Google Blogoscoped

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

New Google Patents

Google’s been awarded some more patents. One is for a document retrieval system with access control, the other for a system and method for searching and recommending objects from a categorically organized information repository.

Audio Recording Put Online to Identify Criminals

In Germany, a couple of racists beat up a black German, Ernyas, to the point he’s now in coma. As Ernyas was just speaking on his wife’s mailbox over the cell phone, the Potsdam police has now published the audio recording of the voices of the criminals online, hoping that people can identify them.

Office 2.0

IT Redux created a matrix of webified office products (like spreadsheet applications, Ajax-based drawing programs, online calculators and so on). Naturally, Google owns quite a few of those apps. [Via Micro Persuasion.]

Break PDF DRM with Gmail?

If this description by Andreas is true, then Gmail has a feature I’m not sure even its developers know off... the ability to circumvent copy-protection of PDF files:

“Apparently, GmailÂ’s built-in ’View as HTML’ functionality, which allows you to view the content of PDF files (and other types of documents) as if they were classic webpages, works regardless of the filesÂ’ usage restrictions (= DRM). I don’t think this is a bad thing ;-) but just wonder how Google can back up this design decision – or is it a mistake?”

Also see why DRM is C.R.A.P.

[Via Boing Boing.]

Nuclear Sites on Google Earth

Ogle Earth shows off Google Earth satellite imagery of Iran’s nuclear sites (supposedly). “Both these sites will be military targets if diplomacy fails to steer Iran away from its nuclear weapons program – either for US missiles or, failing that, Israeli planes.” (I always wondered, what is the rationale for allowing some countries to have nuclear weapons, and others not?) [Via Boing Boing.]

No Guge! Campaign

Some Chinese users are not to fond of Google’s new Chinese name, and started a petition against it. A forum reader translates parts of the site; “The name ’GuGe’ makes us feel ill! Even more, it makes us disappointed!”

Greedy Google Ad Bot?

Some people report that the Google AdSense bot is also indexing for Google’s main index (which it isn’t supposed to). [Thanks Manoj Nahar.]

Web 2.1

Welcome to the new world of Web 2.1... where the blink tag is now Ajax-powered! [Thanks Mark Scholes.]

Danny Sullivan on the Last 10 Years

Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Watch recaps the last 10 years of personal & search engines history. Interesting stuff.

Firefox Google Bookmarks

Pau says, “I created a new Firefox extension that tries to mimic (when possible) the Bookmarks button features of the Google IE Toolbar.”

Exotic Google Sites

From the big book of exotic Google pages, here’s Chad bikes America, a tribute to moms, and the slightly spammy Google AdSense for parked domains. [Thanks Ionut.]

Lady in the Water Movie

Lady in the Water [teaser trailer] is M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie. (I gotta say I love his past ones – Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense, and The Village.)

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