14 DAY TRIAL // Feedly, the popular Google Reader alternative, is getting better fast. It has to, as Reader will be dead at the end of the month.
Apart from a number of planned improvements based on user feedback, things like speed, search, and pure web access, Feedly is also hard at work on its second big project, replicating the Google Reader API.
Currently, Feedly, like many other news readers out there, relies on Google Reader for the syncing features.
But with Reader going down, every app relying on Google's API, including Feedly, would go down as well.
This is why Feedly is working on "project Normandy," a full replacement of the Google Reader API.
Feedly has been working with several news reader apps which will be adopting the new Feedly API.
"We have been working behind the curtains with the developers of Reeder, Press, Nextgen Reader, Newsify and gReader as design partners for our Normandy project," Feedly announced.
"Today we are excited to announce that you will be able to access your feedly from all these apps before Google Reader retires and that the access to feedly API will be free. More details soon," it added.
These are just the first partners, as Feedly says it has more than 100 requests from developers for access to the API and that it's working on enabling it for more.
"When we announced the Normandy project, we received more than 100 developer requests. We apologize to all the developers who did not get into the first batch of invites. We are working hard on the second batch. If you are a developer, interested in the feedly API, please fill the developer form, to help us prioritize your request," Feedly explained.
This is actually the bigger news. There are plenty of RSS readers out there, but there's no replacement for the Google Reader API. Without Feedly's Normandy project, all of these apps would be rendered useless.