Google is dramatically cutting prices for the heaviest developer-users of of its Maps API to keep them from defecting to other platforms. The company has slashed prices “from US $4 per 1,000 map loads to 50¢ per 1,000 map loads.” Since the new fees policy was instituted last Fall, there have been several high profile […]
Sick of inputting the same things across multiple campaigns in Google AdWords? Yeah, Google suspected that was the case. Following the same philosophy that spawned the introduction of negative keyword lists in January of last year, Google has added placement exclusion lists and list suggestions. All of these will live in a new place on […]
Today’s F8 had it all. A cameo from SNL’s Andy Samberg, glitzy new designs, cutting edge new features and compelling product videos. But what was actually announced? Here are the major takeaways from today’s conference: Timeline For all of those complaining about the new Facebook layout, don’t worry- its days are numbered. Today “Timeline” was […]
In a move that Google says was designed to “ensure quality, improve Google products and services and compliance with AdWords API Terms and Conditions,” the company earlier this week revoked access to the AdWords API to a large number of developers, raising the ire of many who complained about a lack of warning and communication, […]
Barry discovered that Google had dropped its in-traffic travel estimates from Google Maps on the PC. This is apparently due to some inaccuracy or dissatisfaction with the methodology Google was using to determine travel time. “We have decided that our information systems behind this feature were not as good as they could be. Therefore, we […]
Below is today’s top news relating to Google+, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. Googler Shares How Google+ Is Built I’m a technical lead on the Google+ team is an “ask me anything conversation” with Google engineer Joseph Smarr, Technical lead for Google+. Smarr answers 20+ questions on the […]
When rumors circulated in recent days that Twitter was about to buy Tweetdeck, there were red flags flying everywhere from people assuming that Twitter would buy the popular client software and then shut it down. Not so, says Twitter. In a blog post confirming the acquisition, Twitter promises that “we will continue to invest in […]
As of today, Facebook developers aren’t allowed to monetize their apps with ads from Google AdWords. And that news has many developers upset with some talking about abandoning Facebook altogether. The problem seems to be about Google’s decision — conscious or otherwise — to not accept Facebook’s advertiser agreement, which includes a variety of rules […]
Google Maps has added a fuel calculator widget to the bottom of your driving directions, at least in the UK. For example, if you are driving from Manchester to Edinburgh and scroll down to the bottom of the driving directions you will find a link to the fuel cost estimates. If you click on the […]
The Google AdWords Blog announced a few new features recently added to the new keyword tool released in September 2009. The new features come from feedback from the AdWords community and include: Search for keywords in your list by inclusion or exclusion search boxes Expand your keyword list with a new “more like this” button […]
There are a number of critical articles, even complaints, coming out of yesterday’s Yahoo press event featuring new Chief Product Officer Blake Irving. The main portion of the event had Irving and CTO Raymie Strata discussing Yahoo strategy and reiterating that Yahoo wasn’t simply a media company but a company with deep technology as well. […]
“We celebrate our failures,” Google CEO Eric Schmidt said yesterday when speaking at the Techonomy confernce, in response to the surprise closure of his company’s Google Wave product. When it comes to failures, Google’s celebrating more than you might realize.
Last May Google Wave was unveiled as a new communication platform and positioned as a successor to both email and instant messaging. It was also a powerful, real-time collaboration tool. It did other things too. Perhaps that was the problem; it offered too many possibilities. Beyond that people didn’t necessarily see the need for Wave, […]
Wolfram|Alpha, the fact engine has released a neat new feature today. Wolfram|Alpha is allowing anyone to build query driven widgets that can be embedded on any web page. The purpose is to enable publishers, bloggers, professors, teachers and so on to easily build quick widgets to add to their content and materials. You can build […]
It’s Day 2 of Google I/O, Google’s annual developers conference. The morning keynote gets underway at 8:30AM Pacific. What to expect? How about Google TV? An Android Tablet? TechCrunch found evidence that’s what we may be hearing about. We’ll see shortly. My liveblogging begins, below. Those at home can also watch live. I/O sessions are […]
At the end of next month, September 30, Google will expand the current “developer preview” of Google Wave to roughly 100,000 consumer users. According to Google, “included in this group of early testers will be some of the businesses using Google Apps.” In anticipation of this wider release, Danny and I got some time with Lars Rasmussen […]
A little more than three months after its launch, Wolfram Alpha is getting smarter, bigger (in a couple ways), and busier. That’s the word from Stephen Wolfram in a blog post about the site’s progress so far. Not mentioned in his post is an unconfirmed report from TechCrunch that Wolfram Alpha also has a licensing […]
This morning Google is rolling out a program in Australia enabling developers to create “social gadgets” that permit sharing, collaboration and groups on the iGoogle homepage. The social gadgets will come to the US and other markets in the future, but the timing is undetermined. I spoke yesterday with Google’s Marissa Mayer about the new […]
The Google AdWords API Blog announced the new AdWords API v2009. The new API promises “more speed, scale, and flexibility to developers, at a lower cost.” The AdWords API v2009 will ultimately replace version 13, and there are “significant” differences between the two. The biggest additions include: Partial failure acceptance – We plan to support […]
Against the backdrop of this week’s eMetrics conference, Google has announced a pair of advanced features that are coming soon to Google Analytics. And they’re specifically warning that these are for advanced users. The first, Pivoting and Secondary Dimensions, is described this way: “You can use these new power features to do in-depth, on-the-fly analysis […]
Microsoft today released version 2.0 of its Live Search API, also called “Silk Road,” that offers support for multiple data exchange protocols, access to more search resources and the ability for developers to pull in ads to help monetize search applications they build.
To build, or not to build, that is the question (with apologies to Shakespeare): Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous SEM Tools, Or to take arms against a sea of in-house engineers…… I know more than a few in-house SEMers. Many of them insist on building in-house […]
The Google Reader Blog announced they have added a few features to improve the flexibility of sharing your feeds with your friends. With the new feature, you can now manage your “Friends list” in Google Reader, separate from your Gmail chat contacts. Why is that important? Well, when Google Reader first released friend share items, […]
Yahoo has announced the winners of the SearchMonkey Developer Challenge. The judges, including our very own Danny Sullivan, reviewed “hundreds of submissions” and selected five winners. The winners include: StumbleUpon for building the SU Infobar that shows you “website reviews and ratings” before you click on the search results in Yahoo. This tool received the […]
iGoogle is one of the most interesting products at the search engine. Reportedly the fastest growing of Google’s offerings, it’s a personal start page or dashboard, but with potential to evolve into something more. Today Google announced “a sandbox for developers that helps them build richer gadgets for iGoogle, which will offer users more powerful […]
Eytan Seidman, Program Management Director over core relevance for Microsoft Live Search, is leaving Microsoft (and Seattle) after six and a half years and heading to New York to work on a start up with his brother. I talked to him about life at Microsoft, the birth of Live Search, and singing karaoke in New […]
Dow Jones reports (shorter Wall Street Journal version here) that some software developers are experiencing considerable frustration writing for Google’s much-touted Android mobile platform. “Functionality is not there, is poorly documented or just doesn’t work. It’s clearly not ready for prime time,” said one of the developers quoted in the story, which acknowledges that early […]
Flickr just announced the launch of Flickr Stats for Flickr Pro accounts. Who doesn’t love stats? Now having them on my Flickr account makes me incredibly happy. Here is a detailed look at what Flickr Stats has to offer on the day it launched.
As expected, the much-discussed Google social play turns out to be an alliance with other companies to open up social networks and their data to developers. TechCrunch and the New York Times both have early news of an expected announcement tomorrow on how Google, along with partners like Ning, Linked In, Friendster, and others, will […]
The Google Lat Long Blog announced a new feature available on Google Maps that enables you to add “Mapplets” directly on the “My Maps” section. These Mapplets, often referred to as mashups, allow you to add data on top of the maps. Some of the data overlays include real estate listings, jogging trails, events and […]
How do you help encourage the growth of a widgets or gadgets ecosystem? Being big is a good, natural start. It has helped people flock to develop Facebook applications or Yahoo Widgets or Google Gadgets, just for exposure to the traffic at these places. But Google wants to encourage with more than traffic. Now it’s […]
Being a non-developer I was a bit of a fish out of water at Google Developer Day yesterday. The event, which took place in the 10 countries where Google has offices, was intended to showcase Google Gears and the company’s various APIs. I attended the event in California, which was moved from Google’s Mountain View […]
Philipp Lenssen reports that Google launched a new blog named the Google Test Blog. The Welcome to the Google Testing Blog by Google Engineer, Allen Hutchison, explains that Google will be sharing their debugging and testing experiences with the public.
A new site SuggestLocal seeks to solve the problem of figuring out where to go and what to do with a group of colleagues or friends. The site isn’t focused on rating local venues (it incorporates Yahoo ratings); rather it’s focused on enabling collaboration and helping people make group decisions, which is notoriously difficult. Users […]
Philipp Lenssen reports that Google Maps has added a very useful feature to Google Maps. You can now plot multiple destinations for your trip. For example, I plotted a trip from my office, to a 100 Broadway, NY, NY and then to 14 Avenue R, Brooklyn, NY. Small feature, but very useful feature, that almost […]
The Google Custom Search Blog announces new features that help you communicate and collaborate with those individuals who want to help improve your Google Custom Search Engine. The improvements include: View email addresses of new and old contributors Email announcements of accepted invitations to contribute View sites each contributor added to your custom search engine