Google Reader - a Better View of Cyberspace

Launched in 2005 by the IT genius that is Google Labs, Google Reader offers users more control over how they view their news feeds. According to your preferences, you can customize your options to display tidbits from all of your chosen websites, blogs, and news feeds, regardless of how often they are updated.

With Google Reader, you can search for content, stay up to date with all the latest happenings from anywhere in the world, and share content with all of your contacts.

Search

The integrated feed search provides ample opportunity to discover new sources of content that interests you.

To find new content:

1. Enter a search term in the field at the top of the page.
2. Click “Search for new content.”
3. Preview items by clicking on the titles that interest you.
4. Click on the subscribe button to receive updates from that website.
5. Click on “Click to return home” in the subscription notification to return to the home page.

To add a feed with the feed URL:

1. Click on the “Your subscriptions” tab.
2. Click on the “Add a feed” link.
3. Paste the feed URL into the field that appears.
4. Press the Preview button.
5. If the blog in the preview pane interests you, press the Subscribe button.

Organize

The Reader interface is well-organized, allowing quick and easy access to all its functions. Updates to websites and blogs that interest you appear on the left side bar and can be listed in order of date or relevance. They can also be labeled and flagged with “stars,” a common concept used in Gmail. The keyboard shortcuts and ability to switch between a list view and expanded view add to the convenience.

To organize your feeds:

1. Select the title in the sidebar and click the Up or Down arrows.
2. Click the star icon on the left of the title to flag those entries for future reference.
3. Click on the “Starred” link at the top of the page to view all flagged entries.

To view older feeds:

1. Click on the link “Click here to view older items from this source.”
2. Click on the title in the sidebar that interests you.
3. Click on the link “Show original item” in the main window to be redirected to the source.

To unsubscribe:

1. Click on the title in the sidebar.
2. Click on the dropdown menu for “More Actions.”
3. Select “Unsubscribe” from the menu.

Share

Google Reader keeps you in touch with your friends by allowing you to share links with them, place items on your public page through the share icon that appears on myriad websites, and add customized clips from your website or blog. Many users have raised the issue of being able to use Google Reader for social networking sites such as orkut, facebook, and myspace. This may become a possibility in the near future.

To share items through Gmail or your blog:

1. Click on the title in the sidebar.
2. Click on the dropdown menu for “More Actions.”
3. Select “Gmail This” or “Blog This” from the menu.

To place items on your public page:

Click the + Google button that appears in the sidebar of pages that can be added.

Access

If you have a special iGoogle page set up for your homepage, Google Reader has a special gadget for it that provides updates on all the websites you’re currently tracking. The Reader works on cell phones that use XHTML or WAP 2.0 just as easily, keeping you in-the-know wherever you are. Similar to the Google Toolbar, all your items saved on Google Reader can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet, anywhere in the world. All you have to do is log in to Google Accounts and you’re good to go. Firefox aficionados will be happy to note that the Reader is also included with Firefox 2.0. It’s also configured to work on a Wii web browser.

To access Google Reader through your cell phone:

1. Add the Google Reader application to iGoogle by clicking the Add to Google button on this link.
2. Select the iGoogle website on your cell phone browser.

For Wii users, youtube has a special video with detailed instructions on how to setup your Wii to make use of Google Reader. You can also get a first-hand look at what Google Reader is capable of through the Wii browser. Here is the video:

Work Offline

For those who can’t be online 24/7, the Reader allows you to download up to 2,000 items for offline access, and then updates the items once you go back online.

To work offline:

1. Download the Google Gears application.
2. Click Enable when prompted.
3. Open Google Reader and click the offline icon.
4. Click Agree.
5. Click on the round green icon at the top right-hand side of the page to download the first 2000 updates to your feeds, which you have not yet read.
6. When the download is complete, the green icon will turn grey.
7. Turn off your Internet connection.
8. Browse through the downloaded titles in the left sidebar of the Google Reader page.

To update offline content:

1. Turn on your Internet connection.
2. Refresh your Google Reader page.
3. Repeat the process for downloading new updates.

Help

The official Google Reader blog offers invaluable guidance on various aspects of using the application. The blog is supported by various contributors, each of whom provides details, links, or images to assist you through the process that they describe. If you run into any trouble along the way, Google Reader Help has an entire forum for discussions among the Google community of users and technicians. Help for your specific problem can be sought or provided to another user in the community. One other particularly useful website gives you flash images of screenshots that take you through the process of using Google Reader one step at a time.