Google has been once again revamped its iGoogle start page for easier use on iPhone and Android handsets. It lets you see and interact with your gadgets in a similar fashion to the desktop version, by making use of tabs and displaying content that runs in iFrames. The previous version, which was mysteriously discontinued by Google in late January, simply put everything into one, large vertical stream, and required you to go back and forth to get at different sets of widgets.
One nice feature that was not found in the previous version, is the option to set certain widgets to automatically open and load when you first start iGoogle. Normally you have to open these up for it to pull down the data. Next to this option there are also controls to move them up and down the page which is specific to the mobile site, and will not rearrange the order of your widgets on the desktop.
As far as compatibility goes, the newer iteration of the service handles Ajax better, meaning you can get updates from specific widgets without refreshing the entire page. It's also borrowed a few tricks from the mobile version of the Google News site, allowing you to view and expand news story previews without leaving the page.
There's still the issue of Adobe Flash compatibility though. Widgets that are written in Flash still won't work unless it's supported in your browser, and for Android and iPhone that means you're currently out of luck. That's kind of a bummer considering how many cool Flash widgets there are for iGoogle--especially the games.
When Flash eventually makes its way to both platforms (which will be sooner for Android users), iGoogle has the potential to mirror some of the usefulness found on its desktop counterpart. Even with this update, however, it remains a lightweight, and useful alternative to installing widget-like apps on your phone.
The new iGoogle for iPhone and Android phones has been streamlined from the old one and now supports widgets that take advantage of Ajax, and iFrames. (Click to embiggen.)
(Credit: CNET)We've received further word from Google on the demise of iGoogle, a version of the Google home page that was optimized specifically for the iPhone. The iPhone-formatted version of iGoogle now redirects users to the generic Google Web site formatted for mobile devices.
We contacted Google again to see if the changes to iGoogle were the result of a staff reduction and advised them that some of our readers were taking up arms over iGoogle for the iPhone being taken down and a Google spokesperson replied:
"We are redirecting all iPhone users to the standard mobile version of iGoogle to provide an experience that's optimized for speed and reliability. While we realize that not all features on the iPhone are available on the mobile version, we are listening to user feedback and exploring options to improve in this area. Our goal is to improve the overall experience for all mobile devices and as such, we are focusing our efforts to offer a better mobile platform for iGoogle."
Users interested in leaving Google feedback about the demise of iGoogle for the iPhone may do so:
On the iGoogle forum at www.google.com/suppo rt/forum/p/Web+Search.
On the Mobile forum at www.google.com/support/ forum/p/Google+Mobile.
The Google Mobile team also gathers suggestions for improving their product on their product suggestion page.
Earlier this week, iPhone Atlas reported that Google had quietly removed the iGoogle Web site formatted for the iPhone. The iPhone-formatted version of iGoogle now redirects users to the generic Google Web site formatted for mobile devices.
In response to our query regarding the demise of this popular Web site for iPhone users, a Google representative said:
"In an effort to make our iGoogle mobile experience more consistent, we're no longer supporting a special version of iGoogle for the iPhone. Those who currently use iGoogle for the iPhone will be directed to the main mobile version of iGoogle."
Sadly, this consistency means no more innovative and well-engineered iGoogle page for iPhone users. While no other reasons were mentioned regarding this, you could surmise that current economic conditions and potential lay offs at Google maybe to blame.
Without warning, Google has quietly removed the iGoogle Web site formatted for the iPhone. The iPhone-formatted version of iGoogle now redirects users to the generic Google Web site formatted for mobile devices.
The version of the page that was unique to the iPhone, optimized for the Mobile Safari browser, and offered sections that were expandable or collapsible, used to display custom gadgets.
Despite the iGoogle move, the search giant appears to still be developing its Google applications for Apple's smartphone, including enhancements for voice searches, Google Earth exploration, and Google Maps directions and Street View.
You can see a YouTube video of iGoogle in action below.
(Credit:
AOL)
It's been a busy two days for AOL Mail. On Wednesday, AOL launched a beefier version of the AOL Mail gadget for iGoogle. On Thursday, AOL won a few more fans with the introduction of its beta feature AOL Sync.
AOL Mail for iGoogle improves upon the previous gadget by replacing the preview-only capability with functionality that lets you compose, reply, and fully manage your in-box from the iGoogle page.
AOL Sync beta, launched today, targets mobile and desktop users with the ability to sync their AOL address book and calendar in real time to Microsoft Outlook, the iPhone, BlackBerry, phones running Windows Mobile, and phones made by Nokia, Motorola, and Samsung.
You'll get started on AOL's Sync site, where you'll sign in to get access to the mobile or Outlook plug-in. On that end, AOL has turned to Funambol, which brings open-source push synchronization to companies like AOL.
It's a little disappointing that AOL Sync beta won't yet sync e-mail, but we're always big fans of two-way syncing and if this beta catches on, message-syncing would be the next logical step.
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