Translation Widgets for Your Site

Both Microsoft and Google added widgets for translating your web page into another language. The feature was already available at BabelFish, but the site makes a major faux-pas by using flags to represent languages.


Microsoft's widget (the second one from the screenshot) uses a translation system from Systran and offers 25 language pairs. The widget seems to work only in Internet Explorer and it consists of a dropdown that includes the message "Translate this page" in the available languages.

Google's widget uses a machine translation system developed by Google, that's available for 29 language pairs. The widget works in most browsers and it's actually a Google gadget loaded in an iframe. What I don't like about this widget is that Google cares so much about its branding that it includes a logo for "Google Translate", a link to information about embeddable gadgets and an option to "get this gadget". Microsoft doesn't add any branding to the widget.

Even if it's not flawless, Google's translation system is more scalable and we should see more languages added in the future. And maybe there are better options than adding a translation widget to your page: a mechanism built in your browser that automatically translates all the web pages to your native language or to a language you know.

{ Thank you, Dan. }

Biases and Restrictions for Google Search

Google uses many signals to rank search results and, in some cases, it filters some of them based on your location, device or preferences. Here are some ways to disable these filters or to create custom filters.

1. Google automatically expands some queries and also includes results that contain different morphological forms or related words. If you search for [av], Google will highlight antivirus and anti-virus. To prevent this, add + in front of the word: [+av]. This is also useful if a certain keyword is very important and must be included in each search result.

2. Google filters duplicate search results, so if you want to find a better estimation for the number of search results add &filter=0 at the end of Google's URL. This parameter disables the following two filters:

* Duplicate Content — If multiple documents contain the same information, then only the most relevant document of that set is included in your search results.

* Host Crowding — If there are many search results from the same site, Google may not show all the results from that site or may show the results lower in the ranking than they otherwise would have been.

3. Here are two useful URLs for Google's homepage:

* http://www.google.com/webhp - if Google redirects you to the mobile version, but you want the standard homepage, this URL bypasses the detection

* http://www.google.com/ncr - if Google redirects you to a localized version, based on your IP address or your browser's settings, you can go to the global version using this URL (or by clicking on "Google.com in English").

4. To introduce a local bias, add the gl parameter to Google's search results URL. For example, http://www.google.com/search?q=roma&gl=it shows the results for [Roma], but gives better rankings to pages related to Italy.

5. If you don't like Google's personalized results you can log out from your Google account, disable the Web History service or turn off the personalization bias by adding &pws=0 to Google's URL. Note that the parameter is not persistent and it only works for the current search.

6. To restrict your search to the high-quality (?) web sites included in the Open Directory Project, you can append &cat=gwd/Top to Google's URL or perform your search at Google Directory.

7. Find the right custom search engine for your query and enter your query there. A good custom search engine restricts the search space to a number of authoritative sites from a domain.

8. Use the site: operator to restrict your search to a TLD (like .edu), domain, subdomain or even a pattern. For example, to restrict your search to YouTube pages that contain videos, try: [site:youtube.com/watch/v?=].

9. Search only the web pages and sites linked from a page using Google Co-op's on-the-fly feature. Use the "try it out" option.

10. A version of Google which identifies and prioritizes "search results that are more easily usable by blind and visually impaired users" is Accessible Web Search.

Other filters are available in the advanced search page: restrict the search results to pages written in a language, from a certain country, to non-adult sites, or to pages licensed using a flavor of Creative Commons.

YouTube's Bulk Uploader

YouTube launched a multi-video uploader that lets you upload videos that are up to 10 minutes in length and up to 1GB in size. You need to install a software (Windows-only, for now), but you'll upload videos from your browser.

The advantages are that you can upload bigger files, you can select more than one video (even all the videos from a folder) and it's allowed to leave the page while the videos are uploaded. The disadvantages: YouTube installs an application that runs in the background and automatically launches at startup. Youtubeuploader.exe uses a lot of memory even when you're not uploading videos to YouTube and also launches Google Updater.


Google Video has a similar tool, but it doesn't work from a browser and you can't enter the metadata before uploading your videos. On the other hand, Google Video doesn't mention any limits for your videos.

A blog post from March 2006 explains why YouTube decided to limit uploads to short videos. "We've gotten a fair amount of emails lately about the new 10 minute limit we've implemented for video uploads. For those of you not familiar with this change, we've always had a 100MB file limit for uploads. We also recently implemented a 10 minute length limit. This change won't impact the vast majority of our users. We know that over 99% of videos uploaded are already under 10 mins, and we also know that most of our users only watch videos that are under about 3 minutes in length. (...) We poked around the system a bit and found that these longer videos were more likely to be copyrighted videos from tv shows and movies than the shorter videos posted."

On a related note, YouTube introduced more categories from which you can select when flagging videos. "When users flag a video, it is reviewed by real-life humans at YouTube who check to see if the video should be removed, age-restricted or left alone," explains YouTube. I think it's hard to decide when a video infringes copyright or YouTube's policies, but it could be an interesting exercise to launch a new YouTube section that contains flagged videos, where "trusted" users could vote if the videos deserve to be removed.

Screenshots of Google Talk's Integration with AIM in Gmail

OK, maybe my speculation about the integration between Google Talk and other IM networks didn't have a strong foundation, but at least we know that Google Talk and AIM will interoperate in the near future. Here are some screenshots from a newer version of Gmail, still in testing (Gmail is one of the interfaces that can be used to access Google Talk):



Two years ago, when Google bought 5% of AOL, the agreement included "enabling Google Talk and AIM instant messaging users to communicate with each other, provided certain conditions are met".

{ Thanks. }

Gmail API for Greasemonkey

Gmail's new version broke many plug-ins and Greasemonkey scripts, so Google decided to come up with a long-term solution: an API for Greasemonkey.

Greasemonkey is an integral part of the web experience for many experienced users. Google acknowledges that some people are going to change their own experience of our web applications regardless of what we do. Resistance, as they say, is futile. It would also be somewhat hypocritical. After all, a Google employee wrote Greasemonkey in the first place [my note: Aaron Boodman], another wrote these scripts to add functionality to Gmail [my note: Mihai Parparita], and a third wrote two books on the subject (and these docs) [my note: Mark Pilgrim].

Instead, we would like to provide a little help to make such scripts more robust. Instead of finding elements by XPath or DOM traversal, this API provides accessor methods for getting common screen elements. Instead of forcing you to monkey-patch (ahem) our internal functions, this API provides callbacks to call your functions when specific events occur.

This API is experimental. New features and code changes may still cause Greasemonkey scripts to break.

The first Greasemonkey script that uses this API is Mihai Parparita's Macro, which brings additional keyboard shortcuts to Gmail, and the rest of his already famous scripts should also be ported to Gmail's new codebase. The API is not meant to expose messages, contacts or settings, it's more like a convenient way to customize Gmail's interface and functionality without relying too much on the implementation's details.

Live.com Email Accounts

Microsoft finally allows people to create @live.com email accounts, now that most of the Windows Live applications are out of beta. Because there aren't too many registered accounts and you can create accounts at many international domains, it's likely you'll find a good email address.


An interesting new features lets you link a main Windows Live account with other secondary accounts and use a single login to access all your accounts. At the top of the page, next to your email address, there's an arrow that hides a list of your linked accounts.


Windows Live IDs are the key that unlocks many web applications from Microsoft and you can get one when you install the Windows Live suite, a Google Pack without third-party software. As we could see in the previous article about Windows Live, Microsoft's strategy is to deliver a unified package that combines its best software with its online extensions. Microsoft pitches it as a Windows upgrade and a simple link from Vista or from Windows Update is enough to capture a big audience. "With Windows Live, you'll get software and services that make what you can do on your PC and the Web just that much more amazing. Think of it as the power of Windows combined with the limitless possibility of the Internet." (my emphasis) That's probably the reason why some web apps from Microsoft work better in Internet Explorer: they're not supposed to work optimally on any platform and any browser, their purpose is to enhance the default Windows experience.

Talk, Google, Talk!

Another day of autumn, another bloated new version of Yahoo Messenger. Very few people remember that Google launched back in 2005 an instant messenger that promised to enhance people's lives. The Windows application with a non-standard interface and the strange installer that didn't give you any option.

Google Talk's silence gave birth to a Flashy gadget that can be embedded into any web page, even if the only effect is that the page loads slower. The gadget took over Google Talk's homepage and even added some features that weren't available in the stagnant desktop client.

10 months have passed since the last Google Talk release and people expect to see all the features from the bloated Yahoo Messenger in the same simple interface. The promised integration with AIM, Skype and the "traditional phone systems" should also be added.

For the moment, the original Google Talk got back the homepage and has yet to add an entry in the "What's new" page. Despite its acute lack of features, Google Talk is almost perfect because it didn't make too many mistakes.


Probably the biggest mistake was to promise things that couldn't be accomplished in a timely manner.

"Your #1 feature request was file transfer, which we're happy to have launched. Look for updates to the form, and make sure to vote again! Now, we're off to the next version. I can't tell you what your #2 and 3 suggestions were, but I do know that they're on the way." (Google Talk Blog - August 21, 2006)

"Just as exciting are our plans to explore interoperability between Google Talk and Skype, making it easier for our users to chat with one another. This is just another step in our commitment to interoperability via open, industry standards." (Google Talk Blog - August 28, 2006)

The second mistake was the lack of communication and that's hard to understand, especially if you consider that Google Talk is a communication app. It's actually "a Google approach to instant communications".

Five New iGoogle Themes

Here are some new iGoogle themes that will probably added soon to the customization dialog (the descriptions are from Google). To add one of these themes to the active tab, go to iGoogle and type in the address bar the JavaScript code you'll find below. Then click on "Save" in "Select a Theme For This Tab", without selecting any theme. The first theme (Solar System) changes daily, while the rest of them change depending on the time of the day.

Solar System: For those of you who like to space out, this theme will help you do so. Enjoy a different scene from our solar system on your iGoogle homepage, each day of the week.

Go to iGoogle and type in the address bar: javascript:_dlsetp('preview_skin=skins/planets.xml');



Autumn: The leaves are falling and the air is crisp. It's fall, and the raccoons are enjoying every bit of it. Follow them through the day as they tackle the onslaught of leaves and prepare for a barbecue feast.

Go to iGoogle and type in the address bar: javascript:_dlsetp('preview_skin=skins/autumn.xml');



Hong Kong: It's the Hong Kong skyline in soft beautiful colors. Add this lively cosmopolitan city to your homepage and watch as the day goes by.

Go to iGoogle and type in the address bar: javascript:_dlsetp('preview_skin=skins/hongkong.xml');



J. R.: Introducing J.R., the friendly giant monster who makes his home on your iGoogle homepage. Follow him throughout the day as he keeps himself busy going about his daily chores and hanging out with his friends.

Go to iGoogle and type in the address bar: javascript:_dlsetp('preview_skin=skins/jr.xml');



Aja Tiger: From the cave looking out, follow the Aja Tiger through the day and the seasons. This Korean theme is a fun and friendly one for your iGoogle homepage.

Go to iGoogle and type in the address bar: javascript:_dlsetp('preview_skin=skins/tiger.xml');


{ via Blogoscoped Forum }

Update: the new themes should be available directly from iGoogle.

Email Connections

RarePlay has an article about deriving useful social data from mails and transforming sites like Gmail, Yahoo Mail and Hotmail into implicit social networks.

An interesting experiment Yahoo (and similarly Google) is undertaking internally is called "Friend Finder". Friend Finder analyzes a user's email traffic and indicates the friends with whom a user has strong email connections based on incoming/outgoing traffic and the frequency and speed in which two parties respond to each other.

Xobni already does this for Outlook: it clusters contacts based on how frequent they appear in the same CC field and other factors.


Gmail also has a list of frequently mailed contacts based on an affinity score. Maybe it can expand the list with more information about the contacts that have the most starred messages, the longest conversations, the fastest replies or the most forwards.

Related: Social Gmail

Google Launches Android, an Open Mobile Platform

"Google Phone" turned out to be a mobile platform and not a phone optimized for running Google apps. "Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications -- all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation," announced Andy Rubin on the Google Blog. Android was launched as part of the Open Handset Alliance, an organization that has a lot of other important members: Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Intel, NVIDIA, LG, Motorola, eBay, Nuance Communications and more.

The goal: "through deep partnerships with carriers, device manufacturers, developers, and others, we hope to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform". The SDK will be available on November 12 and the first devices based on Android should be launched next year.

"Through Android, developers, wireless operators and handset manufacturers will be better positioned to bring to market innovative new products faster and at a much lower cost. (...) The Android platform will be made available under one of the most progressive, developer-friendly open-source licenses, which gives mobile operators and device manufacturers significant freedom and flexibility to design products. Developers will have complete access to handset capabilities and tools that will enable them to build more compelling and user-friendly services, bringing the Internet developer model to the mobile space. And consumers worldwide will have access to less expensive mobile devices that feature more compelling services, rich Internet applications and easier-to-use interfaces -- ultimately creating a superior mobile experience," explains the press release.


Android is based on the Linux Kernel and has some interesting particularities. "Android does not differentiate between the phone's core applications and third-party applications. They can all be built to have equal access to a phone's capabilities providing users with a broad spectrum of applications and services. (...) Android breaks down the barriers to building new and innovative applications. For example, a developer can combine information from the web with data on an individual's mobile phone -- such as the user's contacts, calendar, or geographic location -- to provide a more relevant user experience. With Android, a developer could build an application that enables users to view the location of their friends and be alerted when they are in the vicinity giving them a chance to connect. (...) Android provides access to a wide range of useful libraries and tools that can be used to build rich applications. For example, Android enables developers to obtain the location of the device, and allow devices to communicate with one another enabling rich peer-to-peer social applications."

It seems that Andy Rubin didn't forget the principles used when he built Sidekick: a great platform for developers, always connected to the network and that doesn't cost too much. In less than a week, Google announced two important initiatives that contain the word "open": OpenSocial and now Open Phone Alliance, but Android seems much more open and more meaningful for developers and users.

In a conference call that followed the announcement, Eric Schmidt said that an Android phone "with a real browser, won't need customized programs and websites, so it'll be easy for devs to support the phone by supporting any desktop browser". Apparently, the browser is a very strong point of the phone. By bringing the web closer to mobile phones, Google could become even more important in people's lives of and could increase its reach.


{ Thank you, Chris. }

How to Go Back to Gmail's Older Version

If you have the new version of Gmail, but you don't like it, there are some ways to go back to the old version. Maybe you don't have a fast Internet connection and Gmail suddenly feels slower, maybe there are too many bugs or you love a Gmail-related extension or Greasemonkey script that suddenly doesn't work.

Gmail provides a link to the old version (http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1), but the change is not persistent, so you'll still see the new version the next time you go to Gmail. And even if you bookmark the link, some Gmail-related plug-ins will still not work.

Because the new version is only available in Firefox 2 and Internet Explorer 7, another way to revert to the standard Gmail would be to use another browser, like Opera or Safari. But that's not very convenient or practical.


So what's the best solution? Change Gmail's interface language in the settings from English (US) to another language, like English (UK). You'll lose some features (creating Google Calendar events, PowerPoint viewer) and some names will be different (instead of Trash, you'll see Deleted Items), but these are minor changes.

Gmail's new version will be rolled out to everyone in the coming weeks and will eventually replace the current version, but by the time it reaches everyone, Gmail will probably fix the performance issues and your favorite plug-ins will update their code. A Gmail API would be a much better idea for the future, because every change in Gmail's code can break a plug-in like Gmail Manager or some useful Greasemonkey scripts.

Update: Obviously, this was just a temporary solution and it no longer works, since Gmail 2 is available for English (UK). If you still don't like the new version of Gmail, bookmark http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1, but that address won't be available indefinitely either.