1. Mapping the Gulf oil spill in Google Earth
Two weeks ago, there was a fatal explosion on the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. The rig sank shortly afterwards, and since then the well has been leaking crude oil into the Gulf, spreading an oil slick towards the U.S. Gulf Coast. This spill is pouring as many as 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) of oil a day into the Gulf and poses a serious threat to coastal industries, sensitive habitats and wildlife, including numerous species along the coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Many government agencies and other organizations have made data publicly available, which we’ve compiled on our crisis response sitededicated to the spill.
Last week we made imagery from NASA’s MODIS available as an overlay for Google Earth, which currently shows the extent of the oil spill through April 29, and we’ll continue to add more imagery as it becomes available. We’ve also made radar images from ESA’s ENVISAT available through this KML file. Below, you can see the progression of the spill over time.
To view this imagery and other datasets in Google Earth, turn on the “Places of Interest” layer in the Layers panel on the left-hand side of Google Earth, then navigate to the Gulf of Mexico and click on the red icon.
In addition to this imagery, our site contains maps of the locations of the oil, fishing closures and affected areas, the ability to upload videos directly to YouTube, and a link to a site where people in the area can contribute their observations. We hope these resources are useful to those affected by the spill, those responding to it and those learning about its devastating effects on the people and environment of the Gulf Coast.
2. Connect with your "neigh"bors using Google Places
This is the second post in our Small Business series about entrepreneurship and the various Google tools you can use to establish and improve your business presence on the Internet. Here, you’ll learn how Google Places(formerly called the Local Business Center) can help you attract and be discovered by customers in your area for free. -Ed.
As a local business owner, one of the things that sets you apart is your ability to make personal connections with your customers because of your passion for what you do. Letting people know who you are and what your business is about is a vital part of finding customers, building lasting relationships with them and helping your business succeed. Google Places helps business owners like you to manage your online presence and supplement your Place Page with all the information that helps people decide to visit you — from basics like hours of operation and address to helpful extras like videos, coupons and special announcements.
3. Integrating virtual keyboards in Google search
You’ve spilled coffee on your keyboard. The a, e, i, o, u, and r keys have stopped working. Now try to search Google for the nearest computer repair shop. The pain of typing on this broken keyboard is similar to what many people searching in non-English languages feel when trying to type today. Typing searches on keyboards not designed for your languages can be frustrating, even impossible.
Our user research has shown that many people are more comfortable formulating search queries in their own language but have difficulty typing these queries into Google. (Try typing नमस्ते on a keyboard with English letters.) To overcome the difficulty they face in typing in their local language scripts, some people have resorted to copying and pasting from other sites and from online translation tools. But there’s an easier way — a virtual, or “on-screen” keyboard, lets you type directly in your local language script in an easy and consistent manner, no matter where you are or what computer you’re using.
4. The Joy of Jailbreaking Your iPhone
Two weeks ago, there was a fatal explosion on the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. The rig sank shortly afterwards, and since then the well has been leaking crude oil into the Gulf, spreading an oil slick towards the U.S. Gulf Coast. This spill is pouring as many as 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) of oil a day into the Gulf and poses a serious threat to coastal industries, sensitive habitats and wildlife, including numerous species along the coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Many government agencies and other organizations have made data publicly available, which we’ve compiled on our crisis response sitededicated to the spill.
Last week we made imagery from NASA’s MODIS available as an overlay for Google Earth, which currently shows the extent of the oil spill through April 29, and we’ll continue to add more imagery as it becomes available. We’ve also made radar images from ESA’s ENVISAT available through this KML file. Below, you can see the progression of the spill over time.
To view this imagery and other datasets in Google Earth, turn on the “Places of Interest” layer in the Layers panel on the left-hand side of Google Earth, then navigate to the Gulf of Mexico and click on the red icon.
In addition to this imagery, our site contains maps of the locations of the oil, fishing closures and affected areas, the ability to upload videos directly to YouTube, and a link to a site where people in the area can contribute their observations. We hope these resources are useful to those affected by the spill, those responding to it and those learning about its devastating effects on the people and environment of the Gulf Coast.
2. Connect with your "neigh"bors using Google Places
This is the second post in our Small Business series about entrepreneurship and the various Google tools you can use to establish and improve your business presence on the Internet. Here, you’ll learn how Google Places(formerly called the Local Business Center) can help you attract and be discovered by customers in your area for free. -Ed.
As a local business owner, one of the things that sets you apart is your ability to make personal connections with your customers because of your passion for what you do. Letting people know who you are and what your business is about is a vital part of finding customers, building lasting relationships with them and helping your business succeed. Google Places helps business owners like you to manage your online presence and supplement your Place Page with all the information that helps people decide to visit you — from basics like hours of operation and address to helpful extras like videos, coupons and special announcements.
3. Integrating virtual keyboards in Google search
You’ve spilled coffee on your keyboard. The a, e, i, o, u, and r keys have stopped working. Now try to search Google for the nearest computer repair shop. The pain of typing on this broken keyboard is similar to what many people searching in non-English languages feel when trying to type today. Typing searches on keyboards not designed for your languages can be frustrating, even impossible.
Our user research has shown that many people are more comfortable formulating search queries in their own language but have difficulty typing these queries into Google. (Try typing नमस्ते on a keyboard with English letters.) To overcome the difficulty they face in typing in their local language scripts, some people have resorted to copying and pasting from other sites and from online translation tools. But there’s an easier way — a virtual, or “on-screen” keyboard, lets you type directly in your local language script in an easy and consistent manner, no matter where you are or what computer you’re using.
4. The Joy of Jailbreaking Your iPhone
When Apple announced the new features for iPhone OS 4, it did not list any support for the 6.12 million original iPhones and only limited support for the roughly 20 million 3G iPhones. This means roughly half of all the iPhones in the market will not be able to take advantage of all the features in the new OS. While Apple may be (probably is) hoping this helps get most users to upgrade to the latest and greatest iPhone, it will also likely cause many to consider jailbreaking for the first time.
5. Lucid Lynx on Prowl for Users of a Different Stripe
Canonical on Thursday released Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Desktop and Server Editions, the latest in its string of popular Linux distributions. Both are available for free download. The desktop version will be preinstalled on a range of computers from a number of manufacturers this summer. Canonical wants Lucid Lynx to draw a "whole new category of users" to the open source operating system, said CEO Jane Silber. A variety of changes target the mainstream market, including a new look and feel and the launch of a music store.
6. Microsoft Gives OEMs Embedded Win 7 to Tinker With
Microsoft has given manufacturers the tools to make Windows the operating system for a host of consumer-oriented devices -- from video game consoles to TV set-top boxes that serve as full-blown home entertainment centers. Windows Embedded Standard 7 is the proposed platform. Microsoft announced the release of a "componentized and customizable" version of the operating system to equipment manufacturers at the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley, taking place this week in San Jose, Calif.
5. Lucid Lynx on Prowl for Users of a Different Stripe
Canonical on Thursday released Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Desktop and Server Editions, the latest in its string of popular Linux distributions. Both are available for free download. The desktop version will be preinstalled on a range of computers from a number of manufacturers this summer. Canonical wants Lucid Lynx to draw a "whole new category of users" to the open source operating system, said CEO Jane Silber. A variety of changes target the mainstream market, including a new look and feel and the launch of a music store.
Microsoft has given manufacturers the tools to make Windows the operating system for a host of consumer-oriented devices -- from video game consoles to TV set-top boxes that serve as full-blown home entertainment centers. Windows Embedded Standard 7 is the proposed platform. Microsoft announced the release of a "componentized and customizable" version of the operating system to equipment manufacturers at the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley, taking place this week in San Jose, Calif.
7. Should Hacking Be Encouraged?
For as long as human beings have walked the face of this Earth, more than a few have held dear the hope that their children would one day follow in their footsteps. Doctors encourage their kids to study medicine; lawyers advocate careers in law; rulers of evil empires create their own little clones. It should come as no great surprise, then, that hackers share similar aspirations. "Why I want my daughter to be a hacker" is the title of a post that's been making waves in the Linux blogosphere of late.
For as long as human beings have walked the face of this Earth, more than a few have held dear the hope that their children would one day follow in their footsteps. Doctors encourage their kids to study medicine; lawyers advocate careers in law; rulers of evil empires create their own little clones. It should come as no great surprise, then, that hackers share similar aspirations. "Why I want my daughter to be a hacker" is the title of a post that's been making waves in the Linux blogosphere of late.
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