Google has launched a new version of Google Earth which allows users to explore the oceans, track historical changes over time, create their own earth-tours, and explore the planet Mars.
Google teamed up with scientists from National Geographic, the US Navy and several other oceanographic associations to create the new ocean function which allows users to explore an interactive 3D map of the ocean floor, complete with thousands of data points containing videos and images of ocean life.
Google Earth 5.0 also displays satellite images of locations over a specific expanse of time, from years to decades. For example, you can look back over the last decade and see the melting of the glaciers image by image.
Google Earth's new Touring application allows users to create a shareable, narrated, fly-through tour by using a record button.
Also announced was the 3D Mars application, which was created in conjunction with Nasa. Users can explore the red planet, read geo-located excerpts about different locations, or observe where various Mars Rovers and Landers have touched down.
Showing posts with label Google. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Google. Show all posts
Wednesday
Google to replace hard drives with Gdrive
Google is believed to be on the verge of launching Gdrive, a new free service which will allow users to store the entire contents of their hard drives on the internet.
According to reports, Google is looking to launch Gdrive next year, and would potentially mean that any device with an internet connection could perform the tasks of a PC.
The free service would be powerful enough to boot up programmes and, potentially, a Google operating system, and would be an extension of Google's current online data storage product tied into its Gmail email offering, which allows users to store documents and images.
However there are concerns among privacy campaigners over whether it is a good idea to allow such a quantity of commercial and private data to be available online, and with Google’s past reputation on privacy, would you trust them?
Gdrive would rival Microsoft’s Sky Drive which offers 25GB of free storage, but has a limit of 500MB per file. The current beta version of Sky Drive automatically synchronises files across the PC, mobile and web.
According to reports, Google is looking to launch Gdrive next year, and would potentially mean that any device with an internet connection could perform the tasks of a PC.
The free service would be powerful enough to boot up programmes and, potentially, a Google operating system, and would be an extension of Google's current online data storage product tied into its Gmail email offering, which allows users to store documents and images.
However there are concerns among privacy campaigners over whether it is a good idea to allow such a quantity of commercial and private data to be available online, and with Google’s past reputation on privacy, would you trust them?
Gdrive would rival Microsoft’s Sky Drive which offers 25GB of free storage, but has a limit of 500MB per file. The current beta version of Sky Drive automatically synchronises files across the PC, mobile and web.
Friday
Global internet audience surpassed 1bn in December 2008
The global internet audience surpassed 1 billion in December 2008, according to ComScore World Metrix.
The Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest share of internet users at 41.3%, followed by Europe (28%), North America (18.4%), Latin America (7.4%) and the Middle East and Africa (4.8%).
The most popular internet property in December worldwide was Google Sites with 777.9m visitors, followed by Microsoft Sites (647.9m visitors) and Yahoo Sites (562.6m visitors). Facebook.com has grown 127% in the last year to 222m visitors, meaning it now ranks as the seventh most popular internet property in the world.
The Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest share of internet users at 41.3%, followed by Europe (28%), North America (18.4%), Latin America (7.4%) and the Middle East and Africa (4.8%).
The most popular internet property in December worldwide was Google Sites with 777.9m visitors, followed by Microsoft Sites (647.9m visitors) and Yahoo Sites (562.6m visitors). Facebook.com has grown 127% in the last year to 222m visitors, meaning it now ranks as the seventh most popular internet property in the world.
Tuesday
YouTube launches new homepage ads to boost revenues
YouTube has rolled out a series of new and revamped homepage ads as Google continues its bid to boost the video-sharing site's revenues.
The new formats include the first click-to-play and autoroll expandable ads, as well as a masthead position, following testing with selected advertisers over the past few months.
The move comes a month after Google released data claiming YouTube users are 1.5 times more attentive to, and engaged in, advertising than TV viewers.
Google has been experimenting with ad formats on YouTube since buying the site for $1.76bn (£1.17bn) in 2006. In November it launched Sponsored Videos, a video ad auction model similar to the AdWords search product.
The new formats include the first click-to-play and autoroll expandable ads, as well as a masthead position, following testing with selected advertisers over the past few months.
The move comes a month after Google released data claiming YouTube users are 1.5 times more attentive to, and engaged in, advertising than TV viewers.
Google has been experimenting with ad formats on YouTube since buying the site for $1.76bn (£1.17bn) in 2006. In November it launched Sponsored Videos, a video ad auction model similar to the AdWords search product.
Friday
Google’s new customisable search feature
Google has launched a new feature called SearchWiki, which allows users to rearrange and customise their search results.
The idea is for users to be able to tailor searches they may frequently use. For example, if someone searches for cinema listings, they can make a preferred site always come first in the search results even if it would usually come further down the list in the natural search.
SearchWiki also lets users add URLs for sites they would like to show up in the search in future, remove results they are not interested in, and even allows users to make notes on sites for future searches.
The feature is only available when a user is signed in with their Google account and does not affect the way other users receive search results.
Any changes only affect users own searches, but SearchWiki also is also a great way to share insights with other searchers as you can see how the community has collectively edited a search result by clicking on the 'See all notes for this SearchWiki' link.
The idea is for users to be able to tailor searches they may frequently use. For example, if someone searches for cinema listings, they can make a preferred site always come first in the search results even if it would usually come further down the list in the natural search.
SearchWiki also lets users add URLs for sites they would like to show up in the search in future, remove results they are not interested in, and even allows users to make notes on sites for future searches.
The feature is only available when a user is signed in with their Google account and does not affect the way other users receive search results.
Any changes only affect users own searches, but SearchWiki also is also a great way to share insights with other searchers as you can see how the community has collectively edited a search result by clicking on the 'See all notes for this SearchWiki' link.
Thursday
Google launches in-game ads
Google is finally making progress into the in-game advertising sector with the beta launch of AdSense for Games.
The technology platform will allow brands to place relevant ads in web-based games, in an extension of Google AdSense, which matches ads to the content of websites.
The in-game ads will take the form of videos that players watch before or after a game, or after completing an individual level.
Google is working with select game developers and publishers including; Konami, Playfish, Zynga, Demand Media, games network Mochi Media, as well as advertisers such as Esurance, Sprint, and Sony Pictures.
The program will allow advertisers to reach the growing number of gamers who are engaged in online play, for instance, in anticipation of a sporting event, an advertiser could use the technology to feature its logo within that sports event's accompanying online game and reach its relevant demographic as a result.
According to comScore, over 25 per cent of Web users play online games every week, representing over 200 million global users
The technology platform will allow brands to place relevant ads in web-based games, in an extension of Google AdSense, which matches ads to the content of websites.
The in-game ads will take the form of videos that players watch before or after a game, or after completing an individual level.
Google is working with select game developers and publishers including; Konami, Playfish, Zynga, Demand Media, games network Mochi Media, as well as advertisers such as Esurance, Sprint, and Sony Pictures.
The program will allow advertisers to reach the growing number of gamers who are engaged in online play, for instance, in anticipation of a sporting event, an advertiser could use the technology to feature its logo within that sports event's accompanying online game and reach its relevant demographic as a result.
According to comScore, over 25 per cent of Web users play online games every week, representing over 200 million global users
Wednesday
Calling time on drunken emails
We’ve all sent those emotional emails we regret after stumbling home from the pub after an alcohol-fueled session.
If only there was some kind of drunkenness detector that could stop you from baring your virtual soul after a night on the funny juice.
But that sinking feeling you get the next day when you realise you’ve sent a pathetic plea for reconciliation with an old flame, or told your boss to take a running jump, could become a thing of the past.
Google have just unveiled a feature for Gmail called Mail Goggles which forces users to take a sobriety test when trying to send that late-night email. And what better way to verify if you’re in the right state of mind to send an email than by giving you some simple maths puzzles to solve.
The feature allows you to specify ‘danger zone’ times and days when you fear you might be a bit tipsy (say, after 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays) – and if you try to send an email after that, it'll force you to take a sobriety test.
If you're not of sufficiently sound mind to complete some basic arithmetic puzzles then you're also not in any fit state to be emailing anybody.
The idea is being tested in the mail labs and may become a standard feature for Google users if the pilot scheme is a success, and is an amusing step forward in making the Internet ‘booze-compliant’.
Now, if somebody could just make similar drunk-filters for Twitter and Facebook, then we could finally enjoy the glorious world of alcohol without the lurking terror that we're going to end up forwarding furry porn to our mums!
If only there was some kind of drunkenness detector that could stop you from baring your virtual soul after a night on the funny juice.
But that sinking feeling you get the next day when you realise you’ve sent a pathetic plea for reconciliation with an old flame, or told your boss to take a running jump, could become a thing of the past.
Google have just unveiled a feature for Gmail called Mail Goggles which forces users to take a sobriety test when trying to send that late-night email. And what better way to verify if you’re in the right state of mind to send an email than by giving you some simple maths puzzles to solve.
The feature allows you to specify ‘danger zone’ times and days when you fear you might be a bit tipsy (say, after 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays) – and if you try to send an email after that, it'll force you to take a sobriety test.
If you're not of sufficiently sound mind to complete some basic arithmetic puzzles then you're also not in any fit state to be emailing anybody.
The idea is being tested in the mail labs and may become a standard feature for Google users if the pilot scheme is a success, and is an amusing step forward in making the Internet ‘booze-compliant’.
Now, if somebody could just make similar drunk-filters for Twitter and Facebook, then we could finally enjoy the glorious world of alcohol without the lurking terror that we're going to end up forwarding furry porn to our mums!
Thursday
Google is dead...
From now on, Google is a goner and everyone's going to be using...
"Search with Kanye West"!
That's right, he has his own search engine.
Clearly this is the new market leader in search. Especially since when you actually search for something, Kanye's name appears at the top in Google colours. (Just in case you forgot you were using his search engine).
Try it out here, folks – it's the future: http://searchwithkanyewest.prodege.com/
"Search with Kanye West"!
That's right, he has his own search engine.
Clearly this is the new market leader in search. Especially since when you actually search for something, Kanye's name appears at the top in Google colours. (Just in case you forgot you were using his search engine).
Try it out here, folks – it's the future: http://searchwithkanyewest.prodege.com/
Google unveils Wikipedia rival - Knol
Google has opened ‘Knol’, its answer to Wikipedia, to the public for the first time.
The website, which was first announced in December 2007 when Google began limited testing on the site, allows people to write about their areas of expertise under their bylines in a twist on encyclopedia Wikipedia, which allows those posting to remain anonymous.
Knol are convinced that authorship - knowing who wrote what - helps readers trust the content.
The name of the service is a play on an individual unit of knowledge, and entries on the site are called "knols".
Knol has publishing tools similar to single blog pages, but unlike blogs, they encourage writers to reduce what they know about a topic to a single page that is not chronologically updated. Google wants to rank entries by popularity, decided by user ratings, reviews and how often people refer to the specific pages, to encourage competition.
What they want to get away from is the ‘last voice wins' model which is very difficult if you are a busy professional. Knol focuses on individual authors, or groups of authors, in marked contrast to Wikipedia's subject entries, which are updated by users and edited behind the scenes.
In another point of difference from Wikipedia, the new offering does not edit or endorse the information, and visitors will not be able to edit or contribute to a Knol unless they have the author's permission. Readers will also be able to notify Google if they find any content objectionable.
Although Knol is backed by the might of Google, it has a long way to go in catching Wikipedia, which boasts 7 million collectively edited articles in 200 languages.
http://knol.google.com/
The website, which was first announced in December 2007 when Google began limited testing on the site, allows people to write about their areas of expertise under their bylines in a twist on encyclopedia Wikipedia, which allows those posting to remain anonymous.
Knol are convinced that authorship - knowing who wrote what - helps readers trust the content.
The name of the service is a play on an individual unit of knowledge, and entries on the site are called "knols".
Knol has publishing tools similar to single blog pages, but unlike blogs, they encourage writers to reduce what they know about a topic to a single page that is not chronologically updated. Google wants to rank entries by popularity, decided by user ratings, reviews and how often people refer to the specific pages, to encourage competition.
What they want to get away from is the ‘last voice wins' model which is very difficult if you are a busy professional. Knol focuses on individual authors, or groups of authors, in marked contrast to Wikipedia's subject entries, which are updated by users and edited behind the scenes.
In another point of difference from Wikipedia, the new offering does not edit or endorse the information, and visitors will not be able to edit or contribute to a Knol unless they have the author's permission. Readers will also be able to notify Google if they find any content objectionable.
Although Knol is backed by the might of Google, it has a long way to go in catching Wikipedia, which boasts 7 million collectively edited articles in 200 languages.
http://knol.google.com/
Google launches ‘Friend Connect’
Websites that are not social networks may still want to be social, but there are many barriers to offering social applications. Google Friend Connect changes this by enabling any site to add social features. Here’s how it works. Google Friend Connect presents a catalogue of social ‘gadgets’, and you simply copy code snippets for these gadgets and paste them into your site.
Google Friend Connect provides a core set of social tools such as; member management, message board, reviews, and picture-sharing. The key tool is the members’ gadget - this provides core social features for the visitors, such as:
Everyone wins in a friend connected web:
For the site owner - Google Friend Connect gives that equips the site with social features, including the ability to run third-party social applications. Moreover, it enables visitors to log-in with existing credentials, see who among their friends are already registered, and also give them one-click access to invite friends from other networking sites.
For the site's visitors - Visitors no longer need to create a new account or develop yet another friends list just to use the social applications on a site. Google have created the infrastructure that allows one login to be used across multiple sites and the ability to reuse existing friend relationships that the visitor has already established elsewhere.
OpenSocial developers - With Google Friend Connect, we can develop applications for any website which can now run on other social networking sites, and anywhere else on the web that uses Google Friend Connect.
Social networks - With Google Friend Connect, social networks thrive as hubs of activity while giving their users more opportunities to bring their friend relationships to other websites while simultaneously bringing their friends and activities from outside the social network back in. People now have the ability to publish their activities across the web into the activity streams of their social networks.
Google Friend Connect provides a core set of social tools such as; member management, message board, reviews, and picture-sharing. The key tool is the members’ gadget - this provides core social features for the visitors, such as:
- Signing-in with existing Google, Yahoo, AIM, or OpenID accounts
- Inviting and showing activity to existing friends from other social networks such as Facebook, Google Talk, hi5, orkut, Plaxo, and more
- Browsing member profiles and connecting with new friends across other social networks
Everyone wins in a friend connected web:
For the site owner - Google Friend Connect gives that equips the site with social features, including the ability to run third-party social applications. Moreover, it enables visitors to log-in with existing credentials, see who among their friends are already registered, and also give them one-click access to invite friends from other networking sites.
For the site's visitors - Visitors no longer need to create a new account or develop yet another friends list just to use the social applications on a site. Google have created the infrastructure that allows one login to be used across multiple sites and the ability to reuse existing friend relationships that the visitor has already established elsewhere.
OpenSocial developers - With Google Friend Connect, we can develop applications for any website which can now run on other social networking sites, and anywhere else on the web that uses Google Friend Connect.
Social networks - With Google Friend Connect, social networks thrive as hubs of activity while giving their users more opportunities to bring their friend relationships to other websites while simultaneously bringing their friends and activities from outside the social network back in. People now have the ability to publish their activities across the web into the activity streams of their social networks.
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