Google Reader gets a new feature which recommends new RSS feeds to you–based on your current feeds and web history–and also receives "drag & drop" functionality–allowing you to re-order your feeds and easily move them to new folders.

Both new features were the handy work of ex-interns at Google!

What these two features have in common is that (ex-)interns played a significant role in delivering both of them. Nitin Shantharam (UC Irvine) helped create the user interface for recommendations, while Olga Stroilova (MIT) had a hand in the algorithms that generate them. Meanwhile, drag-and-drop was the brainchild of Brad Hawkes (UMass Amherst), who was our intern the summer of 2006, and returned to join the Reader team full-time earlier this year. As RIE (Reader Intern Emeritus), Brad paved the way for the great student help that we’ve had this year. Also to be mentioned is Jason Hall (Kent State), who was behind many interface improvements that have been live for a few months already. All told, our interns (and ex-interns) have done great work this year!

Here’s how Google Reader’s recommendations work…

When you visit our discovery page, you’ll see quite a few feeds that we think you may find interesting. "Interesting" here is determined by what other feeds you subscribe to, as well as your Web History data, all taken into account in an automated, anonymized fashion. (To learn more about how our recommendations work, see our help article about them).

And here’s how the drag and drop feature looks…

It looks like the features will appeal to different audiences. Those users that don’t have a lot of feeds, or are just setting up their account, will likely find the recommendations of some use. Personally, I’m more interested in the drag and drop function. I use many folders to arrange my RSS feeds, but the ones I really enjoy reading are often buried in the middle of the list. It’s nice to be able to re-order the list to my preference.

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I’m not going to name names. I’m just going to point and let you giggle. Not for nothin’ (as some Yankee friends say), but for a valuable lesson learned.

As a general rule in life: Never write anything down; no photographs; no video; no receipts. And if your boss thinks you’ve called into work for a family emergency, don’t let your buddies capture your fairy moment and publish it on Facebook.

Ah well. You’re only an intern once, I guess. 

And when your boss passes the fairy Facebook picture all around the office via email. It’s probably best to have them mail you your final check.

Here’s the TechCrunch Intern’s apps:

1. iLike (music app).

2. Graffiti (way to draw little lame cartoons on your Facebook profile).

3. Where I’ve Been (a way to brag to your friends that you’ve been to more countries than they have).

4. Zoho Online Office (a way to share Zoho’s apps with your friends).

5. Fantasy Stock Exchange (fun game, I wonder which stocks they are picking).

6. Flickr Photos.

7. Honesty Box. (A way to send anonymous messages. I already have comments on my blog for that reason.)

8. Box.net files. Useful way to share files.

9. Superpoke. A serious 40 something wouldn’t be caught dead pinching, hugging, tickling his friends.

10. Friend match. 40 somethings don’t need more friends.

11. Bonus: TechCrunch.

My favorite Facebook apps:

1. Google Reader Shared Items. This is way more useful for those who read a lot of feeds. Plus it shows you who has the most popular blog posts in the past few hours.

2. Twitter/Pownce/Jaiku apps. Pick the one you’re on. That lets your Facebook readers keep up with you, no matter where you post.

3. The video application. Lets you send video messages to all your friends from your computer’s webcam.

4. Kyte.tv. You see it here on this post (if you’re reading on my blog — lots of feed readers strip it out). But you also see the same thing on Facebook. You can chat with people live there on that app too.

5. BlogTips. If you’re looking to blog better, use this app.

6. Upcoming Calendar app. Come on, don’t 20-somethings have to keep track of all the events that are coming their way?

7. Blog Friends. Don’t the interns have any friends with blogs? This is how you track them.

8. WordPress. If you blog on WordPress or WordPress.com, this is the app for you. Shows your posts AND your comments. I thought every 20-something had a WordPress blog?

9. Ustream.tv. This isn’t important to everyone (who here other than Chris Pirillo has a streaming video show). But I included it here cause I have to wonder about a 20 something who isn’t into streaming video. Don’t you guys watch Justin.tv?

10. SkypeMe. Lets you use Skype to call me.

11. FaceReviews. It’s a Website that reviews Facebook applications.

12. iLike. Hey, at least we matched up on that one and the Zoho one (although I don’t have any Zoho stuff I want to share publicly yet).

What do you think? Which Facebook apps are you using, if you’re on Facebook?

I don’t add any of the silly ones, so don’t tell me about the Ninja app or anything like that.

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