Google Reader cambió el look and feel.
Tenía la ilusión de que sea para compartir los themes de GMail, pero por lo visto no tiene nada que ver.
Edit: Acabo de enterarme que lo hicieron por una cuestión de velocidad.
Google is all about speed, both under the hood as well as in the user experience. So, in order to make Reader act and feel more speedy and responsive, we’ve removed some visual clutter, simplified some features and given everything a bit more breathing room. Out with the old rounded corners, drop shadows and heavily saturated colors — in with a softer palette, faster components and a fresh new look.