Google Reader is Shutting Down July 1st - here's a great replacement

Lots of people use Google Reader as their RSS feed reader, including a few thousand who follow this blog using the RSS feed. Google is shutting down Google Reader as of July 1st. Here's how you can backup your subscriptions and a great replacement you can use.

You can export your Google Reader Data (subscriptions) using Google Takeout. Google Takeout actually lets you export pretty much all your Google account data. You go to Google Takeout, and go to the Reader page and click "Create Archive". This will then download all of your feeds, people you follow, starred items and more. When the file is completed, click download. The subscriptions.xml file in the zip file is your subscriptions that you will need to import into other readers.

The app I am using to replace Google Reader is Feedly. It has a web version, plus an Android and iOS app. It's easy to use, can be setup to look like Google Reader, or even better with some cool views with pictures and preview text. The apps sync with the web so no matter what device you use, your feeds will be up to date. It's also free. I've been using it for about a month and love it.

Feedly even has a one-click Google Reader import to make it easy to switch.

Remember, you need to export your data, or import into Feedly before July 1st!

Related:

Google Takeout - Take your Google Account Data with you (or just back it up)

Google for Educators Resources

Why I Use Google's Products as an Educator

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Adobe Announces Updates to Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud was launched last year as a cloud offering of many of it's most popular applications. This month Adobe has announced a major update to it. The update adds new features, including cross device collaboration, syncing, and publishing. There is also an expanded community of users.

Adobe has also launched Create Now: a Celebration of Creativity, where Adobe will hots a variety of projects and programs and projects. You can read more about it here: http://adobe.ly/createnow

For more information about Adobe Creative Cloud and the updates, visit: https://creative.adobe.com/plans.

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Evernote releases some great new features

Evernote is my go to app. In fact, in my position as CIO, I use two apps for 90% of my work - Outlook for email and calendar and Evernote for all my notes, project planning and more. I keep meeting notes, project management, reference files, clip websites and even save emails with Evernote clipper for Outlook. I use it on all my devices: desktop, smartphone, Nexus 7, Livescribe pen, and ScanSnap scanner and Chromebook and it is an indispensable app.

One thing I love about Evernote is that they are always working to improve it. This month, Evernote has announced some great new features.

The first new feature is reminders. Reminders allow you to add alarms to notes, create a to do list by pinning notes and mark tasks as they are complete. I use them for tasks and even to remind me to check notes for other information and tasks inside meeting notes. This feature is available on all platforms.

The next feature is using the Chrome web clipper to clip Gmail emails and attachments. I use the Outlook clipper and it's a great way to save emails, and their attachments, to Evernote. With Gmail being so popular, and so many schools using Google Apps for Education, this is a great feature to have. Save the important stuff to your Evernote account and keep you email account clean.

Evernote has also improved Penultimate for iPads and Evernote Food.

The Evernote blog is a great way to find out about features and tips. This weeks tip is organizing your notebooks in Notebook Stacks, which is a great way to keep things organized.  Learn more →

Evernote is a great tool, that just keeps getting better.


Evernote for Education Resources

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