A problem with Feedly

Google Reader was the best way to read RSS feeds. It still is. But not for long. Google plans to close the Google Reader service on July 1.

One of the best things about Google Reader is that it is web-based. You can use it in any browser on any device. It sync your feeds, keep track of read or unread messages and remembers starred items across your phones, tablets and computers.

You can walk into someone else's office, borrow a computer and access your Google Reader account.

Google Reader alternatives

Feedly is a nice alternative to Google Reader on the desktop. It works even better on an iPad. There are Windows, Android and iOS versions of the software. At present there’s no version for Windows Phone 8 or Blackberry, which means you can’t sync RSS across all your devices if you live outside of Android and iOS.

NextGen reader is great on the Windows Phone, but not so good on desktop Windows – it’s a Metro app – and non-existent on the iPad.

With time there will be more RSS feed readers, but there's a danger the linga franca of tools for catching up with news will wither and die once Google closes Reader.