Everyday Nerd

What is RSS?  The simple answer, Really Simple Syndication.  So what exactly is it?  Many websites, blogs, and other online content portals have RSS feeds that you can “subscribe” to.  Once subscribed, content is automatically delivered to you in a news reader (more on that in a second).  For instance, you probably have a routine of checking websites when you first sit down in front of a computer.  News, Friends websites/blogs, forums, etc.  Using RSS, you can go to one place, your news reader, and view all the latest new content  that you have not already seen.

News Readers:  There are many news readers, or RSS readers out there.  I personally like Google Reader (requires a Google account).  It’s a web based reader, so nothing to download.  It offers a mobile view for on the go reading, and it stays in sync automatically.  Other RSS readers are already on your computer, and you didn’t even know it… Internet Explorer 8, Outlook 2007 are two that you can use also.

How to subscribe?  Easy.  Have your RSS reader setup?  First, lets see how to do it with Internet Explorer.

When visiting a website that has an RSS feed, you will notice that the RSS icon will be orange:

Click the RSS icon, it will open a preview of the feed, and give the option of subscribing to the feed

Click Subscribe, and subscribe again to save it in your Internet Explorer Feeds.

In your Favorites sidebar, click Feeds, and you will now see the new RSS feed you just subscribed to:

Next, lets subscribe to the same feed using Firefox, and Google Reader (my preference).

When you visit a site that has an RSS feed, you will see the RSS icon in the address bar:

Clicking the icon will show you a preview of the RSS feed, and ask you how you would like to subscribe:

Firefox gives you more choices for subscribing to RSS feeds.  If you choose Google, you will be asked if you want to have the RSS feed added to Google Reader, or to your iGoogle homepage.  I prefer Google Reader, as I subscribe to hundreds of RSS feeds.

Now that you have the RSS feed in Google Reader, new content will be automatically added to to Google Reader, without you having the original website. 

So, RSS isn’t that difficult.  At first, it sounds like it’s a lot to get setup and running, but after you do it once, you will be looking for that RSS icon on every website you visit!  You can even get an RSS feed of your Facebook friends status updates… (great if your work blocks Facebook).

Got a suggestion about how you use RSS?  Leave a comment below!

[Google Reader]

Have you wanted your own domain name, but didn’t want to spend the $10?  GoDaddy has a special going on now for $1 for 1 year for a .com domain name.

Select 1 year for a single domain per customer and use the coupon code 99BUYCOM upon checkout. Though the coupon code is good for both new and existing customers, redemption is limited.

[GoDaddy]

Have you ever looked for a torrent (legal ones of course) and had to traverse site after site, and still not find what you are looking for?  YouTorrent saves you all of that trouble!  Go to one site, search, download, be happy.  It doesn’t get any better than that!

YouTorrent

AT&T is getting ready for some serious bandwidth!  Before rolling out fiber to all it’s customers, it has increased it’s backbone to 40Gbs (OC 768) from it’s prior backbone of 10 Gbps.  I can’t wait for fiber to show up at my door!

Source: [AT&T]

If you have never been an AT&T or BellSouth broadband customer before, you are eligible for one year of $10 Internet access!  Granted, it’s the slowest package they have (768Kbs down 128Kbs up), but for someone that has never had broadband, or maybe your elderly parents… this is a good deal.  After one year, it goes up to $19.95 per month.

Go to http://www.att.com click Internet, and View Internet Plans.  Enter your Area Code, and first 3 digits of you phone number. 

Scroll down, and look for Term contract plans available

Read the fine print, and it will tell you that you get the deal for $10 for a year, a free DSL modem.  A 1 year contract is required.  It also looks like you have to order this special online.