Filed under: Windows, Google, Freeware
AdSense on your desktop: Google starts embedding ads in Google Earth
by Lee Mathews Nov 23rd 2009 at 8:00AM
Everyone cringed when Microsoft announced that Office 2010 Starter would be partially ad-supported, and it looks as though advertising in desktop apps may be something we'll just have to get used to. As Amit Agarwal at Digital Inspiration found out, Google Earth is now showcasing sponsored links as you search for destinations.
While the ads aren't all that intrusive, they're still there. Unlike ads on Google's web services, you're not going to be blocking them with AdBlock Plus. In that respect the change makes perfect sense - why wouldn't Google want to deliver content-aware ads in their own applications where they can't be avoided (not as easily as installing an add-on anyway)?
Agarwal also finds the change noteworthy because Google currently doesn't allow 3rd party developers to integrate AdSense into their desktop applications. If this development signals a paradigm shift at Google, get ready for an avalanche of apps to follow suit.
Google wouldn't try anything like this with the recently-announced Chrome OS, would they? Share your thoughts in the comments!
While the ads aren't all that intrusive, they're still there. Unlike ads on Google's web services, you're not going to be blocking them with AdBlock Plus. In that respect the change makes perfect sense - why wouldn't Google want to deliver content-aware ads in their own applications where they can't be avoided (not as easily as installing an add-on anyway)?
Agarwal also finds the change noteworthy because Google currently doesn't allow 3rd party developers to integrate AdSense into their desktop applications. If this development signals a paradigm shift at Google, get ready for an avalanche of apps to follow suit.
Google wouldn't try anything like this with the recently-announced Chrome OS, would they? Share your thoughts in the comments!
I don't know if this is a labor of love or merely the brainchild of four very gifted games designers, but Level Up is a really weird mash-up of gaming elements that you have probably never seen in a Flash game before.
Let's start with the premise itself: Groundhog Day meets Memento. The game experience revolves around 'days': you explore the world and the clock slowly ticks towards the evening. You bounce around picking up gems and talking to the denizens of 'Level Upland'. Eventually you feel tired and head back to ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
NyaR said 4:07PM on 11-23-2009
adblock? adblock? ADBLOCK???
Thankfully Kaspersky has built in ad protection, but I never run that, waste of resources
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matt said 9:12PM on 11-23-2009
woot! seeing my town on dls = win. that hotel has an INCREDIBLE sunday brunch.
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