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Getting directions on Google maps made easier
Have you ever been in a hotel somewhere and wanted directions to some restaurant you had heard about? Generally, getting directions on a map service means entering the address for the starting point and for the destination. Google maps has made things easier by allowing you to enter a name or even just a category [...]
Making the Web more intelligent
A concept called the “semantic” Web has taken a big step forward, according to a post at InfoWorld:
The Semantic Web, a concept tossed around for years as a Web extension to make it easier to find and group information, is getting a critical boost Tuesday from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
W3C will announce publication [...]
Google patent may facilitate image and video search
A patent application by Google that was recently made public has technology that may greatly advance the ability to search images, including video. TechCrunch says:
A patent application lodged by Google in July 2007 but recently made public seeks to patent a method where by robots (computers) can read and understand text in images and video.
The [...]
Lesser-known Google search tricks
There is a lot more to serious searching with Google than just entering a couple of search terms. Keeping up with all the tools and methods that Google provides isn’t easy. One way is to go to Joel May’s site that I have posted about previously. Also here’s a list of Lifehacker’s Top 10 Obscure [...]
Reverse phone number lookup with map
If you know a phone number and want the name and address of the owner, there are a number of possible sites. Sullr.com is one that also provides a map to go with the information.
Via Neat Net Tricks.
FTC approves DoubleClick purchase by Google
Google’s move to ratchet up its share of the advertising market took a big step forward today when the FTC approved its buy-out of DoubleClick. Microsoft has bitterly opposed the move. Google still faces opposition from Europe. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Microsoft got help from those same European courts that have been giving Microsoft [...]
Google denies humans directly involved in page ranking
Well, even the New York Times makes mistakes. Yesterday, I posted about a report in the Times technology blog Bits that said that human input was part of the method used to rank individual Web pages. I also posted that Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land scoffed at the idea that Google would use human [...]
More on the human role in Google page rank
In an earlier post today, I mentioned the report that Google uses human input in its page rankings as well as its algorithms. Search Engine Land says this is old news and Google is just trying to humanize its image:
Google is clearly sensitive that they seem like some Cylon or Borg (pick your favorite [...]
Flight information from Google
Flying is no picnic and anything that can ease the plight of travelers and those who meet them during the holiday crush is welcome. Google says it’s going to help:
The holiday season is upon us, and we know that many amongst you are traveling to be with family and friends. To make sure you spend [...]
Sometimes humans are smarter than computers
Google’s proprietary algorithmic method of ranking Web sites for search is part of what made Google the success that it is. The old style directory done by human editors was slow, expensive, and inconsistent. Exactly how Google ranks pages is a company secret but it seems that human judgment still has a role. Google [...]