Chrome: Most feed readers default to a long list of headlines and articles with a folder-like navigation tree on the left to help you sift through your feeds and unread posts. It works, but FeedSquares is a Chrome extension that connects to Google Reader and uses tiles to display your feeds instead. Highlighted and off-axis tiles indicate new topics, and you can click any tile to see the posts for that feed, and any article to bring up the full text. More »

Chrome/Firefox (Greasemonkey): If you're not a fan of the Google+ integration in Google Reader or you simply wish you could still use the old sharing system, ReaderSharer is an extension that restores those functions.More »

Chrome: If you do most of your reading in Google Reader, you probably find truncated RSS feeds—that is, feeds that only give you the first paragraph of a post—annoying. Convert them all into full feeds with one simple Chrome extension. More »

Chrome: If you find that all of Google Reader's extra social features just get in your way, Minimalist Google Reader will let you slim down the interface quite nicely, while also adding a useful shortcut that opens links in the background. More »

Chrome/Safari: Browser extension Pure Reader brings the look and feel of Reeder's iPad and OS X application to Google Reader's web layout. More »

Chrome only: Google Chrome extension Google Reader Notifier not only shows your current unread count and adds quick access with a popup dialog window, but it's also the official Google notifier for Reader.

Google Chrome: Lots of sites (including, unfortunately, us) have truncated RSS feeds, o

Chrome only: Google Chrome extension Chrome Reader subscribes to RSS feeds in your Google Reader account with a single click, and even changes the icon for sites you've already subscribed to.

Once you've installed the Chrome Reader extension, you'll see a new icon in the location bar—click the icon once to subscribe, and optionally add to a folder, and once you've already subscribed to a site, the icon will change to a blue Google Reader icon to indicate that you're already subscribed. If you're both a Google Reader and Chrome user, this extension is by far the easiest way to build your subscription list without clicking through a number of times.

Read more: Subscribe to RSS Feeds in Chrome with a Single Click

Firefox/Chrome/Opera/Safari (with user script support): The original Helvetireader gave Google Reader a facelift, with a singular font and emphasis on keyboard shortcuts. Helvetireader 2, unofficially released, provides even fewer graphical controls, and the author admits it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Helvetireader's developer has toyed with the idea of releasing Helvetireader 2 as a separate entity, since not everybody might want even more functionality stripped out of Google Reader, with a resulting stronger emphasis on learning all the keyboard shortcuts (visible at any time by entering a "?" key). So before changing everything around, Helvetireader 2 is getting a soft release through Helvetireader's Twitter feed, where you can click to install the mostly finished release as a user script or extension, depending on your browser.

The Google Chrome browser is making some great strides to take over the browser game. One of the areas where it lacks right out of the proverbial “box” is its inability to handle RSS. Until recently when Chrome users on Windows machines were given the ability to add extensions, you would have to (gulp) copy and paste the feed into your reader. Pretty archaic I know.

In the short time extensions have been available for the Chrome browser, quite a few add-ons have popped up to alleviate the RSS deficiencies. Below are 13 different extensions to ease your RSS withdrawal. Granted many of these do the same basic function, each can add something unique. By no means do you need every extension on the list, but its nice to have more than one option to try.

1. Google Reader Subscribe

This extension does exactly what the name implies. When you visit a page with a feed, you will see a Google Reader icon in the Chrome browser address bar.

Chrome only: Notifier extension One Number checks for unread messages in Gmail, Wave, Voice, and Google Reader and displays the unread count right on the Google Chrome toolbar.

Once you've installed the extension, you'll immediately see the button added to the toolbar, where you can see the previews for each service, and access the settings page. You can enable or disable services that you don't use, and customize the colors or how often the extension checks for new unread messages. It's a simple extension, but if you've been looking for an unread message notifier, One Number might be worth a try. One Number is a free download, works wherever Chrome does.