Tag Archives: google buzz

Idea: Google Reader in Boxee

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We’ve now got a decent media PC in the living room that displays video correctly. As a result I’m using {en:Boxee} a lot more than I previously did (as in I actually use it).

Friends Activity

One of my favorite features is that it lists the videos that your friends and the people you follow have posted on {en:Facebook}, {en: Twitter} and {en: Google Buzz}.

This results in a nice mix of music (Facebook), geek (Twitter) and fun stuff (both).

Usually when people post videos I rarely watch them. The viewing expierence on both my iPhone and desktop PC isn’t the best. I’m simply not used to watching and enjoying video on them.

However, on the big screen tv whilst sat on the sofa, it all makes sense and is a good way to kill 20 minutes.

Google Reader

It made wonder what other services would make a good source for video. Most of the content I read is via {en:Google Reader}. However, as with Facebook and Twitter I can’t sit there and watch the content the various sites post. So I figured wouldn’t it be neat if Boxee pulled in my Google Reader feed (this could be all items or particular categories) and display the videos that feature in that feed.

Boxee Fail

Then the penny dropped. I remembered that the second best feature of Boxee is the way it manages RSS feeds. Using a web based GUI accessible via your favorite browser, you can easily add podcasts that can then be viewed via Boxee.

All I had to do was insert a feed I’ve shared via Google Reader and I should have the functionality I want. However, when I attempted to do that it failed stating it could not detect a feed.

Bummer.

If I find the time I might have a crack at creating a Boxee app that does it. If I do create such an app, or find a different solution I’ll post it on this blog.

Google Buzz is Stealing my Blog Posts (not in a nasty way though)

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Google launched it’s new social network a few days back, Google Buzz. It’s more like Friendfeed than it is Twitter or Facebook. Since it’s launched, I’ve noticed that I’ve been putting posts on it that would make for OK blog posts, rather than the sort of thing I’d usually post to a status orientated social network.

My general rule of thumb where social networks are concerned are, if it’s something I think my friends/family might be interested in, I stick it on Facebook (as that’s where that social graph is), but I tend to post more geekier things on Twitter or this blog. The key difference though, is I stick stuff on Twitter and this blog, not because I want people to read them, but simply because I want to write them.

The problem with Twitter though, is that you have a 140 character limit. For me that’s not usually enough.

The problem with this blog though, is that I like the posts to be reasonably thought out and formatted – complete with links etc. As a result they take that bit longer and as a result don’t always get written.

In steps Google Buzz. Now when I have that thought that exceeds 140 characters, rather than use the blog (or never get around to writing it) I’m now finding I write it on Buzz (see my Buzz page here). No need to care about formatting there!

I’ve probably written more to Buzz in the first couple days than I did in the first few months of using Twitter.

And I was just getting use to the idea of nuggets go on Twitter, longer pieces go on this blog….