Feedly
Feedly
Feedly
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Table Of Contents
1.Introduction to Feedly 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 8 9 9 9 9 10 11 12 12 14 15 15 15 15 16 16 16 16 18 18 18 19 19 19 3
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1.1What is Feedly and What Can It Do For Me? 1.1.1Immediate Updates on the Latest News, Everywhere 1.1.2Feedlys Evolution from RSS Reader to Google Reader Upgrade 2.Getting Started With Feedly 2.1Setting Up Feedly 2.1.1Importing Google Reader OPML files 2.1.2Adding Atom and RSS feeds to Feedly 2.1.3Exploring Feedly 2.2Feedly Overview 2.2.1Feedly Browser Extension (NOT available) 2.2.2Buffer Button, Toolbar and Social Media 2.2.3The Feedly Toolbar 2.2.4Must Read 2.2.5Adding Content 2.2.6Different Layouts 2.2.7Themes 3.Overview of Feedlys Advanced Features 3.1Hotkeys 3.2The Official Feedly Browser Extension 3.2.1The Feedly Browser Extension: Add to Feedly 3.2.1How to Use Add to Feedly 3.4Other Browser Extensions for Feedly 3.4.1Firefox 3.4.2Chrome 4.Taking Feedly Mobile 4.1Feedlys Official client 4.1.1Differing Views 4.1.2Content Discovery 4.2Feedly on Android 4.2.1Feedlys Official Android Client HTTP://MAKEUSEOF.COM KANNON YAMADA, @KANOYAMS
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1.Introduction to Feedly
Are you looking for aGoogle Readerreplacement? Or do you simply hunger for the best desktop and mobile RSS reader ever made? For both the hungry and the hopeful,Feedlysatisfies. But how did Feedly come to be the best? And what happened to Google Reader? After the announcement that Google Reader would not exist beyond July 1st 2013, Feedlys entry into the malnourished RSS reader market came as divine manna. For those of you who remember, Google Reader plunged into the RSS world like a double-edged sword. On one edge, Google Reader provided its users with a near-perfect reading experience. On the other side, it obliterated much of its competition, leaving the news aggregator landscape a blasted and desolate graveyard. Sometimes the death of one thing can give birth to others. Like the phoenix, Google Readers death brought about a resurrection in the quality and quantity of other RSS feed readers. Out of theexcellent RSS productsthat entered the market following Google Readers death, however, Feedly seized the throne adding features even Googles product lacked.
Feedly aggregates, or collects,RSS feeds. An RSS feed provides a method for websites to publish information once and syndicate it automatically amongst millions of subscribers. An aggregator captures, and organizes, feeds to simplify the consumption of news. No longer do we need to constantly revisit the same site, wondering whats new. Now we only need add RSS feeds to our reader, also known as aggregators, and wait for the news to come to us. Readers provide information consumers with huge advantages, as I outlined in theMakeUseOf guide to RSS. Feedly possesses three advantages over most other RSS aggregation services. First, it provides its own hosting service, meaningFeedly stores RSS feeds on its own servers. Prior to July 1st 2013, Google hosted RSS feeds and provided an API key to developers interested in creating mobile applications reliant on Googles servers as a backbone. When Reader died, so did the hosting service that virtually all RSS readers relied upon. Fortunately, Feedly stepped in and offered to pick up Googles slack, preventing a mass dying off of RSS aggregators and other services. Second, Feedly is operating system agnostic, and the most widely used reader on the market. For those of you using the service from a browser, Feedly possesses a great variety of extensions available on Chrome and Firefox. Feedly is the only RSS aggregation service that includes both a browser interface and a first-party mobile app. This means that you can access your feeds from the location most convenient to you. Third, Feedly is attempting to resurrect Google Readers share feature in its Must Read category. For Google Reader refugees, you may remember a feature that allowed users to share content anonymously. Users in illiberal dictatorships freely shared content with one another without fear of government retribution. Googles short-lived experiment led to the establishment of an entire subcommunity, such as theSharebros, centered around the proliferation of interesting information. Feedlys attempt at bringing back an RSS community just might be its best feature.
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2.1Setting Up Feedly
If youre jumping ship from Google Reader, you must set upFeedlyusing two basic steps: First, you can import your RSS feed subscriptions from an OPML file, which Google makes available through Google Takeout. To get your subscriptions, download a zipped archive from Google of your readers settings. This archive file contains not just the subscriptions, but also elements that Google removed from its reader, such as friends, Buzz and shared. First, download and unzip the archive. Here are some directions onhow to export your Google RSS data. The file youre looking for is subscriptions.XML. To access this file, open the folder where your Google Takeout information lies. The folder should look like this: [email protected]
Inside this folder should exist another folder, titled reader. Open the reader folder and you should see subscriptions. XML. Click and drag this file someplace where you can easily locate it such as your desktop. Next, navigate within your browser to the Feedly website. If you already have a Feedly account, you will simply click on the Import from OPML link in the left pane and skip to the next section. If you dont have a Feedly account, you will need to link your Google Account. If you never used Reader, and dont have a Google account, you can sign up for one here. After getting your account, you can then log into Feedly using Googles Oauth protocol, which handles everything with one click. Feedly will simply ask permission to view basic information about your account and, if you agree, youre ready to begin importing feeds.
In the following window, copy and paste your URL into the box with the magnifying icon. You might notice the topical listings below it. Those boxes allow you to search for feeds by category. I highly suggest playing around with those boxes as content discovery provides half the fun of Feedly.
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2.2Feedly Overview
Feedly comes jam-packed with features that any beginning user will want to learn. Seven key features stand out: Feedly mini, the browser plug-in (currently not available); Buffer Button for social media; the toolbar for social media sharing; the Must Read feature; how-to add new content; some of Feedlys varying layouts; a variety of custom colors and themes.
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The linking process simply requires that you click on one, or each, of the share buttons. From there you receive a login prompt. After logging in, you must agree to give Feedly access to your Google account. After that, Feedly will share content to that particular social media account.
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After adding it, check the box for Must Read. Optionally, you can then add it to a folder/tag. Then hit the Add button at the bottom of the pane.
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2.2.6Different Layouts
Feedly offers four differing layouts, which you can change from the top right-hand side of the screen. The four options are: List, magazine, cards and full article. You can switch between the two by clicking on the rightward pointing arrow or you can click on each view individually. One of Feedlys greatest innovations is that it remembers which layout you used for each folder. I prefer using Full Article for high value folders and List or Magazine for content that I want to quickly browse. List:List mode displays RSS feeds in pure text, displaying only the title of the article and the first few lines of its text. Its best used for low-value folders.
Magazine: Magazine mode includes a thumbnail picture from the articles featured image. Like List mode, Magazine mode provides a terse list of articles and provides utility to anyone that requires seeing each articles featured image.
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Full Article:Full article includes the most amount of information, but covers the fewest number of articles. This display mode will mark each article as read as you scroll past them, however, which some users may desire for speedy reading. I find full article most useful for feeds where I read the entirety of each item in the feed.
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I suggest the Aqua theme, as it makes text links appear in a light blue coloration; blue remains the most visible out of all the themes. On the downside, Feedly does not yet appear to offer customizable fonts with its themes.
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3.1Hotkeys
For those looking to improve their reading efficiency, try hotkeys. For Google migrants, Feedlys hotkey keymap will feel extremely familiar to that ofGoogle Reader.
The official Feedly browser extension at one point allowed users to add feeds directly from web pages to their Feedly account. Unfortunately, at this time, it doesnt appear to work. However, it will likely receive a revision in the near future, so stay tuned. iOS Firefox Chrome
Quite a few Feedly extension exist for other browsers, in particular: Firefox and Chrome. These can improve your browsing experience, or simply make Feedlys interface more like Google Readers and a great deal more. On the downside, the majority of extensions exist on Chrome.
3.4.1Firefox
Feedly Notifier: This extension functions the same as Feedly Checker. After installation Notifier will display the number of unread articles in red over the Feedly icon.
3.4.2Chrome
Feedly Checker: Its possible to check Feedly directly from your browser. Just install the extension. Feedly Launcher: This extension simply adds a launcher icon to the Chrome start page. GGReader: This aesthetically minimal extension allows the user to reduce onscreen clutter.
Feedly Readable: Readable modifies the web version of Feedly in order to reduce onscreen clutter. Readly: Readly also attempts to make Feedlys web interface appear more like Google Reader. It also tries to improve on Google Reader by adding the ability to open articles in background tabs using the shortcut v. Feedly Preview Window: This extension opens the full text of an article in a new background window. For those seeking to avoid cluttering up the current window, while opening tabs in the background, this provides an ideal Feedly experience.
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Feedly Background Tab: Background Tab allows users to open tabs in a background tab. This is particularly useful on slower Internet connections. Users can let multiple articles load in the background, without opening the tab and waiting until it shows. Just select an article in list view and use the ; key to pop the article open in the background. You can also customize the shortcut key in the extensions options.
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Feedly offers an official Android app, which performs several of the features available in the browser. In particular, it includes the same differing view modes and content discovery, except squeezed into a mobile screen. Feedlys official client ranks among the most beautifully designed and functional out all the RSS reader applications. On the downside, its only available on iOS and Android and on Android, only on versions 4.0 and above.
4.1.1Differing Views
Feedlys Android app provides many of the features available within the browser, including Magazine, Cards, List and Full Article. To change views, simply tap on a tag or folder, in the left pane. To bring up the left pane, swipe from left to right.
The left pane contains all your folders. By tapping on one of these folders, you will be able to read content contained within. Once youve entered the folder, its possible to change your view. Just click on one of the four icons. From left to right: List, Cards, Magazine and Full Article.
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4.2Feedly on Android
As mentioned above, Feedly offers free access to its servers, allowing any developer to create an RSS reader that syncs to the Feedly cloud. Without Feedly, many RSS reader apps wouldnt work.
Hashtags:Feedly also supports hashtags. Simply search for content appended with the # sign and all RSS feeds related to that particular key term will appear. For example, if you search for #tech (without quotation marks) all RSS feeds tagged as such will show up. This is a particularly helpful feature for those seeking and promoting content relating to a specific subject. For more information on acquiring a Feedly hashtag for your site, visitFeedlys site. HTTP://MAKEUSEOF.COM KANNON YAMADA, @KANOYAMS 19
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4.2.2JustReader
My favorite RSS reader for older handsets, tablets and for offline consumption of articles,JustReaderremains the fastest and most efficient out of all the RSS clients on the market.JustReaderalso offers gesture support: By swiping left or right you can either star an article or mark it as read.
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4.2.4Press
The Press appis among the most visually impressive RSS reading apps available. It also includes offline reading support and social network integration. MakeUseOf ranks it among one of itsbest apps for Android. Check out our complete review and guide for Press.
4.2.5FeedMe
The FeedMe appremains completely free. Its currently the only ad-free RSS reader with Feedly support, other than Feedlys official client. It uses a simple, straightforward interface. If youre interested in getting started with RSS on your mobile device, this is a great introductory app. Its also among the best readers on all mobile operating systems.
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4.3.2Newsify
Newsifyis an RSS news reader available on iOS. It combines an elegant magazine like reading experience with offline reading mode, multiple accounts and the ability to search articles.
4.3.3Byline
Byline, for iOS, features social integration, swipe gestures and offline mode. Although optimized for the iPhone 5, Byline runs on all iOS products. It costs $2.99.
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4.3.5ReadKit
ReadKitremains one of the best apps on all platforms for using multiple RSS accounts simultaneously. For example, if you have Feedly, Fever, NewsBlur, FeedWrangler, Feedbin and more, you can place all your content into one location and read it even when offline.
NextGen Reader is one of the few RSS reading apps from the Windows Store capable of syncing with Feedly. It costs $2.99.
To my knowledge,gNewsReaderpossesses the distinction as the only RSS reader available on the Symbian operating system capable of syncing with Feedlys servers. The app allows feed browsing by folder, social integration and includes keyboard support.
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Theres no single best method for organizing folders, or tabs, in Feedly. I prefer creating folders with two uses priority and category. For important subjects I append a letter and a number. The most important subject material is marked A1. Each folder includes also a subject. So my most important tech feeds are labeled A1 Tech. Be default, folders are organized by alphabetic order, so by appending a letter to the front of the folder name, you will not need to reorder your folders from within Feedlys settings. However, if you ever need to reorder folders, thats a snap.
Once you click on the Organize button, if you already have folders created, they will show up in this window. Simply drag and drop subscriptions into the required folders.
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If you want to create a new category of folder, drag and drop your subscription onto the NEW CATEGORY box.
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The web automation service If This Then That, also known asIFTTT, created a directory of recipes that offer integration with Feedly. These recipes allow the user to automatically perform actions using other web services based on preset behaviors in Feedly. It sounds complex, but it isnt. For example, if you wanted to send an email to yourself every time you saved an article for later in Feedly,IFTT has a recipejust for you. Theres actually so many recipes that its impossible to name them all. Heres some of my favorites:
5.2.2Create Link Notes in Evernote from Feedly Articles Saved For Later
For those of you who use Evernote,this IFTTT recipeallows you to create a note containing the articles URL automatically, every time you save an article for later in Feedly.
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5.3Feedly Pro
The Feedly team announced a paid version of their service, known as Feedly Pro. It launched in the Fall of 2013, bringing with it advanced search, HTTPS, Evernote integration and a higher tier of technical support for $5 a month or $45 a year.
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6.Conclusion
Feedly offers features that no other RSS service can match. It dominates in five areas of RSS feed readers: First, its large community support created a variety of highly useful features in the shape of smartphone apps and browser extensions; its broad availability on all major operating systems; its rapidly evolving ability to suggest new content to its users; its IFTTT integration. Not only does Feedly provide the premiere RSS reading platform, it also supports its competitors reading platforms. Rarely does a product so thoroughly dominate the market.
7.Image Credits
RSS Icon via Shutterstock
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