Google updates iPhone apps

Google Inc. kicked things off at the Macworld Show in San Francisco by unveiling a streamlined version of its iPhone interface.
The interface, which was launched last month, serves as a single access point for Google services including Gmail, Reader, calendar and Picasa. The Internet giant said the upgraded application allows users to switch between applications more easily and access preconfigured, personalized information via the iGoogle application.
The new interface also delivers new e-mails automatically, eliminating the need to manually refresh the inbox page.
Google’s interest in the iPhone is twofold: While the iPhone accounts for 20% of smartphones worldwide, total Web browsing on the device has topped Web browsing on all Microsoft Corp. Windows Mobile-enabled devices combined, according to figures from Net Applications. And the iPhone’s Safari browser uses WebKit, the same rendering engine behind the Android project Google unveiled two months ago.
“We plan to expand this experience to international versions of the iPhone and to other platforms that offer similar usability and browser capabilities,” Google said in a prepared statement. “One of our goals is to support platforms that are fulfilling the promise of the mobile Web – like the iPhone – and to ultimately deliver unique and compelling mobile experiences that improve people’s daily lives.”