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Facebook's 'ticker,' aka creeper feed, is no more
Facebook has killed one of its oldest features, the "ticker," that let you see at a glance what your friends were doing or sharing. First launched in 2011, it used to appear to the right of your news feed (on the web app) showing likes, comments and other friend activities. As TechCrunch noticed, Facebook's help community had been posting about the ticker's disappearance, when a verified employee chimed in to say that "this feature is no longer available."
Amazon Spark curates an Instagram-like shopping feed
If you've ever found yourself wishing that Amazon would just advertise its products in a social media-like format that looks and functions a lot like Instagram with maybe a touch of Pinterest, then oh boy are you in luck. Amazon just launched a new feature called Spark and it's exactly that.
Facebook tests a new tool to personalize your news feed
Last year Facebook debuted a very handy "muting" feature for its News Feed service that allowed users to stop receiving updates from specific people and pages without actually unfriending them. Today, Facebook has quietly begun testing a complimentary News Feed settings function that actively promotes specific content dubbed "See First". According to TechCrunch, users simply click on a friend or page's "following" button, then select "See First" from the subsequent menu to activate it.
Facebook places warnings, disables auto-play for violent videos
Facebook now restricts extreme and violent content in feeds by posting warnings and preventing minors from seeing certain videos. The social net has never permitted material that may "glorify violence," but generally allowed news and documentary images depicting executions and other brutality in the interests of free speech. However, following pressure from advisers, it elected to roll out warnings for such videos and disable the usual auto-play option. One of the first videos to get one was the violent execution of a policeman who responded to calls at the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo.
Wildcard uses beautiful card interface for news and shopping
Wildcard is a slick new app that gives you the latest news from a large, curated collection of sources while also providing you an easy way to shop. The combination of postings from around the web with online shopping may sound a little odd but it works. For example, one featured collection focuses on coffee and includes articles about coffee alongside opportunities to purchase coffee brewers or other related-to-coffee items. Wildcard is free and requires iOS 8 and up. It is optimized for the iPhone 5, 6, and 6 Plus. After a brief introduction, Wildcard's main screen appears listing trending searches, featured collections, a presumably trending article, new brands available in the app, and finally a master directory of the various topics available. The features collections include the displayed (above) Tech Digest, the aforementioned "Home Brew" collection about coffee, and an eclectic collection of others such as water resistant sneakers, how to turn a pumpkin into a keg, and surviving a breakup. The Wildcard directory contains categories such as News, Tech and Gadgets, Lifestyle, Entertainment, and so forth. It is a mix of news (blog and professional) and products for sale. These curated collections span a wide spectrum of sources and interests, which is a good thing. I only wish there was a way to add my own sources to the mix. There are certain websites that are part of my daily mix and they aren't all available in the app. One thing I noticed is that, in some cases, the content presented was a bit stale. For example, Daring Fireball, in the Tech section, displays nothing more recent than October 24 (it is November 13 as I write this). I prefer to make my own decisions about what I will and won't read from a particular source so I hope this is a glitch that will get fixed and not some attempt at ham-fisted curation. That said, I have to say that the actual display of the sources and of the news items themselves are gorgeous. The card metaphor really works in this context and it makes the endless river of news feel manageable. Each site's content is displayed in its own color scheme and generally looks very well done. A few times, such as with Brain Pickings, it fails and the controls at the top of the screen are almost entirely lost (See below). But these are minor quibbles (just remember that even if you can't see it, there is a back button at the upper left!) and does not overly detract from the experience. The online shopping aspect appears to be quite clean. Even here, content is presented in cards from the product information, the checkout form, and so forth, and the metaphor holds here as well. An in-app web browser is provided for when you need or want to get more details on a given product and you are warned that you are now viewing content from outside the app (as if to say, don't blame us if it doesn't look as sexy as it does in the rest of the app). When you first go to purchase something, you create an account, which will store your shipping and billing information and your chosen credit card number. Interestingly, you cannot create an account until you actually purchase anything. At least you can scan your credit card so you do not have to type the numbers in (though I much prefer it when apps support 1Password so I don't even have to take the card out at all). Wildcard is a beautiful app and it does a wonderful job of presenting information and products in a well thought-out interface that is a model of simplicity hiding complexity. If it allowed me to add more sources (or hide others) and otherwise tailor the experience more, it would be even better. For where it is now, it's excellent and it will be interesting to see how it evolves over time.
Feedly goes Pro: $5 per month for better search, security and more (update: sold out)
Log into your free 'n easy Feedly RSS service this morning and you may be offered the opportunity to make it less free, but potentially even easier to use. An upgrade to Feedly Pro will normally cost $5 per month or $45 per year, but it's also currently be sold for $99 with a lifetime membership for the first 5,000 claimants. In return, the cloud-based reader promises the following: Https support to "add a layer of security to your Feedly browsing" Article search that allows you to search "within your Feedly feeds"; Evernote integration that enables one-click saving of an article to a selected notebook; Premium support, which means upgraders will "get bumped to the front of the support line" if they need a hand. And there we have it. An inevitable move on Feedly's part, no doubt, though we can't help but remember the days when it made us all feel special. Update: Those 5,000 limited editions are all gone. The outfit has set its sights on unleashing the full-on pro version "in a few weeks" thanks to the funds raised.
RIP: Google Reader
We hope you've had time to say your goodbyes, because Google Reader bows out today, ending its eight-year existence. The search giant gave a two-month warning, with many users incensed that they'd be losing their defacto RSS reader -- their favorite way to absorb news and internet goings-on. We'd like to hear why Reader managed to pull in such a devoted following, so leave us your memories in the comments below and let us know which service you've moved your feeds to, because some of us haven't decided yet.
Ask Massively: Feeds and faceplustweets
Google Reader might be on its way out, but old-school RSS is here to stay. If you haven't jumped to Feedly or some other RSS platform yet, July 1st is your doomsday. How is this relevant to your interests and why am I telling you this in Ask Massively? Well, many of you readers probably don't camp our front page, and if you're not into social media and the latest faceplustweet craze, RSS can help you keep up with the parts of Massively you want to read (and avoid the ones you don't).
Pulse adds support for social feeds, including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
Pulse has clearly been working hard at polishing off those iOS and Android applications, but it doesn't look as if the reading service is slowing down its maintenance efforts anytime soon. Via blog post, Pulse announced today that it's now letting users browse through their favorite social feeds within the app, with account support added for Tumblr, Flickr, YouTube, Instagram and, of course, Facebook -- much like Flipboard's been doing for a while now. To go along with that, though, the application's photo and video viewers have both been on the receiving end of a minor makeover, which should make for a much better canvas when looking at those pics or vids posted on some of the aforementioned social networks. Never a bad time to be more social, right?
The Nexus Telegraph: A WildStar community roundup
Let's talk about WildStar. Do you want to? I'd reckon you do, considering that you're reading this now. A lot of people want to talk about it, after it showed up more or less from nowhere with a striking look, spectacular setting, and the promise of several interesting gameplay systems, all from a studio that looked from the outside to have been catatonic before this came riding onto the scene. The point is that WildStar is kind of a big deal. It's novel, it's exciting, and it's as different a take on the science-fiction genre as you could ask to have. Unfortunately, it's also still not released. But we've had a year of solid information to chew on, and as a result I'm happy to present the first installment of Massively's new column, The Nexus Telegraph. This week we're going to kick things off with a look at some important links, just to start things from a solid foundation... albeit a smaller one.
Berg's Little Printer up for preorder at $259, ready to churn out smiley news and gossip in '60 days'
Just when RSS needs a lift amid all the growing competition, here comes a gadget we've been waiting for since last November. The Little Printer from Berg is like a tiny personal printing press: put it somewhere in your home, hook it up wirelessly to your router and then sit back while it prints out a "miniature newspaper" from your personal feeds. More than that, the creators have been building upon their BergCloud software to allow the device to pull updates from places like Foursquare and Google, so it can also produce task lists, location updates, and direct messages from friends. The pre-order page lists a price of $259 plus shipping and promises that the Little Printer will start shipping in 60 days -- big news (and a big price) indeed.
New Google+ API gives Flipboard a cuddle, Currents looks away angrily
If you're just taking down the decorations from your latest Google+ party, hang fire, it looks like there's more good news for the ever-burgeoning social starlet. It's just been announced that Google has developed an API that will make users' photos, posts and videos available on popular social reader Flipboard. Until now, the search giant's social network had been notable by its absence, but soon you'll be able to flick your way through your circles, just like your other streams. There's no indication as to when, but the new API shows Google isn't shy about spreading the love, even if it means treading on its own toes.
Facebook for iPad out now
TechCrunch and a few other sites are posting that the Facebook iPad app has finally arrived on the App Store. I don't quite see it on the store yet, but the news has apparently dropped according to a schedule run by Facebook itself, so the app should follow soon. The app looks ... about like you'd expect a Facebook iPad app to look, with a sidebar available in landscape mode, and a dropdown menu to browse the various sections in portrait mode. One of the biggest features of the new app is integration with other apps -- apparently the app can send you directly to other apps on your iPad when you browse to them from a friend's status or news post. For example, if you read about a Words with Friends move on a friend's status, you can click a link on that post, and be sent right out to the iPad version of Words with Friends (or, if you don't have it installed, you'll get sent to the App Store app to download it). That will help developers a lot with connecting users up on their various platforms. At any rate, as soon as it shows up in the App Store, we'll give the app a full runthrough and let you know what we think. As soon as we see a link, we'll update this post with it. Update: Here's a link! Enjoy.
Taptu for iPad brings blended feeds to newsreader app lineup
Considering how eerily the 2001: A Space Odyssey version of a tablet newsreader matches the 2011 reality of the iPad, it's no surprise that the App Store landscape is getting crowded with newsreader options. Beyond the standalone startups and the gray standards, a whole bunch of RSS-centric tools have made the scene: Flipboard, Early Edition, Pulse, Zite and more. Now we can add another reader to the master list: Taptu, a company with a heritage in search technology, has built out the free iPad version of its app to accompany the existing iPhone and Android versions. The app launches today in the App Store. Taptu's CEO Mitch Lazar, a veteran of CNN and Yahoo!'s mobile efforts, told me that the experience of building the company's consumer search product (now discontinued) has informed and supported the newsreader platform that Taptu is aiming to create. Given a serious search infrastructure, it's much easier to tackle the problems of story duplication and "what should I read now?" than it would be without that underlying intelligence. Taptu's recommendation engine will recommend related stories as you read, and it will find feeds and collections that match your interests over time.
TUAW Tip: Generate iTunes Store RSS feeds
iTunes obviously has a great deal of data about its sales; Apple is quite aware of the top sellers among its music, apps, movies and podcasts. That information is also available through RSS feeds. If you want to share that data on your website, or even if you just want it in your RSS reader, you can use the official iTunes RSS Generator to get the right feed. You can refine the RSS feed created by Country, Media Type, Feed Type, Size and whether to allow explicit content. The Media Types available include Music, Podcasts, Audiobooks, TV Shows, Music Videos, Movies, Mac Apps and Apps. There are obviously many options under each media type, so you should check it out and see what's available. Just punch in the criteria you want to follow, hit "Generate" and then hook up that feed to an RSS reader, and you'll be kept up to date on the latest changes in the iTunes stores.
iOS RSS reader NewsRack out now in Mac App Store
NewsRack, the popular iOS RSS feed reader, is now available for Mac OS X (10.6.6 or later) in the Mac App Store. The new version from omz:software offers syncing with Google Reader, drag and drop feed arrangement, tabbed browsing and thumbnail previews, just as any good feed reader should. It has been available on iOS devices for a while now (US$4.99), but the Mac version is now ready for download from the Mac App Store for $6.99. There are numerous RSS feed readers already popular with OS X users that we have discussed here at TUAW, such as Reeder and NetNewsWire, and I myself am a Reeder fan on both my Mac and on my iPhone. Those of you still looking for that perfect reader might want to check out NewsRack, but I am not sure if I am willing to jump ship right now to a new app. However, it is always nice to have another solid option should I change my mind in the future. [via MacStories]
TUAW's Daily App: Times for iPad
We posted about Times way back in April of last year. Back then, it was an RSS reader for Mac that organized your feeds into a newspaper-style page, so you could quickly and easily scan and browse a lot of information. Nowadays, of course, the iPad is one of the main devices for consumption of online content, and the team at Acrylic has finally brought that reader over to Apple's tablet (and the 2.0 Mac version is due out soon as well). It doesn't hurt, I'm sure, that apps like Flipboard have made it cool to consume RSS content in a programmatically designed form again. Times is pretty smooth, as you can see on the website. It will seamlessly bring in content from all of your feeds, as well as Facebook and Twitter, and organize them all in an easy to read newspaper/blog format. Unfortunately, it doesn't sync up with the Mac version (or any other readers that you may already have set up), so you'll probably have to rebuild whatever group of feeds you're already reading. And personally, I have the same problem with this that I have with all of these "nice" feed readers; it's cool to see your feeds all prettied up and formatted, but sometimes I just want to make sure that I see important news or hit a certain site first. But that's not the kind of reading you'd do with an app like this anyway. (Since I write for TUAW, a lot of my RSS reading is systematically combing for interesting stories and posts.) As a simple iPad reader that makes multiple feeds pretty and easy to read, Times for iPad is worth checking out if you haven't landed on a good solution yet. It's US $7.99 on the App Store right now.
Reeder client for Google Reader now available for iPad
It's been a busy few weeks for iPad RSS clients. The Early Edition saw an update, Pulse got keynote love followed by a quick yank from/return to the App Store... it's almost as if the whole Newspad idea is starting to catch on. Judging by our inbox volume, a lot of you are very excited about the latest entrant in the iPad reader race: Reeder, a strong favorite on the iPhone, is now shipping in an upsized version for the bigger device. The US$4.99 client syncs with Google Reader, and provides a clean and clutter-free interface to your chosen feeds or foldersful of feeds. You can easily share selected stories on Twitter or via email, save items to Instapaper or ReadItLater, mark items as unread or bookmark them on Delicious. The app is carrying a solid five-star rating on iTunes right now, and we're looking forward to doing a fuller review soon. In the meantime, if you're looking for another strong option for feed reading, check it out.
Because you asked: iPad-free TUAW feed
You begged. You pleaded. You filled our in-box. We listened. We heard. We understand. For all of you who love the Mac and Apple news but whose interest in (and, occasionally, patience for) the iPhone and iPad have been exhausted, we have a solution. We're happy to introduce the following new URLs. Behold, iPad- and iPhone- free pages! http://www.tuaw.com/not/ipad [/rss.xml] http://www.tuaw.com/not/iphone [/rss.xml] http://www.tuaw.com/not/ipad,iphone [/rss.xml] These URLs are hot off the presses, sparkling with concentrated Mac- and Apple corporate-goodness. They will give you a brighter smile, cleaner breath, and a guaranteed[1] je ne sais quoi with that certain someone or someones. You can convert any one of them into an RSS feed by tacking "/rss.xml" onto the end of the address. This is a tag-driven system. It relies on us remembering to properly tag iPad posts with "iPad" and iPhone posts with "iPhone". While we promise to try our very, very hardest, we remain the same old fallible, carbon-based cellular automata you've come to know and love, i.e. human beings. Remember that old saying: "To tag is human; to tag poorly is human, too." So you will be finding occasional stray posts in your no-whatever feed. And we'll feel really, really awful about that. When that happens, we strongly encourage you to count to 10 (or at least to five) before firing off that irate email about how the new feature is horribly, horribly broken. Keep in mind that the "broken" feature is going to be us: your shiny, happy, loving TUAW team. We love all of our readers. And we want to make all of you happy. So put a bounce in your step and take your least favorite devices off (or at least, mostly off) your TUAW reading list! We'll be trying our hardest to tag everything properly. Happy filtering, everyone! [1] Satisfaction or your money back! Please include a small processing fee when filing your reimbursement request. This guarantee is fictional.
Armory updates with model viewer, character and calendar feeds
Blizzard has added some nice new features to the World of Warcraft Armory, including a few players have been asking for in the past. The most exciting change is something that doesn't seem to be working quite correctly yet -- they're including a Flash-based model viewer for characters that will let you see what a toon looks like without ever logging into the game. So says their updates page, but as of this writing, the whole system is going up and down, and we couldn't get it to work correctly on any of our PCs. Should be done soon, though. Other updates include character activity feeds -- there are now RSS buttons all over your profile that will let you track achievements, items, and other specific character information via RSS. And Blizzard has also built in calendar feeds that will let you output guild and player calendars to Outlook, Google Calendar, or other calendar applications. That means your out-of-game calendars will update automatically if your raidleader happens to change up the raiding schedule. And finally, character profiles have been redesigned and streamlined -- they look a little different with all of these new features. The date on all of these changes actually says January 1, 2010, so Blizzard may have implemented them a little early, but sooner or later we'll see these welcome changes all active on the Armory. Thanks to everyone who sent this in! Update: The Armory is offline for maintenance now. These changes were seen in action, so they're real, but as we say above, they're officially dated for January 1st. So they may not be in effect just yet.
