Google launches RSS aggregator with Google Reader

Google launches RSS aggregator with Google Reader

Google seems to be in a habit of launching a new service every other week. The latest one was launched during the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco and this time we have another example of the fact that Google is finally adopting RSS as an established standard. Until sometime back, Google kept RSS out of their services and products but now the trend is changing. The search engine giant recently launched a Blog searching engine and added RSS feed support to their News services.

The latest product called Google Reader is a web based RSS aggregator and it works pretty similar to Gmail using advanced technologies to reduce page refreshes while updating content. Unlike the regular software download based RSS aggregators, here the feed links are stored online and any Google service user can manage his subscriptions from any computer connected to the internet.

The interface is pretty intuitive. Might feel a bit complex in the beginning considering its radical approach unlike the other web based RSS aggregators like Bloglines. Users can also search for feeds using relevant keywords and add them to his listing of feeds to keep a track off. And like Gmail, it also has support for adding labels to certain items for future reference.

Overall, an intuitive product that also supports importing and export OPML files to get users to import their existing feed listing from their preferred RSS aggregators. This would smoothen the shift for the users who would like to move to Google Reader.

If only Opera Browser supported export of its RSS feed lists, we had like to use it while roaming away from our computers! We have added this on the wish list for a possible future version.