Google plans big changes for 'Reader

Google is planning to strip some features from its Reader to boost the Google+ social network, the British Broadcasting Corporation reports.The BBC reported that in a blogpost, the company revealed that the sharing features on its RSS news reader would soon be removed.Instead, anyone wanting to share or highlight posts on blogs and websites will have to do so via integrated Google+ tools.Reader, like many other Google services, will also get a new look in the next few days.The blogpost by Google software engineer Alan Green said the changes would be coming to Reader "in the next week".The first change will be the re-design to change how it looks and then it and Google+ will be brought "closer together".What this would mean, Green said, was that Readers own-brand social features, which allow users to share items they find interesting, would disappear. Instead, anyone wanting to follow or share items will have to do so via the corresponding Google+ tools.Green acknowledged that these changes might make some people decide that Reader is no longer for them. To help those that want to switch, Google said it would beef up the export tools so it gets easier to take their feeds with them."Your data belongs to you, after all, and we want to make sure you can take it with you," said Green.To help people switch ExtremeTech published a short list of six potential replacements for Reader that included NetVibes, Feedly and FeedDemon.The changes to Reader are one of many tweaks Google has made to its services. These started with slight tweaks to the logos on the main search page and will continue with a revamp of GMail that will overhaul its look and feel.The news of the GMail changes were leaked via a video accidentally put on YouTube. This was removed, but Google watchers managed to get copies and post it again.
Click here to read full news..