↓ Site: Customized Google.com

Yep, yep, yep, for once Microsoft (Bing) sets a mark and Google copies follows! Sort of, as from yesterday Google have started rolling out a new feature for their search homepage: Image customisation!

Like the new logo a few weeks ago this new feature has firstly appeared on the Google.com page and will start appearing in all countries’ pages.

How it works: just click on the link in the lower left-hand corner of Google.com (don’t worry if you don’t have it yet, it will come) and a new window will pop-up giving you the possibility to choose an image from your PC (always min 800×600), your Picasa album, a public gallery from other Picasa users or the “Editor’s pick” which are the best-looking optimized images for the new homepage.

This is a new twist & approach from Google to answer Bing’s daily images which have made the Microsoft search engine grab some popularity (regardless of its performance).

The problem with Google’s DIY idea is that not many users will be bothered to create themselves customized 800×600  images that fit in perfectly…. the current library choice provided by G is very poor, and most times you need quite a dark image to keep the contrast right.

Google's logo or their hp links are way less recognisable with light / white images: problem

We really like this initiative, but the image loading-time problems or the links & logo contrast with non-Google images could be a bit of a headache for many users. Try it & tell us what you think