iGoogle, the Start Page service from Google, is slowly turning into a platform for building social and commercial applications.  In March, Airtel had partnered with Google to launch Airtel Live, built on top of iGoogle.  Further, Google added the facility to share and collaborate on Google Gadgets through iGoogle start page.

Today, Google has announced the launch of iGoogle Developer Sandbox which will allow developers to build and test applications.  The Sandbox provides support for building social applications using the OpenSocial API.  The iGoogle OpenSocial container will allow developers to build full page applications, just like the ones on Facebook, using the Canvas View.

See a video which explains the process of building applications using iGoogle Sandbox.

The applications built using the developer Sandbox can display profile information, post activity updates, send messages and gadget invites and add friends.  The developers will also be able to monetize the applications through ads.

Though the Sandbox has been opened for developers, it is still a work in progress.  Full details about iGoogle applications usage and some of the features are yet to come.

Next Steps:

• Sign up for the iGoogle Sandbox
• Read the iGoogle Developer’s Guide
• Check out iGoogle Gadgets FAQ
• Get Started with iGoogle Sandbox

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