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Cuil Search Engine, Better Than Google?

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Google, Internet,

Former Google employee Anna Patterson’s search engine is alive. Cuil (pronounced “cool”) was released this week and supposedly can search 120 billion Web pages. She says that it is at least 3 times the size of Google, although that company says that they scan 1 trillion. Whoever is right, we like the idea of a search engine that uses actual content rather than ranking quantity and quality of links, as well as one that will not retain our histories or patterns. We gave it a test drive and think that Cuil is indeed very kewl.

Google Launches Lively

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Google, Internet, Video Games, Videos,

Google has finally launched Lively to try to lure some of those Second Lifers away. The site utilizes avatars and 3D graphics like the other virtual game, and meeting rooms for characters. After the download, you can also display YouTube videos on virtual TVs and show photos in virtual frames. Engineering Manager Niniane Wang wants subscribers to create their rooms in their own interests.

“If you enter a Lively room embedded on your favorite blog or website, you can immediately get a sense of the room creator’s interests, just by looking at the furniture and environment they chose.”
Note that you have to have Windows Vista/XP with Internet Explorer or Firefox to subscribe. We can’t anticipate its success but we did notice that the demo on YouTube already has received over half a million hits.

Willcom 9 Cell Phone Googles

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Google,

This is the Willcom 9, a new cell phone that is smaller than a business card. Designed to look like a book, it measures 43 x 80.4 x 19.4mm and utilizes Google for search and Gmail. It also features a 2-inch screen with a 320 x 240 resolution with 262,144 colors, a 1.3 megapixel cam, and can hold 24MB memory. We figure people who are really into texting had better have some tiny fingers to work the little bugger.

EveryScape Goes Beyond Google Maps

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cameras, Corporate News, Internet,

A Massachusetts online company has released the beta Everyscape that takes Google mapping an extra step. When you hit their site, you click on a location and see not only the outside but the inside of tourist attractions, musical venues, museums, etc. Click again and you can get detailed info.

“While Google has focused their technology on building a better map, we wanted to do more and replicate the experience of actually being somewhere,” chief executive Jim Schoonmaker said.

The work is being done by “destination ambassadors” that use specialized equipment to map by the mile. It’s a nice idea that seems like it has a long way to go.

John McCain Googles for VP Candidate

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Google, Internet,

Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain, seen here in a recent trip to a pig roast in Michigan, recently joked around that Googling made his VP search simpler.

“You know, basically it’s a Google,” he said at a fund-raising luncheon. “What you can find out now on the Internet—it’s remarkable.”

It seems like the senior senator has finally caught on to the Net. Fortunately for Barack Obama, back in October he had the smarts to hire Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes to head up his online campaign.

Tesla PL Roadster Arrives

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Google, Transportation,

The Tesla PL has finally arrived. The electric motor driven roadster’s store will be open next week in the Westwood neighborhood of LA. Another store will be open in Silicon Valley, where the car was developed with the assistance of Google’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Chicago, New York and other cities can expect dealerships next year. California Gov Arnie, George Clooney, and Will.i.am have already ordered one. Although we applaud the green sentiment, we can think of better ways to dispense with a spare $100,000.

Do Google Maps Invade Privacy?

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Google, Transportation,

A Pennsylvania couple is suing Google for invasion of privacy and mental distress. Aaron and Christine Boring claim that the reason they bought their property in the first place was because it was isolated and now it has been devalued. It seems that Google may have taken a street view shot from their driveway that was marked “Private Road.”

Google spokesperson Larry Yu claims that if the pair wanted the images removed, all they had to do was ask. Attorney Dennis Moskal said that their privacy was already hampered when the vehicle that took the shots drove on their property. It will be interesting to see if this has ramifications down the road. While Google maps increase in imaging technique, Big Brother surely gets closer every day.

Virgle Fool’s Day

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Google, Internet, Science, Transportation,

When we saw Virgin founder Richard Branson on Craig Ferguson’s show last night announcing his new project “Virgle” we knew it had to be an April Fool’s Day Joke. Even Craig didn’t believe it. Richard has supposedly teamed up with Google creators Larry Page and Sergey Brin to offer the first trip to Mars, one way, we might add, beginning in the next twenty years. While this proves that those who have money can do almost anything they want, you can check out the “official” site, take a test, send them a video and sign up to be a Virgle Pioneer, especially if you believe you can hang on for another hundred years.

Find Your Internet Age

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Internet,

Here’s another quiz to help you

~~feel~~

find your age, at least in terms of the Internet. After answering a series of questions that concern your activities on and off the Web, the site will analyze your Internet Age. Some of us cannot even remember B.I. (Before Internet,) much less what year we started playing around with it, but our result came pretty close to what we think is our I.A.

Note that if you are aware of sites that you never use, i.e. digg or Google, your score will reflect that and they will suggest that you frequent them. The results of the answers will assist the Orange folk in coming up with a safe module for use in schools and you might win a gift for your efforts.

Google Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Google, Internet,

Sure and begorra! If you are looking for a place to hang out to get your green brew today, go over to Google Maps and get a pleasant surprise. To get into the St. Paddy’s spirit, Google has brought in a leprechaun as a traveling companion. Move him around and he leaves a rainbow trail. We don’t know if he will lead you to that pot o’ gold, but he will help you to find some places to celebrate the holiday. It sure beats MSN’s green home page although Yahoo’s header is a decent effort.

(Have a great holiday, folks!)

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