Some more interesting ideas from Google's Analyst Day presentation.
In a world with infinite storage, bandwidth, and CPU power, here's what we could do with consumer products.
Theme 1: Speed
Seems simple, but should not be overlooked because impact is huge. Users don't realize how slow things are until they get something faster.
Users assume it takes time for a webpage to load, but the experience should really be instantaneous.
Gmail started to do this for webmail, but that's just a small first step. Infinite bandwidth will make this a reality for all applications.
Theme 2: Store 100% of User Data
With infinite storage, we can house all user files, including: emails, web history, pictures, bookmarks, etc and make it accessible from anywhere (any device, any platform, etc).
We already have efforts in this direction in terms of GDrive, GDS, Lighthouse, but all of them face bandwidth and storage constraints today. For example: Firefox team is working on server side stored state but they want to store only URLs rather than complete web pages for storage reasons. This theme will help us make the client less important (thin client, thick server model) which suits our strength vis-a-vis Microsoft and is also of great value to the user.
As we move toward the "Store 100%" reality, the online copy of your data will become your Golden Copy and your local-machine copy serves more like a cache. An important implication of this theme is that we can make your online copy more secure than it would be on your own machine.
Another important implication of this theme is that storing 100% of a user's data makes each piece of data more valuable because it can be access across applications. For example: a user's Orkut profile has more value when it's accessible from Gmail (as addressbook), Lighthouse (as access list), etc.
Theme 3: Transparent Personalization
The more data, access, and processing Google can handle for the user, the greater our ability to use that data to transparently optimize the user's experience.
Google Desktop w/ RSS Feeds is a good first example: the user should not have to tell us which RSS feeds they want to subscribe to. We should be able to determine this implicitly.
Other potential examples: User should not have to specify the "From" address in Google Maps; user should not have to specify which currency they want to see Froogle prices in; user should not have to manually enter their buddy list into Google Talk.
From Geeking with Greg
GMail Drive shell extension
GMail Drive is a Shell Namespace Extension that creates a virtual filesystem around your Google Gmail account, allowing you to use Gmail as a storage medium.
GMail Drive creates a virtual filesystem on top of your Google Gmail account and enables you to save and retrieve files stored on your Gmail account directly from inside Windows Explorer. GMail Drive literally adds a new drive to your computer under the My Computer folder, where you can create new folders, copy and drag'n'drop files to.
With GMail Drive you can easily copy files to your Gmail account and retrieve them again.
When you create a new file using GMail Drive, it generates an e-mail and posts it to your account. The e-mail appears in your normal Inbox folder, and the file is attached as an e-mail attachment.
You can download GMail Drive from Softpedia.
GMail Drive creates a virtual filesystem on top of your Google Gmail account and enables you to save and retrieve files stored on your Gmail account directly from inside Windows Explorer. GMail Drive literally adds a new drive to your computer under the My Computer folder, where you can create new folders, copy and drag'n'drop files to.
With GMail Drive you can easily copy files to your Gmail account and retrieve them again.
When you create a new file using GMail Drive, it generates an e-mail and posts it to your account. The e-mail appears in your normal Inbox folder, and the file is attached as an e-mail attachment.
You can download GMail Drive from Softpedia.
Google Focuses on Search
As Google launches many new products every month, people might ask if they still focus on search. What we may not know is that Google test many products to see if they have the potential to become real applications. Here's what Google had to say about search and their goals in the near future.
As the market leader, we need to ensure search doesn't become a commodity. Our focus on search is nothing new. We built our brand on being the best search engine, with the best results, and as our competitors have caught up to us, it's become even more important for us to focus on:
1) Speed
Solve international speed issues and bring international users to US performance
2) Comprehensiveness and freshness
"All webpages included in the Google index and searched all the time" -- Teragoogle makes this possible
Expand to other sources of data
Become the leader in geo search (any search with a geographic component).
New forms of content -- video, audio, offline printed materials
3) Relevance
Leverage implicit and explicit user feedback to improve popular and nav queries
Introduce new personalization elements
4) User Interface
Experiment with several new UI features to make the user experience better
As the market leader, we need to ensure search doesn't become a commodity. Our focus on search is nothing new. We built our brand on being the best search engine, with the best results, and as our competitors have caught up to us, it's become even more important for us to focus on:
1) Speed
Solve international speed issues and bring international users to US performance
2) Comprehensiveness and freshness
"All webpages included in the Google index and searched all the time" -- Teragoogle makes this possible
Expand to other sources of data
Become the leader in geo search (any search with a geographic component).
New forms of content -- video, audio, offline printed materials
3) Relevance
Leverage implicit and explicit user feedback to improve popular and nav queries
Introduce new personalization elements
4) User Interface
Experiment with several new UI features to make the user experience better
Videos from the Googleplex
"In addition to helping distribute content from across the world, Google would like to share videos featuring our company. The videos on this page give you an overview of our culture, products and business. Whether it's a scientist discussing their latest work or one of our campus events, we hope to provide a sample of great conversations and presentations. Over time we'll continue to add more videos --From the Googleplex--."
The video playlist includes John Battelle speaking about his book, "The Search", Sergey Brin speaking with UC Berkeley class and the Google Factory Tour.
The video playlist includes John Battelle speaking about his book, "The Search", Sergey Brin speaking with UC Berkeley class and the Google Factory Tour.
Microsoft Origami to cost $1000
Speculations about the new gadget developed by Microsoft continue. It is now known that Microsoft Origami will use Intel chips and run a version of the Windows XP operating system for tablet PCs. The New York Times reported that the gadgets will use a 20cm touchscreen and will be built to play music or movies. It is also likely to have wi-fi net access built in. Final prices for the gadget are not finalised but it is expected to cost less than $1,000.
Google wants to become a $100 billion company
Google aims to become a $100 billion company and said on Thursday that it plans to put systems in place to help reach that scale during 2006. "I'll leave it to you to judge whether that is $100 billion in market capitalization or revenue," Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said when discussing priorities for 2006.
As of Wednesday, Google's market capitalization was already more than $100 billion, at $111.5 billion. For all of 2005, Google had revenue of $6.14 billion, up 92.5 percent from 2004's $3.19 billion.
Goals for 2006 also include improving the quality of Google's core Web search and advertising businesses, boosting the size of its Internet audience and expanding the number of products, services and business partnerships, the executive said.
As of Wednesday, Google's market capitalization was already more than $100 billion, at $111.5 billion. For all of 2005, Google had revenue of $6.14 billion, up 92.5 percent from 2004's $3.19 billion.
Goals for 2006 also include improving the quality of Google's core Web search and advertising businesses, boosting the size of its Internet audience and expanding the number of products, services and business partnerships, the executive said.
Google Analysts Day Highlights
Google hosted a meeting Thursday with analysts at its headquarters. Here are some interesting highlights.
China censorship
Sergey Brin: "We are currently not planning on conquering the world. (Be careful, Sergey, Schmidt said.) On the question of China, that was an issue dear to my heart. I was born in Moscow during the Communist era...(Google decided not to censor its search results and, as a result, users often couldn't reach it because of government control.) We gradually came to the realization, to the fact, that we were hurting not just ourselves but the Chinese people. Having spent time talking to people who were in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and human rights organizations...we eventually came to the conclusion that we were doing a greater disservice to the Chinese people. We'll see how that evolves."
New products
Question: "Seems like every time you launch a new product, it has to be taken off because of user demand. Where is the competitive advantage here?"
Brin: "The servers are very largely utilized. We haven't communicated as clearly about the servers (used for new products and tests) as we should have... Servers are not meant to be full production servers, but to be test servers."
Google Payments
Question: "Google payment has been expanded to Google Base. How will it be expanded to other advertisers, like click-per-call? Is it a threat to PayPal?"
Schmidt: "There's been a lot of speculation. We are on the record saying that we are not intending to compete with PayPal...It makes no sense to compete with what others are doing well...eBay and PayPal are very good partners to us. Google's payments approach is a tactic to solve an important problem--to have an ad turn into a purchase. The quicker we can automate that--including payment, fulfillment, etc.--the more sales there'll be."
AdSense Print
Question: "Can Google explain how to link search with traditional media and work with the ad industry in ways that media will not consider threatening?"
Brin: "Magazines are excited. This gives them a way to sell inventory that they couldn't sell before."
Schmidt: "We're trying to bring our targeting and analytical technologies to industries that didn't have them before." That can be a significant revenue driver. Advertisers don't really want to just be on text ads and just on Google. All are amenable to higher targeting and better analytics.
You can find the webcast at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html.
China censorship
Sergey Brin: "We are currently not planning on conquering the world. (Be careful, Sergey, Schmidt said.) On the question of China, that was an issue dear to my heart. I was born in Moscow during the Communist era...(Google decided not to censor its search results and, as a result, users often couldn't reach it because of government control.) We gradually came to the realization, to the fact, that we were hurting not just ourselves but the Chinese people. Having spent time talking to people who were in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and human rights organizations...we eventually came to the conclusion that we were doing a greater disservice to the Chinese people. We'll see how that evolves."
New products
Question: "Seems like every time you launch a new product, it has to be taken off because of user demand. Where is the competitive advantage here?"
Brin: "The servers are very largely utilized. We haven't communicated as clearly about the servers (used for new products and tests) as we should have... Servers are not meant to be full production servers, but to be test servers."
Google Payments
Question: "Google payment has been expanded to Google Base. How will it be expanded to other advertisers, like click-per-call? Is it a threat to PayPal?"
Schmidt: "There's been a lot of speculation. We are on the record saying that we are not intending to compete with PayPal...It makes no sense to compete with what others are doing well...eBay and PayPal are very good partners to us. Google's payments approach is a tactic to solve an important problem--to have an ad turn into a purchase. The quicker we can automate that--including payment, fulfillment, etc.--the more sales there'll be."
AdSense Print
Question: "Can Google explain how to link search with traditional media and work with the ad industry in ways that media will not consider threatening?"
Brin: "Magazines are excited. This gives them a way to sell inventory that they couldn't sell before."
Schmidt: "We're trying to bring our targeting and analytical technologies to industries that didn't have them before." That can be a significant revenue driver. Advertisers don't really want to just be on text ads and just on Google. All are amenable to higher targeting and better analytics.
You can find the webcast at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html.
Microsoft Origami Project
Origami is a portable device created by Microsoft that will be launched on March 9, most probably in Hannover's CeBit. The company is very secretive about this new gadget, but industry reports predict it will be Microsoft's response to iPod. Origami is expected to be the size of a paperback book, able to play music, games, connect to the internet and run software.
This is a viral video that leaked from Microsoft:
Official site:
Teaser 1
Teaser 2
MSN Search Better Than Google in Six Months?
Microsoft will introduce a search engine better than Google in six months in the United States and Britain followed by Europe, its European president said on Wednesday.
"What we're saying is that in six months' time we'll be more relevant in the U.S. market place than Google," said Neil Holloway, Microsoft president for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
He said Microsoft's goal--but not its initial offering--would go beyond finding URLs and instead focus in on the specific information sought by Internet users.
For example, he said, potential home-buyers might find a group of houses in the price range and with the precise amenities they're seeking. Or Web surfers might find a restaurant with the kind of menu they want in a particular geographic area.
Read more at ZDNet.
GMail vulnerability: GMail runs javascript in body
A great discovery from http://ph3rny.blogspot.com/2006/03/vulnerability-in-gmail.html.
If you send a mail to GMail from a different service (like Yahoo Mail) and include javascript in your body, GMail executes it.
A sample:
Subject: a
Body: asdfasdf<script>alert("asdF");</script>
I tried using document.location='http://www.cnn.com' and it works, GMail homepage automatically redirects to CNN. It's funny that you can't come back to GMail unless you disable Javascript, go to gmail.com and delete the mail.
Nice discussion at Digg.
Update: it's fixed.
If you send a mail to GMail from a different service (like Yahoo Mail) and include javascript in your body, GMail executes it.
A sample:
Subject: a
Body: asdfasdf<script>alert("asdF");</script>
I tried using document.location='http://www.cnn.com' and it works, GMail homepage automatically redirects to CNN. It's funny that you can't come back to GMail unless you disable Javascript, go to gmail.com and delete the mail.
Nice discussion at Digg.
Update: it's fixed.
The Future of Search
Representatives from Google, Yahoo and MSN Search came together at the Wharton Technology Conference in Philadelphia to discuss the future of search technologies. Here are some interesting opinions.
Saleel Sathé, MSN Search:
"Over the next five years we will see significant improvements in how [user interfaces] operate. The average search query is 2.3 words... but if you asked a librarian for information you would not just give them 2.3 words -- you would give them the opportunity to give you the rich detailed answer you want."
Matthew Glotzbach, Google:
"In the distant future we will not be able to get you to take more action, because we will get close enough with what you give us. A lot of emphasis will continue on doing that in the background -- getting the technology to figure out [what you want]," he said. "Larry Page [the co-founder] of Google often says, 'the perfect search engine would understand exactly what you mean and give back exactly what you want'."
Bradley Horowitz, Yahoo:
"Where is the next big breakthrough that gets beyond PageRank? PageRank confers a privilege to Webmasters who vote by proxy for all of us. What we think is the next major breakthrough is social search. It basically democratises the notion of relevance and lets ordinary users decide what's important for themselves and other users,"
Saleel Sathé, MSN Search:
"Over the next five years we will see significant improvements in how [user interfaces] operate. The average search query is 2.3 words... but if you asked a librarian for information you would not just give them 2.3 words -- you would give them the opportunity to give you the rich detailed answer you want."
Matthew Glotzbach, Google:
"In the distant future we will not be able to get you to take more action, because we will get close enough with what you give us. A lot of emphasis will continue on doing that in the background -- getting the technology to figure out [what you want]," he said. "Larry Page [the co-founder] of Google often says, 'the perfect search engine would understand exactly what you mean and give back exactly what you want'."
Bradley Horowitz, Yahoo:
"Where is the next big breakthrough that gets beyond PageRank? PageRank confers a privilege to Webmasters who vote by proxy for all of us. What we think is the next major breakthrough is social search. It basically democratises the notion of relevance and lets ordinary users decide what's important for themselves and other users,"
Linux on an iPod (video)
Do you think iPods can just play music and videos? Think again.
If you want to install Linux on your iPod a good place to start is this article: Running Linux on Your iPod.
Related:
Encyclopodia Brings Wikipedia On Your iPod
If you want to install Linux on your iPod a good place to start is this article: Running Linux on Your iPod.
Related:
Encyclopodia Brings Wikipedia On Your iPod
Google Brain
How would Google be like if it had some artificial intelligence built in? Or just some NLP? This video, by Philipp Lenssen, may give an answer:
Encyclopodia Brings Wikipedia On Your iPod
Encyclopodia is an open-source project that wants to brings Wikipedia, which is one of the largest encyclopedias on the world, on the Apple iPod MP3-Player.The English version has about 753MB and it should work if you have an iPod generation 1 to 4.
A related project is iPodLinux, a port of the Linux kernel and tools to the iPod, which is in alpha. They have successfully ported a customized uClinux kernel to the iPod and built a simple user interface. The problem is that iPods have only 32MB DRAM + 96 or 128kB SRAM (aka IRAM, fast RAM) and a CPU of 75 Mhz, so they don't have too much processing power.
Also view: What if Microsoft designed the iPod package box? (video)
Smiley business
You've seen these horrible creatures everywhere. Every site has this ad for 10,000 free smilies. But who is behind this business and why is that a business? Smiley Central is a part of Fun Web Projects (http://www.funwebproducts.com/), that also includes: Cursor Mania, Fun Buddy Icons, History Swatter, My Mail Notifier, My Mail Signature, My Mail Stamp, My Mail Stationery, PopSwatter, Popular Screensavers. Fun Web Projects is a brand of IAC Search & Media (NASDAQ: IACI), that also has Ask.com.
Your Smiley Central download also includes a free search box for your Web browser. My Web Search gives you instant search results from the Internet's best search engines and relevant search results from address bar queries. Oh, really?
The download is 3022 KB, it's a toolbar for Internet Explorer (My Web Search toolbar) that looks like this:
My Web Search lets you search using Google, Yahoo, Ask and LookSmart (by default, Google), which seems pretty fair. But what about the smileys?
Who cares about the smileys? The idea is to search for [credit car debt], [life insurance], [mortgage], and other high-revenue keywords. The smileys are just small images available online and that can be inserted in your IM messages or in your mails to make you look cool. The integration between the smiley third-party and the instant messengers is almost non-existant. You can also get cursors, fun cards, themed screensavers.
"Why do some people mistake the My Web Search toolbar for spyware?
We feel compelled to respond to the fact that our product is sometimes erroneously referred to as spyware. Such statements are completely false and in many cases subject to legal challenge as a form of libel. However, the reality is that there is a substantial amount of confusion and misinformation on the Web about how programs work and what "spyware" means.
This problem has been compounded by the evolution of so-called "spyware" detection programs that are being operated in many cases without attention to the facts or details. In many cases, these programs may label programs as "adware," "spyware," "malware," "dataminer" or another classification simply because the program is a plug-in.
We have engaged in a productive dialog with many providers of spyware detection software that have acknowledged that our product is not spyware and removed it or properly classified the software. " (from MyWebSearch.com)
"MyWebSearch Toolbar is NOT a Trojan, virus or spyware. MyWebSearch is a toolbar that is distributed from a variety of IAC Search & Media properties, including: www.SmileyCentral.com, mymailstationary.com, popularscreensavers.com, www.mymailsignatures.com and www.cursormania.com and others.
During testing conducted 11/22/2005, MyWebSearch came bundled from FunWebProduct.com. Users land on this page by clicking on 'smileys' from a variety of websites like www.dictionary.com or kids sites like AIMFace.com. On dictionary.com, for example, the banner ads are both on the top and side of the page. The banner ads make no mention of MyWebSeach toobar bundled with the smileys. Once the user decides they want smileys and clicks the banner ad, they are taken to a smiley landing page.
This page is dominated by dancing, singing, and other animated smileys with a very big download button flashing 'Click here!...Get FREE Smileys!'. Also, there is passing reference to the toolbar, listed number 3 in a series of 4 bullet points, indicating 'comes with FREE MyWebSearch accessible...' In short, most users will install smileys without understanding they are getting a toolbar and browser setting changes." (from eTrust Spyware Encyclopedia)
Anyway, even if this product is not spyware, it's just a tricky marketing bundle that makes you think it's all about cute smileys, when it's all about cash, driving traffic to search engines and getting money from advertising. Who are the target? Kids, teenagers, computer-illiterates, and other people that think it's cool to have original smileys.
Great reading: Sunbelt analysis about Ask Jeeves' toolbars
DOJ doesn't give up on Google's data
Google's concerns that millions of its users' Internet search requests would violate privacy rights are unwarranted, the Justice Department said in a court filing.
The DoJ has now submitted an eighteen page brief to the court challenging Google's refusal to hand over the information. In it the DoJ points out that it has specifically asked for any information, such as IP address, which could identify an individual to be removed. Therefore the subpoena does not violate a citizen's right to privacy.
The department believes the information will help revive an online child protection law that has been blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court. By showing the wide variety of Web sites that people find through search engines, the government hopes to prove Internet filters are not strong enough to prevent children from viewing pornography and other inappropriate material online.
New Ask.com Homepage
Then 
...and now
"The perception we want to achieve is that we are a serious search contender," said Daniel Read, Ask's vice president of product management.
Ask.com, sports a clean, crisp interface, which seeks to find the "sweet spot between the Google home page and the Yahoo home page," said Read.
...and now
"The perception we want to achieve is that we are a serious search contender," said Daniel Read, Ask's vice president of product management.
Ask.com, sports a clean, crisp interface, which seeks to find the "sweet spot between the Google home page and the Yahoo home page," said Read.
Google Links and Google Calendar Coming Soon
Google is testing a new feature that mimics something Yahoo already partially has: Google Links, i.e. links to your favourite Google services, that will follow you everywhere you go on Google.com.
While looking at these services, you will see something weird: what is Google CL2? The famous Google Calendar, announced since more than a year? If you click on the link, you get "The page you requested is invalid".
Update: Google Calendar screenshots
While looking at these services, you will see something weird: what is Google CL2? The famous Google Calendar, announced since more than a year? If you click on the link, you get "The page you requested is invalid".Update: Google Calendar screenshots
Video Adsense Experiment
Google Rumors noticed a new kind of Adsense ad: after images, animated ads, we now have video ads. It just feels like an embeded YouTube video: you first get a still image, a "Play Video" button and a link to the site. You can also change the volume. I wonder if there is a reward for playing the video.
And what if you visit the site without playing the video?
Standpoint - what do you believe?
Standpoint is a Web 2.0 startup that lets you express your point of view, give reasons that support it and influence the community.What people think about Google?
13 people Google Maps is the best
10 people Google has done more good than evil
3 people Google is evil.
5 people Analysts are pushing up Google stock
1 person Google stock a good buy under $350.
5 people Google is overvalued
2 people Google maps is better than Mapquest, but local.live.com is far cooler than both.
5 people Google is in the tech sector
1 person google is merely preparing for the future; not being evil
4 people Google has a really good service
2 people Google is innovative, fun, and a good model for modern business
3 people Google has done a lot for promoting corporate responsibility
3 people There are important reasons for Google complying with China's demands
3 people Google Maps is simple and straitforward, providing clean and accurate directions
3 people google rocks
3 people Google influnced how ethically Microsoft acts
3 people google give more linux support than microsoft
1 person Google video fun
1 person Use Google Local to find a good coffee shop in Salt Lake City!
1 person Google isn't good, just because both words start with the same letters
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