What are News Feeds?
RSS stands for Realy Simply Syndication. News feeds allow you to get the latest headlines and video in one place, as soon as its published, without having to continually visit the websites you have taken the feed from. Essentially news feeds pull in content from a variety of sources much like collecting email messages from other net users.

How do I start using feeds?
The first thing you need is something called a news reader. There are many different versions, some of which are accessed using a browser, and some of which are downloadable applications.

Browser-based news readers let you catch up with your RSS feed subscriptions from any computer, whereas downloadable applications let you store them on your main computer, in the same way that you either download your e-mail using Outlook, or keep it on a web-based service like Hotmail.

How do I choose a news reader?
Choosing an RSS reader may seem like a daunting task, but it's actually quite easy and best of all, most feed readers are free to try.

Different news readers work on different operating systems, so you will need to choose one that will work with your computer.

Recommend readers
The following are some popular and useful feed readers. If you're interested in researching others, simply do a Google search for 'RSS Readers'.

• Internet Explorer 7
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx
  
  Internet Explorer 7 has a built in feed reader that delivers all the new headlines and updates to your Favorites Center. This is a recommended option for anyone new to RSS feeds.
  
  
• Firefox
  http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
  
  The current version of Mozilla Firefox also has a built-in feed reader called Live Bookmarks. With Live Bookmarks you can see the item titles of an RSS web feed ("headlines") in your bookmarks. This way you can stay in touch with sites without visiting them all the time. This option is extremely easy to set up and use.
  
  
• My Yahoo
  http://my.yahoo.com
  
  My Yahoo is web-based, runs in most popular browsers, and is free to use. Many feeds include an "add to My Yahoo" button that allows you to add the feed directly from the original source.
  
  
• NewsGator
  http://www.newsgator.com
  
  NewsGator online works with most major browsers and is free. NewsGator Business is a desktop-based application that requires Microsoft Outlook to be installed and is subscription-based, with several different levels available.
  
  
• Bloglines
  http://www.bloglines.com
  
  Bloglines, apart from being a feed reader, offers a feed search capability, and the ability to share what you've found with others. Bloglines is free and works with most popular web browsers although they do not clear out their cache very often.
  
  
• FeedDemon
  http://www.feeddemon.com
  
  FeedDemon is a standalone feed reader with an Outlook-like interface. FeedDemon also has a built-in podcast receiver that automatically downloads the newest versions of your subscribed podcasts (such as the daily Search Engine Watch podcast).The program comes pre-configured with a number of popular feeds, making it a good choice if you're just starting out with RSS.
  
  
• Google Desktop
  http://desktop.google.com/
  
  Google Desktop 2 is a stand-alone application that requires Windows XP or Windows 2000 service pack 3 or higher. It is free to download and use. One of the unique features of Google Desktop is a feature called "web clips" which is essentially a very basic feed reader.
  
  
• MSN Start
  http://www.start.com/3/
  
  MSN Start is a "preview" site for new features from MSN. Although it's primarily a web search engine, you can also select news or feeds, and if feeds turn up in search results you can easily subscribe simply by clicking on a link.
  
  
• Pluck
  http://www.pluck.com
  
  Pluck is a different kind of feed readerwhich may be an appealing option if you're looking for a feed reader that is integrated with all kinds of other features, such as a search toolbar, online bookmark manager and so on. Pluck is free, web-based and works with most major browsers.