Google China

now this is funny

Pintsearch

Pintsearch is a Google Maps powered site that plots around 2000 London pubs. Each pub is rated and colored accordingly.

Gmail delete button

Gmail has rolled out a new delete button.

hat tip : Google Blogoscoped

Google Robot FAQ

Here's a Google Robot FAQ from the year 2030.

Linkdump

Kottke on Digg versus Slashdot
Fill My Room
Real world version of MillionDollarHomePage.
"For every dollar you donate, I will add 1 block to the room! I will not stop until my room is full!"
A Map of Cultural Prejudices
Compiled by asking Google what a country 'is known for'.
FlickrMap
"It's as simple as tagging your photos with a city and country name"

Stardust lands

Stardust probe lands
The Stardust space probe has landed sucessfully in the Utah desert after a seven year journey. The probe contains samples it collected from the coma of comet Wild 2. This marks the first time that scientists have had actual samples of a comet.

El Reg gives thumbs down to Google Video

The Register's Ashlee Vance tears into Google video, calling it an "embarrassment".

"We've been waiting more than three hours for our purchase of a Charlie Rose show to go through. Had to boot up a Windows box just to wait. Great stuff."

Linkdump

Scientists create the most detailed image of Orion Nebula ever
Steve Jobs announces first ever intel powered Mac
Chuck Norris responds to random facts meme and is cool about them.
Taco on Slashdot moderation process
New neighbour of the Milky Way galaxy discovered

Monty Python spam sketch

safety dance

So bad, it's good...


The Men Without Hats 80s hit is here on Google Video

hat tip Google Video blog

Larry Page keynote at CES

Video available here

Urban dynamics video project

Google video here

"In an ever faster moving world cities have become somehow fascinating for us. They do not only respresent mankind's belief in technology but do also provide us with an endless variety of images and sounds.

urbanDynamics is an international video project designed to cover global urban dynamics. Its aim is to make a collage of urban environments around the world by assembling video footage from citizens. It's an experiment that totally depends on the participants, who rediscover their cities with a simple miniDV camcorder."

via Google Video of the Day

747 engine versus a car

Top Gear find out

via Google Video of the Day

Texas constitution

Here's something I didnt know. You cannot hold public office in Texas if you are an atheist, or for that matter, Buddhist, as it clearly states that you "acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being"
Article 1, Section 4 of the Texas constitution

I suppose you could get around it by joining the Church of the Flying Spagetti Monster

Google Rumours

Source: Google Blogoscoped

Google is expected to make an announcement at the CES later on today. Pay per view Google video, Google pack, Google thin client or Google Cube?

I'm still waiting for Google Calendar

Hyperdrive engine a possibility?

In this this extraordinary article, The Scotsman reports that a hyperdrive engine could well be a possibility within 5 years. The engine is based on a fringe , untested area of physics, but the U.S. Airforce and NASA have expressed an interest.


"The hypothetical device, which has been outlined in principle but is based on a controversial theory about the fabric of the universe, could potentially allow a spacecraft to travel to Mars in three hours and journey to a star 11 light years away in just 80 days, according to a report in today's New Scientist magazine.

The theoretical engine works by creating an intense magnetic field that, according to ideas first developed by the late scientist Burkhard Heim in the 1950s, would produce a gravitational field and result in thrust for a spacecraft.

Also, if a large enough magnetic field was created, the craft would slip into a different dimension, where the speed of light is faster, allowing incredible speeds to be reached. Switching off the magnetic field would result in the engine reappearing in our current dimension"

The paper quoted in the article is here (Google Scholar, HTML version)

Full New Scientist article has been posted on LiveJournal here

Fark - Best Photoshops of 2005

Here
look out for the flying spagetti monster references in some of them.

How Microsoft lost the API war

Article here

Its an old article by Joel On Software from 2004, but still a damn fine read on why application developers are leaving the Microsoft platform and moving into web services.

Working at Google

Mini Microsoft has a blogpost here on the marathon coding sessions at Google. I have to admit coding until 4am sounds pretty insane. The comments are interesting, as it turns into a working at Microsoft versus working at Google discussion, with lots of anonymous Microsoft & Google employees contributing.

Review of new Kodak ultrawide lens camera

Imaging-resource.com has a detailed review of the new dual lens Kodak Easyshare compact camera.

"Ultrawide angle zoom lenses are tricky and expensive to make, not to mention bulky. Kodak sidesteps these limitations by combining an ordinary 3x zoom lens and a 23mm equivalent fixed focal length ultrawide optic in a single camera, making what's sure to be one of the more intriguing cameras of 2006."

A huge virus threat for every Windows PC ever made

Experts believe that this could be the biggest vulnerability that has ever surfaced for Windows PCs. Other than the users themselves. "Unlike most attacks, which require victims to download or execute a suspect file, the new vulnerability makes it possible for users to infect their computers with spyware or a virus simply by viewing a web page, e-mail or instant message that contains a contaminated image."


read more | digg story

U.S. soldier in Iraq

This is interesting. Looks like a regularly updated Flickr photostream by a U.S. soldier in Iraq. Photos of himself, missions, patrols and his squad are posted. I wonder how long this will be allowed to be up there.