Use Google Reader Play to knock up a very quick slideshow

I’m a huge fan of Google Reader (Google account needed for access) because it helps me to graze hundreds of web feeds without having to visit them all. I can also access it via my mobile phone which means I can be sucking in new ideas if I’m standing in a queue. And, from that queue, I can share links just as easily.

This video is a useful explanation of RSS which refers to Google Reader. You can see more up-to-date advice on adding subscriptions to Google Reader here.

Play is a new feature on Google Reader to turn feeds into slideshows and make your RSS browsing a little more luxurious. In a UK Online or other computer centre, Play could also be used to help people navigate themed web content just by using the arrow keys, or it can play itself in a window-display.

One handy use of this I noticed is that you can create very quick slideshows using the Star button.

This assumes you have a lot of RSS feeds already loaded up in Reader. If you wanted to do a showcase of local stories, or a slideshow of kittens, just go through your reader items and star everything you would like to include. The star is at the left of the headline. Then go to http://www.google.com/reader/play/#item/starred and everything you just starred is right there, with images and videos all nice and big. You can do exactly the same thing with the Like and Share feature, meaning you could run three different completely different presentations for the WI, the parish council and the primary school, all at very short notice.

I can’t see a way of embedding these slideshows anywhere else and you will need to be online to show them, but if you’ve been asked to demonstrate a number of different web pages or the archives of your own site this is a great way of preparing an up-to-date, content-rich presentation without having to faff about with slide designs.