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Google Gooses iGoogle For Android And iPhone

Today Google rolled out a new version of its iGoogle page for the Android and iPhone platforms. New features include the ability to access more of your tabs and improved gadget support for interacting with your content.

You might be fooled into thinking that Google only develops new and interesting mobile products for the iPhone and Android. While it's true that they seem to get the lion's share of attention, it's for good reason. Their able browsers give Google a lot of room to tinker. The latest tinkering brings new functionality to iGoogle.

According to Google the new version is faster (sometimes I wonder if that phrase "appears" in every Google press release just for the heck of it). This isn't necessarily a function of speedier delivery of Web pages. Rather, it has more to do with the way you navigate through iGoogle.

Next up is the new tabbed view. This lines up your content in a way that is easy to rifle through quickly to find exactly what you want.

iGoogle now supports more gadgets, though Google is sure to point out that those gadgets requiring Flash still won't work.

Dan Zivkovic and Zhen Wang, Software Engineers, Google mobile team, write, "One of our favorite new features is the in-line display of articles for feed-based gadgets. That means you can read article summaries without leaving the page. You can also rearrange gadget order or keep your favorite gadgets open for your next visit. None of these changes will mess up the layout of gadgets on your desktop computer, so feel free to play around and tune your mobile experience. "

I took the new version for a quick spin this morning. You have to actively select the "try the new mobile iGoogle" link to see it. I have to say, it definitely feels more organized and less chaotic. I can't say I experienced any great improvements in page loads or anything, but the more compact and intuitive navigation lends itself to faster use.

Feel free to check it out yourself.

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