Feeds Bring You Web Deals In Bite-Sized Chunks.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(COMPUTERS MADE PLAIN)

Byline: LISA SCHMEISER

Finding a bargain can be exhausting -- even online. You can surf from e-tailer to e-tailer, sift through the deluge of e-mail pitches or throw yourself on the mercy of comparison-shopping sites.

All of these options have one thing in common -- the shopper must seek out the information. With the growing use of RSS, however, goods can "seek" shoppers.

RSS, or really simple syndication, is a format for distributing text-based information. It shoves content into categories so Web sites can pick up the formatted feed. One allure is that the feed is regularly updated.

But users don't have to go to individual Web sites to read RSS feeds. You can download software called an RSS reader that will put RSS feeds right on your desktop. You can choose what RSS feeds you want to see, and you can click to read updates whenever you want.

People use RSS readers and feeds to keep up on news and blogs dealing with favorite subjects, and to get data on any number of areas. But there's no question that RSS feeds are a boon to another group of people -- shoppers. Consumers can, and do, use RSS feeds as a tool for comparison shopping and bargain hunting. Amazon.com and many eBay sellers are among those that offer RSS feeds. There also are RSS aggregators that funnel to users data from many e-tailers that provide RSS feeds.

"It's a way to help me focus my surfing," said Jim Malmberg, who runs one such aggregator, the RSS Bargains list. "I can narrow my feeds. It allows me to comparison shop in ways you would not have dreamed of."