We're little over a week out from Google Reader's planned closure, and AOL is the latest -- and perhaps, slightly unlikely -- source of a replacement service ready to fill the Google shaped void. AOL Reader has launched in beta form, though access seems highly restricted at this time, and you will be able to sign in via your Google account. Engadget, an AOL company, has confirmed that invite requests to AOL Reader will be accepted beginning Monday, June 24.

If you want to migrate your feeds to AOL Reader, you'll be able to import an OPML file containing all your feed information. Of specific interest is the promise of native iOS apps for the service, and an API to allow third-party applications to hook in. AOL might be late to the party, with Feedly and Digg already making strides, but it seems like a post-Google Reader life isn't going to look as bleak as we may have first thought. We'll follow AOL Reader's progress when it begins to open up, but RSS fans are going to be spoiled for choice after July 1.

Source: Engadget