Highly customizable Google Reader/podcast app

GoodNews is a combined RSS/atom newsreader and podcast player for Google Reader.

Google Reader already has an Android version, but if you are looking for something a little more refined and flexible, check out GoodNews. This ad-supported RSS reader requires a Google Account but, once installed, will give you more options than Google’s own tool.

The GoodNews interface is pretty nice, but no great improvement on Google Reader’s. In addition, there are no appearance customization options. Where the difference becomes obvious is the app’s settings – there are more than 30 of them, so you can make sure all aspects of GoodNews are tailored exactly to your needs.

One of the best parts of GoodNews is the quick-access toggles for read, shared, starred, etc. They are much easier to use than in Google Reader, and include a read/play later option, so you can get back to an item when you are ready. These options are also color-coded for quick recognition and there’s also an option for people with color vision issues.

GoodNews also has excellent podcast support with easy controls. You can pause and resume downloads, automatically play next episodes and choose where to store your podcast items. The only problem we noticed in tests, however, was that it was a little slow.

GoodNews is a great reader app that will be just what many people are looking for. To get the most out of it, you really need to mess around with the settings for a while, but once you have it set up to your specifications, you’ll be a convert. The only real issues that we noticed was that the ads are a little unpleasant when you compare the interface directly with Google Reader, although there is an add-on available to remove them – at a cost, of course.

If you need an app that will let you get more out of Google Reader on your mobile, GoodNews is probably it.