Developages - Development and Technology Blog

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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Original post by Brad Hill

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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&ampT 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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer

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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Original post by Chris Gilmer