Essential Android Apps

Skeeter · 9 Jul 2012 at 10:34

And the fact that Google Reader seems to run kiddy sized jumbo fonts...

I'll give gReader a go over the next few days.

mrk · 9 Jul 2012 at 10:38

Skeeter said:
And the fact that Google Reader seems to run kiddy sized jumbo fonts...

I'll give gReader a go over the next few days.

The dark theme is way prettier too

Skeeter · 9 Jul 2012 at 10:52

Agreed.

God the BBC News feeds are a mess! The ones I've found through the app only seem to show 10 items?

mrk · 9 Jul 2012 at 10:55

Just use the URL for BBC news in Google Reader (desktop) to sub then sync on gReader, done

I get full item listings for my chosen categories in BBC News.

Skeeter · 9 Jul 2012 at 10:57

Does that work properly with the Offline mode?

kona786 · 9 Jul 2012 at 10:58

Skeeter said:
Agreed.

God the BBC News feeds are a mess! The ones I've found through the app only seem to show 10 items?

that baffled me too - press the box with the tick in it to see all news.

mrk said:
The dark theme is way prettier too

Agreed - greader looks great - nice reccomendation!

mrk · 9 Jul 2012 at 11:02

Ah yes, by default it only shows unread, tick the box (long press for toast on what it is) to show all.

Skeeter · 9 Jul 2012 at 11:15

Excellent, cheers guys. I have added most of the feeds I use on iGoogle and set it to download simplified full articles on WiFi only every couple of hours. I'll properly test it out on the train in the morning.

benjo · 9 Jul 2012 at 13:16

I use gReader too, although recently bought minimal reader pro and actually prefer it. Less features, but nicer UI. (Dark/Light).

rogueblade · 9 Jul 2012 at 13:27

Is Google Reader/Greader a similar thing to an RSS feed? I thought RSS feeds weren't really used anymore.

mrk · 9 Jul 2012 at 13:30

Google Reader is an evolution of RSS. Supports rich content instead of just text based feeds and can poll a standard URL and pull new updates from just that instead of relying on an RSS feed enabled URL.

Richie · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:14

Like Flipboard or is it different again? I just started using Flipboard but if there is something better then I would give it a try

mrk · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:16

Similar, different delivery. Google's Reader service relies on content + speed.

Flipboard relies on being pretty, not as fast or customisable.

rogueblade · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:30

I don't get it though. I've had Google Reader for years, and stuff I've subscribed to never ever shows in my feed. Or once in a blue moon a single article will appear in the reader or a dumb of 10.

For example, I have the Apple Movie Trailers site in my Google Reader. It never updates the same time the site updates and when it does update, it dumps in like 50 trailers at once.

mrk · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:32

Your feed URLs are bunk then, re-subscribe using a correct URL? All my feeds update instantly as soon as new articles are out on any of the tens of sources I'm subbed to.

rogueblade · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:32

^ So do you basically copy and paste the URL of the page you're on for updates?

mrk · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:37

Yes, for example,

If I wanted to only get updates from Google News' "Tech" section then I click the Subscribe button in Google Reader and add the direct URL ( https://news.google.co.uk/news/section?pz=1&cf=all&topic=tc&ict=ln ) and Reader does the rest. The Android apps then sync that new subscription automagically.

rogueblade · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:38

Cool thanks. Think I'll revamp my Google Reader!

Nexus18 · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:54

Just checked greader out, I like it but far too many options/features for my liking

How does google currents compare to it and flipboard?

Currently use flipboard, which quite like.

mrk · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:57

Currents and Flipboard are more alike each other whereas Google Reader, I find, is just quicker and more controllable.

I do like control though.

Control freak?