Google Gears is Good Idea...

Google Gears will enable offline access to Web applications. The idea is good but I won't make a verdict until I see the end product. Plus, do we really need it now? If someone could create a zero-latency Web application for let's say MediaMap type application, I'd be a happy camper. That said, Google may be casting the net to far at this point. Give me applications at speeds I need so I don't have to yell profanities at my computer and now we're talking. Or how about Gmail not saying server error, please try again in 30 seconds! Not the exact words but you get the point.

The Power that is the Internet Exposed in London?

Today and tomorrow, or yesterday and today if you’re in the UK is the Financial Times Digital Media and Broadcasting Conference. It should be a great event where many are gathered in London to discuss how the Internet is stealing TVs thunder and maximizing opportunities on the Web. With many broadcasters, internet content providers, ISPs, technology platform producers, media groups, investors and advertisers in attendance, it should be a great event. I’m still thinking that one day my HD Internet idea will be future but we’ll see what the experts say.

Confirmed speakers are from Oracle, Reuters, European Telecommunications Network Operators, National Geographic, Disney, CNET Networks, Sony, Sling, Microsoft, Advanced Micro Devices, MySpace, Sun Microsystems, Mozilla, BBC, Ask.com, and Google.

I'd love to hear more about the discussions from this conference.

The Google Foozle

Bay Area-based ABC affiliate, KGO reported tonight that Google may have misspelled its name on the Web site. A chocolate covered strawberry and swirls completed the G but there was no L in sight and read "Googe". The official Google blog says it was no mistake but artistic: "I just know that those with true romance and poetry in their soul will see the subtlety immediately."

It's no HP scandal but come on, fess up. I guess they weren't feeling so lucky today.

Search 2.0: Reverse Engineering

Over the past year, I’ve read about and been exposed to Google and quite a few enterprise search, business intelligence, taxonomies and ontology offerings (and ed cals). Now the overall goal is how to use information you already have more efficiently and in a more organized fashion to deliver better results for your company, partners, customers...etc. But today in the Wall Street Journal, Kevin Delaney wrote how some businesses aren’t looking at which keywords in searches to utilize but rather what keywords are being punched in to determine what products and services to sell. Imagine that? Giving people what they want! This is done doing my favorite activity, "reverse engineering."

This is definitely a good read and has about half a dozen useful links including:

Microsoft service for historical search volumes with breakdowns by age and gender: http://adlab.microsoft.com/ForecastV2/KeywordTrendsWeb.aspx

I could list it all out but I don’t want to steal Kevin’s thunder. If you have today’s paper, check out page B3. I can’t link to it online without a subscription but if you want to pay for it, go to WSJ.com, type in “search” into the search field.

Google Password Strength? Sucks!

I'm a big Internet security nut. I love pitching security clients and digging up new trends on botnets, IRC chat rooms, keylogging, spam, phishing, Man in the Middle attacks and hearing about how teenagers are hacking into our nation's biggest companies. I often wondered about why threats keep growing more severe. Are hackers ahead of the game or are security vendors lagging? That is the question that often comes up.

I think I know why. When I was signing up for this blog, I also needed a Google account. But as I typed in my desired password, the strength of my password was revealed. As I mixed in letters, caps and numbers into my password, I got the desired "strong" password rating.

Don't worry. It gets better. The security question in case you forget your password is a choice of library card number, frequent flyer account number, first phone number or first teacher’s name. I honestly don't remember any of those...

If this is suppose to make me confident in using Gmail or Blogger? No wonder hackers are laughing as they collect money using free online phishing kits.