GOOGLE READER FLIPBOARD UPDATE

Though we think of RSS feeds as pretty boring, like a dull hammer, Feedly is a nice alternative. We really like the interface, too - simple, clean, and lets us scroll rather than flip.ДЇeedly replaced Google Reader for many of us, and it remains one of the better ways to consume information quickly. It all happens via the slide-out menu from the left, and familiar вЂњbackвЂќ key up top. The difference is interface, which we find to be snappier and easier to navigate. The latter is your Flipboard competitor, and asks that you curate your own feeds - just like Flipboard. Newsstand has both Magazines (subscription, obviously) and My News (Currents, more or less). Rolling it into Newsstand livened it up in regard to functionality. We liked currents, but it was a bit clumsy. Currently, Flipboard uses its own infrastructure to serve RSS feeds to users, but hasnвЂ™t discounted the idea of working with other API platform providers, like Feedly, at a later date.When Google rolled Currents into their new Newsstand app, it showed the appвЂ™s aim.

Part of the problem with todayвЂ™s transition is that Google never announced an official shutdown time for Reader, which made it difficult from an operational point of view to be fully ready for the transition. вЂњNothing is lost,вЂќ says Flipboard founder Mike McCue, adding that вЂњitвЂ™s definitely taking longer than we thought.вЂќ

The Summary feed will also be fixed, and even obscure feeds - like those that one TechCrunch reader noted were still missing - will be added, as well. The expectation is that all users should have their feeds restored by the end of the day.

GOOGLE READER FLIPBOARD UPDATE

In a follow-up conversation, the company informed us that the challenge was related to having to update the millions of Flipboard usersвЂ™ Google Reader folders, and that it has been taking time for peopleвЂ™s feeds to repopulate. At the moment, only the summary feed called вЂAll FeedsвЂ™ is not working for everyone.вЂќ People can access their folders and feeds.

Per a company spokesperson: вЂњWe have all the feeds nothing is lost. UPDATE: Flipboard says the feeds are there now. Many of those he had archived in Google Reader were not recognized. WeвЂ™ll update when we hear back.ДЄccording to at least one tipster, his set of folders and feeds was restored as of just a few minutes ago, but it only included feeds that were already in FlipboardвЂ™s system. WeвЂ™ve reached out to Flipboard to find out what the issue is, and the company is now looking into it. ItвЂ™s unclear at this time what has happened, and whether itвЂ™s a temporary bug or a more seriousВ technicalВ miscalculation on FlipboardвЂ™s part. Given that Flipboard had already been serving as a Google Reader client of sorts ahead of the transition, it makes sense that the company would want to continue to serve that audience. Instead of seeing a collection of news feeds in Flipboard, users are merely presented with a message that reads вЂњno content.вЂќ In June, Flipboard again posted a reminder about the Google Reader shutdown, repeating those same steps.Д«ut a good number of tweets as well as private tips to TechCrunch this morning, indicate that something has gone wrong. Flipboard said there was no need for any other actions on the userвЂ™s part, and that вЂњyour feeds will be saved.вЂќ The set up described was simple - users only needed to establish a Flipboard account, connect their Google Reader account in the settings, and then remain signed in. вЂњYour Google Reader subscriptions will be safe on Flipboard,вЂќ the companyвЂ™s blog post began before outlining a few key steps for users to take to make sure their feeds remained intact. When Google first announced its plans to close Google Reader back in March, Flipboard, like many other services in the news-reading business, quickly announced its plans to serve as a new home for abandoned Google Reader users. There, the company had only posted a few responses to usersвЂ™ technical questions and suggestions related to the Reader shutdown, and mainly directed people to company blog posts for more information. On Twitter, many are tweeting their confusion and unhappiness with the situation, and, as one TechCrunch reader has pointed out, users can no longer take to FlipboardвЂ™s GetSatisfaction page to discuss the issue further, as FlipboardвЂ™s community page was also shutdown a couple of weeks back. Though Flipboard had promised earlier that those who signed into Google Reader in their Flipboards would be able to continue to enjoy their subscriptions after ReaderвЂ™s closing, apparently, thatвЂ™s not the case. Flipboard users counting on the social magazine to retain their Google Reader subscriptions after the serviceвЂ™s shutdown last night are waking up today to a bit of disappointment.

Google reader flipboard