Sony Ericsson's Google Android powered P905 concept is brilliant. The sleek handset features a large touchscreen and slide out keypad. No word yet on pricing or availability.
What makes the touchscreen P905 very interesting is that it proposes an Android platform, looks like a smooth iPhone but hosts a side-slider QWERTY keyboard.
A prototype for a mystery Android touch phone is making the rounds thanks to video from BBC. BBC says the prototype device was manufactured by a Google partner and moves towards touch screen. The mystery device is driven by a touchscreen and includes a minimal set of physical controls.
Ubergizmo has a photo look at Google's new user interface for Gmail . Google has updated interface with ajax code to avoid page refreshes.
"We also implemented two of the coolest and most requested features for this release: pre-fetching and auto-complete. Now when you use Google on your iPhone, Gmail will automatically pre-load all your most recent messages for you. So when you decide to read a message it will be on your screen in a snap... "
"With auto-complete you can often get the right email address on your screen within 2-3 key strokes."
The New York Times says that there won't be a Google Phone, despite all the gossip pointing to one. .
Miguel Helft, for NYT report, says :
In short, Google is not creating a gadget to rival the iPhone, but rather creating software that will be an alternative to Windows Mobile from Microsoft and other operating systems, which are built into phones sold by many manufacturers. And unlike Microsoft, Google is not expected to charge phone makers a licensing fee for the software.
The White Space Coalition, (which include the biggies like Microsoft and Google, as well as HP, Dell, Intel
banding together for open-airwaves internet access); This promising tech transmits broadband-speed data in the "white space" between existing television signals, but failed its initial FCC testing by causing static on nearby channels.
Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer has hit back at Goggle , after the search giant filed a complaint with the Department of Justice in December, claiming a feature built into Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system that allows users to search a computer's hard drive did not leave room for competition from other desktop search applications.
Digitimes is reporting that High Tech Computer (HTC) is manufacturing Google handsets with shipments at the end of 2007. The makers also said the shipment volume will reach as high as one million units.
The Google handset will support Texas Instruments' (TI) 3G platform and EDGE, pointed out the makers. The handset, however, will not feature GPS functionality. The device will also feature built-in G-mail and Google search.
Software giant Microsoft is reportedly urging regulators to look into Google’s plan to buy DoubleClick, an online advertising company.
Microsoft contends that the $3.1 billion deal, announced on Friday, would hurt competition in the fast-growing market for advertising on the Web and raises questions about how much personal information would be collected by Google, already a dominant player in online advertising.
Bradford L. Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, said in an interview yesterday that Google’s purchase of DoubleClick would combine the two largest online advertising distributors and thus “substantially reduce competition in the advertising market on the Web.”
Google and Dell have reached an agreement to install Google software on millions of new Dell computers over the next few years, Google's chief executive said on Thursday.
The executive, Eric E. Schmidt, said the arrangement meant that Google's search toolbar would appear on the screens of new Dell systems, and that Dell users would be directed to a Web page branded by the two companies reports NYTIMES.
Microsoft is hawking its Live Search software to businesses in a bid to grab some of Google's market share.
The new product binds together previously separate searches, including Windows Desktop Search, intranet search from Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and an internet search, among others reports Vunet.
"Information workers tell us they need more than an internet search box," said Kevin Johnson, co-president of the platforms and services division at Microsoft.
"They want simple tools that help them effectively manage information stored in multiple locations and that give them quick access to relevant data and people through actionable results, not just lists of links."
Nokia has introduced a new software upgrade for the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. The upgraded features of the introduced OS 2006 edition include support for rich Internet communications, including pre-installed Google Talk(TM) - all on a portable broadband mobile device. Google Talk(TM) is Google's free instant messaging service that enables people to chat and make calls through the Internet.
Additional features of the new software edition include enhanced text typing with full-screen finger keyboard, improved memory performance and refreshed look. There is also an improved home view desktop allowing users to choose from a variety of small applets to enable fast access to Internet services.
Google Related Links use the power of Google to automatically bring fresh, dynamic and interesting content links to any website. Webmasters can place these units on their site to provide visitors with links to useful information related to the site's content, including relevant news, searches, and pages.
I am testing this out on Ployer and so far I am not impressed.. I say if you are going to offer a feature like this a webmaster should have more control over how it looks and works with the site... I personally think megite.com does it 1000 times better.
Google is planning a massive online storage facility to encompass all users' files. The plans were allegedly revealed accidentally after a blogger spotted notes in a slideshow presentation wrongly published on Google's site reports BBC
The GDrive would offer a mirror of users' hard drives, Reuters said.
In the notes, chief executive Eric Schmidt reportedly said Google's aim was to "store 100%" of users' information.
The notes said: "With infinite storage, we can house all user files, including e-mails, web history, pictures, bookmarks, etc; and make it accessible from anywhere (any device, any platform, etc)."
A ton of new modules created by third party developers, have been added to Google for use on your Google personalized homepage. Examples, Flickr Recently Added , Internet Slang Translator etc
Volkswagen AG's American unit is working on a prototype vehicle which features Google Inc.'s satellite mapping software to give drivers a bird's eye view of the road ahead reports Reuters
The two companies are working with the graphics chipmaker Nvidia Corp. to build an in-car navigation map system and a three-dimensional display so passengers can recognize where they are in relation to the surrounding topography.
Google is preparing its own distribution of Linux for the desktop, in a possible bid to take on Microsoft in its core business - desktop software.
A version of the Ubuntu desktop Linux distribution, based on Debian and the Gnome desktop, is known internally as 'Goobuntu' reports theregister
Google has confirmed it is working on a desktop linux project called Goobuntu, but declined to supply further details, including what the project is for.
Napster Inc. shares jumped as much as 50% Tuesday after a report said Google Inc. might buy the online music service pioneer, but the stock dropped as soon as Google denied takeover interest.
A Google spokesperson, said the company has "no plans to acquire Napster, nor do we have plans to develop a music store at this time."
According to a story in the New York Post, Google has been looking to develop its own music service and is exploring a possible alliance or purchase of Napster.
Blackberry mobile email devices will be equipped for instant messaging, local search and maps from Google reports Reuters.
Google Talk allows users to send and receive instant text messages with other Google Talk members. The service will be available for download onto a Blackberry device this spring.
Immediately available is a software download of Google Local for mobile, which enables Blackberry users to view maps and satellite imagery, find local businesses and get driving directions on their Blackberry handsets.
Both applications will be free to download, RIM said.
Google Inc. is opening the Google Video Store, enabling consumers to buy and rent a wide range of video content from a major television network, a professional sports league, cable programmers, independent producers and film makers writes GeekZone
From the , Google Video homepage, users will be able to browse listings of video by category from the store or search Google's entire collection of videos by simply entering keywords into the search box.
CBS's current primetime hits will include CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS, Survivor and The Amazing Race. Library classics will include I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, The Twilight Zone, MacGyver, Have Gun Will Travel, Mannix, My Three Sons, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. All CBS programs will be presented commercial free.
Google Video will also feature NBA games from this season and some of the greatest individual performances in NBA history. Marking the first time NBA fans can purchase full NBA contests on the Web, each NBA game for the rest of this season, including the NBA Playoffs and The Finals, will be available to fans in its entirety 24 hours after the contest's conclusion. In addition, the highest scoring games of several of the NBA's best players will be available including Kobe Bryant's 62 point performance in three quarters vs. Dallas last month.
Additional highlights of Google's video collection will include music videos from SONY BMG. The line-up of launch videos includes offerings from some of SONY BMG's global superstar artists, including Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Kenny Chesney, Destiny's Child, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Lil' Flip, Jessica Simpson, Shakira, System of a Down, Switchfoot, Usher, and many more.
Internet Giant, Google Inc. has introduced a music search feature that will provide more information about artists, album cover art, reviews, and links to stores where users can download a track or buy a CD.
"One of the things Google wasn't good at that consumers wanted was music," said Marissa Mayer, the company's vice president for search products and user experience. And because a huge number of users' searches fall into the music category, Google decided to alter its engine to serve up results reports Washington Post
The music search feature is prominently placed above the main search results in what Google calls its "one box" area. When a user enters a music-related search in Google search box, the resulting search returns information about the artist, a few albums and a picture, when available, above the standard search results reports CNN
A search for the Mariah Carey, for example, brings up a Mariah Carey album cover, other albums, and links to more search results.
The list of online stores where users can buy the tunes in question include Apple's iTunes, as well as rivals like Microsoft's MSN Music, Amazon.com, and RealNetworks' Rhapsody reports MSNBC
For the CD retailers, Google receives data feeds of the inventory and only returns a link to a store if the item is available, SearchEngineWatch said.
"It makes a tremendous amount of sense; this is an extension of [Google's] search capabilities" and will be a natural place for consumers to look when they're trying to think of songs or shop for music, said Mike McGuire, research director for Gartner Inc. "It gets people to move from CDs to online."
The music search feature was developed as a side project by a Google engineer, Google spokeswoman Megan Quinn said.
Google's much talked about, Google Base is Live. Google Base is described as a place where you can add all types of information that Google will host and make searchable online.
You can describe any item you post with attributes, which will help people find it when they search Google Base. In fact, based on the relevance of your items, they may also be included in the main Google search index and other Google products like Froogle and Google Local.
Search Google Inc. unintentionally provided a sneak peek at a looming expansion into classified advertising reports E&P. The service, named Google Base, which was accessible at base.google.com, described itself as: "Google's database into which you can add all types of content. We'll host your content and make it searchable online for free."
The new service could automatically l list all kinds of subjects and display them as part of the company's sponsored ad links on the right hand side of pages displaying search results from Google queries reports New York Times
Google issued a statement suggesting that the purpose of the test site was to make it simpler for Google customers to post content on Google.
"We are testing new ways for content owners to easily send their content to Google," the company said. Like our Web crawl and the recently released Google Sitemaps program, we are working to provide content owners an easy way to give us access to their content. We're continually exploring new opportunities to expand our offerings, but we don't have anything to announce at this time."
"As soon as you start competing with some of the people that you are indexing, it creates a completely different dynamic," said Craig Donato, chief executive of Oodle.com, a search engine that pools listings from dozens of classified advertising sites reports AP.
"Google can get away with a lot of stuff, but [Google Base] would certainly give people pause," he said.
Search Giant Google Inc has unveiled a beta of its Google Reader, a web-based RSS reader, to the search engine's registered users.
The reader located http://www.google.com/reader allows users to subscribe to RSS feeds and receive a notification when a website publishes an update. Users can also perform targeted searches based on news sources or topics.