An Offline Google Reader For My iPod Touch

As you may know, I recently decided I couldn’t wait any longer for my iPhone (I’m waiting until my T-Mobile contract expires), so I bought an iPod Touch instead. For the most part, this has turned out rather well. I can now try a lot of the iPhone apps that are available today with the exception of those that are location-based and require the iPhone’s GPS. Since most places I go have Wi-Fi, the lack of “internet everywhere” hasn’t been a huge drawback except for on a few occasions like our recent road trip to Palm Beach, where I was stuck playing games and surfing the horrid little browser on my Blackberry Pearl.

Yesterday, it occurred to me that an offline RSS reader would be an ideal app to add to my iPod Touch since reading through feeds is one of my primary activities…in life, it seems. (That has to change by the way, I want my life back). What would be even better than an offline RSS reader, I decided, would be an offline RSS reader that synced with my Google Reader account. I didn’t imagine this concoction even existed, but I searched through the app store anyway.

And then, there it was! An RSS reader that syncs with Google Reader. It’s called Byline and it’s available in the app store for $9.99. Now normally, I don’t purchase paid applications, but this one sounded too good to be true.

Unfortunately, it was.

After setting up my account, the app began archiving 58 items. 58?, I wondered…why only 58 when I have over 900 feeds in my Google Reader? I can blow through 50 items in a matter of minutes! Then it occurred to me to delve into the settings. Surely, there’s a setting that says “take my whole dang reader offline,” right? Well, no. You can specify how many “new” items should display: 25 (the default), 50, 75, 100, or 200. I changed that to 200.  There’s also a setting under “offline browsing” to display “new items,” which is strangely set to “off” by default. I turned that on, too.

Now the app is archiving 376 items. (Where is it getting these numbers?) Although that’s better, it’s still not my entire set of feeds. And since there’s no way to customize which folders/tags are archived, who knows what I’ll get. I can’t browse by tags either, whether online or off.

While I am somewhat grateful that an offline Google Reader even exists, my affection for what could have been an amazing application is tempered by the fact that, quite frankly, it’s doing a half-a**ed job. I realize that not everyone would want to wait while 1000+ items are archived, but if I’m planning ahead for an extended period when I’m going to be away from Wi-Fi (road trip, airline flight, etc.), I see no reason why I can’t specify that in the settings and then wait patiently.

I guess I’m still in search of a decent offline Google Reader, then. Any other suggestions?

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As you know, I still have a Blackberry as my phone. I can’t get a 3G iPhone until my T-Mobile contract expires next year, so I opted for an iPod Touch instead. Since I’m stuck using the BBerry when wi-fi isn’t available, I’m interested in finding apps that can do what the iPhone/iPod Touch can do. Although they don’t even come close in terms of usability, speed, and sheer glamour, there are a few apps that get me through the wi-fi dead spots. I’ve already got a flickr app for my blackberry, a Facebook Blackberry app, a new-and-improved Twitterberry client, and a funky browser from Zumobi.

Recently, I came across an app called BBMetaBlog. Although designed for Lotus Domino, it apparently works with WordPress or Movable Type (or any blog that uses the MetaWeblog API). I haven’t tried it out yet, but I think I’ll install it in case I get the urge to tap out my thoughts on the tiny keyboard of my Pearl. It’s worth noting that other blogging platforms offer Blackberry apps, too - there’s the TypePad Mobile BlackBerry app and Blogger for BlackBerry for those that use Google’s blogging system. However, for the 90% of the tech world that already switched to iPhone, the WordPress iPhone app is the tool to have. Now, if only we had a decent keyboard with which to use it.

I bought an iPod Touch. Now, you may be wondering why a social media enthusiast like myself is out there buying a iPod Touch instead of an iPhone, and the truth is that it came down to cold, hard cash.

The problem was that both my husband and I have a T-Mobile account and neither of our contracts are up until February of next year. So in order to get an iPhone, I would either have to pony up the full asking price of the phone ($600) or pay the termination fee ($200) and then purchase the iPhone ($200) with the new AT&T contract. While the second option seems the most reasonable, both my husband and I agreed that we wouldn’t switch to AT&T until we can both cancel our T-Mobile contracts. The last thing we wanted is two cell phone bills for the next 6+ months. Also, when you’re trying to be frugal, it’s very hard to justify spending $600 or $400 on something that would only be $200 if you could be patient and wait.

Anyone who knows me, though, will know that being patient is not one of my strong suits. I am actually known in my family as the one who has shaking Christmas presents down to a science. And when shaking is unsuccessful, I will pull a corner back and take a peek. (For the record, I am now no longer allowed to touch any presents prior to opening them.)

So of course I’ve been looking for an angle that would allow me to get my hands on an iPhone for sometime. Unfortunately, my husband, newly pragmatic when it comes to money management, only saw the waste of spending the extra money and had no interest in the absolute and total joy that accompanies the holding of a shiny new device in my greedy little hands.

Enter the iPod Touch. The $300 8 GB iPod Touch.

I would be lying if I said that this article didn’t put the thought into my head. I wondered, if what I’m really looking to do is demo some darn apps and browse a few iPhone enabled websites like FFtoGo.com, then isn’t the Touch is all I really need? (That is, ahem, for now).

After convincing my husband of the practicality of this purchase (I can sell it in February to pay for the iPhone!), it was off to Target. Today, I’m the proud owner of the nifty little device and I get to play with a lot, if not all, of the apps that the iPhone owners are cooing about.

Am I still getting the iPhone come February? Heck yes. But at least I have something to tide me over until then.

Oh, and why is this a “bad, bad thing?” Because the husband wants to keep the device for himself now. That brings us up to $500 by the time I get the iPhone. So much for saving money.