Google

Yahoo Mail, iGoogle to take on Facebook?

The New York Times is reporting that iGoogle and Yahoo Mail could be at the core of social-networking plans for the two search companies.

"Web-based e-mail systems already contain much of what Facebook calls the social graph--the connections between people," Saul Hansell writes in his blog posting. "Yahoo and Google realize that they have this information and can use it to build their own services that connect people to their contacts."

Hansell says he's heard from several Google executives that that's their plan. "We believe there are opportunities with iGoogle to make it … Read more

Report: Google in talks with 'American Idol' creator

So, what could Google execs be talking about with the man who created American Idol and X Factor?

The United Kingdom's Guardian online reports that Google has been in discussions for about a year with Simon Fuller. Fuller worked with the Spice Girls and managed David Beckham in addition to creating popular entertainment shows like Pop Idol.

The report cites unidentified sources close to Fuller saying the deal could "revolutionize the way entertainment and music are distributed."

Asked for comment, a YouTube spokesman said: "Simon Fuller has a promotional branded channel on YouTube and we don'… Read more

Northeastern University sues Google over patent

Northeastern University has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Google, claiming the database architecture that Google uses to feed up search results has been misappropriated, according to The Boston Globe.

The lawsuit claims the technology was developed and patented by a company called Jarg in Waltham, Mass., that was co-founded by Northeastern professor Kenneth Baclawski. The patent, owned by the university and licensed to Baclawski, covers a method for sectioning database queries into different portions that are each processed by a different computer.

The lawsuit was filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of … Read more

What's the sound of PageRank falling?

After what felt like a long hibernation period, Google has recently made at least a partial PageRank update of the visible or public PageRank, often referred to as Toolbar PageRank. And boy was it noticed--not so much with the update but with the PageRank drops targeted at sites that were buying and/or selling text links.

A lot has been said already by many who have a much deeper understanding and forecast this event. What I find particularly interesting is how PageRank has become a form of currency, yet who can say what precisely that value is? Of course, I … Read more

What an app on Google's Android might look like

Valleywag is reporting that start-up WhatsOpen.com has written the first wireless app for Google's new Android mobile platform.

It's still under wraps, but the report says WhatsOpen.com offers a Web application that shows people nearby stores that are open for business.

Valleywag has screenshots that show that the application appears to use a Google map mashup to display stores that are open in your area. It also looks like it includes user written reviews.

Looks like a no-brainer to me; who wouldn't want to get that kind of information on a phone based on your … Read more

Google overhauls Gmail under the hood

Google is making major structural code changes to Gmail and rolling them out slowly. The user interface changes are pretty subtle and you might not even notice them. But the code modifications likely presage more significant design and function improvements to come.

To tell if your account has been affected, a hyperlink at the top of the screen will say "older version" or "newer version," allowing you to choose which version to use.

One thing you might notice is that mail browsing is faster. Google pre-fetches messages in the current view, so when you open an … Read more

Does it matter if Google Orkut goes open source?

If you can't join 'em, beat 'em: this seems to be Google's rally cry, and this time its Facebook taking a potential beating. The New York Times is reporting that Google is in the process of creating an open platform to allow software developers to write widgets and full-fledged programs for Orkut. Never heard of it? It's the Google version of Facebook/MySpace. But Google decided to make it a swarming strategy; the platform will also allow development for other social media sites including Friendster, LinkedIn, Ning, Plaxo, and Facebook's arch rival, MySpace.

Facebook has built … Read more

Microsoft court filing touts Google's 'rapid success'

Google "is perhaps the most notable example of how open and competitive the software industry has become," with "prospects...so bright that the capital markets value the company at approximately $231.5 billion, making it the fifth most valuable company in America." Or so says a document that landed in my in-box last night.

No, it's not a Google press release. It's a snippet from a federal court filing made late Tuesday by perhaps its chief rival today: Microsoft.

Google's formidable presence forms the basis for one of Microsoft's major arguments against … Read more

Gas stations getting pumped for Google Maps

Cars and maps are kind of a match made in heaven. People get lost, and roads are confusing. Luckily, pumping gas is not, and despite some states like Oregon requiring people to pump your gas for you, most other places are a self-serve affair. The Associated Press is reporting that a new line of gas pumps from Gilbarco Veeder-Root, due to ship next month, will be equipped with a touch-screen panel that includes a slightly stripped-down version of Google Maps to let you browse local attractions like hotels, amusement parks, and restaurants that have been handpicked by the gas station'… Read more