iGoogle is a start page for number of users to access customized information like: news, emails, blog posts and much more. It also allows you to chat with iGoogle friends. Now you can extend this chatting experience by doing video chat with iGoogle friends. Video chat was introduced for Gmail users while back and now it is also available for iGoogle users.

Start video chat on iGoogle page

1. Download Video chat plugin (not need to download, if it is already installed for Gmail video chat)
2. To start video chat, goto menu option Actions > Start video chat
3. Green icon next to friend name lists video chat ready friends.
4. Start the chat in popup window & make it bigger or fullscreen mode.

Video chat on iGoogle is ideal for Gmail users without going into Gmail. It is also useful for non-Gmail users and can be used by any user with Google account. iGoogle start page just became more interactive and chatty with video chat feature. This feature is not available to all users, it will be rolled out to all the users in the next few days according to Google.

As it turns out, Twitter had applied for a trademark claim for “Tweet”, the popular term for the 140 character updates that Twitter is famous for. And to everyone’s surprise, the claim was preliminarily rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. As for the reasons for the rejection, the Patent Office felt that several existing applications already use the phrase “Tweet” as a prefix for their various Twitter offerings – TweetDeck, TweetPhoto and the likes. If that was not all, some of these companies had already applied for such a trademark claim before Twitter itself did. Acting too late, Twitter?

As for Twitter, the co-founder Biz Stone had earlier made a blog post when they had first applied for the trademark claim. He said, “We have applied to trademark Tweet because it is clearly attached to Twitter from a brand perspective but we have no intention of ‘going after’ the wonderful applications and services that use the word in their name when associated with Twitter,”

If that wasn’t clear enough, he added the following, “In fact, we encourage the use of the word Tweet. However, if we come across a confusing or damaging project, the recourse to act responsibly to protect both users and our brand is important.”

As of now, we do not have any information if Twitter has any intentions to take this up with a higher authority.

Source: Twitter

Well, Google has always been the centre of discussions when it comes to the web experience. More so, we have seen discussions over the changing logos it displays on its homepage with special occasions and events around the globe. This time it has got a different initiative to bring out the creative and innovative side of the Indian kids. Google Inc., has launched a new project called ‘Doodle 4 Google’.

“Doodle 4 Google” is a competition for Indian students, currently studying in first to tenth standard, where they are required to create a doodle based on their pictorial representation of the Indian state, ‘My India’. This is an effort by the web giant to encourage the kids to bring out the answer to “what India is all about”.

While, declaring the launch of the competition, Google Head of Consumer Marketing Arvind Desikan said, ”Creativity, innovation, and a sense of fun are at the heart of Google’s culture and beliefs. Through Doodle 4 Google, we hope to celebrate the immense creative talent and richness of ideas of students across the country. We are delighted to be able to give school students across India the opportunity to doodle for Google.”

While, the best doodle would be put on Google India’s homepage on the occasion of Childrens Day, 14th November, 2009. Along side the winner brings a grant of around Rs 1 lakh for the technological development of his or her school.

The judges’ panel will include faculty and students of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, which is also the partner institute for the competition, as well as renowned cartoonist N Ponnappa, and young emerging Indian artist Raghava K K. the final winner would be chosen by Google’s doodler and webmaster Dennis Hwang.

Source: Doodle 4 Google!