iPhone App: Byline

I recently bought the new 32GB iPod Touch, and have played with it for the last week or so. I previously wrote about the first generation iPod Touch and commented that it might “do for handheld computers, what the original iPod did for digital music players.” I would have to say that in many ways it has followed true to that statement.

Since my November ’07 post, the iPod Touch now boasts a Mail application, Maps, Stocks, and Notes, and a built-in audio speaker. Most importantly is the addition of the iTunes App Store, allowing you to browse and download applications direct to your iPhone or iPod Touch.

So far, my favourite application is Byline, from Phantom Fish. Byline, is a feed reader that syncs your subscriptions and read/unread status with your Google Reader account. Now, there are plenty of feed readers for the iPod, and Google themselves have created a iPod friendly version of reader, but the stellar feature of Byline is saving web pages for offline reading.

You simply ‘star’ an item and Byline will store the complete web page linked to by the item, you can then view this page even when you have no internet connection, at your leisure with the built-in web browser.

Byline in landscape mode:

Viewing Ben Goldacre’s badscience.net in offline mode:

I really like Byline which allows me to sync my RSS reading when I am home, at work and on the move. It has very quickly become part of my working day, allowing me to sync before heading out to work, and reading leisurely whilst drinking tea throughout the day.

Byline is available from the iTunes App Store, UK price £2.99