Is Google trying to become a portal?

Google launched a new feature that will let user personalize the home page of the search engine.

The service, similar to offers from its competitors MSN and Yahoo, lets users aggregate information, search, email and other content in their own personal portal to the web.

Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, pointed out that Google is not planning a portal, "It's not a portal. It's a personalization tool".

Rather than becoming a portal, Google is trying to find new ways of advertisement. For the moment, this service is going to be offered as beta, and it includes only features as integration with e-mail service Gmail, news, weather, stocks, driving directions and movie listings.

Marissa Mayer, Google's director of consumer products said that "We really hope to have this not necessarily be a platform ... but rather to help users navigate the Web better," "Our philosophy is we want to get people off the Google site."

Still, targeted advertising eventually will become part of the personalized home page, Mayer said.

At the same time, Google also unveiled Google Earth, a project that incorporates technology from recent acquisition Keyhole. Google Earth will let users search within a database of highly detailed maps and satellite imagery.


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