Best Google Reader Alternatives

We have already written about how Google Reader will be retired on July 1, 2013. We have also posted a guide on how to download, save and export all your data. This post has to do with finding a new RSS reader. The most popular ones these days are cloud based readers as they can be accessible from all your devices and not just your PC. So without wasting any more time, let's just dive into the best Google Reader alternatives.

1. Feedly - Works on Chrome, Firefox and mobile devices. They have announced a new service called Normandy - which is being built to take over from Google Reader.

2. NetVibes - already very popular and offers a simple Google Reader type of interface.

3. NewsBlur - get started by adding your feeds and there is also a iOS and Android apps. So you can Sync content across all your devices.

The above mentioned RSS readers seem to be the best choices available and if you think another one needs to be added to the list - please let us know in the comments section below. We have not added too many links because there are now many other RSS reader services also announcing their shutdown after the Google Reader announcement.

You might also like: How to download and export all my Google Reader Data. 

How to download and save Google Reader Data

Google Reader will be retired on July 1, 2013 - boom. This was news that was not expected so soon. There are millions online who like to read their daily news and blogs via Google Reader - one of the best RSS readers out there. This is all set to change as the news of Google Reader shutdown is sweeping the blogosphere and social media sites like Twitter. It seems that Google have though long and hard and wills tick to their decision. No amount of moaning online will change that - Google Reader is going and nothing can save it.

So after accepting this fact it is now time to move on. How to download and save all your Google Reader data. After all you don't want to loose track of all those sites and blogs you have been following for all these years. It is simple and easy to do and once done you can export all your Google Reader data to another service online. This way you can continue following all of your favorite sites and blogs.

How to download and export all my Google Reader Data
1. You will need to use Google takeout.
2. Click here to get started with Google takeout.
3. Once your file is ready, click on create archive
4. Click on 'email me when ready' this way you can go back to work while the data is being compiled.
5. Once ready click on the download button and get your Zip file

Once you have your file, you can upload the subscriptions.xml file to a new service to save your Google Reader subscriptions data.

You might also like: Best Google Reader Alternatives.

Google Reader: How to unsubscribe

You know how your Google Reader can fill up with a large number of feed subscriptions that you keep on adding. Sometimes the number of RSS feeds you subscribe to can become overwhelming and many times some of the websites or blogs that you have subscribed to, no more appeal to you. If you are new to Google Reader - well, it is an RSS feed reader which you can use to subscribe to a websites content or use to follow your favorite blogs online. Once you subscribe to a feed it populates itself in Google Reader, and all content is now available to you all in one place. You can then begin your daily reading without having to actually visit each of those sites or blogs online. Which can be quiet tedious, Google Reader is handy and saves a lot on time. All websites and logs have a 'Subscribe' button clicking on this will allow you to add that blogs or websites feed to your reader.


If you have added a number of feeds and want to delete those feeds that have become irrelevant or maybe the owners of the blog or website have stopped updating. You can do the following. There are two ways to easily accomplish this.


1. Login to Google Reader
2. Find the feed you want to unsubscribe from and hover over the feed. move to the end and an down-arrow should pop-up.
3. Click it and then from the menu click on 'Unsubscribe'
4. When asked if you are sure you want to unsubscribe click on 'yes'
5. You're done


The other way to unsubscribe is to
1. Click on the feed and enter read mode
2. From the 'Feed Settings' tab found on the top click the down arrow
3. From the menu click on 'Unsubscribe'
4. You're done


So once you decide to unsubscribe from a feed it is a simple and easy to unsubscribe and stop following. 
Google Reader

An original post by

Sociolatte

Google Reader to do away with friending, following and shared link blogs for deeper Google+ integration

Google Reader something that many of us use everyday to read RSS feeds of blogs and websites has some major changes coming up. During the course of the following week Google Reader will be retiring things like retiring things like friending, following and shared link blogs inside of Reader. Google Reader is going to get deeper Google+ integration for easier sharing with all your circles and for those who want to share with other networks like your favorite social sites there will be Share To available. 


With this new Google+ integration announced on the Official Google Reader blog, the service is set for a complete makeover. If you would like to keep and export your old data you can do so with import/export feature. So the old Google Reader that really looks old with get a new look and a whole lot of social features courtesy of Google+. 


On their official blog we read this about the new Google Reader.

We think the end result is better than what's available today, and you can sign up for Google+ right now to start prepping Reader-specific circles. We recognize, however, that some of you may feel like the product is no longer for you. That's why we will also be extending Reader's subscription export feature to include the following items. Your data belongs to you, after all, and we want to make sure you can take it with you. 

• Your subscriptions


• Your shared items


• Your friends


• Your likes


• Your starred items

An original post by

Sociolatte