Google has become so entrenched in our vernacular. In many ways it is similar to Xerox. For a long time people would just say "Xerox this" meaning copy this. But where Xerox has a limited bag of tricks, Google seems to always have some new tool up their sleeve. iGoogle has been around for a while, but they are constantly adding new gadgets and improving the layout. I recently added the Useless Knowledge gadget and the Current Moon Phase gadget. I also have my gmail show on my iGoogle page. It lets me see a few of my most recent emails at a glance. I have the weather for my house as well as where my parents are living. All of the gadgets allow me to quickly view what is important to me. One of the things I like most about this feature is that I can sign into any computer and my iGoogle will come with me. (I just have to make sure I log out)
Google translate has also been very helpful to me. Last fall I had an ELL student and Google translate allowed me to type in word problems or definitions and then tell it into which language I would like it to be translated. Caveat: Google translate is an excellent resource and tool, but it has been my experience in speaking with native speakers that it does have some limitations. It will sometimes translate exactly how you want it to, but more likely is that it will translate into something that will express your idea but may not be exactly grammatically correct. I'm not sure exactly how the software works, but apparently some languages work better than others.
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