mip's scan

Google Custom Search Engines

Google just recently released the ability/functionality to create a custom search engine.  The idea is that you can create a search engine for yourself (and others) that searches a single site or across many sites.  For example, let's say you were into news but only wanted to see news from certain sites.  You could create a custom search engine that only searches sites you've added to the list. 

To experiment with this tool and add value to you the faithful readers of mip's scan, I created a custom search engine for mip's scan.  You can see it here.   Now, if you've remember reading something here on mip's scan but can't seem to find it again, you can simply put the terms into the custom search engine and Google will present the results that match from this site only. 

For more details on this or to create your own custom search engine, just click here.

Trying NewsFire

Well as per my post from a few days ago I left Bloglines in search of a new RSS reader.  I've been using NewsFire and I must admit there are a lot of things I really like about it and a few things I don't.  I wouldn't say this is a final verdict or review of this tool as I plan on continuing to use it for another few weeks before passing my final judgement on it.

Goodbye Bloglines -Sniff-

It was exactly a month ago when I wrote a post about Bloglines not working for me anymore.  I've been patient and yet, I find no resolution.  Items I ask to keep new so as to use Bloglines as an archiving tool don't stay new.  They are there in the "counter" for my many feeds but I don't see them.  This really disappoints me. 

So for now, I am leaving Bloglines.  It pains me because I like the interface, love that I can see it on my Blackberry, love that it comes with me from whatever computer I access the site from, but I can't have items just disappearing.  It impacts my ability to write about something that I've read but want to reference later. 

So now my search begins and I've moved over to Newsfire which is a beautiful looking application for the Mac.  I'm going to give it a serious go - no using Bloglines, just Newsfire.  The application interface is really nice, having a true Apple feel to it.  I like the way it functions and I was able to export my feeds from Bloglines and import them into Newsfire.  It is a drag that I won't be able to see my feeds in Newsfire from my Blackberry - I'll need to see how I work that.  The important thing is the reliability of being able to find things that I archive (or set as being unread) even after I've read them.  I'll let you know how it all goes.

Bloglines...if you ever fix whatever is ailing you....please let me know.  I'd come back in a heartbeat.

Somewhere There Is a God

Just as my frustrations with Bloglines are nearing a boiling point, it is nice to see that Google has finally made changes to their RSS reader and at first glance, it looks great.  I need to sleep on the whole thing because I'm so invested in Bloglines, but I may just export my feeds and start looking around and Google Reader may be just the place for me to start.  I've got a screen capture so you can see the new interface.  I like that they have an expanded view (what you are seeing to the right) and a list view that looks like you are looking at GMail. 

Am I switching..I'm not sure.  I've had a few more archived items in Bloglines disappear, again.  That hasn't made me happy as I said in yesterday's podcast.  Perhaps if I sleep on it I'll feel better in the morning.

In the meantime, see below for a video I've embedded that demonstrates the new Google Reader (video courtesy of Google).

       

Windows Max Should Be Windows Min

I read about Microsoft's RSS aggregating tool in a well written piece by Mark Evans.  He did a good job giving us a peak into what it is, both good and bad and what it could become.  It is called Windows Max....what?....no Windows Live Max?  Ok, I'm being cynical.  I decided to give it a little spin and see what I thought about this tool.  Strike 1:  It is only for Windows.  For me a good RSS reader needs to be accessible from any/all the platforms I use...Mac, Windows, Linux and mobile devices like my Blackberry and/or my PSP.  I'm looking for an alternate to Bloglines seeing that yet another week has passed and still no access to the historical blog items I'd asked it to save.....but I digress.....back to Windows Max. 

So because I couldn't run it in OSX  I fired up my virtual machine....AFTER I made a back-up o it.  Windows Max is the type of program that makes me a little nervous with it's "I-need/want-.Net" requirements.   Hey it wasn't just me....they even give you the run down before you download the free tool.

What do I need to know before I install?

 

 

• Review the system requirements.

 

• Back up your PC before installing (recommended).

 

• Review the Max Installation Guide for tips and tricks.

 

• Max requires Windows .NET Framework 3.0 RC1.  If you have a prior version of the Windows .NET Framework 3.0, you will be required to uninstall that version and install the RC1 version during the Max installation.

 

• Note that Max currently supports only English, German, and                 Japanese Windows XP system languages.

 

 

System Requirements

 

Minimum

 

 

• Microsoft Windows® XP

 

 

• Home, Professional, Tablet PC, or Media Center Edition

 

• Service Pack 2

 

• German, Japanese, or English

 

 

• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 RC1

 

• 1.0 gigahertz (GHz) processor.

 

• 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM.

 

• 200 MB of available hard disk space.

 

• Super VGA (800 x 600) resolution monitor.

 

• Minimum Color Quality: Medium (16 bit).

I must say that once installed Max is really quite a nice looking application.  It has a very Windows Vista/MSN-everything-is-soft-and-transparent feel to it.  The user interface is well done in my opinion.  The application strength though is also it's downfall though in my books.  I like bloglines because it is everywhere I can get access to a browser.  Windows Max is an application....now installed in my virtual machine on my Macbook Pro. What about when I want to check out my feeds on my virtual machine on my iMac?  Or what about when I settle into a comfy chair with my tablet?  I have to have Max installed on all those computers.  For Max to really be successful, Microsoft should have made it a thin client, a browser based reader.  I took a shot at them at the beginning of this post (Windows Live Max), but in reality if any application is well suited for the web it is the RSS reader. 

Now don't get me wrong, I've been using this tool for all of an hour so far.  I plan on using it for the week.  I couldn't see anyway though on how to import my exported feeds from Bloglines.  Ugh.  Strike 2.  They'll have to fix that before they get out of beta. And that is the important thing to remember...Windows Max is still in beta.  So there is no third strike yet, and definitely not out.  Do check it out if you've been looking for viable RSS reader alternatives.  You can download Max here.

Thanks Mark for bringing this emerging tool to our attention.

Is It Just Me or Is Bloglines Broken?

I've been patient. 
I love using Bloglines.  It has always been my RSS reader of choice. 
It seems to have been having problems, but still I've been patient.

What I'm experiencing is this.  When I select a feed item from bloglines, let's say one of my feeds like Digg.com all my items become read.  That means that if there was an indicator that there were 10 new items, they all disappear.  That's ok...that is the way I set mine up.  Then as I scroll through articles, I have the choice to keep them new by checking a little box that says "Keep New".  This is a feature I've used a lot as it lets me keep an archive of items I may want to go back to in the future.  Well this is what seems to be broken.  For instance, when I look at my feeds now, Digg is showing that there are 0 new items and 27 old items that I've asked to "Keep New", but when I click on the feed all I see is an empty channel.  This is happening to many feeds where I've saved things.  It is very very frustrating. 

Is anyone else experiencing this behaviour?

If anyone from Bloglines is reading this, can you let us know if this is going to be fixed?

Netscape Becoming Like Digg

I'm a big fan of the popular site Digg.  I subscribe to their feed and like a few things about it:

• it is always being updated with lots of content
• anybody can submit content that shows up in real-time unlike Slashdot who execute editorial control over what does and doesn't get posted
• the user/reader-base of Digg does a good job in "digging" or "burying" news posts

Digg has become hugely popular.  So is it any surprise that others are going to take a stab at trying that model out?  That is what Netscape is doing.  Moving away from the traditional portal of news and other such content, Netscape is launching their own Digg-like site.  I took a little time to check out their beta site and liked what I saw.  Clean interface, similar voting system to push stories up or drive them down.  Not sure I cared for the Netscape Anchor section at the top of the home page.  Digg allows stories with the most votes to move up toward the top of the list.  Netscape does that too, except they've got the Netscape Anchors Recommend section right at the top.  That means that less popular stories could be found at the top of the page.  Something doesn't feel right about that. 

A site like this proves it's worth over time and with assistance from it's readers and posters of content.  We'll check back with them in a month and see how they are doing.  For now, I think I'll stick with Digg.

Subscribe to mip's scan via Email Alerts

So you like reading mip's scan but would rather not have to check an RSS reader everyday.  Hey, no problem.  You can now be notified via email when there is new content posted here at mip's scan.  No new content, no email.  It's as simple as that.  I was able to provide this functionality thanks to FeedBurner adding the functionality to their offering (which I use).  You can see the subscription on the lefthand side of this page if you scroll down just below the Recent Comments section.

last post of the day, month

Well, here's the last post of the day, and last post of the month.  Bye-bye March.
I'm heading out of town on conference but I'll continue to blog next week while on the road.  Thought I'd leave you with another ZoomCloud that will give you a snapshot of words from the past month that showed up in the blog.

Blogging for Business

Usually I just place a book review in my Amazon sidebar 'thing' (to the left and down on this page).  But occassionally, I like to create an actual post for a book I thought was particularly good and/or relevant to stuff I'm working on.  Blogging for Business by Shel Holtz & Ted Demopoulos is one of those books.  In my opinion it's a good read for those people inside an organization who are responsible for setting a strategy for blogging.  I particularily like how the book doesn't get lost in the hype of blogging.  There's no "blog because it's cool" aspect to this book.  It sticks to an important first principle that I apply to all the IT work I do - let the business lead.  Blogging is no different and Blogging for Business captures.  If I may, a quote from early on is:

"The best business blogs were implemented in support of some business goal. Determining the kind of blogs you might consider begins with a review of your goals and issues in order to identify where your opportunities may lie. One kind of blog you should never launch is the "let's launch a blog" blog. Any company blog should be viewed as a part of the company's communication strategy."

To me that is an important starting point and I was glad to see the book go from there.  I think if you are getting into blogging as a small, medium or large sized business, this book should be on your list to read.  You'll appreciate the content and I liked the tone of the book itself.  How to get it?  Well, I'm not much of a physical-bookstore-kind-of-guy anymore, so for folks in Canada click here, for US readers click here.