Four software designers who were instrumental in the creation of Google's popular e-mail and mapping services have founded a new company with the intent of making it easy for people to find out what Web material their friends are enjoying.

FriendFeed has quickly become one of the main ways I track what interesting people are up to. It offers a compelling new way to communicate with people you care about, a clean, easy-to-use design and a small but vibrant community to connect with.

Unlike competitors, FriendFeed's simple approach may be the way to win.