[APP] NewsSpot Google Reader -[R]- 2011-10-30 -[U]- 2012-01-02 -[V]- 2.10

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Oct 26, 2011
42
7
Cologne
Name: NewsSpot

Sync your articles as quick as a wink, store text and images for offline reading and search your articles in a gorgeous metro style way.

This is NewsSpot, a full-featured Google Reader client for Windows Phone: Its advanced sync-engine delivers a two-way sync for your unread and starred articles, which only syncs what needs to be synced. Already stored hundreds of starred articles? NewsSpot will download them once and never again. It caches articles as well as images for later offline reading.
Ever wanted to search your starred articles? Ever been interested in a specific topic of your reading-list? No problem with NewsSpot. Just tap the search button and enter your keywords, it will instantly filter your current list to what you've searched.
Together with Windows Phone Mango, NewsSpot now offers live tiles and toast notifications. For example, you can pin secondary live tiles to your start screen showing the count of your folders. Of course, live tiles can be updated per background task.

Other features include:
- Bookmark your article in Instapaper or ReadItLater or send a link per Email
- Mango only: share your article via Twitter, Facebook, Windows Live etc.
- Mango only: benefit from compressed web communication and save up to 80% of your data plan
- Open YouTube or Marketplace links from within the application
- Read articles in full or mobilized view, supported by Google or Instapaper

I've just released v2.0 of the app, which takes advantage of a lot of Mango features. Here is a list of things that are new in v2.0:

- Compatible with Windows Phone Mango
- Share article via builtin phone services
- Application live tile can show unread, starred and shared count
- Secondary live tiles with folder count
- Background task with toast notification and update of tiles
- Adjusted trial limits, added advertising
- Added support for gzipped communication
- Further improved sync speed
- Uses system progress indicator
- Added what's new to about page
- Added flip animation to folder tiles
- Changed icons so that they stick to the system theme
- Lots of minor changes and bug fixes

There is an add-supported version which has all features with the sole restriction that it lets you sync at a max 200 unread and 50 starred articles. The full version supports up to 1000 unread or starred articles.

NewsSpot is a matter of the heart to me and I'm constantly trying to improve it. So if you find a bug, have a suggestion or any other feedback, don't hesitate to write here or contact me per pm or twitter (@fourspotproject).



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zedmartinez

Member
Nov 11, 2010
16
7
Indianapolis
Nice Work

Only got to try a few feed items with it so far, but I like what I'm seeing. Nice settings menu, very fast. I just wish it had the option to download read articles for a certain period of days (I frequently have to reference read articles within a day, but not so much after say, three), and a higher class icon to match up to the slickness inside the app and I'd say there's a new Google Reader app in my life.

---------- Post added at 09:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:00 PM ----------

Ooh, one more thought. It might be nice to have an option to go ahead and automatically resync to the server after tapping to mark all as read, that way if I switch back to a desktop it already knows what I've seen.
 
Oct 26, 2011
42
7
Cologne
@zedmartinez
Thank you very much for your suggestions.

  • Syncing and keeping read items: this is already on my list, though I think it will not make it to the next or after next version. Maybe I should re-schedule things :)

  • Application icon: Yeah, grafics are not my strength. I'll figure out something for that

  • Automatic sync: this one also is on my list. I think automatic sync after tapping mark all as read can be done quickly. What do you think of automatic sync after a certain amount of time (like 5 minutes or so). I think this would especially make sense in combination with a sort from oldest to newest. Then you can read articles from top and the new ones are automatically appended at the bottom.
 

zedmartinez

Member
Nov 11, 2010
16
7
Indianapolis
Those sync options could work. I'm trying to think how Wonder Reader does it (currently my workhorse feed reader), I think it syncs everytime I go back to the all feeds list, or after marking all as read. I like the idea of the timeline-based syncing though, that's a neat idea.

Sorry to gripe about the logo :p I'm a graphics designer by trade, so, fussing over icons is sadly engrained in me. If you have too many problems or just would like the help, let me know what the parameters for tiles are and I'd gladly lend you some gratis help.

I keep being really pleased with the speed as I play with this. Excited for future updates, and you can expect a formal purchase as soon as I get paid this week.
 
Oct 26, 2011
42
7
Cologne
So, just checked again: Wonder Reader has some kind of direct sync model, meaning the status of articles is synced as soon as you tap on it.

I'm pretty sure this could be done in NewsSpot, too, though these actions have to be tolerant to network failures. Added to my checklist.

Regarding the offer to help with the icon: You'll get a PM soon :)
 
Oct 26, 2011
42
7
Cologne
Oh, I totally forgot to meantion that v2.1 is out since 11-10.

It was done in haste since Google changed the interface of its Reader, removing all social elements like sharing and replacing them with Google+.

I'm quite optimistic that the next update will add features instead of stripping them :)
 
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anseio

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2011
739
139
Seattle
Just downloaded to try out. If I like it, I'll be sure to buy it and rate it.

Sent from my HD2 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
 

anseio

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2011
739
139
Seattle
Ok. I've been playing with this a bit and seeing what it will/won't do. I like it.

I've noticed that it doesn't run in the background well, as in play well with multitasking.

Pretty much, I can open it up and read an article. Were I to press the home button or press an alert to answer an SMS, I can see NewsSpot in the open tasks list from the long press of the back button, but it attempts to resume then closes out back to either my home screen or another application running.

Also, I can press the globe button to open the mobilized version and then press back to return to the article. If, however, I choose the option to Browse in Internet Explorer, I cannot return to NewsSpot. It will attempt to resume and then crash to the home screen. I imagine this is the same issue as when trying to select it from the multitasking screen.

BTW, I decided to support you and pay.
 
Oct 26, 2011
42
7
Cologne
@ anseio,

Thank you for your valuable feedback and your purchase.

Regarding that multitasking issue: I've got a lot of crash logs lately and as far is I've analyzed them, many arise from the advertising control, especially when the app is tombstoned/resumed. Its a known bug I unfortunately overlooked during development.
So let me ask you a question: since you bought the app, the advertising control disappears. Did these errors you mentioned went away, too?
 

anseio

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2011
739
139
Seattle
Thanks for the info. Yes, I compiled this feedback after i upgraded.

Sent from my HD2 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
 

anseio

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2011
739
139
Seattle
It may have to do with the fact that I'm using the HTC hd2, not an official wp7 device.

Sent from my HD2 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
 
Oct 26, 2011
42
7
Cologne
Well, I'll check the logs. Maybe I can find something there. Did the app just crash or have you been asked to send a crash log? If not, you may also look into the settings. If there is a log not uploaded yet, you should have an additional entry called 'manage logs'.
Anyway, there are a couple of logs on my hd from Hd2 owners. Will check them this weekend.
 

anseio

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2011
739
139
Seattle
Well, I'll check the logs. Maybe I can find something there. Did the app just crash or have you been asked to send a crash log? If not, you may also look into the settings. If there is a log not uploaded yet, you should have an additional entry called 'manage logs'.
Anyway, there are a couple of logs on my hd from Hd2 owners. Will check them this weekend.

I can't find anything in settings for managing logs. I wouldn't say that the software crashes. There's definitely no error. It's as if they close out in the middle of the "resuming" process.

For example. I'll open NewsSpot, go to an article, press home button, enter messaging and locate a message, long press "back" button, select NewsSpot... it will show "resuming", then go back to the messaging section within a few seconds. Another long press of the back button shows that there are no other apps in multitasking.
 
Oct 26, 2011
42
7
Cologne
Just wanted to let you know that v2.2 was approved by Microsoft and should be online within a couple of hours.

Besides new artwork by zed martinez (thanks again :) ) you can now navigate from folders to your feeds. Furthermore read items can now be kept and synced.

@anseio:
I've found another couple of bugs related to tombstoning. Please tell me if the app now works better for you.
However, still I have no clue why the app crashes without a notification. The only reason I can think of is that the system runs out of RAM (and NewsSpot is actually rather demanding in terms of memory). Am I right that a HD2 has little less RAM than a HD7 (448 vs. 576MB)?
 

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  • 2
    Thanks lot for you response :) the link to the site for the live tiles helps me to manage some things in my app :) i also learned some new stuff from this MSDN site about local database, and the starter kit is pretty useful :) thx




    Hi Dinchy87,

    Thanks for downloading NewsSpot, really appreciate your feedback.

    Regarding the coding: I will look what I can do for you. Do you have any experience in the MVVM pattern? Although this is not a requirement, it makes developing for WP a lot easier.

    For the live tiles maybe take a look at look at Ree7 Tile Toolkit on Codeplex, it lets you create Live Tiles that have a little more native look.

    Otherwise, the MSDN has quite some good resources for the basic stuff, e.g. for Live Tiles and Databases.

    There is also a more sophisticated starter kit for displaying RSS feeds.

    Hope I could help you and feel free to ask more questions.
    1
    Name: NewsSpot
    PS: I'm not yet allowed to post links here, but I'm sure you will find the app in the Marketplace :)

    Here is the link to the app

    http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/apps/27ec9e5f-f88a-4caf-bdb4-68d71c962f02
    1
    I'm happy to announce that version 2.3 was approved by Microsoft and should be available within a few hours.

    This verison adds an option to auto sync periodically while the application is running.

    Additionally a bunch of new appearance options are available, namely changing the application theme, hiding the system tray, sorting unread articles by oldest to newest and locking the screen orientation.

    Happy New Year to all of you :)
    1
    Took a little longer, but version 2.4 is now available in the Marketplace. This one adds a bunch of features, such as:
    • Readability mobilizer integration.
    • Instant sync: status changes are uploaded immediately.
    • User interface overhaul
    • Quick actions to mark an article read/unread or starred/unstarred in the articles list.
    • Swipe in article summary view to go to the next/previous article.

    I've updated the images in the first post and I'd love to get some feedback :)
    1
    I saw that write up the other day and was really happy for you.

    I wish I could say that I use the app often, but I don't read much news on my phone unless I think about it. When I DO think about it, NewsSpot is the best choice. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the new features in action.