The Google Weblog
new google news fast

  • Launch: searchmash, an experimental site started by Google

    Uses Ajax and some other web2.0-ish features.

  • News: Google launches "Features, Not Products" initiative

    Sergey Brin is telling employees to stop making old products and start improving new ones. "For example, said Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, Google plans to combine its spreadsheet, calendar and word-processing programs into one suite of Web-based applications."

  • Launch: Google Code Search

    Google now lets you do searches -- including regular expression searches -- across public source code.

  • Preview: Google testing new site design

    James Yu has a screenshot of a new design Google has been testing lately.

  • Launch: Google Pages, new Geocities-style site-building software

    Google has released a new program that gives users 100MB of web space to make simple HTML pages in.

  • Launch: Google running AdWords in newspapers

    Google is buying the leftover ad space in the _Chicago Sun-Times_ and filling it with AdWords ads related to the rest of the content. I wonder how they're going to charge advertisers. The domains posted are the real domains, so it can't exactly be pay-per-click.

  • Launch: Google Music, search for bands and albums

  • Story: Xooglers, Google's former Marketing Director tells his story

    Some great stories about Google's early days, with more to come.

  • Launch: Click-to-Call AdWords, Google will let you call advertisers

    (screenshot)

  • Update: Blind test reveals Google offers best results

    The Search Engine Experiment gives you the results from Yahoo, MSN, and Google without saying which is which. Currently, 41% of those who have taken the test picked Google (33% Yahoo, 26% MSN).

  • Launch: Google Analytics, see the statistics on your website

    A free version of Urchin, a company Google bought. (official blog post)

  • Announce: Google to unwire Mountain View, WiFi on street lamps

    You could also buy equipment to extend it into your house. (proposal)

  • Launch: Google adds Creative Commons support

    The Google advanced search page now lets you limit your search to CC-licensed results.

  • Launch: Google Local Mobile, get Google Maps and more on your mobile phone

    Satellites, drag and drop, and more.

  • Preview: Google on the future of advertising

    In a long New York Times piece, top Googlers speculate about the future of advertising, including Google selling TV ads, using more personalized information, and links to store inventory information.

  • Launch: Google Video adds 450 interviews with top television producers

    (official blog entry)

  • Update: Google "Smart Pricing" charges less for clicks from poorly-converting sites

    Details about how it works in the link.

  • Launch: Frappr, place photos of you and your friends on a Google Map

    (sample map) It uses your zip code to figure out where to place you on the map.

  • News: Google strengthens focus on Greater China

    Appoints "President of Sales and Business Development".

  • News: Google donates $350,000 to open source projects at Oregon State

    (Google blog post)

  • Preview: Google Base, a structured database hosted by Google

    (screenshots) An official statement from Google says the site was designed to "provide content owners an easy way to give us access to their content". (more screenshots)

  • Update: Google briefly releases Google Web Accelerator 2.0

    The product that drove webmasters crazy was back...for a moment, at least.

  • Launch: Google Maps Mainia, a blog covering Google Maps apps

    There sure are a lot -- everything from ZipCars to urinals.

  • Update: Google now helps search for plane tickets

    Search for something like [lax nyc] and Google will help you buy plane tickets for that trip.

  • Update: Google Local adds restaurant details

    Now when you search for restaurants on Google Local (formerly Google Maps), you get details about the restaurant (location, food, reviews) along with its location. (example)

  • Launch: reservemy.com, displays hotels on a Google Maps

    See exactly where the available hotels are on a Google Map.

  • Update: Google adds tagging support

    Tagging has been all over the place recently and apparently Google couldn't resist. Now you can tag sites in your search history for later retrieval.

  • Launch: Google RSS Reader

    Google joins the already crowded RSS aggregator space with their new ajax RSS reader, done in the style of Gmail. Blogger project manager Jason Shellen led the project.