Wow! One minute you're going along minding your own business chasing down a census record or listening to the latest episode of The Genealogy Gems Podcast (a shameless plug!) and WHAM!! iGoogle looks NOTHING LIKE the iGoogle you knew ten minutes ago.
If you follow the podcast, then you know that I'm a huge advocate of iGoogle for the genealogist. You are truly working too hard if you don't utilize this free tool. (Listen to Episode 15 to get started now)
No worries my friend, iGoogle just got better! (she said optimistically) And from all accounts that should be the case.
It always helps to understand the rational behind "upgrades" like this. Google says it's meant to provide full "canvas views" for gadget and support for full feed reading. Not all of the Google gadgets support full feed reading, but many of the general popular ones do. (Here's a full list of what's currently available) Chances are you will first see the full benefits of this feature in your favorite gadgets produced by Google such as Gmail which will allow you now to read your full email and perform simple actions like send or reply to emails with the new gadget drop down menu without leaving iGoogle. Click the Maximize button in the upper right corner of the Gmail gadget to instantly see how it works.
The other primary reason for this revamp is that Google is trying to make iGoogle a better platform for gadget developers. This means we should expect to see even more cool and innovative gadgets from talented folks all over the world.
So don't be timid. Play around with iGoogle...click all the buttons...sound all the whistles...and have FUN!
Want to learn even more about how to turn iGoogle into your own personal Genealogy Assistant? Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member and you'll have instant access to the 7 part iGoogle video series. You'll learn everything you need to know to put iGoogle to work for you by watching this step-by-step on-screen tutorial I created specifically for you, the family historian. And as a member you'll also enjoy Members Only podcast episodes, the Message Forum, and much more. Use the coupon code SAVE20 and save 20% off the annual membership for a limited time only. Sign Up Today.
3 comments:
I'm with you! I love iGoogle. Thanks for telling me about new developments. I've got to go take a look.
I was a fan of iGoogle briefly, long enough to fill my pages with gadgets galore. But just like with facebook, I quickly realized it was just another place to go to waste time. Too many gadgets to read/play with... not enough blog posts getting written! LOL!
I read about a site on John Chow today called http://www.43marks.com - its like Igoogle but better cuz you can add you own bookmarks and the bookmarks can be websites not just gadgets and RSS feeds although you can upload your favorite RSS feeds too. Its free and totally customizable. Plus you don't have to login to see your bookmars and RSS feeds
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