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Google's Talk goes experimental with special labs edition

Google Talk users have yet another way to chat with their Gtalk buddies. The new "labs edition" which was quietly released on Friday brings to your desktop several features that previously could only be found in the Web version. Most importantly, the group chat feature which made its way into the Web version of Google Talk last year, yet was oddly missing from the desktop application until now. Also new to the desktop version are emoticons and notifications from Gmail and Google Calendar, as well as Google's hot-in-Brazil social network Orkut.

Oddly enough, with these extra features … Read more

Gartner lays odds on Microsoft in ads over Google in enterprise

Microsoft can give Google a better fight in online ads than Google can compete against Redmond in enterprise software, a Gartner analyst concludes in a new research report.

In one corner is Microsoft, the leader in enterprise software and PC-centric applications. Microsoft's eye is on the prize--a bigger slice of the $75 billion in online ad revenue that is forecast by 2011.

Microsoft is looking for growth after failing to see big payoffs from investments in areas like mobile, games, and online services, says David Mitchell Smith, Gartner research vice president and fellow, who authored the "Google vs. … Read more

Duplicate content: Separating the penalty from the filter

Several weeks ago at SMX West I had the pleasure of meeting and having lunch with Brian White from Google. White works on Matt Cutts' Web spam team, tirelessly working to make Google's search results the best they can be, ensuring the best user experience. Quite a hefty task indeed.

You'd think that someone who spends his days fighting the never-ending battle that is Web spam might be a bit negative or jaded. If that is the case, he does an amazing job hiding it. Instead, he was upbeat and you could feel the excitement in his voice as he spoke. Here's a guy who loves what he's doing and truly wants to not only improve the searchers' experience on Google, but wants to make the Web a better place. You can't help but like a guy who's fighting the good fight.… Read more

Carriers keeping hands on the reins

Over the last few months, mobile operators have been falling over each other to profess their networks as "open," but a closer look at what they're really doing suggests they have a long way to go.

Traditionally, mobile phone operators have kept a tight grip on their networks. They have determined which phones could be used, what applications could be accessed, which features were enabled, and where subscribers could go on the Internet. But over the past year, Internet companies like Google and Skype have joined with consumer groups to lobby lawmakers and the Federal Communications Commission … Read more

Google Maps races to track the Olympic torch

In case you were interested in keeping track of where the 2008 Olympic torch is at any given moment, the Google Maps team has put together a mash-up that tracks its position as it makes its way around the world via a series of runners and transportation mediums.

Beside the map you can track not only where the torch has been, but where it's going. There's a small information panel that tells you about the route through each city including any relevant landmarks. Information about future dates hasn't been made available (for security reasons), but you can … Read more

Is Google bringing BigTable out of the closet?

TechCrunch is speculating that Google may begin the first major phase of becoming an infrastructure provider for developers by exposing its BigTable data storage system as a Web service. This service would be similar to Amazon's SimpleDB service, which automatically indexes data and provides an API for storage and access.

I've queried Google on this potential news and await a response. Given Google's prowess at delivering applications from the cloud, it's logical to expect the company to become a platform for application services, with APIs for storage, compute cycles and databases--similar to what Amazon has done … Read more

Pittsburgh couple sues Google over Street View

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A Pittsburgh couple is suing Google because photographs of their home are appearing on the company's street view service.

The lawsuit, filed in Allegheny County court on April 2, claims there was a private road sign on their street that Google should have honored. It claims that Google's "reckless conduct" has "exposed plaintiff's private information to the public."

Looking at the turnoff to Pittsburgh's Oakridge Lane on Google Street View, though, shows a street sign but no obvious private road warning--meaning that, perhaps, any sign didn't exist when … Read more

Couple sue Google for invading privacy with Street View

Updated 3:20 p.m. PDT: Added Google saying the suit is without merit.

From the I-can't-believe-it-took-this-long file, a couple in Pittsburgh has sued Google claiming that the Street View on Google Maps is a reckless invasion of their privacy.

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Aaron and Christine Boring say they bought their home in late 2006 partly because of its secluded location on a street that is "clearly marked with a 'Private Road' sign."

Google Street View was expanded to Pittsburgh in October. The Borings found that their home was clearly visible on the map, causing … Read more

Google unburdens Atom and AtomPub from patents

Good news for those who love Atom and AtomPub as Google announced that they are removing any patent implications to help further adoption.

We've always encouraged other developers to adopt Atom, the Atom Publishing Protocol, and the extensions that Google has created on top of those standards, but we realized the issue of patents may have held back some adopters. Well, those concerns end today as we are giving a no-charge, royalty-free license to any patents we have that you would need to implement Atom, AtomPub, or any of those extensions.

I'm a fan of the AtomPub API … Read more