Software News Daily » google

Google Instant: SEO Killer or Halo Killer?

Justin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:52:52 +0000

The big buzz going on right now is about Google’s updated search feature called Instant. Basically, Google searches now post results on-the-fly instead of waiting for the user to press enter or click “search” for the search string to process. This makes results to your inquiry instant (hence the name Google Instant). Now, does it really save a lot of time? Google thinks so—2-5 seconds per search, according to their research. Coupled with its auto-complete feature, it can be a very powerful tool. Read more about Google Instant.

Critics of the update are worried that it’ll wreak havoc on the way companies get their sites listed in search results. They claim users will now just have Google Suggest do the work instead of them typing organically. Some fear it will, whether consciously or not, dictate what people type and could result in added competition for the phrases Google uses in their auto-fill. More competition in ad-bidding equals more revenues for Google’s coffers.

On a side-note: there’s an interesting side-effect to this new technology that’s generating more than just search results. It’s laughs. That’s right, Google Instant and Suggest have created a sort of game that’s getting attention all over the net. All you do is start typing in random words/phrases and see what Google guesses you mean. Sounds cheesy? Yeah, but unless you’re dead inside you guaranteed a chuckle. For example, one of the most famous starts is “Why can’t I…” you’ll be surprised what comes up. My current favorite is “Why are Americans [afraid of dragons?]” I didn’t know I was.

We want to see what crazy things Google suggests for you. Post some of your favorite results and share them with us. Together we’ll laugh at how dumb A.I. can be.

Small Business Cloud Computing Guide from SoftwareMedia

Brian — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:53:34 +0000

Internet access is becoming widely available almost everywhere now, and so many different devices allow you to access it. The internet is now becoming an important player in how we stay organized. Cloud Computing is simplifying the way we access all our information. Services now allow you to store all your information on their servers “or in the cloud”, and let others have the ability to access them, and collaborate in real time. This is great for businesses that have multiple offices, sales reps, or frequent travelers. Now it’s easier than ever to be able to access your important documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and even large files. It’s like your own personal intranet without an expensive IT department. The cloud is already saving tons of businesses extra expenses, and unneeded time searching for information.

Many services are available that can help your business start experiencing the benefits of Cloud Computing, quickly and efficiently. Today we will jump into some of the difference and benefits of some of the most popular options available.

Continue reading to find out how you can streamline the way your business communicates.

Whether your business is a Windows environment or is already experiencing the benefits of Microsoft’s Exchange Server, you will appreciate the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite or BPOS. With Outlook Web Access you can experience all the features you depend on in Outlook on your computer in any web browser. With SharePoint Server your business can share and collaborate on documents easier than ever before. Access documents in your cloud from your desktop or remotely from any computer with internet access. Right now we are encouraging businesses to try BPOS by offering you a $25 Gift Card to SoftwareMedia.com just for signing up for a free 30 Day Trial. Watch the video below for more details, and an in depth tutorial for using BPOS for your business.

If your business is a Macintosh environment or you’ve experienced the great features of Gmail, you may want to consider Google Apps for your business. Your business will experience the benefits of Google’s great services in Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Sites, Video, and Talk. Google creates an entirely web based environment for your business to communicate in. This makes it easy to stay organized with your email, calendar, and documents from any computer or Smartphone. For iPhone users Google has created optimized sites that give you quick access to everything in your cloud. Android users will experience seamless integration, as Google’s tools are seamlessly integrated into the operating system. You can also try out Google’s services for your business free for 30 days.

Both of these options are affordable and easy to setup. You can explore pricing options for BPOS, and Google Apps, on SoftwareMedia.com If you have any more questions about bringing the cloud to your business you can contact our sales team at 1(800)474-1945.

Microsoft Testing the Waters Against Google?

Lansia — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:19:42 +0000

Microsoft posted a blog today trying to make a case against Google Chrome, a hot competitor against Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. “Watch a demo on how Google Chrome collects every keystroke you make and how Internet Explorer 8 keeps your information private through two address bars and In Private browsing,” notes the Microsoft TechNet post.

As Ars Technica points out, the claims Microsoft make are flimsy. Could this why they took the post down? The video demonstration where the Microsoft blogger illustrates the privacy issues concerned with Google Chrome has been taken offline — showing a blank screen when hitting play from linked articles. When I tried to access the original post at TechNet, it sent me to a default file not found page. Ironically, Google has a cached copy of the article. So, there’s no denying it was up at one time today, at least.

Was Microsoft just testing the waters against Google? Wars may be raged (or raised) in the near future…

Internet Searches: Therapists Reaching Beyond, All In Good Faith?

Lansia — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:07:27 +0000

So I’m looking through my feeds today… reading the headlines, scouring the net, searching for something interesting.

The iPad is coming to stores soon… possibly.

Google mobile services have been partially blocked in China.

Nothing catching my eye just yet…

An iPhone for Verizon may debut before year end.

Microsoft has patched a number of vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer.

Hold on.

As I mindlessly scroll through Google Reader, a Washington Post article by Dana Scarton jumped out at me and caught my eye: Google and Facebook raise new issues for therapists and their clients. My mind wakes. It cranks into gear. The article makes me think. It makes me wonder. Scarton lays down a number of interesting thoughts to ponder over.

Is it ethical for a therapist to fish out a patient’s blog, Facebook, website or other readily available information on the Internet? Would that be a breach of privacy? Or a means to better understand a patient? I mean, after all, you are paying a therapist to get to know you — in a way. And the internet is publicly accessible…

Scarton describes a case where a patient overdosed on sedatives. The patient’s psychiatrist, Damir Huremovic, was forwarded a suicidal email containing links to a website and blog the patient wrote. What’s a concerned doctor to do? Well, in this case, Huremovic decided that it was okay to click on the links. Scarton writes, “after all, the Web site was in the public domain and it might contain some potentially important information for treatment.”

What do SND readers think? Scarton’s Washington Post article knocked out some great points to both sides. And goes on to take into account, what if the roles were reversed?

In a detour from our typical light-hearted overtone at SND (and killing the buzz a little — anyone watch that Community episode last week?)… I asked the opinions of a few staffers here at SoftwareMedia.com what they thought about the issue.

From the lot of people I quickly polled, we seemed to be fairly split. About half the surveyed staffers didn’t have a problem being searched online, the other half had concerns. Almost everyone agreed it wasn’t straight out black and white though. From my “discovery,” here are a few highlighted quotes:

Ashley — “I think it’s fine. I mean, you’re going to the therapist to basically divulge your whole life anyway. If you really want help, you should be willing to let them know everything about you. On the other hand, the therapist needs to maybe not take EVERYTHING from the internet as truth. I feel like anything done on the internet is an extreme of yourself.”

Brandon — “(I’m) all for it. If someone has published something online, then it is available for anyone who wishes to view it. Thus if someone has something published about them without their permission they need to seek out the source and have them remove the information. Because the internet is such an open and public place, people need to be very careful about what they post. Social networking sites are a huge source of this private information made public. And many people don’t realize just how public their information is when they publish it. But the onus is on the publisher, not the reader.”

Emily — “I think there is a lot wrong with that but honestly it’s probably a good tactic.”

Allison – “At first it seems invasive but if you are turly trying to understand & help this individual I do not see any harm in it. Besides prospective employers are now doing (it), landlords. People need to watch what they share (online).”

Dave — “Well, I’m torn. On one hand, the information is out there in the public domain. On the other hand, I think it’s somewhat inappropriate (and) the information could likely be untrue.”

Okay, okay. So I’ll be fair and also throw in my two cents. I have to agree. The Internet is public domain. When I asked Kevin for his opinion he told me he had no problems with it. “My name is generic and people can never find me anyways,” he told me. Well, “Lansia” isn’t exactly a common name. An Italian car, perhaps… but I’ve never met another with my name. Hence, the slight caution I always consider when publishing personal information to the world wide web. I know that what’s published may be searched by millions (billions?) of Internet users.

With the Internet bringing the world smaller, information may not be retrieved and gathered on a completely whole new level. Just the other day, I used it to my advantage by comparing prices at the local retail store to their online competitors. There’s been no doubt about it; I’ve definitely saved a bit on my minor shopping addiction since the birth of Internet. My friend recently switched physicians with the help of the Internet. And employers and jobseekers, alike, have used the Internet to gain an upper hand. What does this potential employee portray himself? Facebook could tell. The web is a fountain of information, although sometimes dangerous. What’s true? What’s false? And what’s going too far?

Perhaps, my opinion of it all.. it’s okay for therapists to search patient information online. A random person can conduct that same search, why can’t someone that you are paying do so as well? However! It should all be taken in with a grain of salt. Someone online may not be the same person in life – literally and figuratively.

I also believe disclosure should also be important. Keely Kolmes, a psychologist who also writes on Internet ethics, says, “A lot of patients really want to think about you as existing in just that one space (while at therapy), and suddenly they’re seeing you on Twitter and blogging.” That certainly changes the way a patient may want to be perceived by his therapist. Awkward? It may be a side that the patient does not want the therapist taking into account.

Clearly, there’s much more to be debated. As Stephen Behnke, ethics director at the American Psychological Association, points out, “To write rules that allow our field to grow and develop and yet prevent (patient) harm at the same time: That’s the challenge.”

All right. Buzz kill over! Hey, lookit that… these peeps sure are ready for Easter this weekend.

190,000 Responses and Counting for Google’s Super-Speedy Fiber Network Internet

Lansia — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:14:35 +0000

Have you been itching to ride the experimental Google Fiber network? Dustin and I have been rooting for Google to build in our Salt Lake suburb. Bigger, stronger, faster!! Internet!!!!!!

In this day and age where many of us can’t get through the day without going online (and checking Facebook), Google decided to venture into the world of fiber-optic-speed Internet service. Must I reiterate my theory on how Google will eventually dominate the world? Let’s see… there’s the phone business (Nexus One), office software (Google Docs), politics, map services, Internet browser (Chrome), computer platform (Chrome OS), energy — am I missing anything?

Well, today Google posted a blog stating over 600 communities and 190,000 individual responses have all been rooting for Google to build a fiber network in their backyard — not literally, of course, just figuratively. Dustin and I have come to accept the fact that we just may not be competing hard enough. Topeka, Kansas was one of the first reasons we came across that proved the fiber fight would be a tough one. I mean, the mayor changed the name of their city to Google! And if that’s not enough, the Duluth, Minnesota “mayor” declared all firstborn males be named “Google Fiber.” If it’s a first born female? Well, “Googlette Fiber” of course.

Today is the last day before Google takes down their Request for Information. A more definitive number of responses will be posted on their blog later today. Then, “over the coming months, we’ll be reviewing the responses to determine where to build,” says Google product manager, James Kelly. Google plans on thoroughly reviewing each response and thoroughly researching each possible site before making any final decisions.

Google will be announcing their “target community or communities by the end of the year.” Kelly also tells us, “our plan is to reach a total of at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people with this experiment.”

HEY GOOGLE — does this article help our cause for Salt Lake?! C’mon Salt Lake City!!

Google Halts Censoring in China, Redirects to Hong Kong

Lansia — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:44:43 +0000

Google announced today that they have stopped censoring their search services on Google China. Google says…

Figuring out how to make good on our promise to stop censoring search on Google.cn has been hard. We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement. We believe this new approach of providing uncensored search in simplified Chinese from Google.com.hk is a sensible solution to the challenges we’ve faced — it’s entirely legal and will meaningfully increase access to information for people in China.

What does China have to say about it? Well, Xinhua, the official press of the People’s Republic of China, has a very brief comment on the matter…

Not too long after that comment, Xinhua got a bit more defensive and issued this brief article…

Could China be censoring Google by blocking the redirect anyway? It’s possible. SND readers, what do you think? Share your thoughts!

Google Close to Shutting Down in China

Lansia — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:10:33 +0000

Google is “99.9 percent” certain to closing the doors to China. Google’s been in talks with China for a couple of months now, threatening to pull out of China due to censorship laws. Now, a source close to the company says that Google’s senior executives are “adamant” about ending any censorship in China while looking for a safe out to take “steps to protect local employees from retaliation by the authorities.”

Last Friday, minister for industry and information technology in China, Li Yizhong, proclaimed, “If [Google] takes steps that violate Chinese laws, that would be unfriendly, that would be irresponsible, and they would have to bear the consequences.”

Google Reader Adds a Bit of Snap, Crackle and Pop

Lansia — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:48:24 +0000

Google Labs just released a snazzed up version of Google Reader, a web-based aggregator for reading Atom and RSS feeds. Appropriately named Google Reader Play, the web-app requires no initial set-up and still “adapts to your tastes.” Keep in mind, this new application does not replace Google Reader — it’s just a fun read.

Items are presented in a full-screen format, one at a time, with easy arrow buttons to move back and forth. There’s a “like” button and the option to choose categories to personalize your feed even more. Algorithms used in Google Reader for Recommended Items are also used in Reader Play to generate a custom feed. “It takes into account your past reading behavior and global signals,” according to the Reader Help section. Although Google Reader Play does not require a Google account for access, signing in will allow you to “star” items and provide better feed customization.

Only playing with Reader Play for a few minutes, it’s definitely more visually appealing than Reader, itself. The viewer presents items via slideshow (or not, you can turn this off) in “magic” mode or in their original layout. “Magic” mode gives the items more pop by filling the screen with the most eye-catching item (graphic or video — if it’s just text, it makes the text bigger, basically). Try it out for yourself and tell us what you think.

Google Maps: Bicycling Option Added With Bike Routes and Directions

Lansia — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:36:16 +0000

Google announced a big addition to Google Maps today. “Today we’ve added biking directions and extensive bike trail data to Google Maps for the U.S.,” reports Shannon Guymon, Product Manager for the biking directions team. In cooperation with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to building a nationwide network of trails for healthier living, Google has marked over 12,000 miles of trails for this maps venture.

The bicycling feature even goes above and beyond by taking in numerous factors to calculate the most efficient bike route possible. Google takes a look at roads with bike lanes, busy intersections and steep hills — then computes all that data to output the best route possible. Basically, Google is looking out for bicyclists… safest, quickest path possible while trying to avoid hill-peddling exhaustion. Similar to the road maps, bicyclists may also customize their trip by dragging their path to a desired route.

This feature is currently available for 150 cities across the United States. Since it’s in beta, it’s constantly being improved upon and feedback is encouraged. Roll on over to Google Maps Biking to try it out. Hey, just in time for spring too!

Microsoft Office 2010 Rolls Out with Free Word and Excel

Lansia — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:39:25 +0000

Microsoft Office 2010 has been in beta for some time. It’s also been free to try out for some time. In a press release from Microsoft, senior vice president of the Microsoft Business Division, Chris Capossela said, “Office 2010 is the premiere productivity solution across PCs, mobile phones and browsers.” Office 2010 definitely gives more heed to mobile computing, social media and collaboration.

In fact, an article from Inc. announces that Office 2010 will be rolling out with free versions of Word and Excel to compete with Google Docs and Spreadsheets. These “stripped-down online programs,” says Inc., “will be accessible on computer browsers and Web-enabled mobile phones.” Continue reading at Inc.com.