This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

We’ve already talked about using RSS as a business intelligence tool, but how do you choose the right software to get maximum benefit out of your news reading? With a number of options and myriad features on multiple platforms, it can be a daunting task to even get started.

In this article we’ll take a look at some of what you might consider when shopping for a news reader. Do you need cutting edge, up to the second information at your fingertips? You might want to look at ‘ticker’ style applications that scroll new headlines continuously. Or maybe you need to monitor a large number of feeds but are primarily interested in a subset of specific keywords or topics. In that case, you’d want to look for an RSS reader that supports a Smart Folders or Saved Searches feature.

If you need to keep news feeds in sync across multiple platforms, from Mac to Windows or from the web to a desktop or mobile clients, there are solutions out there for you too. Many of these readers also help you share individual articles and posts with your colleagues and collaborators as well. Let’s take a look at some of the options available online, on your desktop and on your phone.

Online

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The reigning king of online newsreaders is currently Google Reader. One of the advantages of an online RSS reader over a desktop version is accessibility: you can use it from any web browser, even if it’s not your primary computer, and all your feeds will be exactly the way you left them. Of course, one of the disadvantages of a web-based newsreader is that you typically need an active internet connection to make use of them, whereas a desktop client can download feed items you can later read offline.

One of the areas Google Reader excels, however, is in its ability to also sync with various desktop and mobile clients. Not only does that give you some measure of offline access to your feeds (as does installing and enabling Google Gears), but it prevents you from having to sort through some of the feeds you’ve already read elsewhere when you switch from your computer to your phone, or even from web to desktop client. We’ll look at some of the desktop and mobile clients Google Reader syncs with in the next two sections.

Another potential option in this category is NetVibes. Though it’s officially classified as a Start Page moreso than an RSS reader, it can import and monitor news feeds along with a number of other apps or widgets designed to bring various types of information into one at-a-glance interface. NetVibes offers far more flexibility and customizability than a straight up RSS reader, but the downside is it’s not the best solution to monitoring a large volume of feeds. Google also has a similar product dubbed iGoogle worth checking out as well.

Desktop

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If keeping news feeds in sync between a Macintosh and a Windows computer is part of your requirements, you’ll want to take a look at two industry-leading news readers on their respective platforms: NetNewsWire and FeedDemon. Both of these readers sync with Google Reader, making cross-platform feed reading a lot more painless. Even if you don’t need cross-platform compatibility, both readers are full-featured and worthy contenders for your desktop feed reading needs. Both offer the ability to watch for specific keywords or set up saved searches that automatically bring up important topics in your niche to the forefront of your news reading sessions.

Another worthy option on the Mac is Shrook a free RSS reader that syncs back to the web to keep your feeds in line whether you’re reading from your Mac, iPhone, or any computer with an internet connection. On Windows, take a look at the free and open source RSSOwl.

For a news ticker type experience on either the Mac or PC, check out Snackr, an Adobe AIR client that continually scrolls headlines from your feeds across your desktop. This type of news reader can be handy for those who want to be able to see stories at a glance without having to switch back and forth between applications or browser tabs.

Mobile

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On the iPhone, Reeder is a solid mobile client that syncs with Google Reader. Newsstand is another iPhone client that does so, along with the ability to easily export or send stories to a number of external sources like email, Twitter, delicious and more. There’s also a special iPhone-formatted version of Google Reader you can simply use in the Safari mobile browser that works quite well.

On the Android platform, FeedR is a great option for reading feeds, with a free demo version and a reasonable $0.99 version that removes certain intermediary dialog boxes. You can import feeds from an OPML file and even cache feeds for offline reading as well. For a solid client that syncs with Google Reader, check out NewsRob.

Palm webOS users might want to see if the iPhone-formatted Google Reader works for your needs; it’s not specifically customized for Palm devices yet still tends to work rather well. BlackBerry users can also access Google Reader in the phone browser, or check out FreeRange or Viigo. Windows Mobile users can also use the browser method to access Google Reader, or try the free NewsBreak Lite or YoMoMedia, which syncs with its own web-based feed reading client as well.

Shop Around

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Don’t hesitate to spend some time shopping around and trying several clients before settling on your feed reader of choice — or even continuing to use more than one at a time. Thanks to the OPML standard, it should be a relatively simple process to export and import your feeds from one client to another. This means that building a master list of news feeds in one client is highly worthwhile, since it can travel with you even if you move to a new RSS reader down the road.

(Via Mashable!.)

A lot of people arent that keen on the current look of most Google applications—hence the popularity of redesigned user skins. On the other hand, many users really like the look of Google Wave, the newest invite-only service from Google. (See our first look, or just read the book.) If you happen to be one of the people who love Wave’s look, you’ll like this rumor: According to gadget weblog Engadget, the Google Wave interface may become the default style across all Google Apps.

(Via Lifehacker.)

Google Wave is the company’s ‘online tool for real-time communication and collaboration.’ It’s basically a media rich messaging client that allows users to embed documents, videos, and pictures directly into conversations. The Google API can be used to build live social gadgets, such as live real-times games (chess, etc.). Continue reading for a video presentation.

(Via Tech Blog.)

Following the US rollout last night, Facebook Lite, the lightweight version of Facebook that hides distractions like Apps, is now available internationally.

As of this morning, our European editors are able to access the service at lite.facebook.com. Meanwhile, European Twitter users also report that the service is working for them. Mashable commenters in Singapore, the UK, Sweden, Estonia and many other countries report that it’s working for them too.

Some claim that if the site doesn’t work initially, you can get access by setting your language to US English.

Are you able to access Facebook Lite yet? Let us know in the comments.

(Via Mashable!.)

The outcry over the Google Voice ban on the App Store is still going strong, with hundreds of news stories, developer posts, and complaints putting the story in and out of Twitter’s top trends for nearly three days running. Much of the blame has been directed at AT&T, over beliefs that the carrier forced Apple’s hand in its decision to ban the applications. Now it looks like AT&T believes it’s been wrongly accused, and it’s beginning to take a stand for itself.

Last time we reached out to AT&T to comment on the story, the company gave TechCrunch writer MG Siegler a very blunt and brief statement:

‘Nope – Apple is the one who can talk about their App Store.’

But today, the company has begun sending out more detailed messages to some of the frustrated customers who have been voicing their complaints. The message below was written by Glenn Lurie, AT&T’s President of Emerging Devices and Resale.

Your letter concerning Apple’s decision on the Google Voice iPhone app was forwarded to me since I work closely with Apple.

While we’re very proud to offer the iPhone 3GS along with the thousands of apps available through the App Store, AT&T does not manage the App Store – and we are not involved in the approval process for apps in the App Store. I recommend in this particular case that you express your concerns to Apple.

I’m glad you’re enjoying your iPhone and hope that you continue to be an AT&T customer. We appreciate and value your business.

Sincerely,
Glenn Lurie

AT&T’s stance is no longer that it can’t talk about the App Store — it’s that it doesn’t manage the App Store, and that any concerns about this case should be directed at Apple. Of course, the note leaves plenty of wiggle room for AT&T. The company may not be necessarily ‘managing’ the approval process, but it could easily be the whispering in the ears of the people who do. And to say that AT&T isn’t involved at all seems highly unlikely as well — why would Apple cripple apps like Sling were it not over bandwidth concerns voiced by AT&T? Still, there must be some reason why AT&T is beginning to change its tune. AT&T would be foolish to paint a bulls-eye on Apple as it tries to extend its incredibly valuable exclusive iPhone contract, but it’s doing what it can to deflect a few of the blows coming from its frustrated customers.

We followed up on the letter above by getting in touch with AT&T, at which point an AT&T spokesman said that the company stood by what Lurie had written and that we should contact Apple for any further information. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling refused to comment on the matter. Our brief conversation, which consisted largely of ‘we haven’t made any comment on that’ responses, included this gem:

JK: Are you planning to comment?
SD: We haven’t made any comment on that.

So where does the blame truly lie? It’s unlikely we’ll ever get a straight answer. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has cited a reliable source in saying that it was ‘AT&T that objected to Google Voice apps for the iPhone. It’s that simple.’ And I myself suspect that the blame lies largely with AT&T. But others, like Om Malik, believe that Apple should be bearing the brunt of the blame.

But in the end, users don’t really care who is to blame, provided the issue gets resolved quickly. If that doesn’t happen, developers will continue to lose faith in the App Store’s walled garden approach. Apple will lose its glossy luster, and some will seek lusher platforms where they’re sure they can actually release the applications they’ve spent months building. The iPhone may be dominating this space now, but we’re really only about two years into this new era of smart phones — it’s a bit early for Apple to be embittering developers with such regularity.

(Via TechCrunch.)

These are just two of the gazillion new made-in-China cases for the new iPod touch and iPod nano. And as all of them show, both devices will have cameras. The iPod touch’s camera is at its center, on the top.

According to Leander, the Chinese factories are already sending samples to distributors. Head to the Cult of Mac to see every single one of these cases. It’s hard to believe than anyone would have spend so much money in making all these unless they already had the specs. [Cult of Mac]

(Via Gizmodo.)

Hid.im is a new web-based service that allows users to hide .torrent files inside PNG images. This means that users can easily upload hidden torrent files to their favorite image hosting service and forums, or use it as an avatar on social networking sites without being censored.

(Via TorrentFreak )

There’s a ton of buzz today about Google’s entry into the world of operating systems with the announcement of Google Chrome OS. While the OS itself won’t debut until next year, one forward thinking cartoonist essentially predicted that Chrome was Google’s ‘Windows killer’ back in November ‘08, shortly after the Chrome Web browser first debuted.

The Italian cartoonist, Federico Fieni, cleverly portrays how Google first pondered how to challenge Windows, put its heads together, and ultimately devised Chrome. Who knew this cartoon would be so much more relevant just a few months later? Check it out:

(Via Mashable!.)

Three of the four major networks, FOX (owned by News Corp), NBC, and ABC (owned by Disney), are joint partners in one of the fastest rising online video services around: Hulu. The odd man out of this partnership is CBS.

Yet while it’s been excluded from Hulu, CBS isn’t ceding any ground to its rivals in the online video realm. The network is expanding its approach to premium online content by moving into live video streaming through a partnership with Ustream, announced today.

The CBS-Ustream partnership takes a wide range of CBS’s content and brings it onto Ustream through channels like CBS News. The collaboration is multifaceted and covers a range of content, with the initial focus seemingly on CBS News. For example, whenever there is a major world event, Ustream will carry the live CBS News feed.

The partnership also encompasses presidential press conferences, keynotes, State of the Union addresses, Congressional hearings, and other news and political content. Ustream will also gain exclusive web-based content from The Early Show, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and others. On top of that, there will be full on-air programs streamed through the live video service.

While the details are still foggy, the deal is a clear indication that CBS is not stepping aside in the war for the web. While it may not have Hulu to rely on, Ustream provides CBS with options like social Twitter chat that can give the network an edge in breaking news coverage. Most of all, it gives CBS ammunition to compete with the 3-headed Hulu hydra.

(Via Mashable!.)

Digg has just upgraded the license for all of its content – titles, descriptions, comments, everything – from public domain to Creative Commons Zero (CC0).

Under the public domain license, the content was already free for anyone in the US to use for any purpose. By switching to CC0, this content is now also public property internationally. The Internet is getting more and more fragmented each day, with copyright laws altering our entire online experience depending on where we’re physically located. So, although the license change may not seem like much, it’s a welcome change and a nice gesture from Digg.

Digg has also updated its Terms of Use to reflect the changes; the new wording can be seen in Section #6 of the TOU.

(Via Mashable!.)