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The Ultimate RSS Toolset: 100+ Online Resources to Enhance Your Research

Published on Thursday 24th of July, 2008

RSS, or Rich Site Summary, is an easy way to stay on top of your field without having to surf the web. For those who have sites, it can be a great way to increase readership and get information out about your blog, website or business. Either way, RSS enables researchers to navigate the Web in an easy, fast format and to access information at the click of a button. This collection of tools will give you everything you need to get started or improve your research through RSS.

Readers

Read your RSS feeds through these helpful programs.

  1. Bloglines: One of the first entries into the RSS reader market, Bloglines makes it easy to read and organize all of the content from your RSS feeds.
  2. Google Reader: Google Reader makes it simple to keep your feeds organized and accessible to you anywhere you have an Internet connection.
  3. NewsGator: This reader program allows you to easy organize your feeds into folders which you can go through, read and easily keep track of.
  4. FeedLounge: Simply subscribe to feeds through this reader and you'll be able to read them in this sleek and easy-to-use reader.
  5. FeedShow: This online RSS reader is free to use and can be a great help to publishers as it shares the revenue it makes.
  6. RSS2HTML: This free PHP script allows users to display any RSS feed as an HTML webpage.
  7. Rojo: A division of Six Apart, this reader not only allows you to collect and read RSS feeds but provides an online community that allows you to see what other members are reading.
  8. iPings: Here you'll find a bare bones reader that gives you no frills access to RSS reader capabilities.
  9. Rocket Reader: While still in beta, this program allows you to subscribe to and read any RSS feeds you'd like. Better yet, it's free to use.
  10. Fastladder: Fastladder makes it easy to quickly read large amounts of information from the Web.
  11. FeedDemon: Search for feeds and customize your reader with this RSS offering from Newsgator.
  12. MySindicaat: This fully featured reader displays feeds in a tree format, provides mixing capabilities and has mobile and mini versions as well.
  13. Fwicki: This site specializes in creating a "river" like style of RSS news feeds.
  14. NewsAlloy: NewsAlloy is a web-based RSS reader than provides users with a simple interface both online and on their mobile devices.
  15. Feeds 2.0: This customizable reader and aggregator also keeps track of your reading preferences and suggests new blogs and feeds you might be interested in checking out.
  16. Tazlog: Tazlog is a simple RSS reader that allows you to keep up with the latest news, network with others and publish your own content.

Personalized Homepages

Make an RSS feed part of your homepage by checking out these great applications.

  1. iGoogle: Google offers this homepage which allows users to add RSS feeds, gadgets, access to their Gmail accounts and much more.
  2. Pageflakes: With this homepage creator, you can select from pre-created modules or build your own by selecting your favorite RSS feeds.
  3. MyYahoo: One of the most popular homepage products, MyYahoo provides space to put your RSS feeds alongside weather, email, stock feeds and more.
  4. Netvibes: Pull together a totally personalized homepage using Netvibes pre-created modules or by building your own using RSS.
  5. My Netscape: This personalized homepage offering from Netscape allows standard homepage features like weather and news but also the ability to add custom RSS feeds.
  6. Daily Rotation: This homepage service is no frills and is geared towards those interested in the latest technology and gadgets. Create your own RSS feeds or choose from their suggestions of the most popular tech sites on the web.

Browser Extensions

These extensions can help prime your browser to work easily with RSS.

  1. Sage: Sage is an RSS reader build to plug into Firefox. It offers a variety of options and can be an easy and functional way to keep up with RSS.
  2. Wizz: Another RSS reader for Firefox, Wizz offers a huge range of customization options that make keeping up on your feeds easy.
  3. RSS Ticker: Get your RSS feeds in ticker form right from your Firefox browser with this plug in.
  4. Beatnik: This basic RSS reader for Firefox provides a simple and useful tool for browsing RSS feeds.
  5. BlogRovr: BlogRovr gives you news and information from RSS feeds based on the feeds you're already reading or the content of the webpage you're visiting.
  6. NewsFox: Designed to resemble Thunderbird, this RSS reader plugs right into Firefox.
  7. InfoRSS: Check out this RSS feed for Firefox that allows you to customize a variety of options and read your feeds right from your browser.
  8. Feedbar: Get RSS updates in your sidebar by using this helpful plugin.

Blog Tools and Plugins

Those putting RSS feeds out there for their blogs can get the most out of these tools.

  1. Feedlist: Plus this into your Wordpress blog and you'll be able to see imported and linked lists of RSS feeds.
  2. Feedafi: Create great RSS feeds of your Wordpress blog using this plugin. It includes features like style sheets and click tracking.
  3. Feedsmith: This plugin helps redirect all traffic to an RSS feed to the Feedburner feed for the site.
  4. BDP RSS Aggregator: This tool can take posts from RSS feeds and make them into posts on a Wordpress blog.
  5. Sig2Feed: While not useful for all bloggers, this tool allows you to add a signature to your RSS feed.
  6. WebPasties: This feed manager can help you keep track of your RSS feed and provides a wide range of tools for constructing and editing RSS.
  7. FeedPass: This site can help you to create an effective and useful landing page for your feeds.
  8. FeedBurner: By far the most popular choice in RSS management, FeedBurner allows users to analyze their feed traffic, track clicks, optimize feeds and much, much more.
  9. Pingoat: This easy-to-use site just requires that you enter the URL of your RSS feed and then select the services you'd like to ping, with over 50 to choose from.
  10. Ping-o-Matic: This site provides about 20 services to choose from and can be an easy way to send out a ping about your blog's RSS.
  11. Pinger: Offered by BlogFlux, this service offers about 33 different sites you can easily ping.

RSS Directories

Find every kind of RSS feed you could be interested in with these directories.

  1. RSS Network: Feeds in this directory are categorized and easily searchable to make finding what you're looking for simple.
  2. EveryFeed: This site is constructed using bots that browse the internet looking for new feeds so you should be able to find virtually any feed you could be looking for on this site.
  3. FeedDirectory: Search through syndicated feeds on this site which are grouped by category to make them easier to look through.
  4. RSS Locator: Check out RSS feeds on a variety of topics using this helpful directory.
  5. RSSMad: Browse through the feeds located on this directory to find those related to your interests.
  6. Feeds 4 All: This search engine and directory contains thousands of web-based feeds.
  7. FeedCat: Here you'll find an easy-to-use public catalogue of a wide variety of RSS and ATOM feeds.
  8. FindRSS: You'll not only find RSS feeds on this site but podcasts, ATOM, XML and RDF feeds as well.
  9. News Feed Finder: Keep up with the latest goings on in the world by checking out the RSS and XML feeds contained on this site.

Mobile Tools

These tools allow you to take RSS on the go with you no matter where you are.

  1. Free Range: Take RSS to your Palm, Windows Mobile, or Blackberry using this Java-based program.
  2. Lite Feeds: Just download this program to your phone and you'll be able to read and browse your feeds, email them to friends and track bookmarks with del.icio.us.
  3. Mobile RSS: This reader will allow you to read your RSS feeds anywhere and on just about any kind of mobile device.
  4. mReader: Mobile phones, Blackberrys and PDAs can take advantage of this simple RSS reader program.
  5. Egress: Designed for Windows Mobile, this program is sleek and easy to use, working for both podcasts and RSS feeds.
  6. Mobispine: This free program allows users to read RSS feeds right on their mobile phones as well as participate in a variety of other RSS-related things.
  7. FeederReader: Phones running Windows Mobile can try out this RSS reader program, though those interested in Web development might take the most away from it as it allows users to view the workings behind the program.
  8. Quick News: Pimp out your Palm with this program which allows you to download your feeds so you can read them even if you don't have an Internet connection.
  9. Bloglines Mobile: Users of Bloglines can take their news reading on the road with this great mobile reader program.
  10. NewsGator Go!: This mobile version of NewsGator syncs up with your online account and allows you to access your feeds from anywhere.

RSS Email Tools

Combine the power of RSS with email using these tools.

  1. FeedBlitz: This RSS to email program takes your favorite RSS feeds and sends them right to your inbox. It also sports a useful FireFox plugin.
  2. SendMeRSS: Here you'll find a great tool for sending your RSS subscriptions straight to your email address.
  3. RSSFWD: This simple program allows you to forward your RSS feeds to your email.
  4. Nourish: Those using their blog or feed to promote a product can easily turn it into an email newsletter using this application.
  5. BlogAlert: Keep track of posts on your favorite blogs with this tool that sends you alerts when new content is posted.
  6. MailFeed: This tool allows users to turn their email accounts into an RSS feed.
  7. PopHeadlines: Have this program check your RSS feeds and return the content to your inbox as a standard email.
  8. Quickmail: With Quickmail you can get all the content in your inbox delivered to you in a convenient RSS-based format.
  9. MyRSSAlerts: This program checks all of your favorite sites for new content and emails you whenever a new story has been added.
  10. Zookoda: This tools allows bloggers to send daily, weekly or monthly summaries of blog posts directly to subscribers' inboxes.
  11. RSS Popper: With RSS Popper you can get your RSS news delivered to your email account using Outlook.

Feed Validators

Here you'll find tools to ensure that your RSS feed is up and running properly.

  1. Feed Validator: Enter the URL of your RSS feed into this site and you'll be able to find out if there are any problems that need fixing.
  2. RSS 1.0 Validator: Plug in your site to this validator and you'll get an HTML page letting you know if there are any errors.
  3. Redland RSS 1.0 Validator & Viewer: Using this tool you'll get a variety of options for checking your RSS feeds.
  4. Userland RSS Feed Validator: Userland provides this validation tool for ensuring your RSS feeds are in order.
  5. Walidator: This site provides not only RSS validation but XHTML, HTML, CSS, and RDF as well.
  6. Validate Podcasts: If your podcast has an RSS feed attached, ensure that it's error free using this tool.

RSS Feed Editors

Design your RSS feeds to be just the way you like them by checking out these tools.

  1. Afeeda: This RSS mixer allows users to combine multiple feeds into one.
  2. RSSMesh: Create a blend of your favorite feeds using this online program.
  3. FeedBite: With FeedBite you can read your feeds and also decide what you want to see and don't want to see.
  4. Feedblendr: This very basic tool allows you to mix and blend your RSS feeds to your needs.
  5. PopFly: This offering from Microsoft allows users to edit their RSS feeds.
  6. FeedDigest: This program allows you to mix, edit and sort the content from your RSS feeds and publish it to a website.
  7. FeedRinse: Filter out all the junk from your RSS feeds using this helpful tool.
  8. BlastFeed: BlastFeed is a multi-purpose tool that allows you to mix and edit your feeds and then choose to get them delivered to you in email or IM.
  9. FeedShake: Use this tool to mix and combine your RSS feeds or to filter out unwanted content.
  10. FeedCombine: This RSS mixer allows you to combine feeds and create a stream that fits your needs.

IM RSS Tools

These tools allow you to get RSS even when you're instant messaging.

  1. Good News Trillian RSS Plugin: Users of Trillian can take advantage of this plugin which allows them to get access to their RSS feeds right in the messenger program.
  2. Feed Crier: Get information from your favorite sites delivered to you by IM using this tool. It works with a variety of IM programs including AIM, Gtalk and more.
  3. RSSNews: Those using IM client Miranda can keep up on the latest news by using this RSS reader.

Miscellaneous Tools

Check out this assortment of tools to get the most out of your RSS feeds.

  1. Juice: If your favorite podcasts have an RSS feed, this tool can help you keep track of when the latest information for them has been released.
  2. Speakwire: Those who would prefer to listen to their news rather than read it can check out this helpful online audio RSS tool.
  3. RSS Feed Scanner: This tool is an Azureus plugin that allows for automated downloads of your RSS feeds.
  4. SearchFeedr: Search for RSS feeds through Google, Yahoo MSN and AltaVista using this helpful tool.
  5. RSS Panel X: This handy Greasemonkey script displays RSS, ATOM and OPML feeds directly from their originating sites.
  6. FeedforAll: This site allows users to create and edit feeds for their RSS feeds and podcasts.
  7. Radio UserLand: With UserLand you'll be able to publish your own content and aggregate information from others as well.
  8. Chaos Wallpaper: Users of this product will be able to read their favorite RSS feeds and have their desktop wallpaper changed regularly.
  9. NewsAloud: This service reads your RSS feeds right out loud to you.
  10. RSS2PDF: If you've ever had the need to convert information from an RSS feed into a PDF file this tool can do it for you in a jiffy.
  11. Dapper: Use this tool to create an RSS feed from the content of any website.
  12. Feedity: Generate RSS content from just about any site out there with this helpful tool.

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