Have you come to depend on iGoogle as a convenient home page with all of your favorite Google (and other) stuff in one place? Me too. Despite the popularity of iGoogle, Google has decided to discontinue the service after November 1, 2013. This leaves many users scrambling for a new solution. Whether you are an iGoogle user or not, you may find the suggestions below useful.
1. Google Shortcuts
If you are looking for is quick access to Google products, and you use Firefox or Chrome for your browser, this add-on may help. It does exactly what it sounds like – it adds shortcuts for Google services to the top of your browser. You can choose which shortcuts you use by clicking the gear icon. Here’s a clip of what the shortcuts look like on my browser (Firefox):
Warning: the download page is in German, but the settings and operations are in English.
2. Myfav.es
If you don’t need previews of content, just quick links to your favorite sites, this may be the service for you. There are shortcuts for many, many websites available. No account necessary. Here is what the homepage I created looks like:
Chances are, though, that you are looking for a page with gadgets that offers previews of your email, RSS feeds, calendar, etc. Read on for other services that offer a similar experience to iGoogle.
3. igHome
This one is my current favorite. The setup was easy, and in no time I had a functioning page nearly identical to my iGoogle page. As a bonus, shortcuts to Google services are included in a toolbar at the top of the page. If you are using the Gmail gadget, be sure to turn on IMAP in your Gmail settings and approve the igHome application to access it.
4. Netvibes
This one is a bit more complicated than igHome to set up, but more customization is available. Also, more widgets are available than with some other customized home pages.
5. uStart.org
This solution is similar to Netvibes. You may want to experiment with both and see which you like better.
6. MyMSN and MyYahoo
These are personalized homepages provided by their respective companies. If you don’t need any gadgets related to Google (Gmail, Google Calendar, etc.), one of these may work well for you.
7. Skim.Me
This one looks promising, but I’m still waiting for an invitation to get in on the beta.
Have you found another solution? If so, let me know about it in the comments.
Happy computing!
Google’s search box is so much more than it appears to be. You may be familiar with Google Doodles, where Google modifies its logo to commemorate holidays or events. You may also know that you can use the “Search Tools” button to refine a Google search by time, location, or other limits (found under “All results”).
In fact, there are a whole host of tricks and tools (infographic) out there to make the most of your Google search. Beyond search terms and language that can refine a search, Google has built in some other neat features that are outlined nicely in this Mashable article. Some of my favorite tools are:
