Jyte
Posted by sarah gilbert, 6/7/04 at 2:35:43 PM.
Jyte is a news reader designed using the theories of RSS but with an interface that even the non-techie user can understand. Jyte uses "continuous searches" rather than "feeds" as the organizing concept. (Robin Good called them "news fountains", which I kind of like ;)
Continuous searches can be built through simple boolean keyword queries or through references to feed locations. Any time new articles are published, in major news sources or in blogs, that match the query, the headline and summary are returned in your Jyte main window.
Jyte is built with an integrated browser so that articles can be read in the environment the publisher designed. Article headlines, summaries and links can be kept indefinitely (in marked contrast to most aggregators out there), and can be emailed to friends/colleagues.
Jyte currently has versions for Mac OSX and Windows. Word is there is a Linux version in the works. Jyte supports OPML import and export, allows users to save and load their state, and has a rich variety of additional features under development.
I use Jyte because it lets me keep current with all the news that interests me on the web without having to endlessly re-visit my favorite Google searches. No longer do I have to go back and type my ex-boyfriend's name in Google to see if he's changed jobs or gotten married; my "old boyfriend" search with his and a few other names alerts me to any news on the ex front. It's also great to keep up with news for which there is no pre-designed category, like breastfeeding or reviews of my current favorite locally-produced film, "What the BLEEP Do We Know."
I can also keep up with the scuttlebutt in my favorite blogs, and follow the trends (I have a very funny "Gmail Invite" query). I'm definitely biased in favor of Jyte (I'm connected to the company that produces it), but I've tested all the other major aggregators, with a critical but open mind. Jyte really is the cleanest, simplest, and easiest to use. It has some clear advantages for my purposes with the ability to keep articles and the continuous search capability. It was built with the news junkie in mind, and it really comes through.
