RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a simple way to keep up to date with the latest news on a website, as soon as it is published, without actually having to visit the website.

This is done using an RSS news reader. This is a piece of software which you install onto your PC or Mac.

The RSS reader will automatically download the latest news from your favourite websites. So you can keep up to date easily, and instantly.

Firstly, you need an RSS reader for your PC or Mac. There are many different readers available - take a look at the Google list here, where there are dozens to choose from.

Once you have installed an RSS newsreader, look out for the orange RSS icon that will appear on website that support news feeds.

If you click on the RSS icon you can subscribe to the feed in various ways, including by dragging the URL of the feed into your news reader or by cutting and pasting the same URL into a new feed in your news reader.

Some browsers, including Internet Explorer 7, Firefox, Opera and Safari, automatically check for feeds for you when you visit a website, and display the orange RSS icon when they find one.

This can make subscribing to feeds much easier. For more details on these, please check their websites.