In case it’s somehow skipped your mind, Google is going to be turning off Google Reader, it’s popular RSS aggregating service, on July 1st. That’s tomorrow. And if you haven’t taken the proper steps, such as backing up your feeds or syncing them with a suitable replacement, you’re going to lose them.
But never fear, as usual, iDB has you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s Reader shutdown…
Shortly after Google announced that it would be shutting down Google Reader, social news site Digg announced that it would be building a replacement RSS aggregator that would utilize the best of Reader’s features and sync with existing 3rd party clients.
Then, earlier this month, the Digg team announced that it was finishing up work on the first version of its Reader replacement, and that it would start rolling out to users on June 26. And last night, it made good on its promise via an update to its iOS app…
In spite of die-hard users screaming and crying foul, Google quite unapologetically remains on track to shut down its popular news aggregation service dubbed Reader come July 1. But don’t worry, there are plenty of alternatives to Google Reader such as the popular Mac/iOS app Reeder, the unavoidable Flipboard and many other apps.
The social news aggregator Digg is among the companies looking to exploit the opportunity. In March, Digg announced that work had begun on its own Reader replacement. Today, the firm said the app will be rolling to everyone by June 26, giving Google Reader refugees almost a full week of head start before the July 1 cut-off deadline…
Digg, a social news service struggling for relevance in the age of Reddit and mobile apps that gather news, says it’s going to build its own RSS client. The company actually aimed to release such a software in the second half of 2013, but has now accelerated those plans after news of Google Reader’s demise.
Digg’s Reader will make the Internet “a more approachable and digestible place.” It’s being built around modern web technologies, making it “fit the Internet of 2013.” Digg has pledged to rebuild the most popular Google Reader APIs so its Reader could sync with existing third-party clients and replicate the most popular Google Reader capabilities.
Some form of integration with other social media sources like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit and Hacker News is also being mulled. This should be an exciting development for all you loyal Reader fans out there…