But over the past few months, Google has also been secretly testing a new UI and look for the Google Search engine, which has essentially not changed much since its inception. Do you want to be one among the secret testers, to have a sneak peak of the new design?

To get this Hack Attack to work for you, you need to be using the international version of Google i.e. http://google.com/ncr and not the localized version that you are redirected to usually.

Once you are at the Google Homepage, copy the following text and paste it in the address bar as it is…

javascript:void(document.cookie=”PREF=ID=20b6e4c2f44943bb:U=4bf292d46faad806:TM=1249677602:LM=1257919388:S=odm0Ys-53ZueXfZG;path=/; domain=.google.com”);

Once you are done, press enter and reload the Google Homepage. You Should now be looking at an all new design for the homepage. Perform a search and you’ll see a new search results page with an always visible Sidebar.

So Do you like the new look? I do quite like it, at least the sidebar is useful to perform searches more rapidly. But I’m not quite sure if it will be well received by all the people because it is quite a departure from the Google we are all used. However they could tone down the Blue a bit because at times I feel am at the MSN of yesteryears rather than Google.

Or you never know Google may never release it in the wild…

However if you aren’t a fan of the new design, you can remove the corresponding cookie from your browser. Here’s how its done in Chrome

Leave your comments, as to what you feel about the new Design?

Via Google Blogoscoped | Google Caffeine Update | Image Credit : ientu

If you are in San Francisco today (Oct 20th), and go to Google.com you might see Google present itself in a Black Homepage with a message telling you that "We’ve turned the lights out. Now it’s your turn." Well Google says that they are doing this “a gesture to raise awareness of a citywide energy conservation event called Lights Out San Francisco.” More details on Lights Out San Francisco can be found at LightsOutSF.org.

And if you want a permanently dark search homepage, you can bookmark Blackle.com, though Google says a black background color doesn’t actually save energy.

Via Google OS

I decided to go on and I set the location to Udipi (This is where I Live) and the Screenshot looks like this

Honestly speaking the new Live Homepage looks uber cool to me and provides easy access to many of the Live services, which includes the following :

Connect

• Hotmail: Next-generation e-mail on the Web
• Messenger: Chat with friends on the world’s most popular instant messaging network
• Contacts: Keep one up-to-date contact list that you can access everywhere on Windows Live

Find

• Search: Say hello to the next generation of search
• Gallery: Personalize your Windows Live experience
• OneCare: Help keep your PC safe and trouble-free, with protection that’s always on
• Favorites: Get to your Internet favorites from any computer, and share them with your friends
• Maps: Use road, aerial, bird’s eye, or 3-D maps to take you where you need to go
• MSN: Keep up on the latest MSN entertainment, lifestyle, and shopping news

Share

• Spaces: Your blog, your photos, your social network
• Skydrive: Secure online storage and sharing

So go ahead and check the all new Live Homepage if you are MSN Fanboy. The new Live Homepage is Live at http://home.live.com.