Thu 8 Mar 2007
Simplicity + Chat Bot + RSS = FeedCrier
Posted by Dave Kaufman under Blogs , Informational , Mobile , Software
Readers of Techlife know I use a Sidekick 3 for my mobile email, phone and web. But I also use it for the great AOL Instant Messaging or AIM service it provides. Instant messaging is quick back and forth text snippets, like an SMS message. While chatting with a live friend or colleague is useful, there is another type of chat, chatting with a “Bot”. An AIM bot typically provides various types of information as requested by the user, such as a phone number of a local business or the weather in a specific area.
I have been beta testing FeedCrier, an RSS reader built into an AIM bot. It also works on MSN, Jabber and Google Talk. Wow! That’s a lot of mumbo-jumbo, so let’s simplify it. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and that refers to the code that allows easy and free subscription to blogs, web pages, and other data on the internet. FeedCrier by developer Adam Kalsey takes something simple in Instant Messaging and combines it with a popular format in RSS and the result is elegant yet easy.
You simply add “feedcrier” to your buddy list, and begin subscribing to feeds. Adam offers a Free version with basic features, and a robust Pro version but priced for budget friendly $4/month. Adam’s popular service has had him working very hard to increase capacity and improve uptime, while balancing new features all the time.
Overall thought: FeedCrier is perfect for keeping track of sites like Techlife which publish on a semi-regular basis. It lets you track and read the information while it’s still fresh and gooey from the oven.
Call for submissions: Do you have a web project, software, gadget, technology that you would like to have reviewed? Techlife is always looking for unique products and services all it takes is an email. reviewme [at] dkworldwide [dot] com Of course, we review how we see fit, but you trust your products right?
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March 8th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Dave, thanks for the review of Feed Crier. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it.
August 14th, 2007 at 12:40 am
[...] Most Techlife readers know I use Trillian for instant messaging because we have covered them before. I have also mentioned AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) bots when I wrote about FeedCrier. An AIM bot is a buddy you add to your buddy list but instead of a real person the bot is a computer that can answer questions, usually with a tight focus. AIM Bots are available wherever you can IM including the iPhone. [...]
September 13th, 2007 at 8:03 am
[...] FeedCrier to help me pick the best things to read via RSS. Lifehacker, Engadget and Gizmodo pop up pretty frequently. [...]
April 15th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
[...] I often use Google Docs for collaboration with teams who are not uber-geeks tech savvy. Examples include clients, family, fantasy football partners, and charity work. Most of these folks don’t know what RSS or an RSS Reader is at all. They would be happy to subscribe via email though to a document that was going to be important, but today Google doesn’t offer that feature. [...]
April 19th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
[...] Communication is dominant in today’s connected world. Techlife features two services that focus on those connections. First we will talk about keeping your family connected even as they spread out and then keeping yourself connected to news and current events. Managing information and managing the flow of information helps you deal with information overload. Email techlife [at] dkworldwide [dot] com if you have strategies for managing the communication waterfall in your life. [...]