5 ms·

Official Google Reader app for Android is finally here

37 points by iampims 16y ago

iampims 16y ago
Does this mean we can consider the Google Reader API stable now?
drcode 16y ago
finally!
sjs382 16y ago
Shame it doesn't work with my Google account (not @gmail). I'd been waiting for this.
makeramen 16y ago
interesting note: that menu in the second screenshot is not the normal android style, the Messaging and Bluetooth icons are also not stock. Is it a peek of Gingerbread or just another theme I haven't seen before?
- nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
  That's exactly what I noticed right away. I would assume it's a peek at 2.3/3.0 considering that Android "themes" aren't officially supported and are hard to come by, ntm Google is very fond of circulating development versions among its employees.
- joeyo 16y ago
  I agree that the menu and messaging icon look different but the bluetooth icon is the same as on my phone (2.2.1 FRG83D).
bruceboughton 16y ago
>> Volume-key navigation: if you enable this in the settings, you can navigate by using your phone’s volume keys for next and previous I wonder how many volume keys are designed to withstand that level of frequent use.
- bobbyi 16y ago
  I use Dolphin as my web browser primarily because it allows using the volume buttons to switch tabs. I haven't run into any problems and it's convinced me that more apps should offer similar options for using those buttons.
  - adambyrtek 16y ago
    Many book reading applications allow to use the volume keys for flipping pages. This is extremely convenient, because you don't have to move your hand and fingers don't cover the screen. The obvious downside is that sometimes I actually want to adjust the volume while reading a book...
    - ZeroGravitas 16y ago
      The best such usage I find is to activate the camera. Just feels more natural.
      - adambyrtek 16y ago
        The nice thing about G1 is that it has a dedicated camera button (separate from the volume controls).
rottendevice 16y ago
gReader is a really solid 3rd party RSS reader, that I've grown completely accustomed to. I'm not sure I really need / want to switch to the official one now.
julianz 16y ago
That's lovely. <Goes back to using FeedR>
kgroll 16y ago
I was really hoping for a widget to be included with this. Are there any third party readers that include that functionality?
- OEP 16y ago
  Newsroom does... kind of. It places an icon of a designated feed on your home screen and shows how many unread items you have. It's similar to what the iPhone does for a lot of things.
- Andrenid 16y ago
  That was my first thought. A widget showing a random headline from your unread articles would be awesome. Sort've like the RSS widget.
- StavrosK 16y ago
  I hope they'll update it with this :(
auxbuss 16y ago
Scanning the QR 404s for me, and I can't find it on the Market. Is this US-only?
- Andrenid 16y ago
  Nope, not US only. For Google Apps I always put: pub:"Google Inc." ... as the search term. Then you get a list of official Google Apps. It helps you find their apps that sometimes get lost among all the spam-apps using their keywords. (I'm in AU and it let me find the Google Reader app)
barrkel 16y ago
Without offline support, it's kind of pointless (IMO).
- chrisbroadfoot 16y ago
  Pointless how? I love to read feeds while on public transport - where I have 3G.
  - dlsspy 16y ago
    newsrob is the best thing ever. I read on public transit where I have typically 3G -- but all of the content is already local. That means that even when I pass through the black hole of Sunnyvale, I can read without interruption. I also have it sync up via wifi when I'm sleeping and what-not. I run out the door with all of the content ready.
    - chrisbroadfoot 16y ago
      Agreed, offline access is very useful, but lack of it doesn't make the app pointless
  - barrkel 16y ago
    Almost all the public transport I take is underground. But Google Reader android version is little different from the mobile website itself. It doesn't even show the article text inline.
- adambyrtek 16y ago
  Actually the application has offline support, it makes use of the standard Android sync API. See Settings > Accounts & Sync > Sync Google Reader. I've just tested it in the Airplane Mode and it works like a charm.
ifesdjeen 16y ago
Here are the APKs: Google Maps: com.google.android.apps.maps.apk (4.7.0): http://mrgall.com/android/maps.apk http://mrgall.com/android/maps.apk Google Reader: com.google.android.apps.reader.apk (0.8.0): http://mrgall.com/android/reader.apk http://mrgall.com/android/reader.apk
- theBobMcCormick 16y ago
  Why would you link directly to the apk's? If you install the .apk's separably instead of through the Market, you won't get updates. (At least, the Market client won't notify you of them).
  - ifesdjeen 16y ago
    the problem is, that people in some countries don't have "paid" market. but for some reason maps, skype, reader and many many other things are included into that "paid" category, even though they're free. sorry if my posting's intended for quite small audience, although not all the people live is US and Europe...
brandonkm 16y ago
I'm pretty excited about this as I've been wanting an official app for awhile now. Every android RSS app I've tried left a lot to be desired. I've also noticed that (with the tiny exception of NewsRob), android RSS apps have pretty ineffective UIs. This app looks great and has worked excellent so far. RSS on android just became a whole lot better with this release.

37 points by iampims 16y ago

iampims 16y ago

Does this mean we can consider the Google Reader API stable now?

drcode 16y ago

finally!

sjs382 16y ago

Shame it doesn't work with my Google account (not @gmail). I'd been waiting for this.

makeramen 16y ago

interesting note: that menu in the second screenshot is not the normal android style, the Messaging and Bluetooth icons are also not stock. Is it a peek of Gingerbread or just another theme I haven't seen before?

nuclear_eclipse 16y ago
That's exactly what I noticed right away. I would assume it's a peek at 2.3/3.0 considering that Android "themes" aren't officially supported and are hard to come by, ntm Google is very fond of circulating development versions among its employees.
joeyo 16y ago
I agree that the menu and messaging icon look different but the bluetooth icon is the same as on my phone (2.2.1 FRG83D).

bruceboughton 16y ago

>> Volume-key navigation: if you enable this in the settings, you can navigate by using your phone’s volume keys for next and previous I wonder how many volume keys are designed to withstand that level of frequent use.

bobbyi 16y ago
I use Dolphin as my web browser primarily because it allows using the volume buttons to switch tabs. I haven't run into any problems and it's convinced me that more apps should offer similar options for using those buttons.
- adambyrtek 16y ago
  Many book reading applications allow to use the volume keys for flipping pages. This is extremely convenient, because you don't have to move your hand and fingers don't cover the screen. The obvious downside is that sometimes I actually want to adjust the volume while reading a book...
  - ZeroGravitas 16y ago
    The best such usage I find is to activate the camera. Just feels more natural.
    - adambyrtek 16y ago
      The nice thing about G1 is that it has a dedicated camera button (separate from the volume controls).

rottendevice 16y ago

gReader is a really solid 3rd party RSS reader, that I've grown completely accustomed to. I'm not sure I really need / want to switch to the official one now.

julianz 16y ago

That's lovely. <Goes back to using FeedR>

kgroll 16y ago

I was really hoping for a widget to be included with this. Are there any third party readers that include that functionality?

OEP 16y ago
Newsroom does... kind of. It places an icon of a designated feed on your home screen and shows how many unread items you have. It's similar to what the iPhone does for a lot of things.
Andrenid 16y ago
That was my first thought. A widget showing a random headline from your unread articles would be awesome. Sort've like the RSS widget.
StavrosK 16y ago
I hope they'll update it with this :(

auxbuss 16y ago

Scanning the QR 404s for me, and I can't find it on the Market. Is this US-only?

Andrenid 16y ago
Nope, not US only. For Google Apps I always put: pub:"Google Inc." ... as the search term. Then you get a list of official Google Apps. It helps you find their apps that sometimes get lost among all the spam-apps using their keywords. (I'm in AU and it let me find the Google Reader app)

barrkel 16y ago

Without offline support, it's kind of pointless (IMO).

chrisbroadfoot 16y ago
Pointless how? I love to read feeds while on public transport - where I have 3G.
- dlsspy 16y ago
  newsrob is the best thing ever. I read on public transit where I have typically 3G -- but all of the content is already local. That means that even when I pass through the black hole of Sunnyvale, I can read without interruption. I also have it sync up via wifi when I'm sleeping and what-not. I run out the door with all of the content ready.
  - chrisbroadfoot 16y ago
    Agreed, offline access is very useful, but lack of it doesn't make the app pointless
- barrkel 16y ago
  Almost all the public transport I take is underground. But Google Reader android version is little different from the mobile website itself. It doesn't even show the article text inline.
adambyrtek 16y ago
Actually the application has offline support, it makes use of the standard Android sync API. See Settings > Accounts & Sync > Sync Google Reader. I've just tested it in the Airplane Mode and it works like a charm.

ifesdjeen 16y ago

Here are the APKs: Google Maps: com.google.android.apps.maps.apk (4.7.0): http://mrgall.com/android/maps.apk http://mrgall.com/android/maps.apk Google Reader: com.google.android.apps.reader.apk (0.8.0): http://mrgall.com/android/reader.apk http://mrgall.com/android/reader.apk

theBobMcCormick 16y ago
Why would you link directly to the apk's? If you install the .apk's separably instead of through the Market, you won't get updates. (At least, the Market client won't notify you of them).
- ifesdjeen 16y ago
  the problem is, that people in some countries don't have "paid" market. but for some reason maps, skype, reader and many many other things are included into that "paid" category, even though they're free. sorry if my posting's intended for quite small audience, although not all the people live is US and Europe...

brandonkm 16y ago

I'm pretty excited about this as I've been wanting an official app for awhile now. Every android RSS app I've tried left a lot to be desired. I've also noticed that (with the tiny exception of NewsRob), android RSS apps have pretty ineffective UIs. This app looks great and has worked excellent so far. RSS on android just became a whole lot better with this release.