Google's Head of Research, Dr Peter Norvig, Says They're Not Interested in Hardware Development
The on-again, off-again Google Phone or "gPhone" rumors are likely to come to halt for the forseeable future. That's because Google's Head of Research since 2006, Dr Peter Norvig, has told journalists in the UK that he doesn't think Google has any research ambition toward hardware, saying: "You know we want to work everywhere and be neutral. That neutrality is important."
Norvig said in an interview that the biggest projects Google Research has right now are in machine translation and speech recognition, computer vision and face recognition, team recognition and so on.
gPhone or not, Norvig confirmed the importance of the mobile aspect of computing to Google:
"It’s clear mobile computing is going to become more important. We’re starting to see new platforms like the iPhone that are interesting, and it’s going to be an issue of infrastructure and hardware. Firstly getting sufficient bandwidth everywhere you go, or enough places where you go, and also having the right hardware. Secondly, having an interaction that’s more natural is important, as right now it’s really very stilted. The number keypad is especially frustrating, and displays are too small. Maybe speech recognition will become important as an input device, maybe touch style interfaces will improve, I don’t know, but it seems like there’s a lot of growth in that space and a lot of interest from users. People want to be freed from their desks and want to be connected wherever they go."
In addition to being the Director of Research at Google Inc., Norvig is a Fellow of the AAAI ACM and co-author of Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, the leading textbook in the field. Previously he was head of Computational Sciences at NASA and a faculty member at USC and Berkeley.
Source: wireless.sys-con.com
iPhone Is Safe No "gPhone" Coming From Google
September 28, 2007, 10:32 amAOL introduces a new advertising platform
September 28, 2007, 10:16 am
The New Entity, Platform A, Will Offer Advertisers Access to the Largest Internet-wide Display Advertising Network and Most Sophisticated Tools; Builds on Success of Advertising.com and Integrates TACODA, Third Screen Media, Lightningcast and ADTECH. AOL Corporate Headquarters to Relocate to World's Advertising Capital, New York City. AOL Portal, Toolbar and Search to Be Distributed Globally via Millions of HP PCs Sold.
AOL today announced a series of changes it is making to position the company as the world's largest and most effective advertising network, building on its industry-leading Advertising.com network and the recent acquisitions of TACODA, Third Screen Media, Lightningcast and ADTECH. The realignment marks the final stage in AOL's transition from an access business to a global, ad-supported Web company.
The new entity, called Platform A, will offer advertisers access to the most sophisticated targeting and measurement tools available in the marketplace across Platform A's unmatched network of third-party sites, as well as AOL's owned and operated sites. Platform A already reaches more than 90% of the domestic online audience, according to comScore Media Metrix. Platform A builds on the success of Advertising.com, which operates the largest third-party display network, and integrates behavioral targeting leader TACODA, Third Screen Media, which operates the largest mobile media network, market leading video ad serving platform Lightningcast, and ADTECH's global ad serving platform.
AOL also announced that it will move its corporate headquarters to New York City, locating it in the center of the media advertising marketplace. "With these changes, Randy Falco, Ron Grant and their team have positioned AOL to benefit fully from the trends that are reshaping the online advertising business and to expand AOL's leadership in it," said Jeff Bewkes, President and COO of Time Warner. "Advertisers are increasingly demanding quality, scale and measurable results, and the new Platform A organization delivers that."
"With the increasing fragmentation of online audiences, the best way to serve advertisers is to enable them to harness massive advertising networks that reach across the entire Internet, not just our AOL websites," said Randy Falco, Chairman and CEO of AOL. "And over the past eight months, we have put together a network with unprecedented reach and state-of-the-art solutions that accomplishes this. With the launch of Platform A, we are unleashing this powerful network to deliver unrivaled transparency and return on investment for our marketing partners."
Curtis G. Viebranz was named AOL EVP and President of Platform A, reporting to AOL President and COO Ron Grant. Viebranz was formerly CEO of TACODA. Reporting to him will be Lynda Clarizio, who continues to head Advertising.com, and Kathy Kayse, who will run AOL brand solutions, focusing on custom solutions leveraging our premium inventory and the assets across Platform A for top brand advertisers.
AOL will relocate its corporate headquarters to 770 Broadway in New York City, where the company has leased office space and where AOL's New York-based advertising and programming operations also will be based. AOL will continue to have significant operations in Dulles, VA, as well as offices in Mountain View, CA, and other locations.
"New York City is the center of advertising, so it makes perfect sense to locate our corporate headquarters here," said Falco.
AOL separately announced today that it has signed an agreement with HP to offer co-branded, localized versions of its portal, toolbar and search on HP desktop and notebook PCs sold worldwide. Under the agreement, the co-branded portal will be set as the default homepage, and the co-branded toolbar and search will be default settings in various countries worldwide.
The agreement extends and expands the existing relationship between HP and AOL, which provides consumers with a co-branded AOL/HP portal as the default homepage for HP consumer PCs sold in the U.S.
Under the new agreement, AOL will provide HP with co-branded local language portals and toolbars, as well as search solutions for each relevant country. AOL will provide HP users with a customizable, modular co-branded portal, based on myAOL, which was recently released into public beta in the U.S. The portal will provide space on the home page for end users to access relevant HP content, services and partner offerings, as well as offer consumers and business users access to other key AOL products and services in international markets.
These announcements are part of a series of aggressive steps AOL is taking to grow its advertising business and increase the size and engagement of its worldwide audience based on four key pillars: building a world-leading display advertising network; products and programming leadership on the Web; rapid international growth; and right-sizing the company's cost structure.
For example, the company has revamped its product and programming lineup, introducing new products like Mgnet and Bluestring, enhancing current products like its web-based AOL Mail and AIM services, and re-launching key channels like News, Sports, Money & Finance and Music. In addition, AOL has launched new portals in India, Austria, the Netherlands and, last week, in Italy.
Source: biz.yahoo.com
AOL today announced a series of changes it is making to position the company as the world's largest and most effective advertising network, building on its industry-leading Advertising.com network and the recent acquisitions of TACODA, Third Screen Media, Lightningcast and ADTECH. The realignment marks the final stage in AOL's transition from an access business to a global, ad-supported Web company.
The new entity, called Platform A, will offer advertisers access to the most sophisticated targeting and measurement tools available in the marketplace across Platform A's unmatched network of third-party sites, as well as AOL's owned and operated sites. Platform A already reaches more than 90% of the domestic online audience, according to comScore Media Metrix. Platform A builds on the success of Advertising.com, which operates the largest third-party display network, and integrates behavioral targeting leader TACODA, Third Screen Media, which operates the largest mobile media network, market leading video ad serving platform Lightningcast, and ADTECH's global ad serving platform.
AOL also announced that it will move its corporate headquarters to New York City, locating it in the center of the media advertising marketplace. "With these changes, Randy Falco, Ron Grant and their team have positioned AOL to benefit fully from the trends that are reshaping the online advertising business and to expand AOL's leadership in it," said Jeff Bewkes, President and COO of Time Warner. "Advertisers are increasingly demanding quality, scale and measurable results, and the new Platform A organization delivers that."
"With the increasing fragmentation of online audiences, the best way to serve advertisers is to enable them to harness massive advertising networks that reach across the entire Internet, not just our AOL websites," said Randy Falco, Chairman and CEO of AOL. "And over the past eight months, we have put together a network with unprecedented reach and state-of-the-art solutions that accomplishes this. With the launch of Platform A, we are unleashing this powerful network to deliver unrivaled transparency and return on investment for our marketing partners."
Curtis G. Viebranz was named AOL EVP and President of Platform A, reporting to AOL President and COO Ron Grant. Viebranz was formerly CEO of TACODA. Reporting to him will be Lynda Clarizio, who continues to head Advertising.com, and Kathy Kayse, who will run AOL brand solutions, focusing on custom solutions leveraging our premium inventory and the assets across Platform A for top brand advertisers.
AOL will relocate its corporate headquarters to 770 Broadway in New York City, where the company has leased office space and where AOL's New York-based advertising and programming operations also will be based. AOL will continue to have significant operations in Dulles, VA, as well as offices in Mountain View, CA, and other locations.
"New York City is the center of advertising, so it makes perfect sense to locate our corporate headquarters here," said Falco.
AOL separately announced today that it has signed an agreement with HP to offer co-branded, localized versions of its portal, toolbar and search on HP desktop and notebook PCs sold worldwide. Under the agreement, the co-branded portal will be set as the default homepage, and the co-branded toolbar and search will be default settings in various countries worldwide.
The agreement extends and expands the existing relationship between HP and AOL, which provides consumers with a co-branded AOL/HP portal as the default homepage for HP consumer PCs sold in the U.S.
Under the new agreement, AOL will provide HP with co-branded local language portals and toolbars, as well as search solutions for each relevant country. AOL will provide HP users with a customizable, modular co-branded portal, based on myAOL, which was recently released into public beta in the U.S. The portal will provide space on the home page for end users to access relevant HP content, services and partner offerings, as well as offer consumers and business users access to other key AOL products and services in international markets.
These announcements are part of a series of aggressive steps AOL is taking to grow its advertising business and increase the size and engagement of its worldwide audience based on four key pillars: building a world-leading display advertising network; products and programming leadership on the Web; rapid international growth; and right-sizing the company's cost structure.
For example, the company has revamped its product and programming lineup, introducing new products like Mgnet and Bluestring, enhancing current products like its web-based AOL Mail and AIM services, and re-launching key channels like News, Sports, Money & Finance and Music. In addition, AOL has launched new portals in India, Austria, the Netherlands and, last week, in Italy.
Source: biz.yahoo.com
Google officially launches AdSense for mobile
September 27, 2007, 10:06 am
Google has just launched AdSense for mobile, which can help you expand your online content to new platforms. If you have a website optimized for mobile browsers, or are interested in creating one, you can start monetizing your mobile site by accessing a growing number of our mobile advertisers.
When you add the new AdSense for mobile code to your site, Google will display relevant ads using the same targeting technology that you are familiar with for existing AdSense products.
To get started:
1) Sign in to your account.
2) Select the AdSense Setup tab and click on AdSense for mobile.
3) Follow the instructions to customize your ad unit for AdSense for mobile.
For the time being, publishers are welcome to add one ad unit to any mobile website that complies with our program policies. For more information, including technical requirements, visit the AdSense Help Center : https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?topic=11951&sourceid=aso
&
subid=ww-en-et-asblog_2007-09-19&medium=link
Source: Official Google Adsense Blog
When you add the new AdSense for mobile code to your site, Google will display relevant ads using the same targeting technology that you are familiar with for existing AdSense products.
To get started:
1) Sign in to your account.
2) Select the AdSense Setup tab and click on AdSense for mobile.
3) Follow the instructions to customize your ad unit for AdSense for mobile.
For the time being, publishers are welcome to add one ad unit to any mobile website that complies with our program policies. For more information, including technical requirements, visit the AdSense Help Center : https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?topic=11951&sourceid=aso
&
subid=ww-en-et-asblog_2007-09-19&medium=link
Source: Official Google Adsense Blog
Google introduces Google Presentations
September 27, 2007, 9:58 am
Google adds business presentation tool like PowerPoint to its online software suite.
Google Inc. has expanded its online suite of office software to include a business presentation tool similar to Microsoft Corp.'s popular PowerPoint, adding the latest twist in a high-stakes rivalry.
The Mountain View-based company planned to unveil the presentation software late Monday, about five months after Chief Executive Eric Schmidt announced Google would add the application to its software arsenal.
The new program will be included in Google's free software bundle, called "Docs," which users must be online to employ. And the company will sell a souped-up version to businesses, universities and government agencies for $50 a year per user.
As PowerPoint does, Google's presentation software enables users to create a series of slides with a mixture of text and graphics on each. PowerPoint is widely used in business meetings.
Google's software suite already included word processing, spreadsheet and calendar management programs. Microsoft has been reaping huge profits from similar applications for years.
Unlike Google's applications, Microsoft's programs are usually installed directly on the hard drives of computers.
Google executives have consistently depicted the company's software applications as counterparts to Microsoft's products.
Source: smh.com.au
Google Inc. has expanded its online suite of office software to include a business presentation tool similar to Microsoft Corp.'s popular PowerPoint, adding the latest twist in a high-stakes rivalry.
The Mountain View-based company planned to unveil the presentation software late Monday, about five months after Chief Executive Eric Schmidt announced Google would add the application to its software arsenal.
The new program will be included in Google's free software bundle, called "Docs," which users must be online to employ. And the company will sell a souped-up version to businesses, universities and government agencies for $50 a year per user.
As PowerPoint does, Google's presentation software enables users to create a series of slides with a mixture of text and graphics on each. PowerPoint is widely used in business meetings.
Google's software suite already included word processing, spreadsheet and calendar management programs. Microsoft has been reaping huge profits from similar applications for years.
Unlike Google's applications, Microsoft's programs are usually installed directly on the hard drives of computers.
Google executives have consistently depicted the company's software applications as counterparts to Microsoft's products.
Source: smh.com.au
Google adds new features in their webmaster tools
September 26, 2007, 10:04 am
In recent months, there's been a noticeable increase in the number of compromised websites around the web. One explanation is that people are resorting to hacking sites in order to distribute malware or attempt to spam search results. Regardless of the reason, it's a great time for all of us to review helpful webmaster security tips.
Obligatory disclaimer: While we've collected tips and pointers below, and we encourage webmasters to "please try the following at home," this is by no means an exhaustive list for your website's security. We hope it's useful, but we recommend that you conduct more thorough research as well.
* Check your server configuration.
Apache has some security configuration tips on their site and Microsoft has some tech center resources for IIS on theirs. Some of these tips include information on directory permissions, server side includes, authentication and encryption.
* Stay up-to-date with the latest software updates and patches.
A common pitfall for many webmasters is to install a forum or blog on their website and then forget about it. Much like taking your car in for a tune-up, it's important to make sure you have all the latest updates for any software program you have installed. Need some tips? Blogger Mark Blair has a few good ones, including making a list of all the software and plug-ins used for your website and keeping track of the version numbers and updates. He also suggests taking advantage of any feeds their websites may provide.
* Regularly keep an eye on your log files.
Making this a habit has many great benefits, one of which is added security. You might be surprised with what you find.
* Check your site for common vulnerabilities.
Avoid having directories with open permissions. This is almost like leaving the front door to your home wide open, with a door mat that reads "Come on in and help yourself!" Also check for any XSS (cross-site scripting) and SQL injection vulnerabilities. Finally, choose good passwords. The Gmail support center has some good guidelines to follow, which can be helpful for choosing passwords in general.
* Be wary of third-party content providers.
If you're considering installing an application provided by a third party, such as a widget, counter, ad network, or webstat service, be sure to exercise due diligence. While there are lots of great third-party content on the web, it's also possible for providers to use these applications to push exploits, such as dangerous scripts, towards your visitors. Make sure the application is created by a reputable source. Do they have a legitimate website with support and contact information? Have other webmasters used the service?
* Try a Google site: search to see what's indexed.
This may seem a bit obvious, but it's commonly overlooked. It's always a good idea to do a sanity check and make sure things look normal. If you're not already familiar with the site: search operator, it's a way for you to restrict your search to a specific site. For example, the search site:googleblog.blogspot.com will only return results from the Official Google Blog.
* Use Google's Webmaster Tools.
They're free, and include all kinds of good stuff like a site status wizard and tools for managing how Googlebot crawls your site. Another nice feature is that if Google believes your site has been hacked to host malware, our webmaster console will show more detailed information, such as a sample of harmful URLs. Once you think the malware is removed, you then can request a reevaluation through Webmaster Tools.
* Use secure protocols.
SSH and SFTP should be used for data transfer, rather than plain text protocols such as telnet or FTP. SSH and SFTP use encryption and are much safer. For this and many other useful tips, check out StopBadware.org's Tips for Cleaning and Securing Your Website.
* Read the Google Online Security Blog.
Here's some great content about online security and safety with pointers to lots of useful resources. It's a good one to add to your Google Reader feeds.
* Contact your hosting company for support.
Most hosting companies have helpful and responsive support groups. If you think something may be wrong, or you simply want to make sure you're in the know, visit their website or give 'em a call.
We hope you find these tips helpful. If you have some of your own tips you'd like to share, feel free to leave a comment below or start a discussion in the Google Webmaster Help group: http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Webmaster_Help.
Practice safe webmastering!
Source: Official Google Webmaster Central Blog
Obligatory disclaimer: While we've collected tips and pointers below, and we encourage webmasters to "please try the following at home," this is by no means an exhaustive list for your website's security. We hope it's useful, but we recommend that you conduct more thorough research as well.
* Check your server configuration.
Apache has some security configuration tips on their site and Microsoft has some tech center resources for IIS on theirs. Some of these tips include information on directory permissions, server side includes, authentication and encryption.
* Stay up-to-date with the latest software updates and patches.
A common pitfall for many webmasters is to install a forum or blog on their website and then forget about it. Much like taking your car in for a tune-up, it's important to make sure you have all the latest updates for any software program you have installed. Need some tips? Blogger Mark Blair has a few good ones, including making a list of all the software and plug-ins used for your website and keeping track of the version numbers and updates. He also suggests taking advantage of any feeds their websites may provide.
* Regularly keep an eye on your log files.
Making this a habit has many great benefits, one of which is added security. You might be surprised with what you find.
* Check your site for common vulnerabilities.
Avoid having directories with open permissions. This is almost like leaving the front door to your home wide open, with a door mat that reads "Come on in and help yourself!" Also check for any XSS (cross-site scripting) and SQL injection vulnerabilities. Finally, choose good passwords. The Gmail support center has some good guidelines to follow, which can be helpful for choosing passwords in general.
* Be wary of third-party content providers.
If you're considering installing an application provided by a third party, such as a widget, counter, ad network, or webstat service, be sure to exercise due diligence. While there are lots of great third-party content on the web, it's also possible for providers to use these applications to push exploits, such as dangerous scripts, towards your visitors. Make sure the application is created by a reputable source. Do they have a legitimate website with support and contact information? Have other webmasters used the service?
* Try a Google site: search to see what's indexed.
This may seem a bit obvious, but it's commonly overlooked. It's always a good idea to do a sanity check and make sure things look normal. If you're not already familiar with the site: search operator, it's a way for you to restrict your search to a specific site. For example, the search site:googleblog.blogspot.com will only return results from the Official Google Blog.
* Use Google's Webmaster Tools.
They're free, and include all kinds of good stuff like a site status wizard and tools for managing how Googlebot crawls your site. Another nice feature is that if Google believes your site has been hacked to host malware, our webmaster console will show more detailed information, such as a sample of harmful URLs. Once you think the malware is removed, you then can request a reevaluation through Webmaster Tools.
* Use secure protocols.
SSH and SFTP should be used for data transfer, rather than plain text protocols such as telnet or FTP. SSH and SFTP use encryption and are much safer. For this and many other useful tips, check out StopBadware.org's Tips for Cleaning and Securing Your Website.
* Read the Google Online Security Blog.
Here's some great content about online security and safety with pointers to lots of useful resources. It's a good one to add to your Google Reader feeds.
* Contact your hosting company for support.
Most hosting companies have helpful and responsive support groups. If you think something may be wrong, or you simply want to make sure you're in the know, visit their website or give 'em a call.
We hope you find these tips helpful. If you have some of your own tips you'd like to share, feel free to leave a comment below or start a discussion in the Google Webmaster Help group: http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Webmaster_Help.
Practice safe webmastering!
Source: Official Google Webmaster Central Blog
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