´óÏó´«Ã½ News widget becomes default news provider on iGoogle UK
Google has just launched a new version of their and any user signing up for the first time will now get a new optimised ´óÏó´«Ã½ News widget as a pre-installed feature on their portal page. Users with existing iGoogle accounts can find and install the widget from by searching for '´óÏó´«Ã½ official news' or similar terms.
There are, of course, already quite a few ´óÏó´«Ã½ News widgets out there - mostly simple feed readers created by users. However, the widget has been specially built, and is maintained by the ´óÏó´«Ã½, to meet strict standards and offer an optimised user experience for those who subscribe to this service. Features in the first version of the widget include the top stories from News, the latest video and audio, a 'canvas view' for additional headlines, and share functionality.
As this first version of the widget is optimised for iGoogle, users will need an iGoogle account for it to work properly. To sign up or add the widget to an existing account, just .
Key functionalities
The ´óÏó´«Ã½ News widget includes the following key features:
- ´óÏó´«Ã½ News top stories and latest video and audio headline
- The 'expand' icon on the top right or 'More Stories' link at the bottom take users to an extended view as shown below
- One of the key features of the new iGoogle portal is the so called 'Canvas View'. This extended view shows additional headlines from ´óÏó´«Ã½ News and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sports
- A pop-up menu at the top offers the option to share the widget and recommend it to other users
Future Plans
We might consider future versions of this application which could include additional inline content and enhanced functionalities. We also hope to make it more widely available in the near future to be able to offer the widget on additional platforms to iGoogle, technology and resources allowing. Please watch this space for updates...
We are keen to hear your comments and what functionalities you would like to see in future versions of this product.
Install the ´óÏó´«Ã½ News widget:
More information about ´óÏó´«Ã½ widgets:
´óÏó´«Ã½ widgets
Further information about iGoogle:
Some alternative platforms:
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Olaf Geuer, Senior Product Manager, FM&T Journalism
