The nation's largest transit system could be a bit easier to navigate with Google's new tools, including translation into 23 languages.

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Transit now assists New York City residents and visitors with planning trips via public transit, car, or foot.

New York State and City leaders joined Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page at Grand Central Station Tuesday to announce the launch of a feature that makes it easier to navigate the largest transit system in the United States. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs New York City's transit system, gives Web site visitors the option of planning their travels with directions from Google.

Google Transit incorporates the city's subway stops, bus routes, and commuter trains to outlying areas, with its map features, including street views.

Read more: informationweek.com 

Labels: Maps, New York, system, traffic, transit

It is commonly believed that Google bought YouTube for $1.6 billion because the wildly popular video-sharing site represented a great way for the search giant to expand into video advertising.

It turns out the site could bring an even bigger benefit to the Mountain View company: It may provide a way for Google to easily and legally amass the world's biggest database of film and video - a database it could use to refine ways to search that kind of material.

Google confirmed Tuesday it would begin testing a system that would allow copyright holders to automatically remove unauthorized content from YouTube. Disney, Time Warner and some unidentified content owners will be participating, which will start next month.

"What we are trying to do is get this to work for YouTube's entire library," said spokesman Ricardo Reyes.

Full article: mercurynews.com 

Labels: Copyright, database, system, video, youtube