Australian Open Offers RSS Feed and Live Audio Coverage
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Jan 10, 2007 | Print
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Some of you may already know this, but my love for tennis barely edges out my love for tech toys. In fact, yesterday’s announcement of the iPhone almost made me forget that the Australian Open is only a few days away.
Occasionally, I get to combine my love for the latest computer technology with tennis. Tournament websites that offer podcasts and rss feeds automatically get rated higher in my book, and it is great to see the Grand Slams embrace the latest technology.
It is not quite as cool as last year’s Wimbledon Live, but the Australian Open is offering several worldwide options for people that cannot access cable providers or want to listen and read on the go or at work.
One of the most useful features that the AO has employed for the past couple of years is the popular Australian Open Radio. Featuring live commentary during matches and exclusive interviews, the AO Radio is one of the best places to turn to for the latest news.
I may never get my wish of the federal government making all of the Grand Slams national holidays, but AO Radio and my bluetooth headset at least help make sure that I won’t spend two solid weeks yelling at my television with a bowl of popcorn, only to wake up on my couch to the melodious strains of SportsCenter.
With AO Radio, I still get all the action, but at least I can get something else done at the same time . . . like that four letter word that starts with a “w” and ends with a “k”.
Another one of the features that I will be tapping into over the next fortnight is the RSS feed.
It may sound daunting to non-techies out there, but no worries mate, this is one of the simplest things to use on the internet. In fact, that’s exactly what RSS stands for - Really Simple Syndication. In other words, as soon as the Australian Open website is updated, you can find out without ever having to load up www.australianopen.com.
They are currently offering a dedicated RSS feed just for the top stories of the day, and they have even thrown in a handy guide on how to set up your own free RSS reader. (By the way, having an rss reader also makes reading On the Baseline easier! Okay, end of shameless plug.)
Of course the site is still offering all the traditional bells and whistles, such as a live scoreboard, interviews, and video highlights to help you keep up with all of the action at Melbourne Park.
By the way, if anyone has any trouble getting the rss feed setup, feel free to let me know and I’ll see if I can help you out.
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