Hackers have succeeded in getting code to run on the iPhone, and they are starting to use Google’s convenient Code service to host the fruits of their labor. The MobileTerminal app is a terminal emulator for the iPhone, is not a web app, and can be picked up here. You can see it in this video:
(via iPhonewave)
Google has a program called Local Business Referrals were users can walk into local businesses, get their information (hours of operation, payments accepted) and take some pictures, and get ten dollars a business. Sounds like a fun way to earn some extra cash while walking around, and I’m definitely going to try it out. You can find out more about it here and apply here.
(via Valleywag)
Google and Earthlink’s plan to blanket San Francisco with free and paid wifi wireless internet services has been put on indefinite hold, possibly done for good. After months of misery as SF organizations complained about every little thing (or tried to get a piece for themselves), the San Francisco Board of Supervisors announced it was putting the project on hold, due to a break in negotiations by Earthlink, who views the current version as no longer financially worth it. Way to screw yourself out of a good thing, San Fran. Besides the city’s ever-changing demands, there’s also the issue of Earthlink’s new CEO, who doesn’t seem to favor the plan.
Under the terms of the proposed contract, EarthLink would be allowed to provide both paid and free access, while Google would gain a prominent spot as its preferred provider of online services such as Internet search and maps.
Noyola said Peskin first requested increased data speed, privacy controls and a shorter contract length with EarthLink officials in early July, but “they didn’t get back to us.”
Then, on July 26, Huff said during a conference call with analysts that EarthLink is taking a hard look at its municipal wireless network plans.
EarthLink is now “doing a detailed review of the business model” associated with municipal wireless, Huff said. “The Wi-Fi (wireless) business as currently constituted will not provide an acceptable return,” he said.
Huff, who assumed the CEO job at EarthLink in June after negotiations with San Francisco had already begun, added that, “We’re going to look for municipal governments to step up and become a meaningful anchor tenant” that pays EarthLink for providing the wireless service.
Noyola said that “anchor tenancy has not been a part of our discussions at all.”
(via Valleywag)
Google released an API for Google Documents, letting programs and websites access your Google Docs filesystem and upload or download documents, spreadsheets, and soon, presentations. Developers can use it to create alternate file browsers for Docs, use Docs as file storage for a different editing software (even Microsoft Word), run full-text searches of documents and grab just those, and automatically back up all your Word documents on Google, or pretty much anything you can think up and code.
On another note, I’d assume at this point that Google Documents or Google Docs is what they are going to call this thing in the end, since expanding the Google Docs & Spreadsheets name to Google Docs, Spreadsheets and Presentations (or Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Gmail, Collaboration, Databases, Talk & Kitchen Sinkage) doesn’t scale and gets unwieldly. They could surprise us and actually just call it Google Office, but it seems like they want to avoid that sort of thing. I’d bet a name change whenever Presentations launches, which is supposed to be damn soon.
Catching up: I had a crazy week, with me and my wife going on a short wedding anniversary vacation, one of my best friends getting married, and my aunt and her family moving forever to another continent. There’s a lot of stuff filling up the queue, so we’re going to go through it double time
Google Acquires Aerial Image Firm, ImageAmerica
Google bought another company, this time ImageAmerica, an aerial imagery company. ImageAmerica provided the high-res imagery of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and can be used to provide high quality imagery of any area in a hurry, an excellent boon for Google Earth/Maps. They’ve got a “Beech Starship” aircraft that can get into an area quickly, get high, fly fast and with great stability, and get great images for Google to use.
Google Maps Now Shows Popular Searches
Google Maps has a new feature that shows the popular searches for a particular area. Search for a city, town, state, or whatever, and you’ll find out what people are searching for in that area. For example, I know that in my area, people are looking for:
While popular searches in Manhattan are:
YouTube Antipiracy Tool Coming This September
Google is expected to finally release YouTube’s antipiracy system this September, 10 months after buying the company, and many months after getting sued by Viacom and watching competitors take similar major measures at stopping the widespread uploading of copyrighted material. The technology will fingerprint videos so it can recognize when a previously deemed infringing video is uploaded again, and will allow copyright holders to embed a digital fingerprint in videos so the system will never let them be uploaded.
This couldn’t come a moment too soon. Google Video, which shares some of the same infrastructure as YouTube (when watching YouTube videos, I’ve seen them streaming from video.google.com) and presumably will share the same antipiracy system, is a hotbed of piracy. My wife and I have gotten some movies still in theaters from Google Video, something we normally never bother with, because it’s too damn easy to find.
Google Using Community To Grow Indian Maps
Google has decided that the best way to get good maps of India is to ask the locals for help. They’ve sent out GPS kits to some Indians, asking for their assistance in creating more accurate maps of the area, comparing the multiple data points for verification. The program has done 50 cities, complete with driving directions, using the GPS and special software that allows users to literally draw the roads on top of the satellite imagery.
DoubleClick Running Illegal AdWords Ads
Looks like future Google unit DoubleClick has been running some AdWords campaigns that break the terms of service. DoubleClick is running ads on Google search targeted to the term “AdBrite”, a competing web advertising company, actually using the competitor’s trademarked term in the ad copy. While Google has been embroiled in lawsuits protecting the advertiser’s right to target trademarked terms, it clearly bans the use of those terms in the ad itself. Someone should tell DoubleClick.
The Republican edition of the YouTube presidential debates has been indefinitely postponed after most of the Republican candidates opted not to participate. Even though John McCain, Ron Paul, and Tommy Thompson planned to intend, frontrunners Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney had announced they would not be participating, causing YouTube to announce that it will hold off the debate for now. The debate was supposed to be held on September 17, with no word on if it will be rescheduled, cancelled, or eventually held without the major candidates.
About.com has an extensive article about the reluctance of leading Republicans to appear. Mitt Romney is quoted as saying, “I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman.” That’s harsh, but somewhat true. Still, the man has no sense of humor, and I don’t want someone like that as my President. I’d rather vote for the guy who once wore a dress.
Speaking of Giuliani, he has nothing to fear (unlike Romney, who probably has the least youth support of any candidate). Giuliani is still considered a 9/11 hero by many, even among the typically Democrat younger voters, and he could have counted on some questions lobbed his way from real fans, just like Hillary got at the first debate. On the other hand, Giuliani knows he’d have to deal with Ron Paul fans, who have overrun the internet and appear in disproportionate numbers in every public forum.
Ultimately, this makes the whole Republican party look bad. The Republicans have much less support among youth voters than the Democrats, and running from a constituency unhappy with you, but still developing their political positions, is just stupid. By ignoring these voters, they give them up to the Democrats, when they could at least try to pick up a little more support and build a better future for the party. Last I checked, youth voters become adult voters, and the new youth voters who replace them will also be ignored, continuing the cycle.
In the meantime, 1036 questions have been uploaded to YouTube. While Giuliani ignores a constituency he might have a good chance of swaying, that constituency sure has a lot to say to him.
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