Google's eye-catching updates |
Connect with TechFlash on our Facebook page for all the latest technology news headlines and commentary, plus information and access to special events, photos from events, promotions and more.
Today On Techflash
- Can Microsoft overcome the smartphone app gap?
- Hey recruiters: Here's an R&D lab run by, and for, students
- Apps that waste your time (in a good way): Execs' addictions
- WTIA announces Industry Achievement Award finalists
- Analyst sees 7-inch iPad in Apple future
- Check out this app: Executives list the ones they use most
Mass High Tech
- Microsoft Build: Windows 8 preview a hit, but are investors unhappy?
- Build an app in a day at Mobile App Hackathon
- Beefed-up Skype for Windows; Indie author joins Amazon's 'Kindle Million Club'
- Only solution to Xbox 360 update error is new console
- Ballmer: Windows Phone update 'Mango' has over 500 new features
Jeff Bezos Watch
- Jeff Bezos 'grateful' to be selling millions and millions of Kindles
- Nick Hanauer and others invest $3.1 million in Qliance
- Survey: Employees say it's just 'OK' to work at Microsoft
- Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos give $15M for Princeton brain center
- Newsmaker of the Year surprise: Savitt beats Bezos, Allen
Google's eye-catching updates
Not to be outdone by Microsoft's latest wave of Bing enhancements, Google announced a big set of updates today for its widely used search engine -- including a feature that incorporates streaming, real-time results from Twitter and other sources into results pages. The Official Google Blog has details on those and other features.
The additions to the index will include information from Facebook users who have set their profiles to "public," as detailed by Marshall Kirkpatrick of ReadWriteWeb. Microsoft has struck similar deals with Twitter and Facebook to index content for Bing.
"If Facebook is able to prod more users into sharing more content publicly, then it could rival Twitter in importance among real-time sources," Kirkpatrick writes. "Facebook has approximately 10 times as many users as Twitter today but the fact that its default privacy setting is private means far less content is available for indexing there."
Google also showed a new Google Labs project, Google Goggles, that recognizes items that people photograph with their phones, starting with Android devices, and then searches for related information.
Among other features, the company showed a translation feature that will let people speak one language into a phone and have it automatically translated into another language. "Looking ahead, we dream of combining voice recognition with our language translation infrastructure to provide in-conversation translation ... a UN interpreter for everyone!" writes the company on the Google Mobile Blog.
Another new initiative: A "Favorite Places on Google" decal in store windows will let people scan a QR code in a window of a store to go to its Google "Place Page." As noted by Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft earlier this year unveiled an initiative called Microsoft Tag that has similar objectives, putting scannable bar codes on products.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
TechFlash Team
Recent Sponsor Posts
Who's creating today's energy efficient buildings? Find out at the BetterBricks Awards, Feb. 16
BetterBricks Awards salute the individuals leading the way for high performance commercial buildings with an emphasis on energy efficiency. Join us as we recognize these standout green building professionals.
Award categories include: Advocate; Architect/Designer; Facility Manager/Operator; and Owner/Developer.
Keynote Speaker: Kevin Kampschroer, Director of U.S. GSA's Office of Federal High Performance Buildings. Kevin leads the U.S. General Services Administration's efforts in building sustainability and accelerating industry adoption of sustainable principles across all aspects of a building's life.
Register here by February 10!
If you are interested in buying a table, email Monica Alquist or call her at 206-876-5404.
The Triple Door Presents: The Atomic Bombshells "J'ADORE!: A Burlesque Valentine"
Seattle's reigning Burlesque super-troupe delivers a gorgeous and glittering VALENTINE featuring some of the Bombshells' most exhilarating acts to date. J'Adore! promises to celebrate l'amour with good humor, style, and a healthy dose of dazzle! Bring a friend, a lover, a family member, or a secret crush, and celebrate with the Valentine's Burlesque spectacular that will leave you shouting: "J'ADORE......The Atomic Bombshells!" The incomparable Jasper McCann emcees with high style and charm.
Please visit www.thetripledoor.net for a full schedule of future performances.
The Triple Door Presents: Bob Mould – See A Little Light: An Evening of Reading and Music
"Bob Mould. Those two words are synonymous with integrity. From Husker Du in the last century to right at this moment, Bob is the real deal, writing and playing music for music's sake. He's a great songwriter and performer. I have been a fan of Bob's for thirty years now with no end in sight." -Henry Rollins
Please visit www.thetripledoor.net for a full schedule of future performances.
Why Choose BDO for your SOC (previously SAS 70) Reports?
BDO’s experience in providing attestation services (SAS 70/SSAE 16, AT 101, AT 201, AT 601, etc.) to a broad range of industries, and our team of skilled professionals distinctly qualifies us to serve as your company’s Service Auditor. By leveraging the BDO global network of control specialists, we are poised to provide global services in more than 1,000 offices and across 119 countries. Many organizations find that investing in reports on controls may result in benefits, including:
• Increased client confidence
• Improved competitive advantage
• Minimization of frequent audits
• Streamlined business processes and controls
• Enhanced risk management
For detailed information contact Paul Martini at pmartini@bdo.com.
TechFlash Archive
- February 2012 (52)
- December 2011 (203)
- October 2011 (256)
- August 2011 (257)
- June 2011 (191)
- April 2011 (195)
- February 2011 (153)
- December 2010 (142)
- October 2010 (248)
- August 2010 (208)
- January 2012 (196)
- November 2011 (258)
- September 2011 (286)
- July 2011 (201)
- May 2011 (194)
- March 2011 (208)
- January 2011 (158)
- November 2010 (231)
- September 2010 (240)
- July 2010 (204)
