Happy Birthday Google!

That's a row of birthdays in the recent weeks.
Google has the last birthday before being a teenager.

I wrote in a comment on a posting from Linda Lawrey:

Wow, if you think about it. It feels like it was just yesterday Google started the search engine. 

1998? Really? Will I ever. How did I used the Internet before? I can remember finding out urls with the Mosaic browser. My first frequently used search-engine was hotbot.com, long before they were acquired. Before that, people told me, that this "Internet" will never influence companies, and you never can do useful things with it. 

Well, I'll guess they were wrong :)

I really should have wrote everything down I did in that early time. I think, I will try to remember and write a book-like story about it. After the appearance of social networks, we can track our stuff much better. But in that days, we left few traces to recover now.

I can't wait for the next Harry Potter movie because...

...because of her:

Photo: Creative Commons License BY-SA by andrea francesco

Evanna Lynch a.k.a Luna Lovegood.
She deserves a separate movie with this Character.

So what?

Oh rly?
Well then screw you, EMI!

Google Needs Some Big PR / Twitter With Multimedia

Well, I recently saw some interesting posts on Google Buzz again, about the confirmation from Eric Schmidt that Google Me, or something in that direction, will come in fall.

Mahendra Palsule buzzes that Google seems to be terrified of Facebook. I commented:

Well I can't see Google terrified by Facebook. They make money from and with Facebook.

But I see problems for Google to establish any kind of social platform without an insane amount of PR works and ads on TV, Radio and Print. It needs to be everywhere.

More and more people, especially in Europe are feeling that they would rather give their data to some know fraud than to Google. It's insane, but I think only the politicians have a worse appearance in the public. And the gov. bash moves on and on.
If Google don't make something against it, the social platform will soon be their smallest problem.

Thomas Morffew posted about Twitter's new integration of video, pictures and more. This is a shot against Google Buzz, which already does this very good, and with more than 140 chars. But I pointed this out:

Well, IT IS the BEST platform, but that isn't important in the end. It's all about how many of your friends are here, on Twitter or on Facebook.
Identi.ca is much, much better than Twitter e.g. It has file uploads for ages now, OpenID login, great API, decent conversation-threads... so what? Talking to yourself there?

Buzz has a bad name out there, it loses users instead of gaining. I'm a big big Google fan, but I can't help Google on that. Nobody cares that I AM using Buzz. I need to gain followers/subscribers/traction myself :)

Google needs some serious PR-Stunts in the old media. Yep. No irrelevant by now. Both Google and Buzz has a problem at the moment. Check the news. They are not only having some user problem, they have problems with the governments from many countries. They are under attack. And they need a better picture in the public.

I have no real solution, but that's the problem. As a user, it shouldn't be even a topic if or if not the platform I participate is accepted. Users have their own problems, right?

Raids justified by alleged copyright infringement

And this is why you should use free software only:

Raids justified by alleged copyright infringement: "15 September 2010 (Raids justified by alleged copyright infringement)

The idea that sharing is 'piracy' is in itself perverse."
Source: Richard M. Stallman's political notes

Edited: Seems that there is no merit to that. Sorry.

Twitter Is Not A Social Network, Says Twitter Exec

Well, some of us already knew that, right?
Now Twitter is officially saying this. Twitter is a new source for news and information. Indeed, it's much better to find news than having a discussion there. Sure, it would need some improvements, and I'm sure that Twitter will pay attention to it, now that it sets it's course. I do not have any problem with it. I used it for that anyway.
Sure some discussion will happening, and like it is now, it's reply and retweet of news.

Source ReadWriteWeb: Twitter is NOT a Social Network, Says Twitter Exec

Google Buzz Is Here to Stay

Another interesting article has appeared about Google Buzz on the "Google Operating System" blog.
It states that Google Buzz is an important part of the strategy in Google. Meanwhile Picasa Web Albums can now publish private photos to Buzz.

Google Buzz Is Here to Stay: "Many tech blogs say that Google Buzz is an unsuccessful project and Google will have to abandon it. Google Buzz is not an experimental service like Google Wave, it's an extremely important project for Google's future and it's a key component of Google's social strategy.

To see how important is Google Buzz for Google, consider that Buzz wasn't launched in Google Labs. It wasn't even launched as a standalone service: Google Buzz was integrated with Gmail, one of the most popular Google products. Google Buzz is also the only Google service that has a special icon and a special search command on Google's mobile site. In less than 7 months since Buzz's launch, the service already has a powerful API, it's integrated with Google Maps, Google Reader, Picasa Web Albums and it's constantly improving.

Google Buzz is actually the service planned in 2007 whose goal was to integrate Google's social applications and become the central place for sharing photos, documents, videos, news with your contacts. Google Buzz already streams some activities from Google Reader, Picasa Web Albums, Blogger, YouTube.

Google Photos blog reports that Google Buzz can now share private Picasa Web Albums:

'It used to be all or nothing when it came to sharing a new Picasa Web Album in Buzz. If you created a public album in Picasa Web Albums, it created a public Google Buzz post. That was great for when you wanted to share your photos broadly. But for those times when you wanted to share with a smaller circle — no Buzz. Now when you create a private album, the select people you choose to share your photo album with will see a notification in Google Buzz as well.'


Google Buzz also added two other important features: muting posts by source, so you can hide someone's Twitter posts, Flickr photos or the posts from another source, and editing posts and comments from the mobile interface.

It should be clear that Google Buzz is here to stay, even as a feature of a future service."

Article by "Google Operating System" / Creative Commons License BY 3.0

HDCP protocol cracked. DRM doesn't work

When does the industry finally recognizes that DRM doesn't work? It harms the customers and can't prevent copying. It's futile.
Engadget has the story:

HDCP 'master key' supposedly released, unlocks HDTV copy protection permanently: "Just as the MPAA is preparing to offer movies to customers at home while they're still in theaters by limiting playback to DRM-protected digital outputs only, the HDCP protocol they rely on may have been cracked wide open."

Password Reuse

Password Reuse: ""

By xkcd. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.

Something To Think About...

Well, I know it's already old, but you know, the movie companies  and publishers still need to think about that. They didn't do much to change it...

Click to see bigger version

=^_^=

No, I don't copy stuff or download illegal things.

I just don't buy such crap. I don't want to waste time for this, seriously...

Now It's Illegal In The US? Selling Used Software

This is a small catastrophe, and a major hit against freedom of the U.S. customers. It's a shame. You can read it in this official PDF, if you can calm your anger.
But what now?
The answer is clear: Don't buy software anymore.
This is insane. Another reason to use free software only. Maybe some companies will give you a permission to do so. But until it's written clearly, you may find yourself sued for doing what's your right: Selling old stuff you don't need anymore.

You can find an article about on Law.com, too.

Mario's 25th Birthday: Congratulations

How cool is that?
Today, on Sep. 13th 2010, Mario celebrates his 25th birhtday. Woohoo.

I think this is the longest appearing of a human gaming character ever. Of course Pac-Man appeared one year before Mario, but come on, it's not human, is it?
1981 the birth of a star in the gaming universe happened in "Donkey Kong". In 1983 he had his own game together with his brother Luigi with Mario Bros. Then it was a like a shooting star career. Super Mario Bros. , Super Mario Land, and Super Mario World make him the most recognized game-char in history and created a whole gaming universe in it's own. The latest "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" going a little back to the roots, which makes it one of the coolest Mario-Games.
But enough talk. See a brief walk through the time with the Video after the break...

Google Scribe Gives Me Fear :)

This is a just a very short test of Google scribe.
Can you imagine writing a post on your blog that is written from a computer ?
Well this, for example is a partly written post about that topic. It suggests me the next word to write. Of course I often have to choose another word, but it is sometimes very close and gives me ideas for writing the next sentence.
It's almost spooky how it knows what you want to write. It needs some improvement, but it is like magic.

Soon I just enter the title and it writes on its own O.O!

Bing - The definition :)

Found this on Buzz from Stephanie Wanamaker today :)

© by andrayrob . All rights reserved.

 Link to this post:
 http://www.google.com/buzz/113067760031784364231/NWrQezZKAWs/http-picasaweb-google-co-uk-lh-photo

3:31 pm stephanie wanamaker: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/iby6X0e9kxETfcNr-z9eDrJ0K2Mp7cFQ9yYn28Kt6Nw?feat=directlink
3:32 pm stephanie wanamaker: credit to Andy Robinson for biggest laugh I had all week!
3:38 pm Matthew Myers: +1 Internets Andy...that is too great!
3:49 pm Rugger Ducky: I think that's at least a +6, +5 for the brilliance, and +1 for the MS bazinga.
3:51 pm stephanie wanamaker: @rugger I agree I gibe him +10
3:53 pm Ryo ★: LOL... priceless picture :) No I think competition is good. But I use Google for sure. So I'll take this as a joke. Bing is okay I think.

As I said in the comment there, I don't have anything against Bing. I like competition. I thought it was funny nonetheless. Please take this picture as a joke. I'm sure it's meant to be that way.

New Google Instant Search Is Faster Than You

Amazing. The new Instant Search from Google is faster than you can type.
It looks like it knows what you want before you do :)
However, I think some won't be very pleased with this. I can hear some people already complain, they doesn't like it. Well it is kind of strange in the first moment. But I got used to it very quickly.
On the other hand, I'm quick at overlooking and recongnizing a page instantly. I don't see any gains for people who can not do this. It might be very disturbing for them as the site changes with every keystroke.

Search: now faster than the speed of type: "[...]As you can imagine, searching even before someone types isn’t easy—which is why we are so excited today to be unveiling Google Instant. Google Instant is search-before-you-type. Instant takes what you have typed already, predicts the most likely completion and streams results in real-time for those predictions—yielding a smarter and faster search that is interactive, predictive and powerful.

Here are a few of the core features in Google Instant:

• Dynamic Results - Google dynamically displays relevant search results as you type so you can quickly interact and click through to the web content you need.
• Predictions - One of the key technologies in Google Instant is that we predict the rest of your query (in light gray text) before you finish typing. See what you need? Stop typing, look down and find what you’re looking for.
• Scroll to search - Scroll through predictions and see results instantly for each as you arrow down.

Here’s a video that explains Google Instant in greater depth:



[...]
Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User Experience

"

Astronomy Pic Of The Day Arp 271

NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 are colliding and merging to one Galaxy.

This image was taken with the EFOSC instrument, attached to the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. The data were acquired through three different filters (B, V, and R) for a total exposure time of 4440 seconds. The field of view is about 4 arcminutes.

Credit: ESO

ALMA - Searching for the origin of our existence

I came across this today:



Some short facts:

• Biggest astronomical project in existence
• Highest observation point (750m higher than Mauna Kea)
• Millimetre-/submillimetre-wavelength interferometer array telescope
• Variable Antennas (66 when finished)
• Positioned: Chajnantor, Chile (Google Maps Link) 
• Observation include formation of stars and galaxies, relic radiation
• Starts 2011 with early scientific observation. Construction finished 2012

More information at the ALMA / ESO-Site.

Shocker: I made a Facebook page

With all that uncertainty, I made a Facebook Page. But NOT a profile by now. Google, you better hurry up... I don't want to use facebook. But how long can I resist?

Still the problem of where to put my lifestream is not solved. It's usability/security/legality (Buzz, Twitter etc.) vs. control/personalizing (blog).
And then there is something like Facebook, where you can have all together. I hate to say this.
Please Google or anyone... before it's to late: Save my soul from Facebook!

WebM is getting some traction

After the first row of h.264-idon'tcareusers postings, it's cooling down on twitter. Meanwhile, Google implements WebM in Chrome for prime-time. Right, no beta, no more tests, it's here. The Chrome browser in it's newest official version does have full WebM-support integrated. Go to YouTube to watch. Great, isn't it?

Well kind of, but now Mozilla really have to hurry. Firefox must get WebM integrated, NOW. It's very important to make a point now. I already reading tweets and posting saying that Chrome is the only browser that can use WebM. That's not true, we all know, Opera is out some time now with full WebM support.
But to be true, reality is not important, it's important what people think, and that is why it's very urgent now to put out WebM support for everything very quickly.

Dear Mozilla-Team, get a grip now, this should be priority no.1 on your list and put out an update for Firefox 3.x. It might be too late for Firefox 4. Dramatic? Perhaps, but now some users switching to Chrome, and Chrome also got h.264 support. It's like a trojan horse. Now that you have it, you can use it, and then WebM and Firefox loses some users.

What Google needs to do, to be social

Pic: Geek & Poke / CC by-nd

I wrote another extensive comment on Google Buzz.
This time, Chris Lang was writing about why Google sites are failures in an open letter.

Here is what I said:

So much said here in the comments. Nice.
But I think what Google really needs is a PR campaign of epic size. You think we bash Google in the USA? Well take a look at Europe. Even the governments are initiating hatreds against everything Google is doing. Some of them even want a Anti-Google-Law which will forbid things for Google, other companies can do. And the Anti-Google hatreds of the media and government are really doing something. Nine people out of ten says that they never would user GMail/GDocs or other services expect the search.

So Google needs to make themselves look friendly again. They need to tell people about the lies, they need to show that they are the most open and friendly company in that size on the planet, which they really are. And I mean there must be TV-ads and everything when they introducing something like Google Me.
PR plus product ads for some month around the globe. That, and only that, will do it

I wrote before on why Google does need it and Facebook don't. Facebook started as a friendly 2 men show and had the small community very soon. They grew with that image. Now that so many people use it, it's easy to do even unpopular things. What should one do? Pull out of FB? And then? If you're not famous, that will only lead to having less people hear you. So only a few leaves.
Google instead is a big company. People fear such big companies. They feel they are evil just because they are everywhere. They cry when Google buys another company. Not that the little friendly companies the buy don't want their millions. They are happy about it in most cases.

Google needs a better image of their own.

Pirating your own video? Loic Le Meur did it :)

You know, this could be funny, if it wasn't so serious.
Loic Le Meur, boss of Seesmic, uploaded a video twice on the companies channel, and on his own. And YouTube took the video down because of copyright infringement of Seesmic.
He couldn't just delete it and reupload it. He needed to edit the video and upload it again, so that YouTube detected it as a different video. He tried to convince someone on YouTube that he owns the rights to do so, but it was too complicated.
He wrote about this in his blog.

Unbelievable. The freedom meltdown is coming. Defend yourself. Act against this idiocy.
What if I put my videos under a CC License? What if I want others to take my video and do what they want with it? It's my right, isn't it ? I don't need no nanny on YouTube.