Google Reader Gets A Refresh; Adds Algorithmic Content Bundles

If you use Google Reader as your primary feed reader, you might notice that it has a different look today. The corners are less rounded all the drop shadows are gone. Overall, it has a more featherweight feel, and the sidebar sections are now collapsible. It’s a bit faster too.

Shared content from friends is now given more prominence. (FriendFeed envy, perhaps?) You can hide the counter telling you how many posts are unread, in case that just makes you feel like you can never keep up with everything. Sometimes you just don’t want to know how much you are missing.

But the biggest change is one hidden in the browse tab. It will generate some feed bundles for you that you can add all at once. And if you select “browse all bundles,” you can see all of the bundles. These are algorithmically generated, unlike in the past when bundles were edited by hand. You can find TechCrunch in the Technology bundle.