Google launches 7 million new websites

Hong Kong -Google has launched its iGoogle personalisation platform in Hong Kong aimed at rewriting the search book by giving everyone a mass personalised home page linked to their own interests.

At a media launch yesterday, Yu-Kuan Lin, associate product manager, international product team for Google demonstrated the various features available with iGoogle ranging from localised search of videos, images and websites in Hong Kong to keeping users abreast of the latest trends, news feeds from hundreds of Chinese news sources,as well as Google tools such as Gmail, Google calendar, Picasa web albums, translator and Google gadgets including those related to mahjong and horseracing.

iGoogle Hong Kong Home also provides six themed skin designs including tea house, cityscape, beach, bus stop, sweet dreams and seasonal scape that change according to local time in real time- from day to night and weather conditions.

"iGoogle Hong Kong Home is a big move made by Google in response to Hong Kong users' desire for customized products. It brings together users' favored news, videos, games and personal tools. It also enhances simplicity by offering a single platform for their selected snippets of information without bringing up each site individually," Rebecca Kuei, head of sales, Google Hong Kong and Taiwan said.

To tie in with the iGoogle launch, Google Hong Kong has also organised an iGoogle gadget contest that will end in August, aimed at encouraging local web developers and students to design useful and interesting gadgets that are relevant to the Hong Kong community.