In this Happy New Year issue of Googleholic we cover:
- Yahoo soldier moves to Google
- Google trademarks of 2007
- What will Google focus on it 2008?
- Social networking gets a push at Google
- Some stats on Google
- Designers Gmail hacked
Googleholic for January 1st 2008
In this Happy New Year issue of Googleholic we cover:
Weekend Web 2.0 roundup for December 30th
WooMe
It was only a matter of time before speed dating entered the Web2 online space. This service backed by the founder of Skype takes the crazy world of speed dating and wraps it up online in a way to meet new users, live. Hook up a mic and web cam and join "sessions" that are based on topics that you enjoy.
Googleholic for December 28th 2007
In this issue of Googleholic we cover:
- 2008 Google predictions
- Google Reader is your friend again
- Google Phone coming in the Spring?
- Political advertising on Google
- .Mac pages in Google
- Will Google Apps offer more in 2008?
- Google VC's role in
- Google Docs gets a few new settings
Googleholic for December 25th 2007
In this Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas issue of Googleholic we cover:
- Now that Google has your phone number...
- Microsoft <3's Android
- Earn miles using Checkout
- Orkut gets attacked
- Streetviews 1 upped in Dallas
- Removing your number from the Google
Take and share notes with Springnote
Perhaps the most important feature of Springnote is the ability to import and export notes. Downloading options include HTML, XHTML and Send to a Blog or use anywhere else. Importing can be done using MS-word docs, .txt, HTML or OpenDocument .odt formats. Springnote has an open API and unlimited storage of text files with 2GB file storage available. There are tons of Springnote mashups that you can utilize to expand the functionality of your account, including IM, Flickr, and Firefox toolbar integration.
Weekend Web 2.0 roundup for December 23rd
Stitcher
This iPhone or computer based website serves personal audio content. Stitcher, stitches together audio that you like, whether it's podcasts, weather, headline news or sporting events. Think of it as the Netvibes of audio, with a lot of small shows put together instead of one long audio show. To get started, visit the Stitcher site on your iPhone or click to listen to pre-made stations on your computer. Stitcher is still building out the personalized stations.
Share your work with Viewbook
Sharing your portfolio or a gallery can be done a number of ways, from building an HTML or Flash version to hosting a presentation gallery online at Google Docs. ViewBook makes it easy to create professional looking web presentations.
ViewBook's presentation toolprovides a photo album and slideshow at a custom domain. Users can create galleries and portfolios with images, titles, descriptions and custom background colors. Works can be then embedded on a website and viewed at full screen. ViewBook offers a public page with a listing of the presentations you have available, with a bio or profile. As for uploading imagery to use, there are a few different options, from a batch upload tool to a drag and drop feature with a minimal toolset for editing.
If you have a portfolio or presentation that is constantly changing, or want an easy way to make and share one and you aren't too comfortable fiddling with HTML or Flash files, this could be the tool to check out. The embedding feature makes it easy to embed display your works on the comfort of your personal website in a clean and professional manner. The free beta account does have some limitations: 250 images and five portfolios.
Check out a sample of what you can do.
Googleholic for December 21 2007
In this issue of Googleholic we cover:
- It's Christmas at iGoogle
- Cricket Scores
- FTC clears DoubleClick acquisition
- Illegal gambling fines
- Security not the biggest concern with Streetview
- Trojans in text ads
- Win a Google Mini
- OSX widget security
Track Santa with NORAD (and Google)
NORAD's Santa Tracker is back, and with only four days till the big day, the NORAD website has many fun things for your kids (and you, we won't tell). We've mentioned the site in previous years; Thankfully, there will be no semi-celebrity greetings section this year. Visitors can take a stroll through Santa's North Pole village and click on the downtown shops for fun games and activities. Including Mrs. Claus' Alphabet soup typing test, an illustrated PDF Elf story and a snowboarding game.
After using Microsoft Visual Earth for last year's high-tech tracking, this year NORAD will display it's tracking info via Google Earth. Last year, Google provided its own tracking data, unaffiliated with NORAD. An iGoogle module is also available so you can track Santa from the comfort of your Google homepage.
The Santa Tracking Control Center kicks off operations on 2:00am MTN Christmas Eve and lets you track Santa live as he navigates the globe. If you're left wondering, as we were, why the multi-billion dollar NORAD defense operation would burn time and resources tracking harmless lil' Santa Claus, there's actually a rich and storied history behind it all.
Sync Microsoft Office documents with Google Docs using DocSyncer
The wait is over, DocSyncer is out of beta and open for all to use. This downloadable application allows PC based users of Microsoft Office and Google Docs to seamlessly sync documents.
DocSyncer is a downloadable application that sits on your computer and automatically finds and syncs all of your document files to your Google Docs account. When it's running, it checks all of your documents and syncs them as they are updated to create a solid backup and work anywhere system. Word and Excel based files can be opened directly from the web interface, and there is support for TXT, CSV and RTF formats.
Perhaps one of the coolest features is the 'disconnected' mode. If you are disconnected from the internet, DocSyncer will auto recognize it and load the document locally in the default application without trying to connect to the internet.
Continue reading Sync Microsoft Office documents with Google Docs using DocSyncer
Google social profiles at GTalk Profile
GTalk Profile is a site for finding Google Talk related profiles that makes use of the recently launched Google Profiles.
GTalk Profile uses the Google Maps API to pinpoint locations of users worldwide. Each pinpoint has a link to a users Google Profile, including their interests, location and profile photo. The site is relatively young, but there are already over 7400 users that have chosen to include their GTalk profiles.
While checking in with the site over the past few days, it seemed that they might have an inadequate hosting plan. There were numerous instances where the site was either offline, or the map and profiles were not showing up at all. Since Google Profiles are on the move to becoming an emerging way to identify each other in a social setting, it might be time for GTalk Profile to rethink their data plans.
Google Talk's translation bots
Chatting with people who speak another language just got a lot easier thanks to Google's translation bots. The translation bots provide a way to translate between Google Talk contacts in a group chat or as a translation tool. All you have to do is add one of 29 bots as a contact using their two letter language abbreviation. So in order to translate from an English conversation to a French one, you would add "en2fr@bot.talk.google.com" as a Google Talk contact. Now you can enter a group chat with a user who speaks French, bring the chat bot into the conversation, and the bot will translate everything you say into French and everything the other person says into English.
If you have a Blackberry, the Google Talk client will also function as a translator while on the go. It works the same way, by adding the appropriate translation bot to your chat conversation.
Google is also calling all developers to build their own XMPP based bots for such things as weather services and games that can be added into the Google Talk open protocol.
Googleholic for December 18th 2007
In this issue of Googleholic we cover:
- An interview with Vint Cerf
- Still looking for a CFO
- Google Android Live
- Video Sitemaps
- Google Digg
- Picasa gets iPhoned
Weekend Web 2.0 roundup for December 16th
Booktagger is a type of social network for book lovers. Sign up and add the books you have read, and ones you are thinking about reading. Then chat it up with people that like the same books as you do, get suggestions and a little more insight on what you might want to read.
Google Reader adds Google Talk for sharing
Google has added a new way to share your favorite feeds and articles with friends, through Google Talk, aka the Gmail address book. Google Reader has included a "Share" button for a while now, but if you wanted people to actually read your shared listings, you had to direct them to a URL or RSS feed. Now your Google Talk contacts can also see the items you're sharing on their Google Reader page.
Next time you login to Google Reader, you should notice a few of your Google Talk contacts' names hanging out in the navigation panel on the left side of the screen. Google Reader will tell you how many items they're sharing, and let you scroll through their shared item feed as if you have subscribed to it. You can also manage your friends list so that only certain people can see your shared items.
This is a great way to check in with friends to get feed recommendations for websites you might have never visited before, or interesting articles that you have passed by. Or is it Google's stealth social network in the works?
