Sometimes our lives become controlled by what we do online. This rings true for many of you I’m sure and especially myself. You have Facebook with its constant addiction, Twitter, Tumblr, Wikipedia and Google. Thousands of services keep us connected, but have you ever wondered how they’re all interconnected? This Web Trend map from The Information Architects resembles a subway map showcasing how each service is relevant to one another.
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It was bound to happen. Google loves a big player on the Internet (Youtube, Blogger, etc.) and has plenty of cash in its war chest to spend. Word is that Google and Twitter are currently in the beginning stages of talks about a buyout from Google. The expected value hasn’t been revealed but you can bet it’ll be somewhere between $250-$500 million.
Why does Google want Twitter? Easy: real-time search. Combined with Google’s advertising platform, Twitter could easily become one of the more profitable businesses on the web.
Google continues to inspire and amaze. The Mountain View, California-based company unveiled yesterday the ability to read and compose Gmail while offline. It’s available through the Google Labs feature within Gmail and when activated, starts downloading 10,000 emails to the user’s hard drive using Google Gears technology. Once finished, you’ll be able to search for emails and read them, as well as compose emails to people in your address book. And yes, your contacts will auto-complete even when offline.
Of course, some things will not be available when offline, such as the ability to manage your contacts. All you need is a ‘net connection and you’ll be able to sync your email, keeping you in touch with that woman you’re having an affair with. Ah, Google. Paving the way to Heaven through technology.
When I’m browsing through Craigslist, I’m not looking for a new roommate or a new job. I’m looking for a hummer. Unfortunately for me, Craigslist has reached an agreement with 40 state AGs and has decided to tame its infamous “erotic services” listings. Sucks to be the guy looking for “quality” prostitutes online.
When the Attorney General of Connecticut sent a letter to Craigslist demanding that it purge its site of illegal activity, CEO of Craigslist, Jim Buckmaster, agreed. So, what’s Craigslist going to do to keep the hookers out? Craigslist is now asking that advertisers provide valid identification. Erotic services vendors will be charged a small fee for each ad and will be required to use a credit card for the payment. As we all know, hookers have no credit. Problem solved.
The hacker community has a true passion for unlocking cellphones and I whole-heartedly support it. It was only a matter of time before someone figured out how to unlock the G1 and who would have guessed that i’d be the easiest unlock on this side of the Atlantic. A site called Unlock-TmobileG1.com is offering up unlock codes for a mere $22.95. You send them your IMEI number, they email you back with a code and voila, you can unlock your G1.
Be warned, though. Early reports show that none of the Google services such as Gmail work on other networks such as AT&T’s.
Remember how Yahoo fucked you out of all your music by shutting down its DRM server and not giving you any reimbursements? Well, it has rightfully decided to reimburse its paying customers. Turns out Yahoo feels bad for screwing customers over. Nice of Yahoo! Music to consider the folks who keep its workers from going hungry.
Yahoo, in return for shutting down their music service, is promising either refunds or a replacement DRM-free version of tracks that you downloaded via its service. All current users will automatically migrate to Real’s Rhapsody service. Gone are the days that the recording industry makes money off of forcing folks to rebuy all their music every time there’s a format change. Trent Reznor makes his music free, why can’t everyone else?
