Review: SPB News 2.0

One of the major benefits of having a mobile device is the ability to stay connected and take instant communication in many dissimilar forms. 1 problem that tin can come upward with the relatively small devices that nosotros comport is really getting admission to the vast amount of information that is available on the Internet. Every once in a while, evolutions in split technologies sync up and complement each other extremely well. Such is the example with mobile devices and syndication.

For the uninitiated, syndication in the course of Atom or RSS feeds (you can find ours here) offers a unproblematic method of gathering articles or news items from various places around the internet and centralizing them in a feed reader. We've featured a number of feed readers on WMExperts including Newsbreak, Viigo, FeedMe, and fifty-fifty Google Reader inside Kinoma Play.

SPB software sets the standard when information technology comes to Windows Mobile software. SPB is updating their Insight RSS aggregator and giving us SPB News ii.0 for $19.95. A free upgrade will be available for owners of Insight.

The total review is after the break.

Setup

Setting upward SPB News is all nearly getting your feeds configured. SPB gives you a number of different ways to exercise that. Past using the carte du jour and navigating to Channel, New Channel; you are presented with a number of options.

The first option allows you to scan SPB's online catalog, which gives y'all a categorized view that is all-time used to notice new content. Option #ii allows you to but specify an RSS/Atom feed URL to add together (this is one of my favorites). The third option allows yous to search for a feed, presumably using the same online itemize. Option four utilizes OPML (Outline Processor Markup Language), which is an XML specification that allows for easy import or export of your feed list. This would be a expert way to export your list from another awarding or web based reader and importing into SPB News. The concluding option is to import a "Local template", which appears to let you import an XML file from the local storage on your device.

Ease of Utilize

SPB has been making a concerted try to make their applications usable with stylus or finger, and continues to succeed. Either pointing method works equally well in navigating through your channels and items. I would take liked to see another layer added on top in order to meliorate organize your feeds into categories. For those of us that follow 25 or more than channels, information technology can be a footling cumbersome to navigate.

Features

SPB News gives you lot a number of options for keeping your news items fairly up to engagement. The outset option is by simply pressing the update button on the main screen. You can also configure News to run an update automatically when your device is cradled (yes people all the same practice that). Scheduled updating is as well bachelor, though the maximum frequency is 1 60 minutes, which can be a lifetime with some feeds.

One feature that I was particularly impressed with was a checkbox that detects what type of internet connection you are using and prevents you from updating over a connection that will cost yous a fee. For those that are "connexion challenged", SPB News as well allows you to fully download your feeds for later viewing.

Also bachelor is a home screen plugin that displays your new items on your home screen. I personally prefer to keep my home screen clutter gratuitous, merely I know that some people would find this to be a primal feature.

Conclusion

Feed readers are i of those applications that are typically simple, just tin be a life saver for the people that depend on them. SPB News ii.0 is a quality news reader that features a very finger friendly interface too as some proficient options for how to update your feeds.

That beingness said, information technology is fairly expensive for a feed reader. It would've been nice to take the ability to put channels into folders; or even to synchronize the application with an online reader. If you're using SPB Insight, I would definitely take advantage of the free upgrade. Likewise, if you depend on RSS feeds for your news intake, I would take the 15-day trial for a spin before you throw down your $19.95. Otherwise I would go for a gratis solution similar Viigo or FeedMe.

This huge Xbox 'Quick Resume' update will give gamers more control

Xbox Insiders Update

This huge Xbox 'Quick Resume' update will requite gamers more command

Microsoft is adding a new feature to Xbox consoles, assuasive you to permanently store up to two games in a Quick Resume state at all times. The feature is heading out first to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha testing ring before striking the general public.