Using the Kindle Fire for Genealogy – gReader

Reading genealogy blogs is important to me.  I find all sorts of useful information, such as genealogy news, research tips, useful resources, and interesting family stories. 

For the last year or so, I was finding it very difficult keeping up with all the genealogy blogs I follow.  It was a combination of a lack of time and the fact that I don't like to sit in front of my computer and read.  I'd fall months behind and was missing a lot of useful information.  I've since found a solution and am now able to stay on top of all the blogs I follow, including non-genealogy blogs.

I added the app gReader (for Android, free), which seamlessly syncs with my web-based Google Reader.  I can do everything in this app that I can do in Google Reader, including starring, tagging, and sharing.  I can also modify subscriptions, rename folders, and subscribe to new feeds.

This particular app appealed to me because the Google Reader app (by Google) was not available for Kindle Fire (it still isn’t as of this posting) and gReader had the best reviews relative to what I was looking for.  I’m very satisfied with it.  I’ve had no problems syncing and I like the interface (I actually prefer it over Google Reader on the web).  There are several ways to customize the interface to make it operate to your particular preferences (e.g. arranging the order of the feed).

A quick note about posts that show up as either title-only or preview-only.  In order to view the entire post, you need to switch to the “web” view.  This is found in the top right corner of the gReader screen.  Below is an example of the “feed” view (left) and the “web” view (right) of the same post.

I can read blog posts periodically throughout the day if I choose, or once a day, usually in the evening before bed.  I can't believe how much this simple tool has helped me stay up-to-date on my blog reading.  If you have an Android device, I highly recommend you give gReader a try.

Do you use gReader or another RSS reader app on your phone or tablet?  What do you use and why do you like it?  Leave a comment and let me know.

See also:

• Using the Kindle Fire for Genealogy – Introduction
• Using the Kindle Fire for Genealogy – Families
• Using the Kindle Fire for Genealogy - Evernote
• Using the Kindle Fire for Genealogy – Ancestry
• Using the Kindle Fire for Genealogy – GedFamilies