One internet feature I’m surprised hasn’t caught on more widely is RSS. It’s a wonderful tool which brings you the stuff you want to read, without you ever going to fetch it. It allows for quick scanning of headlines to determine reading worthiness. It’s basically your own personal magazine. I know that some BlackBerry users use Viigo for their RSS feeds on the go, and, if you wish, you can import your Google Reader feeds into Viigo. For those that want the true Google Reader experience, though, we’re stuck with a simple web interface. Recently, however, Ronen at BerryReview demonstrated how to use the Android and iPhone optimized WebApp from your OS 4.6 and higher browser.
To use this Java-based app, head to http://www.google.com/reader/i/ from your BlackBerry browser. The page will load, but your feeds won’t. Click Menu, select Add Bookmark, and on that screen scroll to the bottom and set JavaScript to Enabled. Then close down your browser and start it back up. Go to the bookmark, and you’ll see a list of your latest items. Click on the headline, and it will drop down and give you the article’s full content, without having to load a new page.
As Ronen notes, this isn’t a perfect solution. The read/unread status does not travel back and forth between the device and your account, so it’s only good for reading your latest items. Images sometimes do not load properly either. But if you can handle these inconveniences, the Java-enabled Google Reader WebApp does provide a better reading experience than its WAP counterpart, which is what Google suggests you use.
Does anyone else remember Google once having a Reader app for BlackBerry? I could have sworn I had it on my 8830 at some point.
This post originated at BBGeeks.com – home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.
Getting more out of Google Reader on BlackBerry
This post originated at BBGeeks.com – home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.
Getting more out of Google Reader on BlackBerry