Ask Engadget: Best mobile RSS readers?
By Peter Rojas 
posted July 7th 2005 8:19PM
posted July 7th 2005 8:19PM
It's Thursday evening, which means that once again it's time for Ask Engadget. Last week Bennington P. wanted some advice on selecting a wearable display, this time around reader Joseph R. wants the low down on mobile RSS readers:
I know I'm really late to the game, but I just discovered RSS a few months ago and it's completely changed my life, and I was wondering if Engadget readers had tried any of the mobile RSS readers that are out there. I'm thinking about getting a new phone, and since being able to read RSS feeds on my phone would be a huge bonus, I'd like to find out what my options are. Thanks!
Alright, you heard 'em, any suggestions?
I'm using WildPalm's Headline for Symbian series 60 phones.
It's fast, it's light and it works great on my Nokia 6630. It can display really small fonts on the phone, so you can read a lot of text without having to scroll every 2 or 3 lines.
Check out Egress (http://www.garishkernels.net/egress.html) I love it. I use it every day, and it already has support for downloading enclosures (podcasts and vidcasts).
You can try out FreeNews or Bloglines has a mobile version link on their site.
Brian,
I am a huge fan of Egress as well..use it everyday on my Dell Axim.
i use quicknews it's for Palm OS if the TREO 650 is on your wish list, it has the added bonus of support PodCasts so you can listen to the Engadget team while reading their feeds ;z)
http://standalone.com/palmos/quick_news/
http://alpha-technica.org
Mobile Bloglines is the best. Easy, fast and the size of the font is just right for a PDA screen.
http://bloglines.com/mobile
I like Lektora alot. Intergrated into Firefox or IE, it can automatically suscribe to feeds and even plain on web pages. There is also a cool Google Desktop plugin that allows you to search through news stories.
Lektora!
ooops sorry. didn't relize it was for mobile.
I believe Avantgo is a similar service for news content.
Bloglines Mobile:
http://www.bloglines.com/mobile
It wins hands down for me, for several reasons:
1. I use Bloglines as my main aggregator for 500+ feeds. Bloglines mobile lets me access them, and keeps my read state in sync.
2. Browser based - no need to install anything. If your mobile device (Treo, Smartphone, Blackberry, etc.) has a web browser, it will work. No compatibility worries.
3. RSS feeds flow/format to fit the small screen perfectly. No horizontal scrolling.
A second vote for bloglines. I've been using it as my RSS reader for a few months now. Big advantages:
1) works on every browser I've tried (very nice in pocket IE)
2) a single aggregating source, I'd been frustrated with having 3 rss readers (work home mobile), all out of sync, none knowing which posts I'd read on a different reader
That sounded like a cheesy add, but it's really that good.
I used to use Avantgo and found it painfull to bother with
I use PocketRSS for the PocketPC, it's a little buggy but does really well at downloading the whole site linked to in news feeds and caching it.
Good podcasting support as well.
http://www.happyjackroad.net/pocketpc/pocketRSS/pocketRSS.asp
Anything specifically for PocketPC? Preferably something that can download feeds while I am online to view later while I am off line.
I use Bloglines Mobile as well. The interface is simple and consistent, and it remembers my history so I can switch back and forth between my desktop and my Treo.
I got to meet the LiteFeeds guys at Gnomedex and they have a very cool product specifically for RSS Mobile usage (JavaPhone, Palm, Blackberry and PocketPC).
They have a complimentary browser based FeedReader as well that is very slick.
http://www.litefeeds.com
A bit off-topic but does anyone know a way to post to Blogger from a Sidekick? Thanks.
I use fusd for smartphone. It's a little buggy but it works fairly well on my Audiovox SMT-5600
Joseph Rennert:
you can always post to blogger via e-mail.
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=135
More on topic, I give another vote for Bloglines, for consistency between browsers
i'm a big fan of feeder reader ( www.FeederReader.com ) It's fully customizeable & also grabs enclosures. you can also run it from a card.
Sharpreader : best one around, no crazy menus or unnecessary icons, great taskbar aleerts, just functionality !!!
http://www.sharpreader.com/
I use mobipocket on my smartphone. It works on most pdas. There are many optimized sites for it already like engadget! You can also download mobipocket creator and "create" websites for your phone. I use it sometimes. I just click on an xml link after entering the creator, highlight some stuff and walla your finished. You can also convert a normal website to your pda and sync it everyday.
I downloaded FreeNews onto my Treo a month ago after trying about 5 others. I liked it so much I put it on my wife's Blackberry, and it's even faster than on my Treo. Bottom line, this is the best out there by far--wicked fast and packed full of functionality, so user friendly. The web site is http://freerangeinc.com/
PS--skip any and all WAP based readers liked Bloglines or Newsgator, because the download times will kill you!
If you use a Windows Smartphone, then definitely check out Newsbreak from Ilium software. It's a native app, so I like it better than Bloglines which is browser-based. I've been using it for a couple of months now and it was well worth the price.
http://www.iliumsoft.com/site/nw/newsbreak.htm
My news readers are Mobipocket and AvantGo. Mobipocket especially has the really great "scroll" function so the page moves like a teleprompter, minimizing button presses. There are about 800+ sites which Mobipocket watches, although apparantly John (#20) says you can add your own with Mobipocket creator.
And it is "voila!" not "walla!" ;-)
Check out http://www.litefeeds.com
They provide a custom mobile RSS reader for any Java phone, Blackberry, Palm or PocketPC that synchronizes with your online subscriptions.
Just import your OPML to the website and choose which feeds you want mobile enabled. All configuration (adding,organizing etc) is done online so you never have to type anything on your mobile device. Just scan and click your feeds on your mobile with ease.
Feeds are cached, compressed, and stripped so that they are mobile optimized. They have features such as: viewing full text articles (not just RSS), viewing Flickr/Buzznet images, and the ability to clip articles to your online clipboard and share it as an RSS feed.
And best of all its FREE
http://www.litefeeds.com
my.yahoo.com
(I'm on Symbian series 60 w/ J2ME v. 1.)
I liked Headline (http://www.wildpalm.co.uk/HeadLine.html) a lot, but I couldn't get it to work with my current provider's crippled connection (limited/proxied :80 or :8080). (If anyone knows a workaround for that, I'd be very interested...)
I did a lot of experimenting w/ java readers that wouldn't work on my phone (RSSReader, litefeeds -- don't know if it's the connection or my version 1 java).
FreeNews (http://www.freerangeinc.com/) is the replacement I came up with, and it connects flawlessly. I've been very happy with it--it's a good-looking java app with very easy navigation between items.
pocketRSS on my Axim x50v, because I like the info cycling thru on my Today screen. Cost me less than $10.
I agree, FreeNews is very good and I quickly purchased it and have had no regrets.
Newsbreak is a great reader for Windows Mobile Pocket PC or Smartphone. It's available from Handango, but we have a free NewsBreak Lite (5 feeds limit, no expire date) version available at http://www.geekzone.co.nz/newsbreak.asp if you want to try it out.
I agree, FreeNews is the best. I tried the program and quickly purchased it. For the Treo it has great one-handed navigation support and superior download speeds.
I also recommend www.litefeeds.com because it provides me the least expensive mobile feed reader. I spend no more than one cent for every blog site that I read with LiteFeeds on my Nokia 9500. It's easy to set up and use and the web-based clipping service is handy.
I am currently using
http://www.litefeeds.com
and I am very happy with it. Started scanning mobile feeds on my commute and waiting in line etc... now I perfer it for all my scanning.
Litefeeds mobile is fast and simple and all config is done online. The full text and photo features are pretty neat. Also provide a very clean and fast online reader similar to Bloglines, but I find LiteFeeds is simpler and quicker.
I've been using PocketRSS for months on my Pocket PC. Combined with wifi and a 1GB SD card you've got a great mobile unit that downloads RSS feeds and podcasts without being tied down to a computer.
I use Quick News on my Treo 650
http://palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&PartnerREF=&siteid=1&prodID=93767
#13 - If you're looking for something for the PPC, I'd recommend either Pocket Egress or Newsbreak...PocketRSS is also a fine program as well. I used Pocket Egress and Newsbreak extensively during the trial and went with Pocket Egress.
Will any of these types of programs work with a Symbian-based phone like a P910i? Or am I out of luck ?
As with a few people, this is also very new to me.
=)
I use FeedOnFeeds, a very simple, but incredibly useful, web-based RSS reader/aggregator. I can then my feeds from any location via a web-browser and also via my Nokia web-browser.
Being open-source & php, it's also highly hackable - which is an obvious boon.
I use Newsgator on my Desktop, Pocket PC, and Smartphone. It works great in all those environments and they've also got a tool for organizing rss feeds in outlook. They also have a couple of other tools(a podcast download tool that is ok but not anywhere close to ipodder lemon and something called feedburner) you can download. I've tried alot of different rss readers and Newsgator does everything I want an rss reader to do.
FeederReader works on Windows Mobile for the Pocket PC and will download all types of enclosures, handles file management for you and includes a special Enclosure Toolbar allowing you to catch up on news while listening and controlling podcasts. I use it to download 60-100Mbytes of podcasts per day over my cell phone as well as reading the latest news, blogs, and other entertainment and information. Recently reviewed by Ed Hardy (Editor-in-Chief of Brighthand.com) and called the "best...so far" for downloading podcasts directly to a Pocket PC. http://www.brighthand.com/article/FeederReader_Review
Greg Smith
Author, FeederReader - Pocket PC *direct* RSS text, audio, video, podcasts
http://www.FeederReader.com - Download on the Road
I definetly think mNews is the best for my Treo 650. Have tried many others. Give it a shot: http://www.motionapps.com/products.jsp?mnews
If you are using a Microsoft Mobile Smartphone, try BeetzStream SmartRss at http://www.BeetzStream.com. The best part of it is it does podcasts, you can download and play podcasts in the Rss feeds on your phone.
I vote for http://www.litefeeds.com
Hands down the best. Free, very quick, compressed so almost no data cost, and simple.
First complete solution Ive found. Online reader + custom mobile reader.
Another vote here for mobile bloglines. I've been reading them on my Treo 600 for a couple months now, and it's great!
I appreciate the question, because I have tried many solutions, yet have found 2 new possibilities in these comments.
Lately, however, I have been totally sold on bloglines for both desktop and mobile because the most important thing is sync state. And the more news you monitor, the more important it becomes.
I am doomed when the inevitable fees start, because I am truly addicted...
Oh, mobile means my Treo 650. Though I am on Sprint, so I am just foaming at the mouth waiting for the first EV-DO Mobile 2005 device!
I appreciate the question, because I have tried many solutions, yet have found 2 new possibilities in these comments.
Lately, however, I have been totally sold on bloglines for both desktop and mobile because the most important thing is sync state. And the more news you monitor, the more important it becomes.
I am doomed when the inevitable fees start, because I am truly addicted...
Oh, mobile means my Treo 650. Though I am on Sprint, so I am just foaming at the mouth waiting for the first EV-DO Mobile 2005 device!
I am now using http://www.litefeeds.com
Bloglines mobile is ok but WAP is pretty lame and limited in features. The good thing about Litefeeds is I can view Flickr images and get the full text article of any web page .... something that you can't do with Bloglines.
oh litefeeds.. yeah, I used litefeeds on my pocket pc and blackberry. Its very fast.
Especially their buzznet image service, which is wickied. Serveral of my friends usually take photos from their cellphone cameras and upload to buzznet accounts.
After a while, I can see their image posting on my devices.
I like it. If you have Pocket PC and Blackberry, I highly recommend you try it out.
Anyone able to get to http://www.bloglines.com/mobile
via their SMT5600 / T-Mobile USA? I can't seem to reach it, says request could not be fullfilled.