Out of the Wi-Fi wilderness

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Chris Sacca, Special Initiatives</span><br /><br />In Wi-Fi terms, I can go just 19 steps from my front door and still get coverage. The nearest coffee shop seems within reach -- but signal strength-wise, there's not enough power to pick it up. And the signal def­in­itely isn't strong enough to get to the res­taur­ant kitty-­corner from my place. Frankly, my home Wi-Fi connection works just enough to let me use it in the middle of oncoming traffic (especially dangerous considering that I live on a <a href="http://www.sfmuni.com/cms/mms/home/home50.htm">Muni</a> line). As soon as I take that 20th step, I either lose signal altogether, or have to pay some crazy amount of dough to jump onto the Internet at a paid hotspot.<br /><br />So when I'm out and about, how am I supposed to stay current on the filming of <a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=owner%3Amchammer">M.C. Hammer's latest videos</a> in downtown San Francisco? Of course, I also need constant connectivity to keep tabs on the inventory of pirate supplies at <a href="http://www.826valencia.org/store/">826 Valencia</a>. And without Wi-Fi, how else can I check in on <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/mis/">craigslist missed connections</a> in real time? <br /><br />This is why I am especially excited to hear that the City and County of San Francisco <a href="http://www.sfgov.org/site/tech_connect_page.asp?id=38562">just chose the bid</a> from EarthLink and Google to offer <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/06/MNGCGI4CA71.DTL"> citywide Wi-Fi access</a>. If all goes well, construction will commence this year on a network that would provide it for free to virtually the entire city at speeds up to six times dial-up.<br /><br />I can't wait for Wi-Fi everywhere. Who knows? Pretty soon I might even be able to wirelessly place an order with the <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2003/06/28/MN161258.DTL&type=news">Tamale Lady</a>. But first, I need to dodge this streetcar bearing down on me -- yikes!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Update:</span> Revised first 3 sentences for clarity.

Out of the Wi-Fi wilderness

Posted by Chris Sacca, Special Initiatives In Wi-Fi terms, I can go just 19 steps from my front door and still get coverage. The nearest cof...

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Toolbar v2 for Firefox fans

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Justin Voskuhl, Software Engineer</span><br /><br />Here in the Kirkland, we've had one of the rainiest winters in a long time, giving me extra time to work on the latest release of the Google Toolbar for Firefox. Today, we're happy to release the beta version of <a href="http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/toolbar/index.html">Google Toolbar 2 for Firefox</a>. If you were wondering what we were doing with that extra time indoors, Toolbar for Firefox is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux -- and in 16 languages.<br /><br />This new release includes feed integration with the <a href="http://www.google.com/ig">Google Personalized Homepage</a> and a number of other feed readers. We've made searching better by including previous queries, spelling corrections, and suggestions for popular choices. Gmail fans might appreciate having the mailto: links in Firefox open a compose window in Gmail -– no more copying and pasting email addresses. And to combat the ever-increasing threat of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing">phishing</a>, we've integrated the Safe Browsing extension into Toolbar to alert you when a page is trying to steal sensitive information. Check out everything in the new Toolbar <a href="http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/bin/static.py?page=features.html&v=2.0f">here</a>.<br /><br />As a dedicated <a href="http://www.getfirefox.com">Firefox</a> user, I think that the latest version enhances an already innovative browser. Meanwhile, you IE Toolbar 4 fans may notice that the feature sets aren't identical. That's because Firefox and IE users have different needs. Rest assured that we're working to get the most popular features in both versions.<br /><br />Here's my new customized Firefox Toolbar, showing my Google Personalized Homepage (built from feeds I discovered using the feed feature). It also gives me history, popular queries, and query corrections in my search box, which I moved to the upper right with the new custom layout.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/FF_Toolbar_suggs-714603.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/FF_Toolbar_suggs-710891.JPG" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a>

Toolbar v2 for Firefox fans

Posted by Justin Voskuhl, Software Engineer Here in the Kirkland, we've had one of the rainiest winters in a long time, giving me extra ...

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More feeds for speed

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Adam Sah, Software Engineer</span><br /><br />The personalized homepage has a <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/directory">new directory</a> with more content and more ways to browse, search and add it to your Google homepage. A lot of content owners have been asking for ways to drive adoption of their feeds and <a href="http://www.google.com/apis/homepage">modules</a>. One option is the <a href="http://www.google.com/webmasters/add.html">"Add to Google" button</a> you can add to your website as a way to quickly connect fans to your content. Enjoy all the new stuff and as always, <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Homepage-API">feel free to discuss</a>.

More feeds for speed

Posted by Adam Sah, Software Engineer The personalized homepage has a new directory with more content and more ways to browse, search and a...

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Cupid's algorithms

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Michael Krantz, Product Manager, Google Romance</span><br /><br />Ever been on a date and wondered "What on Earth am I <span style="font-style:italic;">doing</span> with this person?" Or perhaps you wished there was a way that you could instantly find your perfect match, and then go on a date during which everything just went right? <br /><br />Wish no more: <a href="http://www.google.com/romance/">Google Romance</a>, a beta product currently incubating in Google Labs, uses cutting-edge personal search algorithms to help you find your soulmate, then sponsors your first Contextual Date with said soulmate-to-be in exchange for showing you highly relevant advertising that just might help Cupid's arrow find its mark. Does it really work? Ask our internal beta testers -- if you can find them, that is. Not a single one has shown up for work in days. <br /><br />So why not give <a href="http://www.google.com/romance/">it</a> a try yourself? You've got true love to gain, and only your faith in psychographic and contextual advertising software to lose.

Cupid's algorithms

Posted by Michael Krantz, Product Manager, Google Romance Ever been on a date and wondered "What on Earth am I doing with this person?...

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Doing what they love, the rest follows

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Brian Axe, Group Product Manager, AdSense</span><br /><br />As a past founder of a technology startup, I understand the elation of coming up with an idea that solves a real need, building a product, and seeing people use it to make their lives better. Even more satisfaction comes when you can do all of this and pay the bills too. As I mentioned in <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-03-28-googe-adsense_x.htm">this article</a> it brings a smile to my face to hear about entrepreneurs in the developing world who use <a href="https://www.google.com/adsense/">AdSense</a> to replace their day job with AdSense earnings -- simply by <a href="http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=964">writing</a> about what they know and love. The story says these people are on "Google's hidden payroll" -- I say let's not hide this opportunity any longer.

Doing what they love, the rest follows

Posted by Brian Axe, Group Product Manager, AdSense As a past founder of a technology startup, I understand the elation of coming up with an...

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TechnoServe update: New program in Ghana

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Nick Railston-Brown, Ghana Country Director, TechnoServe</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The <a href="http://www.google.org">Google Foundation</a> supports select organizations whose work addresses the challenge of global poverty in ways that are effective, sustainable, and scalable. From time to time we invite guest bloggers from grantee organizations to tell us about their work.</span><br /><br />We’re pleased to report that <a href="http://www.technoserve.org/">TechnoServe</a> and the Google Foundation are launching a national business plan competition this week in Ghana, called “<a href="http://www.believe-begin-become.com/">Believe Begin Become</a>.” It’s designed to help Ghanaian entrepreneurs develop skills, obtain seed or expansion capital and establish the networks that help transform their business ideas into successful enterprises. (Watch the <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2841589699632099835&q=technoserve&pl=true">video</a> about the program.)<br /><br />More and more, entrepreneurs are recognizing the value of gaining skills, tools and a strong business network, and we know from our <a href="http://www.technoserve.org/latin/latin-1.html">experience in Latin America</a> what this kind of competition can mean to entrepreneurs. The program helps establish a crucial business network that will carry on long after the competition ends.<br /><br />Our Organizing Committee colleague <a href="http://www.ieyamson.com/">Ishmael Yamson</a> puts it this way: “There are many entrepreneurs out there with good ideas — but they need encouragement to translate those ideas into concrete activities. Believe Begin Become can help them to do that.”<br /><br /><a href="http://www.technoserve.org/involve-1.html">Get in touch </a>if you’d like to get involved.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Update</span>: added link to Google Video at end of paragraph 1.

TechnoServe update: New program in Ghana

Posted by Nick Railston-Brown, Ghana Country Director, TechnoServe The Google Foundation supports select organizations whose work addresses...

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Kick this

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Pedram Keyani, Software Engineer</span><br /><br />What do you get when Google and Nike get together and brainstorm? A sneaker-shaped server? A great TV ad for web search? No, you get <a href="http://www.joga.com">Joga.com</a>, an online football community that combines Google technology with Nike's unique sports content and access to players. Joga brings people all over the world together to celebrate their shared passion for the game of football (for you Americans out there, by "football" I mean "soccer").<br /><br />What can Joga.com members expect? Three words: content, community, and players.<br /><br />Content – Create your own personalized page to add your favorite pictures, videos and blogs, and view what your fellow fans have added. Members can keep current with Friend Requests, Alerts, and Messages too.<br /><br />Community - Joga users can create their own teams, find local fields, and play other Joga teams in their community.<br /><br />Players - Gain exclusive access to profiles and information about Nike players.<br /><br />What does it all mean? Well, Joga.com comes from "Joga Bonito," Portuguese for "play beautiful," a phrase that symbolizes both any football player's desire to embody the grace of the game and our goal to offer a community site that helps promotes the sheer fun, skill, sportsmanship and community spirit that make football truly the world's favorite game.<br /><br />Whether we've succeeded, of course, will be up to all of you to determine. We look forward to seeing football-crazy people from around the world playing as beautifully as possible at Joga.com.

Kick this

Posted by Pedram Keyani, Software Engineer What do you get when Google and Nike get together and brainstorm? A sneaker-shaped server? A grea...

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