Google has decided to COMPLETELY change the interface of their online RSS reader application.  The “new and exciting” changes, as listed on the Reader home page and on the Official Google Reader Blog, are:

• Expanded view and list view
• Simplified sharing functionality
• Improved read-state management
• Infinite scrolling
• Unread counts
• Mark all as read
• and a bunch more…

To be perfectly frank, I was actually a big fan of the old interface and the only suggestion I had ever submitted to Google was to be able to customize the length of the “reading list.”  Regardless, check out the new version at http://reader.google.com.

Update: Okay, we posted this about a half hour ago but I’m already a very big fan of the new Google Reader…it’s a HUGE improvement over the old interface.  The infinite scrolling in list view is extremely similar to your Gmail inbox.  Each list item shows where the post came from, the title, a snippet of the post, and the time it was posted.

Another new feature is the addition of a few different bookmarklets which you can put in the Links toolbar of Firefox or IE.  The “Next…” bookmarklet is for navigating through your Reader feeds without even being inside the application.  The “Subscribe…” bookmarklet does as you might expect…it allows you to subscribe to any feed of a page you are viewing.

Also, many more keyboard shortcuts have been added - it would actually be extremely easy to navigate this entire site without even thinking about touching your mouse.

technorati tags:google, reader, rss, feeds

The first release candidate for Firefox 2.0 is available for download.

Why are you still here?

Go!

technorati tags:mozilla, firefox, rc1

Today, we’ll be looking at the new Windows Vista Start Menu. Definitely one of our favorite new features about the next-generation OS, the new Start Menu now allows for instant search of not only program shortcuts within the menu itself but also of your entire computer. As you’ll notice in the screenshot, the Start Menu now contains a search box which features search-as-you-type technology we all know and love. As you can see, typing “Live” into the menu instantly gives us related programs, internet shortcuts, e-mails, and more. We’re quite fond of the fact that we can do a desktop search just by hitting the Start key of our keyboard, typing, and hitting Enter (or arrowing up and down). Finding pretty much anything on our computer is literally a two-second process now. Be sure and checkout the screenshot below to see it in action.

Here at Fans of Tech, we’re testing out using Picasa Web Albumsto host these and other images for our readers. If you’re new to PicasaWeb Albums, please check out the graphic below before clicking on theScreenshot of the Day.

technorati tags:microsoft, windows, vista, screenshots

According to an e-mail we just received (other Writely beta users should also have received this e-mail), Google will soon be switching the Writely online word processor (a company they acquired back in March) application to be accessible only with a Google account. This should take place before the end of the week:

In a few days, we will update your Writely account to use your ———-@gmail.com Google Account registration settings.

This means you’ll need to use your Google Account password when signing in, not your Writely password (if they’re different).

If you’ve forgotten your Google Account password, just go to https://www.google.com/accounts/ForgotPasswd

Thanks!
Google Writely Team

Update: It appears as though this change has taken place…Writely.com is now prompting for your Google Account credentials.

technorati tags:google, writely

According to Reuters India, Adobe will be releasing the latest version of Acrobat, version 8.0, sometime this November. This latest version features updated tools for making changes to and removing information from existing documents. (At long last, Standard and Professional users can now “Enable anyone using free Adobe® Reader® software (version 7.0 or 8.0) to participate in document reviews, fill and save electronic forms offline*, and digitally sign documents.”) An enhanced “Save as Word” option is also included, allowing a user to retain layout, fonts, formatting, tables, etc. when saving to the .doc format.

Along with the release, Adobe is also launching Acrobat Connect and Acrobat Connect Professional:

Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ software enables professionals to communicate and collaborate instantly with small teams, colleagues, and customers through easy-to-use, easy-to-access online personal meeting rooms. Acrobat Connect brings real-world functionality to ad-hoc one-on-one meetings and small team collaboration, for an affordable flat price.

This will be the software maker’s first release since they acquired Macromedia in December of 2005.

Another day, another Windows Vista screenshot.  Today, we’ll be taking a look at Problem Reports and Solutions.  This “feature,” which we’ve all come to know and love from Windows XP, can be found in the Windows Vista Control Panel.  In this new edition, you’ll be able to better view a complete history of Windows problems…be it program incompatibilities, programs that have “stopped responding” (shudder), or faulty/unavailable drivers.  While the actual error reporting feature was helpful only about 10-15% of the time in Windows XP, this updated console in Windows Vista might actually prove to be useful if only for the fact that I can better view a system’s history of these “problems.”

There’s even a dedicated section of the console allowing you to view problems that are currently being researched.

Here at Fans of Tech, we’re testing out using Picasa Web Albums to host these and other images for our readers. If you’re new to Picasa Web Albums, please check out the graphic below before clicking on the Screenshot of the Day.

technorati tags:microsoft, windows, vista, screenshots

If there’s one thing we could all use more of, it’s screenshots of the next Microsoft Operating System, am I right? Huh? Am I?

I’ll take that silence to mean “yes.”

Our intent with ASAD is to provide those of you who are unable to toy experiment with a pre-release with a daily glimpse of the OS you’ll be dealing working with for the next 4-5 years. We’ll be uploading screenshots of dialog boxes, installations, administration tools, Explorer windows and much, much more. To start things off, I’ve taken a screenshot of the Windows Vista desktop (with a customized task bar and Sidebar) on a widescreen laptop:

(As you’ll eventually notice, Aero is not enabled on our test system as the Nvidia GeForce Go card on the laptop is not able to handle the kind of graphics that Vista can display - there’s no Vista compatible driver yet and, even if there were, I still don’t think this laptop graphics card could handle Aero. Subsequently, you won’t notice alot of transparency or drop shadows in these screenshots.)

Also, we’re testing out using Picasa Web Albums to host these and other images for our readers. Please check out the graphic below before clicking on the Screenshot of the Day - if you’re new to Picasa Web Albums.

technorati tags:windows, vista, screenshot