Today I found my iGoogle theme in the Google directory and noticed that 353 users are currently using it.

It's on page 142 of the 212 pages!!!

You can use this link to check it out: http://www.google.com/ig/directory?q=jotunheimen&type=themes&dpos=themes

If you like nature, then you can add this theme and expect regulary updates, with more pictures and even better layout!

You can enter search terms: Jotunheimen or "mark deraeve" and you will find this theme too.

I encourage everyone who's a iGoogle user and has some XML knowledge to try it out!

Today I was looking with google to solve a problem in with a PC. I found a good solution page that described 4 possible solutions. I read them and thaught that I knew wich solution could fix the problem. So I closed the page and tried it out on the PC.

It didn't worked. So I wanted to view the other solutions, that's when I noticed I closed the page. I couldn't remember which search term I used to find this page. My company does not allow autocomplete in forms. Thats where Google history comes in.

Log on http://www.google.com/history/ with your google account and there you have the history of all your google searches. The history goes back al long time, as far as I know it stores and keeps your history indefenately. You can delete history yourself, in case of sensative search terms.

Here a peek of the tool.

This allows you to go back in time and choose a day you like.

Here you can see the search terms of a particular day. You can click on any of them to open the result pag. There is lots to find in this tool. You can also expand your Google history if you are using google toolbar. It can include URL's you visited. I don't care about my provacy, because I have nothing to hide.

Just finished version 1 of my first iGoogle theme. I must say, google made it very easy. I think everybody can do this who has some photoshop and XML knowledge.

This is a screenshot of the theme:

This screen changes 3 times a day, here the other skins:

Next the xml file that I used for this theme:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?> 

<ConfigMaps> 

  <ConfigMap type="Skin"> 

    <Meta name="title">Jotunheimen</Meta> 

    <Meta name="description">Theme about the Giants of Norway</Meta> 

    <Meta name="author">mark deraeve</Meta> 

    <Meta name="author_email">mark.deraeve@gmail.com</Meta>    

    <Meta name="thumbnail">http://www.dailycode.net/iGoogle/thumb.jpg</Meta>

    <Meta name="screenshot">http://www.dailycode.net/iGoogle/screen.jpg</Meta>

  </ConfigMap> 

  <ConfigMap type="Skin"> 

    <Trait name="TimeOfDay">12am-8am</Trait>

    <Attribute name="header.background_color">#FFFFFF</Attribute>    

    <Attribute name="header.tile_image.url">http://www.dailycode.net/iGoogle/header1.jpg</Attribute> 

    <Attribute name="header.logo">white</Attribute>     

    <Attribute name="header.link_color">#3366CC</Attribute>     

    <Attribute name="header.text_color">#3366CC</Attribute>     

    <Attribute name="navbar.border_color">#3366CC</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="gadget_area.gadget.header.background_color">#AEC3E2</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.background_color">#FFFFFF</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.center_image.url">http://www.dailycode.net/iGoogle/footer1.jpg</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.link_color">#3366CC</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.text_color">#3366CC</Attribute>

   </ConfigMap> 

   <ConfigMap type="Skin"> 

    <Trait name="TimeOfDay">8am-12pm</Trait>

    <Trait name="TimeOfDay">8pm-12am</Trait>

    <Attribute name="header.background_color">#FFFFFF</Attribute>    

    <Attribute name="header.tile_image.url">http://www.dailycode.net/iGoogle/header2.jpg</Attribute> 

    <Attribute name="header.logo">white</Attribute>     

    <Attribute name="header.link_color">#FFFFFF</Attribute>     

    <Attribute name="header.text_color">#FFFFFF</Attribute>     

    <Attribute name="gadget_area.gadget.header.background_color">#AEC3E2</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.background_color">#FFFFFF</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.center_image.url">http://www.dailycode.net/iGoogle/footer2.jpg</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.link_color">#3366CC</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.text_color">#3366CC</Attribute>

   </ConfigMap> 

   <ConfigMap type="Skin"> 

    <Trait name="TimeOfDay">12pm-8pm</Trait>

    <Attribute name="header.background_color">#7F0000</Attribute>    

    <Attribute name="header.tile_image.url">http://www.dailycode.net/iGoogle/header3.jpg</Attribute> 

    <Attribute name="header.logo">white</Attribute>     

    <Attribute name="header.link_color">#7F0000</Attribute>     

    <Attribute name="header.text_color">#7F0000</Attribute>     

    <Attribute name="gadget_area.gadget.header.background_color">#AEC3E2</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.background_color">#7F0000</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.center_image.url">http://www.dailycode.net/iGoogle/footer3.jpg</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.link_color">#3366CC</Attribute>

    <Attribute name="footer.text_color">#3366CC</Attribute>

   </ConfigMap> 

</ConfigMaps>

If you want to test your theme, there are several developers gadgets, but the most simple way is to use the querystring provided by google. For example: http://www.google.com/ig?skin=http://www.dailycode.net/iGoogle/JOtunheimen.xml . You will have to put the xml file along with all used pictures somewhere on a internet server. Then just point out to the xml file.

That's all there is to it!

When you create your own theme, you can submit it to the Google themes directory. They won't notify you or provide you with an url on how to add your theme.

Not to worry, there is a search box where you can look for your theme. BUT!!!

When your interface language is Dutch, there is no search box. Try finding your theme in 1000's of google themes. Every day, more and more theme are added and is harder and harder to find your theme. Here is the difference between the 2 interfaces:

Dutch:

English:

So tell me, is this discrimination or what :-)

I guess somebody just forgot to put is in there...

Together with Niki we found this error and a  solution. You can use the search box by changing your iGoogle inferface language to English.

/*Added on 19 september */

Just a day after this discovery I noticed that this problem was solved by Google. I guess I was to fast with my conclusions.

Google introduced a while ago, their new browser: Google Chrome. I'm checking it out later on, also testing several content management systems like sharepoint.

If you're looking for more info click here.

They made a cartoon on the functionalities: http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/index.html.

You can join the open source developers (VS 2005 or 2008), or just take a peak at the code here: