news

Google Reader is dying, but we have five worthy alternatives

Hear that? That's the sound of millions of news junkies on the Web scrambling to find an alternative to Google Reader.

As you may have heard, Google Reader will soon be no more. The search giant has announced that it will shutter its much-maligned -- though still widely used -- RSS reader, which will, no doubt, leave many users in a tizzy, searching for other ways to subscribe to their favorite RSS feeds. Sure, Google Reader may not have been the most beautifully designed product to come out of Mountain View, Calif., but it sure was convenient. And now … Read more

The 404 1,225: Where the first issue is a gateway drug (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Baauer of "Harlem Shake" sued over unauthorized samples.

- Surprise hit "Harlem Shake" was a shock for artists heard on it.

- "Sweet Brown" sues Apple and radio stations for unauthorized interview.

- SXSW: Marvel to give away 700 first-issue digital comics.

- Marvel giveaway crashes Comixology's servers.… Read more

How to add local news, traffic, and weather to iHeartRadio

Internet radio and music services offer a lot of customization options that allow us to focus on just the music. However, if you feel a bit out of touch with what's happening in the world around you, iHeartRadio's new Add-ins might be able to help. The new Add-ins insert local news, traffic, and weather updates to your custom stations every hour.

To enable Add-ins, log in to your iHeartRadio account on the Web and go to the Add-ins section in Settings. iHeartRadio will use your current location to provide local updates, or you can manually set a location … Read more

Get started with Facebook's revamped News Feed

Though it's fully expected that Facebook will make many changes to its just-launched News Feed, it's never too early to get acquainted with the look. Luckily, it's not quite as drastic as previous redesigns (like the much-hated Timeline) but it does present some new ways to interact with friends, brands, and people you follow.

If you haven't yet signed up to get the new News Feed, get on the wait list now. Facebook says it will roll out the new design slowly to allow enough time to fix bugs and make improvements before releasing it to … Read more

Crave Ep. 112: Sesame Street passes 1 billion views on YouTube

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This week on Crave, The Count counts 1 billion views on Sesame Street's YouTube Channel. Plus, the DRM chair self-destructs after eight sittings, we run screaming from a concrete-tossing robot dog, and sex up your iPhone with Sexy Smarty Pants underwear from Japan. All that and more goodies on this week's show. … Read more

Facebook's revamped News Feed: The new normal

Everyone knows how to read a newspaper or a book. They all have some variation of text, columns, pages and pictures. The basic design frameworks have been improved and fine-tuned for human consumption, but they remain little changed over the last several hundred years.

Now we hear about sweeping changes to the design of news feeds in social-networking services. Google just introduced bigger cover photos and some improved navigation to Google+. Twitter is always tweaking the presentation of its news feed, such as Twitter Cards that allow users to include rich media such as video and photos as part of … Read more

Facebook's face-lift brings more feeds

CNET Update is the only feed you need:

Facebook is rolling out changes to the News Feed, and Thursday's Update explains what's in store and why it matters.

But Facebook isn't the only social network with news. Twitter's app has a new search feature, Foursquare makes it quick to check-in, and Path adds new ways to message friends.

Watch CNET Update in the video above, and subscribe to the podcast via the links below.

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Join the wait list for the new Facebook News Feed

In case you hadn't heard, Facebook held an event today to announce that your News Feed is going to look completely different in the coming weeks. The new feed features bigger photos, quick access to all of your feeds, and a unified look across both Web and mobile.

The Facebook team said the new News Feed would slowly begin rolling out today, with tweaks being made along the way to ensure a solid user experience. If you're the adventurous type and want to try it out, you can join the waiting list to get early access.

Signing up … Read more

Facebook's new News Feed: Bigger is better

Facebook today unveiled a redesigned News Feed that incorporates bigger images and allows customization, giving the site a much-needed overhaul that the company hopes will ultimately keep user attention and attract advertisers.

Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg noted Facebook's goals for the new News Feed are richer story design, choice of different feeds, and a consistent experience on mobile devices and desktop Web browsers.

"What we're trying to do is give everyone in the world the best personalized newspaper we can," Zuckerberg said. "The best personalized newspaper should be intricate, rich, and engaging."

The changes … Read more

Facebook's redesigned News Feed: Join us Thursday, 10 a.m. PT (live blog)

Facebook is all set to potentially wow the world with a redesigned News Feed tomorrow -- or send users into a tizzy over yet another major change to the world's most popular social network.

CNET will be bringing you the news, images, and commentary as the event unfolds starting at 10 a.m. PT. Follow along with our live blog here:

CNET's live coverage of Facebook's unveiling of a News Feed redesign

The company is rumored to be launching content-specific News Feeds, so users can choose to, say, browse only photos and Instagram posts, or just see … Read more