Google Reader

As many of you know, I like Google.  Everyone knows they're one of the best search engines around, but not everyone knows about all of the OTHER things they do.  I've recently started using Google Reader.  I know reader has been around for a while, but it's one of those things I just didn't really get the point of until I started using it. 

Basically what reader does is pull info from all of your favorite web sites into one page.  Any site that has an RSS feed (and most of the frequently updated ones do) will work with it.  It works great with news sites, blogs, and podcasts.  Even web forums can be brought into Google reader, showing new posts from your favorite discussion site. If you're not sure whether one of your favorite sites offers an RSS feed, just click ADD SUBSCRIPTION in google reader and type in the web site address (i.e. http://www.whitcher.org ).  Google Reader will look through the site and find a feed if there's one available, making it easy to add new content to your site. 

There are lots of different ways to view content with Reader.  There's a mobile version that makes it easy to quickly skim headlines and read articles from your cell phone.  There's the main Google reader web page.  They've now got an Offline version that you can use to catch up on content while you're away from an Internet connection.  One of the coolest features is the 'NEXT' bookmark.  Just add this to your favorites or as a button on your 'links' bar, and each time you click it will take you to the next unread article from your google reader list.  You see the content on the original web page, the way it was intended to appear. 

All in all, it's simply a good way to gather a lot of content, from various sources, and be able to quickly sort through and read information that interests you.  Try it out!