iGoogle Update

by Daniel Eosco, SEO Blogger

iGoogle’s iPhone interface has been so lame I started using Yahoo Mobile on my iPhone which is light years ahead of iGoogle. It even ties into my Facebook account and reads Twitter. This latest release of iGoogle may turn the tide of Yahoo Mobile users back to Google.

Google announced a new beta version of its iGoogle mobile offering for Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch devices, as well as its own Android-based handsets, yes they still make Android.

Google has always gone with the minimalist approach, and this follows true with the new beta release of iGoogle.

The most impressive feature of iGoogle, past and present beta, is Local Search, it uses your current location for your search results; ie: search for Pizza and it will show results for pizza joints in your area. Pretty cool.

Google mobile software engineers Dan Zivkovic and Zhen Wang said in a blog post that most users search on the handsets as a sort of “information snack “. I do almost as much searching on my iPhone as I do my Mac.

“That’s why iGoogle is so convenient on mobile devices. When you’re waiting in line, you can check iGoogle on your phone for a quick ‘info snack’ even in areas with mediocre network coverage,” they noted.

The improved version of iGoogle adds common elements such as tabs and quick access to frequently used gadgets, which should further speed up the experience, and bring it closer to competitor standards.

“Many of you have told us that you wanted to use more of your iGoogle gadgets on your phone. You wanted to see your tabs, too. We read your blog comments and forum posts and put your requests at the top of our to-do list,” they explained. Something Yahoo Mobile already has.

The single biggest difference between iGoogle and Yahoo Mobile is that iGoogle is web based app, and Yahoo Mobile is installable app via the Apple App Store.

The new version of iGoogle comes in 38 languages, and can be accessed by visiting igoogle.com in a mobile browser and selecting ‘Try the new Mobile iGoogle’.

The mobile version of Google’s browser has had its own additions this week, including improvements to the auto-complete tools and new keyboard shortcuts for Android devices.

“We’d like to introduce the Iterative Webapp, a series where we will continue to release features for Gmail for mobile. Today: Faster address auto-completion and keyboard shortcuts,” said Shyam Sheth, product manager for Google Mobile, in a blog post.

The improvements to the address auto-complete tools mean that users will have to type in fewer letters before the relevant contact information is presented. The firm said that this was made possible through the study of previous searches.

Android users will also benefit from access to common Gmail keyboard shortcuts used to navigate their inboxes. It’s funny how the push to deploy better software for the iPhone is benefiting other mobile devices.

“For example, if you’re reading an email you can press ‘u’ to return to the inbox or ‘n’ to move to the next conversation,” Google said. Pretty cool, and we look forward to more advancements in iGoogle in coming weeks as they refine this beta.