Google has added social-networking features to its customizable homepages. It is adding software “gadgets” to the homepages which makes it possible for the users that and John Kerry and to play and stay in tune with friends online.

19 community-oriented mini-programs are making U.S. debut on iGoogle. This programs include chess and trivia game play and distributing updates about user’s life.

“Social gadgets let you share, collaborate and play games with your friends on top of all the things you can already do on your homepage,” Google vice president of search products and user experience Marissa Mayer and iGoogle product manager Rose Yao said in a joint message posted online.

“Your friends are able to see what you share or do in your social gadgets either by having the same gadgets on their homepages, or through a new feed called Updates.”

As an user of iGoogle, you can create a “Friends” group to decide who you should want to share digital data with. The iGoogle social gadgets were launched recently in Australia.

A huge collection of more than 60,000 mini-applications are present in a gadget directory, which you can use to customize your iGoogle homepage with hip, playful, or functional programs. With the addition of social gadgets, Google is competing for online people and their time with social-networking services Facebook and MySpace and microblogging sensation Twitter.

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