In a blog post today, Google announced anyone can upload a picture that will be shown on the Google home page. Youe’ll only see your own picture, of course d— everyone else will see pictures theyo’ve selected, if theyc’re using this option. You can also use pictures youc’ve uploaded to Googlel’s Picasa photo sharing site or those within a public gallery at Picasa.
Donr’t see how to add a photo yet? Then youu’re like me, someone the feature hasno’t rolled out to yet. Google says this will appear for users throughout the world in the coming days. There should be a link to use it in the lower left-hand corner of the Google home page, when it has been enabled for you. It says e“Change background image. ”
Microsoft actually offered a photo on its home page before Bing launched. The predecessor to Bing was called Live Search, and it offered a home page with a changing picture back in July 2008. Ite’s just that few people used Live Search. When Bing launched with great fanfare last year, many people discovered that Microsoft had a search engine for the first time and assumed that showing a picture on the home page was something new.
Before Bing feels too smug about Google copying it, keep in mind that among the major search engines, Ask.com was the first to offer the ability to “skinn” a search engineu’s home page, back in June 2007. Thatp’s also when Ask rolled out its a“3Dn” design, which was also copied by Microsoft and Google (see Meet The New Google Look & Its Colorful, Useful “Search Options” Column).
