The Unofficial Google Weblog

Google Coverage now on Download Squad!

Brad Hill — 2006-07-07T10:00:00+00:00

Wondering where your morning fix of Chris Gilmer is? We wanted to expose Chris's obsessive coverage of "everything Google" to a larger audience, and we asked him to join the Download Squad team. Are you familiar with Download Squad? It is our blog about the user experience in all kinds of software and online services. Chris accepted our offer, so as of today you will find his posts on Download Squad. You can roll your Download Squad experience in several different ways:

BOOKMARKS

Main blog:
http://www.downloadsquad.com

The Google category:
http://www.downloadsquad.com/category/google/

All Chris all the time:
http://www.downloadsquad.com/bloggers/chris-gilmer/

RSS FEEDS

Main blog:
http://www.downloadsquad.com/rss.xml

The Google category feed:
http://www.downloadsquad.com/category/google/rss.xml

The Unofficial Google Weblog will remain exactly where it is, with its tremendous archive of blog entries. Use it as a reference point, and point your browser/newsreader to Download Squad for the continuous Google updating you've come to expect. Thanks for reading!

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Google Reader Security Fix

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-06T16:38:00+00:00

Google has fixed a minor security issue with Google Reader that could potentially enabled hackers to steal sensitive information from readers.

An attack could be initiated by hackers embedding a script into web postings or input fields on sites, making the Google RSS feed tool extremely vulnerable to attacks.

The fix was made to the Reader as soon as Google discovered it, and was reported as a minor security flaw.

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Ebay bans Google Checkout

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-06T16:31:00+00:00

Ebay is outlawing its users from using Google's new payment system.

Is it because there is too much of a conflict with Ebay's own Paypal? Who knows. But apparently it is not an accepted payment method as of yet. There are over held a dozen requirements that Ebay requires of payment methods in order to get Ebay approval, including a track record of providing safe and reliable financial banking.

So needless to say, no Google Checkout on Ebay now, or maybe ever....

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Interesting Yahoo result in Google Search

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-06T15:02:00+00:00

An interesting thing happens when you search for "therapy products" on Google.com. A See Results for yahoo, box appears.

The search result produces three organic results, followed by a special section for the Yahoo results. Yahoo.com, Yahoo Mail, and Yahoo Search. After the section, the organic results are continued.

Barry Schwartz noticed this posting from SEO Speedwagon.

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Google's Net Neutrality battle is still on the hotseat

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-06T13:42:00+00:00

Telcos are hot on the path to gain the ability to set fees for delivering net content, thanks to a Senate committee.

The new bill will set up phone carriers and cable operators from any restrictions, and would be able to set fees however they see fit for delivering internet content.

Since companies like AT&T and Verizon are spending billions dropping fiber cables underground, they want the abilities to charge companies like Google and Yahoo for providing services over their cables.

If these bills are indeed passed, the telecommunications carriers would be in charge for upgrading, which in the eyes of many, we could see less upgrades, producing a slow speed of information for everyone.

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Google is in Oxford

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-06T12:07:00+00:00

The term Google will also be listed in the Oxford Dictionary! It's now officially a verb.

In the latest round of updates for the definitive record of the English language, Oxford has decided to add Google alongside FedEx, TiVo, and Xerox.

Way to go Google. One more milestone on how important this search tool company has gotten in everyday life.

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Google is going to be in the Dictionary

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-06T11:58:00+00:00

Word on the web is that Google will be added to the dictionary.

The new version of Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary set to be released this year will include the word "Google".

Their online version of the dictionary currently has Google listed.

Main Entry: goo·gle
Pronunciation: 'gü-g&l
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): goo·gled; goo·gling /-g(&-) li[ng]/
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: Google, trademark for a search engine
: to use the Google search engine to obtain information about (as a person) on the World Wide Web

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Google's Top Gainers

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-06T11:51:00+00:00

In the week ending July 4th, Google released its top 15 Zeitgeist gainers.

They include:

star jones
tour de france
wimbledon
brandon routh
spiderman 3
the view
fireworks
michelle wie
kate bosworth
the devil wears prada
alemania 2006
zidane
nba draft
cristiano ronaldo
maria sharapova

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New Google MD

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-06T11:47:00+00:00

A new Managing Director was named for Google's South East Asia district.

Richard Kimbar was names managing director, sales and operations. He will be based in Sydney and responsible for managing Google's operations and strategic partnerships in India, Singapore, Malayia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Kimber's previous role was at the HSBC Group as cheif executive of FirstDirect Bank in the UK.

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Get Packing with Google

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-06T11:37:00+00:00

Now more people can get lucky with Google. Google has decided to launch the Google Pack for Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and UK.

The Google Pack is a file filled with essential Google software, including Google Desktop, Google Toolbar, Picasa, Google Pack screensaver, and 3rd party software including Firefox, Norton AntiVirus, Ad Aware, and Adobe Reader.

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Google Earth vs Tour de France

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-05T16:32:00+00:00

The Tour de France has developed some neat 3d routes with Google Earth so that you can travel alongside your favorite riders.

The Google Earth tool will show users stage cities, results, departures and arrival lines.

It is truly a great way to integrate Google Earth into the sporting world.

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Merrill Lynch estimates more search share for Google

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-05T14:28:00+00:00

In a recent research study, Merrill Lynch has noted that it is expecting Google to grow through distribution partners, and gain search engine market share over the next few quarters of 2006.

Lynch also has released news that it thinks the strong trend in search will help brow its second quarter advertising revenue growth. Pushing their ad revenue much higher than Yahoo and MSN's.

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Company is angry over its Google position

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-05T14:23:00+00:00

Here is it again - Kinderstart.com a kid based search engine based in LA was so upset with its Google position that it decided to take Google to court.

The tiff against Google started when Kinderstart started loosing rankings in the search engine going from 18 million page views a month in 2005, and then all of a sudden over 70 percent of their traffic just stopped coming.

Supposedly the owner thinks that Google black listed the site because it was also in the search engine market, and might be seen as a competitor with Google.

So, now Google has been asking a judge to dismiss the suit, because Google has its first amendment rights to choose whatever websites are the most relevant for the keyword term typed in the search engine.

Kinderstart might just have to wake up and realize that their website might not be the best search result built around their specific keyword phrases.

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Google is not an ISP

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-04T14:15:00+00:00

Google is denying that it has been aiming at becoming an ISP. They are not planning on becoming an internet supplier outside of Mountain View and San Francisco. They are just planning for the future.

Wired mag asked Google about buying mobile dark fiber, only to find out that they were frustrated about the fact that "bozos in America aren't rolling out IPv6^" so they will do it.

Google had hired Vint Cerf in 2005 in order to lead the IPv6 strategy, which will provide trillions more IP number combinations. The demand is heeded from the increasing demand for ip addresses from mobile devices such as handhelds, and phones. With the new IPv6 in place, the internet will be able to handle trillions of individual IP addresses.

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Google's New Product Process according to Marissa Mayer

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-04T14:02:00+00:00

BusinessWeek has a nice article on Google's new product creation philosophy of trying a bunch of products, refining them, and seeing what survives.

This article is from an interview with Marissa Mayer, the VP of search products and user experience.

There are discussions on how Google has done delving into the non search world, measuring new product success, the press, and Google's uncluttered home page.

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Little Alex Loves Google

Chris Gilmer — 2006-07-04T09:53:00+00:00

Alex loves Google so much that she wrote a cute little essay about them, and her Dad actually emailed it to Google to check out.

Alex is an avid Google user, who loves utilizing Google's tools for research on the web. Now she's very much into Geocaching.

Take a peek at Little Alex's essay, she scored a 106/100 on it!

PS. Its hosted on her GooglePages account! What a cool kid! I bet Google is going to keep its eye on her for when she gets into the working world!

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Google Blockage

Chris Gilmer — 2006-06-30T15:08:00+00:00

Looks like another country is hot on the tail of Google service blockage.

This latest place is Myanmar, otherwise known as the Union of Burma in Southeast Asia, bordered by Tibet, Peoples Republic of China, and Laos.

Burma is a country tightly controlled by its military Government, and has been by 1992. Thus is probably why they have blocked Google.com and Gmail services. The largest ISP in the area has stated that users are prompted with Access Denied when trying to access these services.

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Google Account Authentication

Chris Gilmer — 2006-06-30T10:35:00+00:00

Google has uploaded a nice diagram and document explaining their whole process for Account Authentication Proxy for Web-Based Applications.

They also have a document explaining the Account Authentication for Installed Applications.

The Google Account is a secured account that ties in all of Google's services protected by Google authentications.

The authentication diagram illustrates the process that the user, and Google goes through to access Account information, and the particular Google service the user is accessing. It walks through the Google Account authentication method for web based applications.

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Google AdWords with Pictures Spotted

Chris Gilmer — 2006-06-30T09:28:00+00:00

Sightings are starting to grow with this new Google phenomenon. Google AdWords with Pictures placed above text.

Research and studies have previously been shown, and suggest, that Google AdWords tend to be more effective, and visitors are more likely to click or look at text ads when there are images around the ads. Well, looks like Google is doing some studies on its own.

The example that has been showing up most frequently is a 120x600 format, with a 90px x 100px image placed on the top of the text column.

So keep your eyes open for these appearing on your site, or your favorite sites, and keep track of your click through stats for improvements.

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Google is not allowed to wear Louis Vuitton

Chris Gilmer — 2006-06-29T14:34:00+00:00

Louis Vuitton put the purse to Google's head in a recent trademark ruling. LV placed a trademark counterfeiting and unfair competition and advertising book on Google, stating that Google allowed merchants who sold counterfeit items to bid on the Louis Vuitton keywords in Google AdWords.

A court in Paris ruled that damages from the case be 300,000 euros, and placed another 60,000 euros for LV's legal expenses.

So not only does Google have to pay 360,000 euros to LVMH, they are also required to publish details of the sentence in four news magazines that are currently unnamed.

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