You see all those little links at the side of the page that say “Subscribe”? Well, those are made possible by a technology called RSS (Really Simple Syndication). They allow an automated program to quickly check a web site and present only what’s been updated since the last time you visited.
All of the major Web site portals such as Yahoo, MSN, and Google offer support for RSS feeds so that you can configure your custom home page to show the latest from your favorite web sites. It’s very easy to add the content… just click on the link. Google now also has a dedicated RSS reader called Google Reader.
But you may want to be able to take the news with you on your laptop or download it to your desktop without having to use a Web based service. Well, there are a few free options for just that purpose.
I’m currently using Great News, although it’s a little finicky about the RSS feeds it will read. For example, for some reason I had some difficulty subscribing to One Man’s Blog.
Another good choice is RSS Reader. I found it to be easy to install and use.
Finally the Avant Browser, which I highly recommend and use for my normal Web browser every day, includes a built in reader accessible from the FEEDS menu at the top of the screen.
These readers will allow you to subscribe to as many Blogs as you like, and take them with you on the road. When you have Internet available they’ll download the new stuff in the background according to how often you tell them to.
