Google Reader Adds Support for PubSubHubbub

It's all about the “real time” now, with every site and service out there adding this type of features, whether they benefit it or not. And, with Twitter taking over as the fastest and most popular way to share stories, some are even quick to declare RSS/Atom feeds dead. But not if Google has anything to say about it, as a new distribution protocol, PubSubHubbub, has now been integrated into Google Reader, the Internet giant's feed reader app.

“Speed is very important at Google, and the Reader team is no exception. One way in which we take speed into account is to try to make consumption of feeds be as efficient as possible. We also want to make it as fast (and as easy) as possible to interact with your Reader data on the rest of the web,” Mihai Parparita, one of the Google software engineers who worked on the project, wrote. “We're therefore happy to announce that Reader has begun adoption of the PubSubHubbub protocol, beginning with the publishing of our shared items.“

PubSubHubbub is a new protocol that won't replace Atom or RSS feeds but will bring them up to date with the “modern” web, and it works as an extension to the current protocols. Users have to subscribe to a new feed just like they always did but after this, if the feed has a “hub” server set up, the reader app doesn't have to constantly ping the source for new content. After setting up a hub server, the publisher just has to “notify” it when new content is available and the hub then does all the work by actively pushing the feed to the subscribers, not having to wait to be pinged. This allows new content to reach subscribers in a matter of seconds.

Google Reader has started adopting the new protocol and the first step is supporting it for “Shared Items,” meaning that any service that implements the protocol can now be notified immediately of the new content. The Google Reader support was a “20% project” of Mihai Parparita, Brett Slatkin and Brad Fitzpatrick and, for now, the only major service to support PubSubHubbub is FriendFeed. However, the aim is much greater and, as the project picks up traction, it should eventually replace the current feed system to allow it to compete with the much faster Twitter and even FriendFeed.
(By http://news.softpedia.com)
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Sprint to Launch HTC Touch Pro2 on September 3

Windows Mobile-based HTC Touch Pro2 is on its way towards the United States market, and it is expected to become available on T-Mobile's airwaves as soon as August 12. However, it seems that it might also make it in the lineups of other carriers in the country, including Sprint and Verizon. While no official details have been unveiled so far, some hints about the upcoming availability of the handset have emerged, including a possible launch date with Sprint as well.

According to phone Arena, mobile phone users in the US will not have to wait too long before the HTC Touch Pro2 will become available through more carriers than just T-Mobile. To be more precise, the site points towards September 3 as the possible day that will mark the device's release with Sprint, which is less than one month from now (see image below).

The Sprint-bound HTC Touch Pro2 made an appearance only a few days ago, yet no details on the release date were available at that time. September 3 seems to be close enough for Sprint enthusiasts, yet we should wait for an official announcement before betting on the near availability of Touch Pro2. Verizon subscribers are also rumored to soon have the opportunity to enjoy the device, but more details are expected to surface in this regard too.

n the meantime, we should say that the possible pricing for the handset on T-Mobile has been unveiled. The device will become available with the carrier in four days, yet nothing on its cost was known until now. According to TmoNews, the phone will go for $299.99 upon the signing of a two-year contract agreement with the operator. Apparently it will also be available with one-year contracts, for $349.99. The Touch Pro2 might be one of the greatest handsets launched by T-Mobile, yet the price might seem a little too high for some.
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Barnes & Noble makes Wi-Fi free via AT&T

Tue Jul 28, 2009

Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide offer Wi-Fi access, and the majority of them are already hotspots through AT&T. Those stores now offer free access via Wi-Fi, with a focus on expanding customer awareness of the Barnes & Noble’s burgeoning e-book library.

Since its debut in 2005, AT&T access has been a subscription-based affair, but on Tuesday the two companies announced that AT&T Wi-Fi has gone complementary. Users with laptops, Wi-Fi equipped smartphones and other wireless devices can now surf the Web in stores without having to set up an account or pay.

Barnes & Noble recently fired a shot across the bow of Amazon.com and its Kindle e-book reader, announcing its “eBookstore” and plans to release a dedicated e-book reader of its own, in development by Plastic Logic. While the eBookstore is only passively mentioned in Barnes & Noble’s press release, the move to make Wi-Fi available for free in all Barnes & Noble stores seems partly geared to build customer awareness of the new eBookstore, along with promotional content like bestseller lists, new releases, celebrity book signings and more.

The Barnes & Noble eBookstore launched with 700,000 titles. The number certainly seems impressive compared to Amazon.com’s Kindle inventory, measured at 300,000 volumes — but Barnes & Noble’s number includes 500,000 e-books which are free public-domain offerings from Google.

Given the current absence of a dedicated e-book reader, Barnes & Noble is offering its e-book inventory to Mac and PC users, iPhone and iPod touch users, and BlackBerry smartphone users, who access the e-Books through a dedicated “eReader” software application.
(By Peter Cohen - http://tech.yahoo.com)
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