iGoogle offers enhanced home page features

Google has broken Apple’s monopoly over the prefix ‘i’ and named its updated Personalised Home product iGoogle.

iGoogle allows users to create a customised portal featuring news, blog postings and ‘gadgets’ - interactive information modules for topics such as the local weather, date and time, news or horoscopes.

Google has updated the product with a number of features including a Gadget Maker that makes it easier for users to create their own gadgets with their own content.

Users can now create gadgets without having to use code or HTML through seven templates: Framed Photo for creating and updating photos; GoogleGram, a greeting card which changes over 7 days; Daily Me - a miniblog; a YouTube gadget for video clips; Free Form - for any text and image; Personal List for favourite songs, bands etc and Countdown, for counting down days to special events.

iGoogle will also feature ‘My Community’ which allows users to share their gadgets with contacts in their Gmail list.

iGoogle has been expanded internationally, reaching 26 languages and more than 40 countries, with new themes for iGoogle users located outside the US.

Google is also launching location-based personalised search results for users who provide a default location in Google Maps.