The big news in the feeds I follow is that Google Reader is shutting down July 1. Why?
There are two simple reasons for this: usage of Google Reader has declined, and as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products. We think that kind of focus will make for a better user experience.
Of course, usage has declined because they’ve poured their energy elsewhere, but facts don’t matter here.
So now what? What other web apps exist that can replace Google Reader, especially the backend sync feature? For just a web app, there’s Fever. For a desktop app, Newsfire can still be purchased, but hasn’t been updated in years. Nothing is ideal.
Update: Looks like a bunch of people are getting behind Newsblur. It’s open source too.
2nd Update: The Old Reader looks much nicer to me, but feeds aren’t updated all that often from what I can tell.
3rd Update: Tiny Tiny RSS looks like a pretty good alternative. As does 1k, which open sourced a few hours ago.
4th Update: Okay okay, I know I left out a few before. Feedly, of course. And NetVibes and Bloglines. But I’m not all that impressed with those, and the idea of an open source feed reader is particularly enticing. Meanwhile, Digg has thrown its hat into the race. And as Robert Kaiser says below, there’s ownCloud News if you don’t mind running your own.
5th Update: Feedbin is another option.