Google began testing new customization features on its news aggregation site Wednesday in a salvo against competition from Microsoft.

Google News, still in its test or “beta” phase after launching in 2002, says it will let people specify what categories of news to display on the page, giving an array of choices including results chosen by keyword.

“We’ve made a number of improvements to Google News that allow you to customize your News front page by creating sections that focus on topics you care about, for instance, your favorite sports team, technology, or celebrity,” reads a Google News page posted Wednesday. “You can also design your custom front page by mixing and matching existing standard sections from the 22 regional editions of Google News from around the globe.”

Source: News.com