Google appears to be making a move on touch-screen interfaces with the launch of its latest RSS portal, Google Reader Play.
As demonstrated over on the official site - via the Guardian - Play is a new interface for the Google Reader RSS aggregation service which aims to offer highly visual information in a simple, easy to navigate format.
Clearly aimed at touch devices - such as, purely for example, Apple's much-hyped iPad slate - the Play interface is significantly simpler than that used by the full-fat Google Reader. Gone is the ability to specify what RSS feeds you follow: instead, Google's algorithms will match you to content from a pre-selected database - with an emphasis on video and images rather than text - based on which items you 'star.' In theory, the more you use the service the better it gets at displaying the kinds of content you like.
If that doesn't sound like the kind of effort you want to put in, a 'View in Reader Play' option has been added to Google Reader, allowing the RSS feed of your choice to be visualised in the Play interface.
The service is also available to those without a Google account, although they will just see generic content with no opportunity for customisation.
The Google Labs-based service is described by software engineer Garrett Wu as "an experiment," which the company hopes will prove " a fun way to browse interesting items online that you wouldn't find otherwise."
Are you impressed with the new feature, or are you struggling to see the point - beyond getting a LOLcats feed on your touch device? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
As demonstrated over on the official site - via the Guardian - Play is a new interface for the Google Reader RSS aggregation service which aims to offer highly visual information in a simple, easy to navigate format.
Clearly aimed at touch devices - such as, purely for example, Apple's much-hyped iPad slate - the Play interface is significantly simpler than that used by the full-fat Google Reader. Gone is the ability to specify what RSS feeds you follow: instead, Google's algorithms will match you to content from a pre-selected database - with an emphasis on video and images rather than text - based on which items you 'star.' In theory, the more you use the service the better it gets at displaying the kinds of content you like.
If that doesn't sound like the kind of effort you want to put in, a 'View in Reader Play' option has been added to Google Reader, allowing the RSS feed of your choice to be visualised in the Play interface.
The service is also available to those without a Google account, although they will just see generic content with no opportunity for customisation.
The Google Labs-based service is described by software engineer Garrett Wu as "an experiment," which the company hopes will prove " a fun way to browse interesting items online that you wouldn't find otherwise."
Are you impressed with the new feature, or are you struggling to see the point - beyond getting a LOLcats feed on your touch device? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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