Gary Killops

This exciting new idea from Google means that you can customize your homepage to exactly what you want to see each time you use their search engine. They have provided a gallery with pictures you can choose from or you can select a favorite picture that you already have.

It is a really simple process to set up the image you want to see each time you visit Google. Simply head to Google.com and in the bottom left hand corner there is a link that says, “Change background image.” From here you can select a couple of different options to find the perfect image for you.

The “From my computer” and “My Picasa Web photos” options let you select images that you either have on your computer or have already uploaded to My Picasa Web photos. After certifying that you are licensed to use the image you selected, simply hit upload and the image will appear as your new Google background.

At the moment there does not seem to be a way to edit how the image appears when you open Google. The image you select will be stretched to cover the entire background of the site. Future versions may make it possible to center a photo or decide where you want it on the background, but for now, you’ll have to take whatever stretched version of the image Google gives you.

If you do not want to use your own image you can pick from the public gallery. Google has collaborated with partners like National Geographic and various other photography artists to provide a wide array of images to choose from. This great selection means that you can continuously update your Google homepage with various stunning pictures from around the world. Between all of the choices Google has to offer, and all of the pictures in your own library, you should have no problem picking an image that suits you.

Some die-hard fans are appalled by this new addition to the Google homepage. The simple white page with the clean search engine box has become something of an icon to our generation. There has been a significant amount of backlash to this idea from various twitter and blog postings about the new concept. Those unhappy with the decision to add backgrounds have the option to leave the Google home page in its pristine, plain white condition.

Gary Killops