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Bing envy? Google now lets you create custom homepages

By Ben Parr, Mashable
Now you can customize your background on Google.com.
Now you can customize your background on Google.com.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • A link will soon appear on Google.com allowing users to change their search background
  • You can choose any photo or image from your hard drive or your Picasa Web Albums
  • The new feature immediately reminds us of Bing, Microsoft's upstart search engine
RELATED TOPICS
  • Google Inc.
  • Bing.com

(Mashable) -- Ever think that Google's homepage was just a little too sparse? If all of that white space bothers you, your prayers have been answered: Now you can customize your background on Google.com.

You can now choose any photo or image from your hard drive or your Picasa Web Albums to enhance your search experience. A new link on the bottom left-hand corner of Google.com will soon appear for all users that will give them the ability to change their search background. The rollout begins with the U.S. over the next few days, with international users to follow.

The announcement, written by Google VP of Search Products Marissa Mayer, doesn't go into much detail as to why Google decided to add this feature. Personalization isn't something new -- iGoogle, Gmail and other Google products offer this type of feature already. However, the search giant has been working diligently to reduce clutter on the homepage.

The new feature immediately reminds us of Bing, Microsoft's upstart search engine. Every day it has a different photo on its homepage, and it has proven to be a popular feature.

Will you be customizing your Google homepage? Is this a smart move by the company? Let us know in the comments.

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