Blog.outer-court.com -- Google "coming soon" tech teasers/rumours

[Darren Dirt]

Google Offline Word Processor?

Photoactive in the forum posts an error message he came across in Google Docs & Spreadsheets:

We're sorry, but we were unable to upload this document.

If you have the desktop word processor installed on this computer, there are two other easy ways to bring the file into Google Docs & Spreadsheets

Photoactive asks "'If you have THE desktop word processor installed' . . .?" and Pd replies, "maybe google is bringing together a client side install to work offline mode too ??" Google's office is web-based today, but I'll repeat what I've said: "Google also knows that sometimes, people are offline, and slowly, one after another, they prepare their tools for it. If Microsoft Office can do it with calendars and spreadsheets and emails and databases, they want to be able to do it, too..."



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What's Google Drive? *
Google Drive (not to be confused with Google's existing internal Gdrive project, code-named Platypus) is a web application to allow Google users -- those with a Google account -- to store their files, accessible everywhere. Let's hand out 100 Gigabytes for starters, just to have some wow factor like when Gmail was released (and like Gmail, Google Drive ought to start out as invite-only Beta).

Other potential product names for this service are e.g. Gdrive, Google Files, Gfiles, Google Store, Google Zone, Google Data, Gvault, G:\, or Google Storage.


* "...all descriptions are hypothetical, and any similarity to actual products, living or dead, is purely coincidental." (but really, how long before something like this is actually offered by Da G?)

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Forget Gapminder, Google Acquires Adscape, Too

This deal was rumored for a while now; Adscape Media is the company tackling the niche of in-game advertisement (think AdSense at the walls of your favorite 3D shooter, I suppose!). Google provides a little FAQ regarding the acquisition.


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( More @ http://blog.outer-court.com/ -- found via the secret webpage pulls within the "Google Brain" -- parody? homage? -- video) also see: Handy list of blogs by Google engineers etc.

[Darren Dirt]

^ and I think the above blog deserves the award for Most Ingenius Design For The "Archive" Section


PS: Considering some of our surfing addiction levels, I wonder if this Cat and Girl comic is profound/funny/sad or all 3 to most of us...

PPS: And for that same info-addicted group of us, a cautionary tale.

[Darren Dirt]

Google TV? Recent streaming network shows with embedded ads?

Hoax or true?

"Google TV Beta NOT A Hoax" :-\



Apparently the "beta invite easter egg" is a hoax (the guy promoting the "egg" also says Minesweeper* has one too)... but a soon-to-come GoogleTV product is indeed *real*.


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*"Mark Erickson" is smrt... (Seriously though, he's freakin' hilarious, his deadpan satire, for example: his DST solution site)

[Darren Dirt]

a soon-to-come GoogleTV product is indeed *real*.

Google TV not just a rumour... really!
http://www.pcworld.com/article/205035/a_google_tv_refresher_what_we_know_so_far.html

PC World Sep 8, 2010 9:58 am
Google TV's planned fall launch is not news, but given that Google hasn't said much about its television plans since May, it's time for a refresher. Here's a quick rundown of everything to know about Google TV as anticipation grows for the imminent launch of the service...

I wonder how worried Steve Jobs is...

[Mr. Analog]

Google has to demonstrate that their TV offering is really, Really, REALLY easy. People love Apple TV because it's insanely easy. One of my co-workers won't shut up about it at the office. I find streaming from Windows and/or using my PVR is enough.

[Darren Dirt]

Google has to demonstrate that their TV offering is really, Really, REALLY easy. People love Apple TV because it's insanely easy. One of my co-workers won't shut up about it at the office. I find streaming from Windows and/or using my PVR is enough.

But apparently Google TV will do a lot more than just stream video. It will basically make what Steve Jobs said isn't desired, turning the TV into a web computer basically. With lotsa cool stuff beyond just video streaming.

We shall see...



PS: anyone else worried/curious about the new (as of October 2010) privacy policy for Google apps?
http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacypolicy_2010.html
http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacy_changes_2010.html

[Tom]

Google has to demonstrate that their TV offering is really, Really, REALLY easy. People love Apple TV because it's insanely easy. One of my co-workers won't shut up about it at the office. I find streaming from Windows and/or using my PVR is enough.

But apparently Google TV will do a lot more than just stream video. It will basically make what Steve Jobs said isn't desired, turning the TV into a web computer basically. With lotsa cool stuff beyond just video streaming.

We shall see...

You mean like my PVR does already? Whoda thunk! (except web isn't as easy as I'd like there isn't a decent 10' browser yet) I think history will show that Microsoft has generally stuck its foot in its mouth every time it tries to make some kind of claim. I think theres a reason that old 640kb ram quote has stuck around so long (even though Bill Gates never actually said it).

[Darren Dirt]

idk, maybe? see the features described in the 2 links:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/205035/a_google_tv_refresher_what_we_know_so_far.html
 http://www.pcworld.com/article/204959/for_google_tv_a_sharp_turn_away_from_apple_tv.html

history will show that Microsoft has generally stuck its foot in its mouth every time it tries to make some kind of claim. I think theres a reason that old 640kb ram quote has stuck around so long (even though Bill Gates never actually said it).

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bill_Gates#640k
 http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/1997/01/1484

[Lazybones]

If you have telus optik tv you already have Microsoft as your set top box and Telus is using Microsoft media room as its back end. You can also use your xbox 360 as a terminal / extender to the system...

It took a long time for Microsoft to get in there, it will be interesting to see how Google and Apple do... Apple is avoiding the middle man and Google appears to be trying to get in to the set top boxes where Microsoft is already moving in.

[Mr. Analog]

I saw a good post that basically showed the Google interface requiring a keyboard, Apple TV works with a remote and/or is pluggable into iOS devices (iPhone, etc), I think this is where Apple owns and Google might have to surmount.