NewsBee is an RSS reader that assigns each feed its own menu bar icon. Clicking on the icon reveals the corresponding list of article titles from the feed, with check marks next to those that have been opened in the default browser through NewsBee.
Despite the presence of a "Popover Size" preference tab, I was unable to determine what this preference refers to, since no notification of any kind appears when a new item is found nor at any other time. Another slight issue I encountered was that the drop-down menu can become massive if there are long titles for items in the feed; NewsBee sizes the area to fit the longest title and cuts the title short if there isn't enough space between the drop-down and the right side of the screen. Better handling of these long titles, even something as simple as the appendage of an ellipsis, would be welcome.
Sam's Protip: This application is not designed to be a primary reader, as the developer himself states. Instead, it's for specific feeds of particular interest that are most useful when easily accessible.
Pros
- Capable of placing an unlimited number of feeds in menu bar
- Marks read items with a check mark
Cons
- Menubar icon(s) not directly customizable
- Cannot change frequency of feed update
A pretty useful application to get up-to-date news quickly.
Thanks for the review, Ashley.Just a note: NewsBee automatically refreshes feeds every 60 minutes. There is a manual refresh option as well. Adding the option to change the default refresh rate is a great suggestion.- Jamie Grove Creator of NewsBee