GeoNews = GNews + GMaps

This is a cool site, it combines Google Maps with Google News. The cool thing about this site is that it shows where the news is happening in the world as you move through.

'Its the way news should be presented...'

Google Flight Search

Try out Google's new flight search service. Type in two airports (i.e.: sfo lax, nyc sfo, etc.), or two destinations (ex: 'san diego to las vegas') in the field and press the search button. It doesn't show you any prices or flight information, but it can redirect you to a travel site which will. I am sure that these travel sites will pay a premium for this service.

Google Base

First Google announced its Wallet service, which would put it in competition with PayPal (note: Paypal is part of eBay). Now it looks like they have set their sights directly on eBay. Google is working on a new service is called "Google Base".

Here are screen shots of the service. In order to access this service it looks like you have to be invited. There is really not too much information available about the service right now, so it looks like we will have to wait and see.

Purdue Sensor and Printer Forensics

I don't like to admit this, but on the way home today I was listening to NPR. Personally I don't care for the station, but sometimes its the only station that has talk radio. I can rant about why I don't like NPR for hours, but I want to get to the subject at hand.

Once in a while, the program 'All Things Considered' covers an interesting story. This time they had a story about ink watermarks embedded into a document when you print it. This watermark is used identify the printer or copier that it came from.

Synopsis: "Robert Siegel talks with Purdue University Professor Edward Delp, one of a team who devised a way to watermark pages from copiers and printers. This technology allows for the tracing of documents to specific printers or to a certain model of printer."

This technology is designed to stop counterfeiters which is good, but this still doesn't take away from the privacy implications it has.

"Ultimately, as technology increases, privacy decreases." - me.

More Resources:

• Purdue Sensor and Printer Forensics (PSAPF) - Project Overview
• EFF probes printer watermarks

EU says internet could fall apart

Guardian Unlimited reports, "A battle has erupted over who governs the Internet, with America demanding to maintain a key role in the network it helped create and other countries demanding more control."

I am personally very critical of anything that I think is wrong, and the idea of any other country controlling the Internet is a scary idea! Personally I believe that the US has done a great job of managing the Internet over the last three decades.

For this reason, I personally am opposed to any country other then the US from controlling the Internet. The EU or the United Nations, I believe could endanger the Internet. My reason for this opinion is that there are countries that have power in these organizations that don't share the US's same belief in the freedom of speech.

What is Google Up To... (continued)

In a previous article I covered all the services that Google is offering to hopeful decipher where it may be going in the future. Although recently some new announcements have been made by and about Google, about new services and alliances that they have been making:

• Google Reader: Browser-based RSS reader. This is one of the best RSS readers of its type that I have seen.
• Google Wallet: Google's answer to Paypal. Google will need to do something really special if it wants to compete against Paypal's dominance. (Note: This service is not released yet.)
  
• Google and Comcast are talking to Time Warner about buying parts of AOL. This will be interesting to see what parts of AOL that Google really wants.
• Sun and Google forge tactical alliance. I am not sure what will really come out of this.

All I can say is knowing Google, whatever their future is it should be cool...