Google's Gatekeepers



Today the Web might seem like a free-speech panacea: it has given anyone with Internet access the potential to reach a global audience. But though technology enthusiasts often celebrate the raucous explosion of Web speech, there is less focus on how the Internet is actually regulated, and by whom.

Customize Twitter background with TwitBacks

People with a good looking custom Twitter background have been the envy of ordinary Twitter users, without the Photoshop skills to make their own. TwitBacks is looking to make those same rich profiles available to everyone. It only took me a few minutes to pimp out my Twitter profile with my very own custom background.

Multi-touch coming for iMacs?

Apple has been quite clear about the multi-touch in desktop and notebook computers – this feature will not be available in the near term. However, contrary to the public statement, we received word that Apple may be working on a multi-touch project due for a Macworld introduction in January 2009.

The Convergence of Film and Gaming

I'll let the picture speak for itself.

Be a movie critic

Highbrow film company The Criterion Collection has launched Criterion.com, an "online cinematheque" for people who want to watch movies, delve into some editorial content, and socialize with other fans.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the new site is the fact that you can rent many Criterion films (a melange of old and newish, domestic and foreign) for $5 per stream, and that $5 will be deducted if you then choose to purchase the flick on DVD. 

SearchWiki

SearchWiki lets you customize your Google Web Search results. You can rank, remove and add notes to any result page and see those tailored results anytime you do that search while you're logged in to your Google Account.

Google Mobile App for iPhone

Mike LeBeau of the Google mobile team gives an overview of the new Google Mobile App for iPhone. The App lets you speak your queries without pushing any buttons, and also lets you do local searches without specifying your location.

Future Trends 09

Learn to track the trends that matter most and use them to impact your business- before your competition does. Discover how to put innovation at the forefront and drive the value of your brand. Go beyond “brainfood” and bring the trends to life by making it relevant to your business.

Travel planning service Yapta has a cool new feature for registered users that lets you track price drops or award seats based on your frequent-flier mileage. It'll keep an eye out for deals that match how many miles you have saved up, and give you an alert when they're up for grabs. When used properly this system could net you free or heavily discounted tickets alongside letting you know about potential price drops.

Here's an oldie but a goodie. Feed Rinse is a super simple and user-friendly way to tweak RSS feeds before subscribing to them in your favorite reader tool.

With it you can pick which authors or keywords you want to exclude, giving you complete control over what ends up filling your feed reader. For example, on Webware's RSS feed you could very quickly choose to only get posts about Google (which is possible on our main site using tags), or a handful of keywords at the same time.

Yahoo CEO Yang to step down


Co-founder Jerry Yang will step back as soon as a successor is found for the CEO role.

Google's voice search: Why on iPhone, not Android?

Google plans to release a groundbreaking mobile application that allows users to say a search query into their phone and have it transcribed and returned as a Web search. Surprisingly, the technology won't be exclusive to T-Mobile's G1 phone, the first commercial device to run Google's Android operating system. It's only going to be available on Apple's iPhone at first.

Cisco's Emerging Markets Gambit


The IT giant is strategizing with governments from Saudi Arabia to South America on their technological futures—hoping to score mega-contracts.

Why Mashups Matter

Here's a PDF provided by IBM covering the uses and benefits of mashups and widgets.

Taking Control of Your Government via 17 Killer Mashups

Government is increasingly putting much of its public records online, creating opportunities for developers to build useful applications for citizens. From being alerted to neighborhood crime to finding the best mass transit routes, these mashups are helping solve everyday problems.

Behavioral Targeting

Behavioral targeting (BT) is an advertising methodology in which an advertiser’s creative is shown to users based on the sites they visit and/or what the user does on those sites.

Mozilla has put out a road map proposal for the next version of Ubiquity, the company's user interface project that aims to mash up user-controlled shortcuts with information from the Web. Besides the promise of an interface overhaul, the plan's big hope is to integrate Ubiquity with Mozilla's Firefox and Thunderbird products, along with user desktops.

Is the Sun finally setting?


With its open-source efforts slow to pay off and the broader economy crumbling, CEO Jonathan Schwartz responds to a charge that Sun has become "toxic."

Yahoo coming up with a new interface



Yahoo is hoping a new interface will help give it some life and make it easier for users to find information faster.

Google launches Gmail Chat


I'm a big user of Gmail chat. Being able to switch from email to chat as needed, all within the same app, is really great for productivity.

A search start-up called Infovell has renamed itself DeepDyve, begun offering a free "deep Web" search tool, and expanded its search technology to the domains of computing, clean tech, and energy.

Cisco and the Yankees

Cisco Systems is apparently teaming up with the New York Yankees to offer fans high-tech features in the new $1.3 billion Yankee Stadium.

The genius behind Steve


The CEO is the heart and soul of Apple Inc. yet he's got a deep management bench from which to choose his eventual successor.

Tech Concepts to know for 2008

Machines are getting smaller, handier—and much, much smarter. Think we forgot something?

AT&T is now largest provider of Wi-Fi hotspots


Well this should come as good news for iPhone owners. AT&T announced plans today to purchase Wayport, a Wi-Fi provider that caters to a number of businesses including McDonalds and an impressive array of Hotel chains such as Marriott and Four Seasons.

Google at 10

As Google recently turned 10 years old, some analysts and investors began to say the company was suffering from early signs of maturity. Google's growth rate, while still brisk, has slowed significantly and is expected to slow more because of the economic slowdown.

London to New York in 45 minutes

Passengers will be able to fly through space from London to New York in 45 minutes by the middle of the next decade, experts believe.

The Clouds are coming

The cloud was omnipresent at the Web 2.0 Summit as industry executives discussed the migration from the client to millions of virtualized servers as the information pipe.

Next Einstein

A vision: only Africans will solve Africa's problems.
A solution: mathematics ans science lead to peace and prosperity.
An opportunity: the next Einstein can be African.

10 Online Photo Editors to bookmark

Online image editors are in a rage these days. Everyday, you hear about the release of a new online photo editor that claims to be the next big thing. Check out this listing.

Mac Mini coming soon?

Apple customers awaiting their new MacBook Airs may have to wait a little longer than they had thought, but potential Mac Mini customers should sit tight.

Bookmarking...a shared experience

BookmarkG is a new bookmarking service that aims to fill the gap left by mainstream bookmarking utilities by focusing on groups. Users can create their own group, invite friends, and begin adding links with tags, ratings, and metadata that can be searched.

50 web sites to add to your bookmarks

When it comes to the Internet, we're creatures of habit – Google for search, Hotmail for email, Twitter to stay in touch.

Here's a list that will give you pause to add on to your bookmarks.

Can Sun make it?

Sun Microsystems is on the ropes. The New York Times says so, the hallway conversation starts and ends with “too bad”, and the wagons appear to be circling around, or rather, behind Jonathan Schwartz, leaving him outside the fort as the gates are closed. Read the rest of this article here.

Ning's Infinite Ambition

It isn't just a site where users can build their own social networks -- Ning is a model of how to create a perpetual growth machine.

Sony Try's to Catch Up With Apple

Even with a former Steve Jobs lieutenant driving innovation, Sony still hasn't captured its rival's cool.

Mobile Simplicity

Alltel's new Celltop platform brings much-needed simplicity to the mobile device. Frog Design reflects on the process and results.

The deadline for people to submit ideas for the initiative, called Project 10^100, was Monday. Google employees will now sift through the ideas, submitted in 25 languages, and choose 100 semifinalists by January 27. Funding for up to five winning ideas will be awarded in May.

Check out the YouTube video for more information.

Scissors for the internet

This app lets you clip bits of the Web including text, images, and videos, all without having to download any software or register for an account. The first time you use it via its tiny bookmarklet, it simply creates an account for you, which can be claimed later on.

Read the article then visit Snipd.

Now you can compose music with your browser!

Fledgling musicians looking to ditch expensive composition software might want to check out Noteflight. It's a composition community that lets you put together musical scores right in your browser--that is, as long as you know what you're doing.

Facebook: Trouble in paradise?

Some sobering analysis comes today from pundit Michael Arrington, indicating that the social network may be unable to keep its bank accounts in sync with its rapid growth.

Google makes modifications to deal with complaints

Researcher challenges Google after finding names and e-mail address of JotSpot users via Google search and wins--Google changes that and turns everything private.

Sony patents sound - sensing PS3 controller

Rumors are flying regarding Sony filing a patent for a break-apart controller that works with motion and sound.