Updates: Yahoo Mail Adds Facebook Status Updates

Yahoo has newly announced that Facebook users with a Yahoo Mail account will now be capable to update their profile directly through the email client.

The move is the newest in a major social networking push at Yahoo, which has unsuccessful to make much of an impact on the growing market.

Other new features will allow Yahoo Mail users check friends' profiles, and view their details when they receive an email. Yahoo said that this would complement the features added previous month that made it easier to synchronize and import contacts across the applications.

The feature is now available only in certain markets, and users have to look for the option in their status section below the heading 'Add to Facebook'. Users can then sign-in to both accounts and update their status accordingly.

Google said in a blog post that "Now, whether you want to send an email, SMS, IM, or update your Yahoo or Facebook status, you can also do it all from your Yahoo Mail inbox."

"This integration of Facebook is just the beginning of how we plan to make it easier to do more right from Yahoo Mail and watch this space for more ways you can bridge your social worlds and Yahoo Mail in the weeks and months ahead."

Google Announces File Transfer Facility on iGoogle

Google announced Tuesday that users can now send files while using the chat feature in iGoogle and Orkut.

Google also announced that it is working to bring file transfer capability to Gmail’s built-in chat feature.

Users just have to go do the actions menu in iGoogle or Orkut and select send a file. The recipient will be capable to accept or decline the file. The feature is compatible with the file transfer functionality in the Google Talk downloadable software.

In other Google associated news, Admob, an American agency that tracks Internet traffic from smartphones and other mobile devices, reports that in the U.S., Google's Android platform was only a couple of % points behind Apple’s iPhone when it comes to market share. The data released Tuesday show iPhone still in the lead with a 44 % market share, and Android close behind at 42 %.

Globally the iPhone commands 50 % of the smartphone market, while the Android makes 24 % of the market, taking 2nd place.

Google Updates: Google Explains Suggest Tool Updates

Google has detailed several changes it has made to its Google Suggest tool, which was first launched by Google in 2008.

Writing on its official blog, the organization explained that the aim of the feature was to lessen spelling mistakes and help users to get what they were looking for as quickly as possible.

Since its launch, a number of changes have been made, which Google noted will have an effect on SEO services in fifty languages across 170 domains.

The changes include boldface search suggestions as well as removal of result counts, which the brand claimed will "simplify your experience".

Likewise, the enterprise has also added "the Google Search and I am Feeling Lucky buttons to the box so they’re still accessible even when the Suggest box is open", it stated.

Last week, Google announced the launch of a new Favourites function which allows people to share sites they like or use frequently with friends and family.

Bing Updates UI, Improves Search Results And Adds Foursquare To Maps

Microsoft’s Bing announced feature upgrades to Bing at SES New York yesterday, if you missed it, you can read our live blog coverage of the announcement. The announcement integrated the following updates to Bing:

* Updated user interface designed to get the answer quicker

* More celebrity as well as sport answers

* Way to filter auto results

* Mobile improvements with Windows 7

* Foursquare added to Bing Maps

* and more.

Here are a few screen captures:

Updates: Google Enters Social Bookmarking With Lists Feature

You can now create and share your lists, and import bookmarks from a friend’s or public list.

Christina Chen, product manager of Google said that the new feature will improve information sharing among friends and groups.

“Lists help you discover new web content. For example, once you have created your list Google will algorithmically analyze your list to identify other potentially relevant links,” Christina Chen said in a Google blog post.

“Similarly, when we detect that a list is relevant to a specific region, we provide a map of those places and relevant info for each place, such as addresses, hours and reviews.” She added.

To create a list from Google Bookmarks, you just have to click on the nicely obvious “create new list” link, and name and portray your new creation.

Once you have started a list, you can choose the bookmarks you want to share, click on “copy to list” and select which list you desire to add the bookmark to.

For those wary of overt sharing, lists are private by default.

In the same monosyllabic vein, Google has also introduced a new Stars feature, let you to personalize your search results by highlighting sites that best meet your interests.

Stars let you to click on a star icon that appear alongside all search results. The starred items will then come into sight in a special list at the top of the results page the next time you run a search.
Being part of the Google suite, Stars will also synchronize with Google Bookmarks also the Google Toolbar.

Updates: Google improves Google Voice with faster notifications

Google has added a new feature to its Google Voice called "Inbox synchronization". This will that deliver Google Voice messages to your Android phone within seconds, instead of minutes.

To activate it, open your Google Voice settings and tap "refresh and notification," and then select "Synchronize Inbox." Google also added the choice to tap a contact and contact them through Google Voice from your address book.

Updates: Gmail to alert users to suspicious activity

Google launched a new feature in Gmail on Wednesday that will alert users as soon as the system detects suspicious activity that may indicate the account has been compromised.
Will Cathcart, a Gmail product manager, said in an interview on Wednesday, Gmail before now displays information at the bottom of the in-box showing the time of the last activity on the account and whether it is still open in another location. But people frequently don't think to check that information.

So Google is taking the further step of displaying a warning to users in the form of a big banner that says "warning your acct was accessed from..." also which specifies a geographic region where the account was accessed when odd activity was detected.

"For instance, if you always log in from the same country and all of a sudden there is a log in from halfway around the world" that is suspicious, Will Cathcart said. Or, if the system detects that one particular IP address is accessing several accounts and changing passwords for them, that would trigger warnings for affected accounts, he added.

After receiving the warning banner, users can click a "details" link to get additional information, such as where the last access points were and users can also change their password from that window.

Microsoft’s MSN Introduces New Look

Microsoft’s MSN portal has been testing a ‘new look’ on a preview page for yesteryear few months. Comments from those who have checked the new MSN out have been fairly mixed but mostly affirmative for the new simpler design.

Over the past few weeks, Microsoft has been sending some e-mails and also running a banner at the top of the MSN page announcing the future change.

The change is now live for most …. at least here in US.

One of the things you will notice right away is geo-targeting. Even if you are not signed in, the page will deliver news as well as other results based on your IP (or perceived Internet access location).

The other noteworthy inclusion is a trend chart, not based on Microsoft’s Bing xRank, but in its place items that have been trending on Twitter:

MSN is also now taking on Facebook Connect directly from the front page. Microsoft is a minority investor in privately-held Facebook.com.

For now, the new MSN mainly competes with Yahoo and AOL. Both companies launched new layouts too, and embracing social media, in the past few months.

Microsoft’s customizable portal, Live.com lately shut down and offers a page that redirects to the company’s search product Bing.com.

The query that no one seems to be asking (maybe there is no answer yet?) is what Microsoft is going to do with one of the most excellent web addresses they own …. Start.com?

Update 1 - March 22 - 12:21 AM ET: The new MSN page is apparently also now the default in Canada.

Small Version Change And Large Update On Google Maps For Android

Lately Google has accelerated the updates to its Google maps application for the Android at a ludicrous rate with 3.4 to 4.0 being launched only within a duo of days. Entering into March, they have lastly given the 4.1 version of the Google maps that is more than just a version change, but altogether new application.

The results screen redone, faster switching among results using a swipe, introduction of the Latitude widget on the home screen and multiple Google account support alternatives for following buzz in dissimilar accounts are just some of the new enhancements with this version.

To top each and every one of this is the new live map wallpaper of your area, the only catch here is that it may seriously drain up the battery for a continuous GPS connection so as to update the wallpaper if you are on the move. The application can work on Android 1.6 and Google in particular states that it works only on “Android 2.1+” directing towards a most important update.

Updates: Google updates Maps for Android to version 4.1

Google recently updated its Maps application for Android 1.6 and 2.0 devices and the new software has an optimized search results page for finding what you need quicker. You can also swipe across search result pages to move forward or else backward through results.

A new Latitude widget shows you where your friends are on the homescreen and it can also show traffic conditions. Users with Android 2.1 devices can activate a Maps Live Wallpaper to sight a map at all times from their desktop.

Finally, Google added the ability to quickly switch among multiple Buzz and Latitude accounts. The software is available for gratis today inside the Android Marketplace.

Updates: Yahoo announces Yahoo Messenger 10 update

Social networking continues to advance and Yahoo is updating their programs to stay cutthroat. In an announcement released by Yahoo, they unveiled the release of the new Yahoo Messenger 10. The messenger promises to be an updated version of the service. One of the latest features in Yahoo Messenger 10 is the voice and the video feature.

A few of the new services provided by Yahoo Messenger include Pingbox, the capability to conduct video calls with friends and family members, forwarding instant messages to mobile phones, sharing contact details among Yahoo Messenger and your Inbox, keeping track of friends and family members through the use of Yahoo Updates, also sending SMS (text) messages from Yahoo Messenger to mobile phones.

The user with webcam can turn their Yahoo Messenger into a high quality, video screen and chat instantaneously.

The announcement by Yahoo about the updated version states that it includes several fixes that help improve video quality on users with Windows 7.

CNET gives “Yahoo Messenger 10” a 5 star rating also pointed out Yahoo’s advancements in VOIP technology. Yahoo cites Messenger 10 as being an entirely redesigned version of their 1:1 webcam features. Also state that those using video chat can put calls on hold, mute the audio, and position video windows side by side.

The newest upgrade makes sure that Yahoo Messenger is compatible with Windows 7.

UPDATES: Yahoo Ranking Algorithm Update

Yahoo Search Blog has announced one more periodic update to its ranking algorithm and the Yahoo Search engineering teams are rolling out updates to crawling, indexing, also...

... ranking algorithms.

Like previous updates, you might notice some ranking changes and page shuffling during the process, which we are expecting to complete over the next few days.

Let us know how your website has responded to the update.

GOOGLE UPDATES: Google launches new play features in its reader

Google has launched a new, experimental tool that will let users to view content from their RSS feeds in a more stylish, image-heavy and TV-like fashion.

Dubbed Google Reader Play, the latest tool is an experimental Google Labs project that presents stories one at a time using enlarged photos and auto-playing videos on a black backdrop.

Viewers can redefine categories and star, like or share stories, by those behaviors further contributing to what Google displays.

Google Reader Play might be both an entertainment utility for browsing the web and an accompaniment to the Google Reader experience.

Actions that are taken in Reader or Reader Play are shared between the 2 products moreover the recommendations in Reader Play are specially made based on the people the user is following in Reader.

Google Updates: Google adds cycling routes to U.S. maps

Two-wheeled travelers across the United States got some good news today: Google is adding bicycling directions to its popular Maps site. At present, riders in 150 cities will be able to identify bike lanes, quieter streets as well as off-road trails before heading out on their morning commutes or pleasure rides.

So far, there is no word on whether or not the same feature will be extended to Canadian cities.
Bicycle directions were the most popular feature request for the Maps page, which previously offers driving and walking routes. As with those features, users enter a starting point and ending point for their trip, and Google fills in a suggested route and fairly accurate time. The same way that drivers can choose to keep away from highways or tolls roads, Google Bike users can be advised how to guide around hills.

A feature called Local Search will point out close by bike shops or snack stops. And, of course, users can use the Street View function to see photos of what the street really looks like, before they go.

Also included in Google Bike are 15,000 miles of off-street bike trails. That info was collected by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization that has been assembling trail information also publishing it free on its own site since 2007.

Jennifer Kaleba, VP Communications for Rails-to-Trails says that “It just seemed like a good partnership”. And building new trails out of unused rail corridors and the group lets users submit info on existing U.S. trails via its site.

According to Jennifer Kaleba “All our mapping and trails are available free, and Google Maps is also a free service,” whose hope is that bike info on both sides will grow up as users contribute to the mapping initiative.

Up to now, Google Bikes is only available in 150 cities in the U.S., and Rails-to-Trails is U.S.-based too. Jennifer Kaleba says time and money are the limiting factors in bringing the trail site further north.

Google Updates: Google Wave adds email notifications

Users who are familiar with Google Wave may no longer be out of the loop about waves. Yes, Google recently turned on email notifications permitting users to receive alerts about new as well as updated waves right in their inbox. Moreover all this takes is the simple use of the Inbox dropdown menu.

Users can select the frequency of their email updates from the notification menu. Wavers who might be infrequent on Google Wave are recommended the ‘immediately’ setting by the company. The official Google Wave blog shares that this setting can be altered at any given time.

On being added to a new wave or though the wave users are on changes, Google will send an email to the user. The alert will include a short summary of the text and links that will take users straight to their updated waves. As waves ostensibly change a lot, users will receive only one notification about a changed wave. That’s until users have logged in to have a look at it, and waves that might be open by the users won’t trigger updates.

Users can also help friends and family turn on notifications specially those who may not be logging in often. Though the feature is still being refined they can still get updates on their Google Wave account though they keep to checking their email inbox.

The email notification attribute is still a work in progress and might be a little buggy. While at times the email snippet doesn’t show all participants on the wave, under certain conditions users may also get an update about a wave though they were the last person to change it. To modify the notification setting, users might have to return to the menu where they turned it on.

While these issues are predictable to be resolved over the next few weeks, email notifications in Wave can be tested now.

Google Chrome OS 'Business' edition to reach your destination in 2011

The first version of Google Chrome OS isn’t even out yet, and there is already a talk of added editions as Google will be release a “business” version of Google Chrome OS next year.

It may not be serious competition for Windows 7 Professional OS just yet, as it will just be available on netbooks first. However things like this take time to grow and it could definitely blossom into something much larger.

Details are minimal at this point, but there will be a focus on security as well as “more management muscle,” which sounds fairly obvious for a professional OS version. I wonder what other Chrome OS versions that Google may have in store for us - also when.

Google Adds Auto Caption Feature To YouTube Videos

Popular online video sharing service YouTube has made obtainable a nifty auto-caption feature to all its users, which will allow them to watch their favorite YouTube videos in the language of their selection, but for now, the service only offers auto-caption for videos in English.

YouTube, which was acquired by search engine giant Google in the year 2006, has emerged as the most popular video sharing service on the World Wide Web (WWW) and has over a billion page views each day.

According to a statement released by the company, the auto-caption feature of You Tube is based on the text-to-speech algorithm that runs on Google Voice, which automatically generates captions for the video being played.

Google claims that the auto-caption feature of You Tube will be able to support 50 languages that will widen the already massive user base enjoyed by the company.

Interestingly, the addition of the feature, which went into beta testing in November previous year, will permit people with hearing impairments to enjoy YouTube large selection of videos and also permit people to watch videos in crowded places.

Google Extends Star Feature To Its Search Engine

Google released a new star-based bookmarking feature for its standard search engine.

It permits users to mark search results by clicking on a star icon, meaning that those links will come into view in a special list at the top of results for future queries.

Starred items are synchronized with Google Bookmarks and the Google Toolbar.

The company unveiled a alike offering for its Google News service recently, enabling users to mark particular stories and see updates on those news articles as they happen.

In a post on the Official Google Blog, Mr. Cedric Dupont and Mr. Matthew Watson of Google explain that the new star feature replaces SearchWiki, which permissible users to reorder search results.

They state: "In our testing, we learned that people really liked the idea of marking a site for future reference, but they did not like changing the order of Google's organic search results."

Google software engineer Mr. Bryan Horling recently revealed at the SMX West conference in the US that Google personalizes up to one-fifth of all web searches based on history, contacts or else location, the Register reported.

Google Street View Images Might Be Updated Every Six Months – EU Demands

Google Street View has caused a bit of a stir from time to time as a few users feel it is a little intrusive having a camera capture pictures of your home. Usually though it seems like most people actually think that it is a cool service to use.

Google had plans to update the images every 12 months as soon as the service launched although this might be reduced in the EU has its way. The 12 monthly updates would permit Google to capture changes in scenery as well as buildings that have occurred over the year. But, due to various privacy reasons the EU want it changing to the 6 months we mentioned which might lead to great expense for Google to effectively double its efforts to achieve the same work.

And dropping the retention to 6 months the EU also want Google to notify local news papers to warn public when the Google Street View cars are out and about allowing locals to “avoid?” the cameras.

It is presently unclear how Google will respond to this although this is just another instance of how privacy laws can vary across the world. No doubt they will just carry on as normal until the issue is raised over again.