glamorous, but it works.
If you use Google Reader, or for that matter Shaun Inman’s new Fever service you need to check out Reeder for iPhone. You probably already have, since it’s one of the most popular RSS client in the App Store. It’s not new; developer Silvio Rizzi put out the first iteration in late 2009. In App Store parlance that makes it ancient. But, it was just updated to version 3.0.1, the first overhaul since November of last year, and it’s a great example of how to make a good app better, without adding unnecessary nonsense.
If you already have Reeder and haven’t updated, note you’ll have to sign-in anew, but it’s worth it. Syncing is super fast, and the new design has some great tweaks. It now supports multiple accounts from Google Reader and has Fever integration. Better still, you can now add and delete sources right from the app.
The same simple scrolling down is used to see your folders and the number of unread entries. A tap reveals the headlines and something new – gestures. Swipe right to mark a post as read; left to star it.
Readability is highly integrated, and articles are viewed in its gorgeous Spartan reading mode by default. A tap on the chair icon saves full articles for later perusal from Readability online or via the app. A great new addition, particularly for those of us with aging eyes, is that the font size is now scalable and you can even control line spacing.
My favorite thing about Reeder has always been how easy it is to save and share. The app has a neat pop-over menu, toggled with a tap, that allows you to copy the link or view the web page in Safari. Links can be emailed, send via iMessage, Twitter, Buffer, Pinboard, Zootool, and Delicious. All three major iOS read-later services are also there: Readability of course, along with Instapaper and Pocket. I do wish Facebook was on the list, but that’s the only nit I have to pick. Actually I have one more – I am hoping for push notifications in the next update.
Reeder for iPad hasn’t received a makeover yet, nor has the desktop app, but history suggests they are on their way.
Find great iOS games here
