- Google Base -

That was fast. After a few weeks of rumors and speculation, Google Base went live yesterday. In case you missed all the announcements, Google Base is a new service (still in beta stage) that offers "a place where you can add all types of information that we'll host and make searchable online", as the GB homepage puts it. It also lets people offer things for sale, thus making it a potential competitor if not for eBay, then at least for Craigslist.
I fiddled around with the upload format and haven't quit ironed out the kinks yet. On the other hand, GB won't be flooded by people looking for things to buy anytime soon, as it does not appear on the main search bar.
While GB leaves me somehwat less than overwhelmed so far, the Google homepage has an interesting new look. Click on "Personalized Home" and you can add components to your Google homepage. There are the usual suspects, such as News, Weather and Sports, but it is the option "Create a Section" that makes this really interesting. You can simply enter a feed URL in the box and click on Go. Just for fun, I added the RSS feed of my eBay store, and now I can always see what is available in it;-)
A more practical use would be to add a feed from your favorite store, news site or blog. And that is the beauty of the new Google homepage - while other portals such as My Yahoo! give you a selection of components to choose from, you can build your own portal here.

Back to breakfast! Until next time...

Cyberbeader
http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com