The ever-growing list of Google services.
Google Doodles Holiday Logos
Google has always created beautiful holiday logos. Some Google fans created a series of logos that can be seen on Flickr.
You can find more about Google doodles from their Holiday Logos museum.
Dennis Hwang's creative logos have been expressing the playful heart of Google behind the impressive technology.
For Piet Mondrian's birthday, Hwang transformed the "Google" logo to emulate the artist's signature style of utilizing colorful blocks. Claude Monet's birthday saw the logo turned into a dreamy watercolor, complete with floating lily pads.
Yahoo buys del.icio.us
Social bookmarking service del.icio.us announced on Friday that it had been acquired by Yahoo. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Joshua Schachter, creator of the site, said that the acquisition would allow it to work more closely with photo site Flickr, which was acquired by Yahoo in March.
Schachter created del.icio.us in 2003 as a way for himself and his friends to save and share Web pages that they visited. Earlier this year, del.icio.us, Inc. was formed to attract investment and help grow the service.
Since then, the site has received funding from a variety of companies and individuals, including Union Square Ventures, Amazon.com, BV Capital, Marc Andreessen, Esther Dyson, Seth Goldstein, Josh Koppelman, Howard Morgan, Tim O'Reilly, and Bob Young.
"I look forward to continuing my vision of social and community memory, and taking it to the next level with the del.icio.us community and Yahoo," Schachter said in a blog post announcing the acquisition Friday.
Yahoo Search's Jeremy Zawodny said the company has big plans for del.icio.us in the future. "Just like we've done with Flickr, we plan to give del.icio.us the resources, support, and room it needs to continue growing the service and community," he said.
Zawodny also hinted at some integration to come with Yahoo's My Web service and del.icio.us.
Schachter created del.icio.us in 2003 as a way for himself and his friends to save and share Web pages that they visited. Earlier this year, del.icio.us, Inc. was formed to attract investment and help grow the service.
Since then, the site has received funding from a variety of companies and individuals, including Union Square Ventures, Amazon.com, BV Capital, Marc Andreessen, Esther Dyson, Seth Goldstein, Josh Koppelman, Howard Morgan, Tim O'Reilly, and Bob Young.
"I look forward to continuing my vision of social and community memory, and taking it to the next level with the del.icio.us community and Yahoo," Schachter said in a blog post announcing the acquisition Friday.
Yahoo Search's Jeremy Zawodny said the company has big plans for del.icio.us in the future. "Just like we've done with Flickr, we plan to give del.icio.us the resources, support, and room it needs to continue growing the service and community," he said.
Zawodny also hinted at some integration to come with Yahoo's My Web service and del.icio.us.
Windows Live Local
Microsoft launched Windows Live Local, a new version of its Virtual Earth aerial image service. Using images and technology from Pictometry International Corp., a specialist in this area that signed a licensing deal with Microsoft earlier this year, Windows Live Local will give users images of a much higher resolution and quality than Virtual Earth. Users will be able to zoom in much closer and also tilt the view to see buildings and streets from different angles, and not just directly from above. Virtual Earth is able to do this, but Windows Live Local's ability is more sophisticated and extensive.
Features like Birds Eye imagery and User pushpins are pretty nice. Right now that only covers about 25 percent of the market (U.S. metro areas). But eventually it will be national and international.
Try Windows Live Local.
What more to expect from Windows Live in the future?
- Windows Live Mail - a new, global Web e-mail service, built from the ground up to be faster, safer and simpler.
- Windows Live Messenger will help individuals deepen their connections with the people they care about through instant messaging, file and photo sharing, PC-based calling, and more.
- Windows Live Safety Center - a Web site where users can scan for and remove viruses from their PC on demand.
- Windows Live Favorites - a service that enables individuals to access their Microsoft Internet Explorer and MSN Explorer favorites from any PC that’s online.
Enjoy some pictures from Windows Live launch.
Bookmarking with GMail (GMail this)
Lifehacker.com shows how to use GMail as a bookmarking tool. Of course, it's easier to just use del.icio.us, but many GMail fans will love this trick.
First, drag this link to your browser's link bar (in Opera, you must right-click and save as bookmark; drag and drop won't work.):
GMail this!.
Clicking GMail this! creates a mini-interface to GMail prepopulated with a link to the web page you are visiting, as well as any text you have highlighted on that page.
If you aren't already logged into GMail, the log-in screen is displayed. You must log in and then re-launch GMail this!
More about GMail this!
To get started, login to your GMail account and click on the “Create a filter” link next to the searchbar. You’ll need to setup the filter criteria so that GMail knows what emails you’ve tagged for bookmarking and what emails to leave alone.
To ensure that legitimate emails aren’t whisked away to join your bookmarks, you want to use your email address for both the To and From fields. That way you can be sure that your bookmarks can only be added by you. Then add your tag to the Subject field. For our example, we’re setting up a tag for your holiday wishlist, so add “wishlist” to the Subject criterion.
On the next page, you want to set the action that GMail will take when an incoming message matches the filter criteria you’ve created in the last step. First, so that your inbox isn’t full of bookmarks, check the “Skip the Inbox” checkbox. Now you can create the new label for your bookmark.
Now let's use this bookmarking style. From the page you’d like to bookmark, click the GMail this bookmarklet. Address the email to yourself, add your tag to the subject field, and send your bookmark. GMail will filter the email you sent into the label we set up earlier - in this case, Wishlist - and skip the inbox altogether. Just click on the Wishlist label in GMail to see all of your bookmarked pages. Need to send a couple of gift ideas home to the parents? No problem, just forward them a couple of your bookmarks!
While this system lacks the social aspect of other bookmarking systems like del.icio.us, it’s a quick and elegant way to integrate bookmarking into your GMail account.
First, drag this link to your browser's link bar (in Opera, you must right-click and save as bookmark; drag and drop won't work.):
GMail this!.
Clicking GMail this! creates a mini-interface to GMail prepopulated with a link to the web page you are visiting, as well as any text you have highlighted on that page.
If you aren't already logged into GMail, the log-in screen is displayed. You must log in and then re-launch GMail this!
More about GMail this!
To get started, login to your GMail account and click on the “Create a filter” link next to the searchbar. You’ll need to setup the filter criteria so that GMail knows what emails you’ve tagged for bookmarking and what emails to leave alone.
To ensure that legitimate emails aren’t whisked away to join your bookmarks, you want to use your email address for both the To and From fields. That way you can be sure that your bookmarks can only be added by you. Then add your tag to the Subject field. For our example, we’re setting up a tag for your holiday wishlist, so add “wishlist” to the Subject criterion.
On the next page, you want to set the action that GMail will take when an incoming message matches the filter criteria you’ve created in the last step. First, so that your inbox isn’t full of bookmarks, check the “Skip the Inbox” checkbox. Now you can create the new label for your bookmark.
Now let's use this bookmarking style. From the page you’d like to bookmark, click the GMail this bookmarklet. Address the email to yourself, add your tag to the subject field, and send your bookmark. GMail will filter the email you sent into the label we set up earlier - in this case, Wishlist - and skip the inbox altogether. Just click on the Wishlist label in GMail to see all of your bookmarked pages. Need to send a couple of gift ideas home to the parents? No problem, just forward them a couple of your bookmarks!
While this system lacks the social aspect of other bookmarking systems like del.icio.us, it’s a quick and elegant way to integrate bookmarking into your GMail account.
Google Transit (trip planner)
Google launched Google Transit Trip Planner. With it, commuters will be able to easily access public transit schedules, routes, and plan trips using their local public transportation options.
Unfortunately, you can't enter too many locations: Google only offers transit planning for the city of Portland, but they plan to expand to cities in the US and around the world.
Try, for example:
100 nw couch st, portland to hillsboro, oregon by 8pm
pdx to portland, oregon at 7pm
pdx to 100 nw couch st, portland, oregon
Read more from Google blog.
Unfortunately, you can't enter too many locations: Google only offers transit planning for the city of Portland, but they plan to expand to cities in the US and around the world.
Try, for example:
100 nw couch st, portland to hillsboro, oregon by 8pm
pdx to portland, oregon at 7pm
pdx to 100 nw couch st, portland, oregon
Read more from Google blog.
GMail introduces Web Clips
It's only been about a week since Google introduced Anti-Virus capabilities into Gmail, and now the Googlers are now ready to start offering a few more interesting features that may raise a few eyebrows. Their "What's New" page has changed once again and outlines a few extra features that aren't yet available.
One of the new features is "Web Clips". They will enable you to view your favourite RSS feeds right in Gmail just above the archive and report spam area. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like it will be integrated with Google Reader.
Viewing some types of attachments is also getting easier. For Microsoft Office, Open Office or PDF attachments you will be able to view them as "HTML" by clicking the link similar to the one you find on search engine result pages. This will save time by allowing people to view their attachments without downloading anything.
Google will now also scan your emails and display relevant information about things it finds in your email, such as driving directions and package tracking. This mashup information will be displayed on the right hand side of the screen — probably above the Google ads.
One of the new features is "Web Clips". They will enable you to view your favourite RSS feeds right in Gmail just above the archive and report spam area. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like it will be integrated with Google Reader.
Viewing some types of attachments is also getting easier. For Microsoft Office, Open Office or PDF attachments you will be able to view them as "HTML" by clicking the link similar to the one you find on search engine result pages. This will save time by allowing people to view their attachments without downloading anything.
Google will now also scan your emails and display relevant information about things it finds in your email, such as driving directions and package tracking. This mashup information will be displayed on the right hand side of the screen — probably above the Google ads.
Gates: Google’s business model not based on free software
Bill Gates answered a host of questions at an event “Entrepreneurs to Icons’’ organised by The Indus Entrepreneurs in New Delhi. Here are some excerpts from his responses on business, competition, entrepreneurship and leadership.
On what gets him worried
What keeps me worried is if we miss some very big technical change. Press loves the new challenger. If someone invented AI (Artificial Intelligence) before we did, that would worry me. The key for a large company is to maintain willingness to take risks. We’ve got to be at the forefront of technology. Now it’s Google more than anybody else. We love the fact that there are areas where people are underestimating us.
On the next disruptive technology
The next generation disruptive technologies will be low cost computing, speech recognition software, a computer the size of a tablet which lets you do a variety of things. In future, software will work magic. Phones will be able to recognize your speech and navigate maps. They will be able to organize your schedules. Rather than interrupting, they will put you back in control of your life.
On the US market economy
The US offers a market economy working at its finest. But US policies also affect our business in many countries around the world. People hate US as it’s the most richest country. But they also love US for the same reason, With Microsoft too, it’s the same love/hate relationship. On whether he will ever enter politics No. No chance.
On what gets him worried
What keeps me worried is if we miss some very big technical change. Press loves the new challenger. If someone invented AI (Artificial Intelligence) before we did, that would worry me. The key for a large company is to maintain willingness to take risks. We’ve got to be at the forefront of technology. Now it’s Google more than anybody else. We love the fact that there are areas where people are underestimating us.
On the next disruptive technology
The next generation disruptive technologies will be low cost computing, speech recognition software, a computer the size of a tablet which lets you do a variety of things. In future, software will work magic. Phones will be able to recognize your speech and navigate maps. They will be able to organize your schedules. Rather than interrupting, they will put you back in control of your life.
On the US market economy
The US offers a market economy working at its finest. But US policies also affect our business in many countries around the world. People hate US as it’s the most richest country. But they also love US for the same reason, With Microsoft too, it’s the same love/hate relationship. On whether he will ever enter politics No. No chance.
Google: Ten Golden Rules
Getting the most out of knowledge workers will be the key to business success for the next quarter century.
says Eric Schmidt in an interesting Newsweek article.
What follows are seven key principles Google use to make knowledge workers most effective.
* Hire by committee. Virtually every person who interviews at Google talks to at least half-a-dozen interviewers, drawn from both management and potential colleagues. Everyone's opinion counts, making the hiring process more fair and pushing standards higher.
* Cater to their every need. As Drucker says, the goal is to "strip away everything that gets in their way." We provide a standard package of fringe benefits, but on top of that are first-class dining facilities, gyms, laundry rooms, massage rooms, haircuts, carwashes, dry cleaning, commuting buses—just about anything a hardworking engineer might want.
* Pack them in. Almost every project at Google is a team project, and teams have to communicate. The best way to make communication easy is to put team members within a few feet of each other. The result is that virtually everyone at Google shares an office.
* Make coordination easy. Because all members of a team are within a few feet of one another, it is relatively easy to coordinate projects. In addition to physical proximity, each Googler e-mails a snippet once a week to his work group describing what he has done in the last week.
* Eat your own dog food. Google workers use the company's tools intensively. The most obvious tool is the Web, with an internal Web page for virtually every project and every task.
* Encourage creativity. Google engineers can spend up to 20 percent of their time on a project of their choice. There is, of course, an approval process and some oversight, but basically we want to allow creative people to be creative. One of our not-so-secret weapons is our ideas mailing list: a companywide suggestion box where people can post ideas ranging from parking procedures to the next killer app.
* Strive to reach consensus. Modern corporate mythology has the unique decision maker as hero. We adhere to the view that the "many are smarter than the few," and solicit a broad base of views before reaching any decision. At Google, the role of the manager is that of an aggregator of viewpoints, not the dictator of decisions.
* Don't be evil. Much has been written about Google's slogan, but we really try to live by it, particularly in the ranks of management.
* Data drive decisions. At Google, almost every decision is based on quantitative analysis. We've built systems to manage information, not only on the Internet at large, but also internally. We have dozens of analysts who plow through the data, analyze performance metrics and plot trends to keep us as up to date as possible. We have a raft of online "dashboards" for every business we work in that provide up-to-the-minute snapshots of where we are.
* Communicate effectively. Every Friday we have an all-hands assembly with announcements, introductions and questions and answers. (Oh, yes, and some food and drink.) This allows management to stay in touch with what our knowledge workers are thinking and vice versa. Google has remarkably broad dissemination of information within the organization and remarkably few serious leaks. Contrary to what some might think, we believe it is the first fact that causes the second: a trusted work force is a loyal work force.
Google users are wealthier
U.S. residents who prefer Google’s search engine tend to be richer and have more Internet experience than those who primarily use competing search services from Microsoft, Yahoo, and America Online, a new study has found.
The longer people have been using the Internet, the more likely it is that Google will be their search engine of choice, according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. Internet users conducted by investment banking and research firm S.G. Cowen.
Moreover, people whose primary search engine is Google are more likely to have household incomes above $60,000 than people who use competing search engines.
Google also emerged as the search engine of choice, with 52 percent of respondents choosing it as their primary engine for general Web searches. Yahoo came in second with 22 percent, while MSN and AOL tied for third place with 9 percent. Ask Jeeves rounded out the top five with 5 percent.
The longer people have been using the Internet, the more likely it is that Google will be their search engine of choice, according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. Internet users conducted by investment banking and research firm S.G. Cowen.
Moreover, people whose primary search engine is Google are more likely to have household incomes above $60,000 than people who use competing search engines.
Google also emerged as the search engine of choice, with 52 percent of respondents choosing it as their primary engine for general Web searches. Yahoo came in second with 22 percent, while MSN and AOL tied for third place with 9 percent. Ask Jeeves rounded out the top five with 5 percent.
Eric Schmidt's 20 percent time
Google engineers all have “20 percent time” in which they’re free to pursue projects they’re passionate about.
From Eric Schmidt on down, Google managers divvy up their time into three parts -- the core business of search and advertising, related projects, and entirely new businesses.
What do you do with your 20 percent time?
Well, 20 percent time applies to the technical staff. It does not apply to sales or management. Here’s how it works for management: We spend 70 percent of our time on core search and ads. We spend 20 percent on adjacent businesses, ones related to the core businesses in some interesting way. Examples of that would be Google News, Google Earth, and Google Local. And then 10 percent of our time should be on things that are truly new. An example there would be the Wi-Fi initiative -- which I haven’t kept up with myself. God knows what they’ve done in the last week. I’ve been too busy on core search and ads.
From: Bussiness 2.0 interview with Eric Schmidt
What should the future bring for Google?
What should the future bring for Google?
Here are some ideas.
A calendar feature for Gmail.
Free pc to mobiles thru Gtalk.
Google Photo.
Google Music Search.
Google Financial, Google's answer to Bloomberg and Reuters.
Google Earth for OS X.
Google OS and Browser.
Google Law; actively find and prosecute scammers and spammers.
Google TV. Release your own internet TV channel using unique content
Here are some ideas.
A calendar feature for Gmail.
Free pc to mobiles thru Gtalk.
Google Photo.
Google Music Search.
Google Financial, Google's answer to Bloomberg and Reuters.
Google Earth for OS X.
Google OS and Browser.
Google Law; actively find and prosecute scammers and spammers.
Google TV. Release your own internet TV channel using unique content
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)