Google has entered an agreement to acquire “certain assets and technology” from mobile platform operator Zingku.

According to Zingku:

Our service is designed from the mobile phone, outward, allowing you to create and exchange things of interest ranging from invitations to “mobile flyers” with friends in a trusted manner. On the mobile phone, Zingku uses standard text messaging and picture messaging features that come with every phone. On the web, our service uses your standard web browser and instant messenger. There is nothing to install.”

Read more: techcrunch.com 

Labels: mobile, phone, platform, Zingku

Happy Birthday, Google!

Labels: Birthday

27.09.2007 - Running for over a year now, Microsoft’s Live Search site has received a mini makeover, focusing on improved search results in the areas of shopping, health, entertainment and local interest.

The Microsoft Live Search site is currently at number three in the market with Google in the lead followed by Yahoo!.

Microsoft said it had used customer feedback from among its 128 million users per month to develop “richer and deeper” search results including better data extraction.

Read more: siliconrepublic.com 

Labels: live, market, microsoft, query, search, Yahoo

Only if it were worth $237 (£117) - or even $237.99 - to Google. The Redmond giant was this week in talks to acquire part of the social networking site, which Nielsen/NetRatings said on Tuesday is the most popular in the UK, with 6.5 million users (up sixfold since December), ahead of MySpace with 6.3 million (up 20%) and Bebo (4.5 million, up 64%).What Microsoft is after is a slice of the hottest site online, and it is prepared to pay somewhere between $300m and $500m (£125m to £250m) for a 5% stake.

That would value the site as a whole at between $6bn and $10bn - and the site says it has 42m users worldwide. The upper valuation values each of them at a tidy $238.09 each. Slightly less, now that another dozen have joined while you read this sentence.

Full story: guardian.co.uk 

Labels: Facebook, microsoft, Network, Nielsen, social

Appointment of former 'distinguished engineer' at IBM Research underlines Google's commitment to step up its European growth

Google has appointed a top IBM researcher to lead the expansion of its engineering group in Europe, the search company announced Thursday.

Nelson Mattos worked for 15 years at IBM and was most recently a vice president and "distinguished engineer" at IBM Research, where his projects included data management and search. He becomes Google's first ever vice president for engineering in Europe, responsible for managing project teams and hiring new engineers in the region.

Full article: infoworld.com 

Labels: engineer, Europe, IBM, research

Want to be notified when the next embarrassing celebrity video hits the Web? Google's (GOOG) on the case.

The search giant's "Google Alerts" feature, which automatically notifies you when a subject appears online in news outlets, blogs or elsewhere, is now adding video to its arsenal, the company announced on its official blog. Users can choose to receive an e-mail when certain terms show up in a new video's text description.

Read more: business2.com 

Labels: Alerts, mail, video, Web

Copyright watchdog files report alleging violations on Google Video

A US-based copyright watchdog has sunk its teeth into Google by sending a report alleging copyright violations on Google Video to members of Congress.

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) researched the extent of copyrighted material being hosted on Google Video earlier this summer and released a Top 50 list of apparently copyrighted movies.

But, in the latest spot-check of Google Video conducted from 10 to 18 September, the NLPC claims to have discovered 300 additional instances of apparently copyrighted films, including over 60 movies released this year.

Full story: vnunet.com 

Labels: Copyright, piracy, video

Google has posted a video on YouTube discussing the company's privacy policies and how they affect individual surfers.

Having explained in a previous video what data Google keeps and why, the new video aims to put searchers' minds at rest about the amount of control you have over the data Google keeps.

Full article: webuser.co.uk 

Labels: algorithms, personal, search, video

Doomwatchers count the ways

If you use Google to send email, organize photos or help administer your website, doomwatchers have cataloged three new ways to steal your data and compromise the security of your users. All three of the techniques rely on cross site scripting, or XSS, in which hackers inject unauthorized code by making it appear as if it's hosted by a trusted website.

The most serious vulnerability resided in the so-called polls application, a part of Google Groups. It made it possible to steal contacts and messages from Gmail accounts. A Google spokesman on Monday afternoon said the flaw had been fixed.

Read more: theregister.co.uk 

Labels: flaws, users

Arizona State University has announced that students will test a new product by a major internet company, which will be launched later this year. The product includes 3D-modelling and video gaming features.

The university has an ongoing relationship with Google, and there are growing rumours that the company in question is Google, and the product to be tested, an online virtual universe based on Google’s satellite imagery software.

Read more: platinax.co.uk 

Labels: satellite, Second Life, university, virtual

On Friday last our sister publication, Communications Day, scooped the world with the exclusive revelation that the giant search-engine company Google plans to form a trans-Pacific cable consortium.

Over the weekend, the story attracted a great deal of US media attention after Google stock hit an all-time high in the hours after Commsday broke the news.

Google is now valued at US$174 billion and thus accounts for more than half of the total $330 billion market capitalisation of American-listed internet information providers, easily outdoing the next largest in its sector – Yahoo - that is valued at just US$35 billion. Like it or loathe it, Google is truly corporate phenomenon, and is worth in excess of US$50 billion more than the world’s most valuable telco, Verizon.

One of the best things about having a story hit the US tech blogosphere is the instant feedback mechanism it provides - so as our article was cited by the likes of the New York Times, Techcrunch, Slashdot and Broadband Reports’ websites there is no shortage of reader and blogger comments on what it all means.

Full article: telecomtv.com 

Labels: bandwidth, broadband, cable, Communications

When you get tired of looking at things on our planet via Google Earth, turn you sights towards the moon. NASA and the mega search engine team up for, wait for it, Google Moon.

The newly launched site lets you click through Google markers on the moon to access newly released photos and content from the Apollo missions, including panoramic shots from the moon, audio and video clips, and diaries of the astronauts' activities while bopping around the dimpled sphere.

Read more: wired.com 

Labels: Moon, NASA, space

There's a small army of Google-watchers out there, and one of the best has to be Ionut Chitu at Google Operating System, who regularly comes up with things that others miss (Google Blogoscoped is another one). And last night, he posted about an interesting move by the Web behemoth to expand its social-networking features by adding something called Google Shared Stuff.

The new service isn't exactly easy to get to, since you have to add a bookmarklet, and it isn't exactly revolutionary -- as both Ionut and Tony Ruscoe of Google Blogoscoped describe it, it is a fairly simple service that allows you to share links with your friends. You can create a rudimentary profilem, and you can see what links others have shared (and how many times) and that's about it.

Read more: theglobeandmail.com 

Labels: service, share, shared stuff, social

Google Web Accelerator works with your browser to help web pages show up in a snap.

Google Web Accelerator is…

· Designed for Broadband - Web pages load even more quickly on DSL and cable connections

· Easy to use - Simply install and enjoy faster web browsing in seconds

System Requirements
Operating System: Windows Vista/XP/2000 SP3+
Browser: IE 5.5+ or Firefox 1.0+

Download: Google Web Accelerator 0.2.93.116 Beta 

Labels: accelerator, Internet, Web

Google today launched Gadget Ads, a new interactive rich media ad format which will allow advertisers to measure users' responses to the ads, as well as updating ad content in real time.

The new ads designed for use across Google's network of sites, and aims to offer a way for internet users to interact with ad content in a way that is not possible with standard web ads.

The measurability of the Gadget ads will appeal to advertisers, and goes beyond merely measuring how many people clicked on an ad.

Instead, advertisers will be able to see how many users interacted with the ads in a number of ways. For instance, in the case of video ads, advertisers can see how much of a video has been watched, whether menu controls were used, and so on.

Full article: e-consultancy.com 

Labels: ads, Adsense, advertisements, advertising, widget

Publishers of Web sites designed for viewing on mobile phones now have the option to make some money through Google (GOOG)'s AdSense program.

Google on Tuesday announced the availability of AdSense for Mobile, its service for placing contextual ads with mobile Web content.

"We've just launched AdSense for Mobile, which can help you expand your online content to new platforms," said Alex Kenin, AdSense product marketing manager, in a blog post. "If you have a Web site optimized for mobile browsers, or are interested in creating one, you can start monetizing your mobile site by accessing a growing number of our mobile advertisers."

Full article: informationweek.com 

Labels: ads, Adsense, advertisements, mobile, phone

Google plans to add a presentations application to its Web applications suite on Tuesday, delivering on a promise made in April. The suite, until now known as Docs & Spreadsheets, will also be renamed Google Docs on Monday.

Because Google Docs is part of the broader Google Apps suite of collaboration and communication applications, Google Apps users will also get the presentations application.

Read more: macworld.com 

Labels: docs, office, presentations, Spreadsheets

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 17 — In another step to extend its dominance of online advertising, Google said Monday that it would begin selling ads on Web pages that are viewed on cellphones.

The company said that its new product, AdSense for Mobile, would establish a cellphone advertising network in which Google would match ads with the content of mobile Web pages, much as it does online.

Other Internet giants, including Yahoo and AOLTime Warner, as well as some start-ups, have also created advertising networks tailored for mobile phones.

Full article: nytimes.com 

Labels: ads, Adsense, advertisements, mobile, phone

Developed for the conceptual stages of design, Google SketchUp is a powerful yet easy-to-learn 3D software tool that combines a simple, yet robust tool-set with an intelligent drawing system that streamlines and simplifies 3D design. From simple to complex, conceptual to realistic, Google SketchUp enables you to build and modify 3D models quickly and easily. If you use Google Earth, Google SketchUp allows you to place your models using real-world coordinates and share them with the world using the Google 3D Warehouse.

With just a few simple tools, you can create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions, woodworking projects - even space ships.

Google SketchUp is free for personal use. No registration is required.

Download: Google SketchUp 6.0.1099 Windows 2000/XP, Mac OS X  

Labels: 3D, design, drawing, models, SketchUp

Google Earth combines the power of Google Search with satellite imagery, maps, terrain and 3D buildings to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips.

Features:

• Explore the sky
• Fly to your house. Just type in an address, press Search, and you’ll zoom right in.
• Search for schools, parks, restaurants, and hotels. Get driving directions.
• Tilt and rotate the view to see 3D terrain and buildings.
• Save and share your searches and favorites.
• Sophisticated streaming technology delivers the data to you as you need it.
• Imagery and 3D data depict the entire earth - Terabytes of aerial and satellite imagery depict cities around the world in high-resolution detail.
• Local search lets you search for restaurants, hotels, and even driving directions. Results show in your 3D earth view. Easy to layer multiple searches, save results to folders, and share with others.
• Layers show parks, schools, hospitals, airports, shopping, and more.
• KML – data exchange format let your share useful annotations and view. thousands of data points created by Google Earth users.
• Free for personal use.

Use it for:

- Planning a trip
- Getting driving directions
- Finding a house or apartment
- Finding a local business
- Exploring the world

Download: Google Earth 4.2.0198.2451 Beta Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS X, Linux 

Labels: 3D, Earth, satellite, search, space, terrain, World

Google’s long awaited Powerpoint clone could be days away from launching, according to a report at The Inquirer.

The service is said to be called “Presently” and is based in part on code from Zenter and Tonic Systems, two companies Google acquired earlier this year.

Read more: techcrunch.com 

Labels: docs, microsoft, office, Powerpoint, Spreadsheets

corporate executives, the founders of Google may have set a new standard: an un-crowded, federally-managed runway for their private jet that is as close as can be to being in the company's own backyard.

It is a perk that is likely to turn other Silicon Valley tycoons green with envy, but one that may not sit well with a community that generally considers itself proud to have Google in its midst.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration confirmed earlier this week that H211, a limited liability company that counts Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, as one of its principals, had secured rights to operate a refurbished wide-body Boeing 767-200 out of Moffett Field, an airport that is run by NASA and is generally closed to private aircraft.

The Google founders and billionaires, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, through another limited liability company, own just such a plane, which is unusually large and rare by private jet standards.

Full article: the International Herald Tribune 

Labels: jet, NASA, parking, private

Think you could teach Nasa a thing or two about space travel?
'British astronauts should be trained for space missions'

Google, the world's largest search engine, has established a $30 million (£15 million) prize fund to reward the first private company to send a robotic explorer to the Moon.
The last manned Moon landing was in 1972


To secure the top award the vehicle would have to land safely on the Moon and travel at least 500 metres across the surface, sending data and video clips back to Earth.

The challenge is the latest initiative from the X Prize Foundation, which in 2004 paid out $10 million to the team behind the SpaceShipOne, the first private manned craft to reach the edge of space.

Full story: telegraph.co.uk 

Labels: Moon, NASA, prize, space

I got a tip that Google vice president Adam Bosworth, who headed up the Google Health project, had left Google. Now Google has provided me with the first confirmation this is so -- Bosworth is leaving the company. Says Google:

Adam is a great talent and was instrumental in starting Google Health. He is now on vacation and has decided to pursue other opportunities after that. Marissa Mayer is taking over the health team in the interim until a new team leader takes over. Google is moving forward with work on our health products.

Read more: searchengineland.com 

Labels: Adam Bosworth, health

Picasa is software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures (even ones you forgot you had) and sorts them into visual albums organized by date with folder names you will recognize. Picasa also makes advanced editing simple by putting one-click fixes and powerful effects at your fingertips.

Picasa also makes it a snap to share your pictures – you can email, print photos at home, and make gift CDs. And with the new Web Albums feature, you can upload your photos to the web with just one click. You can even download your friends’ photos directly back to Picasa on your own computer. It’s never been so easy to share photos online. Now with Picasa Web Albums!

Download: Picasa 2.7.0 Build 37.29 

Labels: album, photos, picasa, pictures, Software

Images from Google Earth are being enrolled in the search for adventurer Steve Fossett.

Many people are scouring up-to-date satellite images of Nevada to try to spot Mr Fossett's downed plane or wreckage.

The project is being co-ordinated via Amazon's human-powered problem solving scheme called the Mechanical Turk.

It comes after a frustrating weekend in which searchers failed to turn up any sign of Mr Fossett.

Full article: BBC News 

Labels: Earth, search, Steve Fossett