Google is performing some belated spring cleaning, according to an announcement made on the Google Blog. The maestro of search has decided to annihilate a handful of its projects in order to refocus efforts on ones it deems more important to the company and its users.

On Google's kill list this summer is iGoogle, a customizable web page which provides quick access search, chosen RSS feeds and a variety of HTML gadgets which perform unique functions (e.g. local weather, calendar and so on). Users will get 16 months to transition away from iGoogle to something else, whatever that may be. For those looking for an iGoogle-like alternative, Netvibes is one of the most appropriate replacements I've spotted.

Next on the chopping block is Google Video. Unsurprisingly, Google has continued to garrote its own video service into digital oblivion. After the company's acquisition of YouTube in late 2006, it's easy to imagine that Google Video has become a less-than-necessary property for the search giant. In 2009, Google actually stopped allowing users to upload videos to the service. Beginning August 20, Google will finally put it to rest and transition its stagnant library of videos to YouTube.

Google is no stranger when it comes to burying languishing projects. Within the time span of nearly a year, Google has laid to rest or combined over 30 products and services. Some of the most recent casualties are found in the social networking realm: Wave, Knol, Buzz and Google Friend Connect. It also doesn't seem that long ago since Google retired Google Gears, Aardvark and the Linux version of Picasa.

Other Google products to be shelved this summer include Google Talk Chatback, Symbian Search App and Google Mini, an aging enterprise product which has since been replaced by the Google Search Appliance.