Gaming Google? Better Watch Out…

In a rather high profile move, Google has once again signalled its lack of tolerance for dissent websites who attempt to game Google search results. Recently, the Germany website of car maker BMW was removed from the Google index because of its nefarious use of code.

Google engineer Matt Cutts highlighted the removal on his website, and noted that BMW wasn’t the only European car maker using sly techniques. Ricoh’s German website was also de-listed from similar reasons.

A comparison posted by Cutts between what the user sees and what the search engine sees shows a massive difference; the latter sees a page of keywords, and the former sees a shiny beamer. Users went through a javascript ‘gateway’ meaning they wouldn’t have noticed the alternative content. Cutts said the difference was a ” violation of our webmaster quality guidelines, specifically the principle of “Don’t deceive your users or present different content to search engines than you display to users.”

The practice, known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), involves a number of tricks to improve a sites listing on search engines. Some are approved, and some are not. Google had previously focused on English language SEO, but has recently turned its eye to foreign sites. Google prides itself on the quality of its index, and can’t afford to have sites muddle it up. If you’re playing with SEO, you’d better watch out. A de-listing from Google is a serious event, in a day and age where the search engine directs traffic, and revenue.

Matt Cutt’s Blog

Source: Neowin.net

Coming Soon…Chat in GMail

Chat in GMail

What’s new?Gmail learned to Talk. Now Gmail accounts are automatically enabled with chat features. You don’t have to do anything special, it just works. See when your friends are online and decide for yourself how you want to get in touch with them. Email and instant messaging don’t have to be so different. And why should you always have to remember whether something important was said over email or IM? We’ve made it easy for you to save chats, so you can search for them, print them, even reply to one over email.

Well not yet, but it will be coming soon. Chat feature in Mail thats the latest buzz from GMail and I am excited :)
Read More about it

About my site and forums.

Well both are gone. I lost my data. The server on which both were hosted crashed. Though I have a old backup of forum. I am planning to start afresh. As far as the site is considered, I will have to start afresh only :( No other option. I am quite busy nowadays so lets see when will I get it up and working..Until then cya :(

Google-Funded ‘Badware’ Coalition Forms

Web search powerhouse Google has joined with Sun Microsystems to fund a new anti-spyware coalition that is on tap to launch on Jan. 24, according to information reaching eWEEK.

The nonprofit group is setting up shop at StopBadware.org to help computer users deal with the scourge from adware, spyware, rootkits and other malware threats.

Sources say the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School will run the operations of the coalition with help from Consumer Reports WebWatch, a consumer advocacy group.

Vint Cerf, the renowned technologist who was recently hired as chief Internet evangelist at Google, is on board as an adviser to the coalition.

Former ICANN board chairman Esther Dyson, who publishes the influential Release 1.0 newsletter, is also involved.

Source

Google Execs Keep $1 Salaries

Google CEO Eric Schmidt and co-founders and co-presidents Larry Page and Sergey Brin will retain the $1 paid salaries from 2005, according to a filing this week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The three will instead rely on stock options and grants for their pay.

The action, approved by Google last week but only made known yesterday came during a week in which Google’s stock lost 14 percent amidst fears stemming from a flap with U.S. Justice Department. However, don’t expect to see these men on the streets any time soon. Google’s stock recovered 7 percent yesterday, meaning that Schmidt’s stock value alone increased $413.8 million in a single day of trading. His total wealth in shares is estimated at $6.3 billion.

Google’s policy of paying top executives $1 started in the second quarter of 2004, leading up to the company’s initial public offering in August 2004.

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Disney buys Pixar in $7.4bn deal


Walt Disney has agreed a $7.4bn (£4.1bn) deal to buy Pixar, the animation firm behind films including Toy Story and The Incredibles.

The all-share deal will see Pixar chief executive Steve Jobs join Disney’s board of directors.

Under the agreement, 2.3 Disney shares will be issued for each Pixar share.

Disney’s distribution deal with Pixar was due to end this year, and it seemed the two would split after failing to agree on how to divide future profits.

However, Disney’s new boss Robert Iger has been working to revive relations between the two companies.

Read More on BBC NEWS

Google censors itself for China


Leading internet company Google has said it will censor its search services in China in order to gain greater access to China’s fast-growing market.

Google has offered a Chinese-language version of its search engine for years but users have been frustrated by government blocks on the site.

The company is setting up a new site – Google.cn – which it will censor itself to satisfy Beijing’s hardline rulers.

Google argued it would be more damaging to pull out of China altogether.

Read More on BBC NEWS

Official Google Blog: And now, News

We’re taking Google News out of beta! When we launched the English-language edition in September 2002, we entered untested waters with a grand experiment in news browsing – using computers to organize the world’s news in real time and providing a bird’s eye view of what’s being reported on virtually any topic. By presenting news “clusters” (related articles in a group), we thought it would encourage readers to get a broader perspective by digging deeper into the news — reading ten articles instead of one, perhaps — and then gain a better understanding of the issues, which could ultimately benefit society. A bit more than three years later, we offer 22 regional editions in 10 languages, and have a better sense of how people use Google News….

Read More on Official Google Blog

New year, new imagery

We’re always trying to improve the imagery in Google Earth and Google Local, but our latest update is bigger than usual. Not only have we added extensive 6-inch imagery for many parts of the U.K., but we’ve updated the Google Local database to match the coverage we have in Google Earth, and (drum roll, please) … we’ve added two more zoom levels in Google Local’s Satellite mode! Now for many areas around the world you can see a lot more detail than you could before.Take a look at people standing at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London, or jump over the pond and see the Statue of Liberty in New York, and then maybe drop down to the southern hemisphere and check out the boats sailing past the Sydney Opera House.

Source: Official Google Blog

Pixar buyout for $7 billion

On Tuesday, board members for Pixar Animation Studios will meet to approve a $7 billion buyout by Disney.

The buyout will make Steve Jobs, the company’s chief executive, around $3.5 billion and the single largest shareholder in Disney. Jobs, who co-founded Pixar in 1986, is also the chief executive of Apple Computer, Inc.

In the last few years, the giant company has failed to produce an animated hit of its own; however, since 1995, both Pixar and Disney have made six films together, including Toy Story, which has grossed the companies more than $3.2 billion.

News source: Telegraph
View: Pixar | Disney

Source: Neowin.net