Catching Up
The holidays have not been kind to me, or to this blog, and I apologize. Here are all the stories left lying around that aren’t going to get a full post:
Google Files Patent For Text Recognition In Images
It is now being reported that back in June, Google filed a patent for a machine recognizing the text in images, a very useful technology for Google Image Search, Google Shopping, signs in Google Maps Street View, and other Google products. Three days before Google filed for it, Microsoft filed for a very similar patent that includes many of the elements of the Google patent. If the patents are similar enough, it’s Microsoft’s patent that’s going to get passed, since it was first, so Google might have something to be worried about.
YouTube Brings Back Science & Technology Category
Shortly after retiring the Science & Technology category, YouTube has brought it back, reportedly after complaints from tech bloggers that they had no place to put their videos.
Google Builds Spectrum War Room
Forbes reports that Google has set up a war room for planning its strategy for this month’s FCC wireless spectrum auction. The company is consulting with game theorists and auction experts, hoping to figure out what the competition is planning to bid in order to win the auction.
gOS 2.0 Coming At CES
Everex, makers of the Green Operating System that is often referred to as a Google Operating System, plan to release version 2 at the Consumer Electronics Show next week. The new version will include Google Gears integration, the better to run Google programs while offline. The system is extremely reliant on online apps as programs on it, and Gears is the best way to bridge the desktop and the browser.
Don’t be shocked if gOS is the number one Linux distribution in the world by the end of the year. With Wal-Mart backing it, it should be easy.
Baidu CFO Dies During Christmas Vacation
The Chief Financial Officer of Baidu, China’s premier internet search engine, died while on vacation last week. CFO Shawn Wang died under circumstances that have not been revealed to the media, but Baidu’s stock, normally a high performer, has slipped almost 5% in the week since, due to uncertainty over the company’s financial future.
