Google Disables 'Realtime' Search Temporarily

I hope they will resume real-time updates in their Google Search soon. I kinda like this feature. Maybe they will integrate it in their new Google Plus social networking website.

Google Inc. has temporarily shut down a search engine feature that allows users to find real-time updates from Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed and other social networking sites.

A message posted early Monday on Twitter by the team behind Google Realtime says the search feature has been temporarily disabled while Google explores how to incorporate its recently launched Google+ project into the feature. The tweet tells readers to "stay tuned."

The company envisions including Google+ information along with other Realtime data from a variety of sources, said Gabriel Stricker, a Google spokesman.

Google+ is the search giant's latest stab at entering the social networking segment of the Internet. The project was unveiled last week and lets users share things with small groups of people. - AP

source: Philstar

Watch out Facebook Google Buzz is Here

Just saw this news somewhere... Google will give a new spin to their "Gmail" mail services and add a new social-networking feature called ‘Buzz.’

Read the full news here:

SAN FRANCISCO—Google is giving its free email service a "Buzz" by adding social-networking features which could challenge the supremacy of platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Google Buzz product manager Todd Jackson equated the enhanced offering to "an entirely new world in Gmail" during an unveiling presentation on Tuesday at the Internet giant's headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Buzz began rolling out Tuesday with users of Google's Web-based email service getting updates about what friends are doing online and ways to share video, photos and other digitized snippets.

Google's move comes as a direct challenge to social-networking stars Facebook and Twitter, which thrive on enabling people to share experiences, activities and thoughts as they go through their days.

"It could render short-message sites like Twitter redundant," analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley said of Buzz.

"MySpace and Facebook are safe for now.... Folks put up much more personal content than the 140-characters you get on Twitter."

Twitter has become a global sensation by letting people share thoughts, observations or developments in terse text messages, known as tweets, of no more than 140 characters per message.

Buzz feeds Twitter missives into Gmail, eliminating the need for people to visit the Twitter website to post updates or see those sent by people they have selected to follow, according to Enderle.

"I expect experimentation but not wholesale switching in the foreseeable future," said Forrester media analyst Augie Ray. "Buzz could end up supplementing rather than replacing users' other social networks for now."

Buzz is tailored to work on smartphones, meaning users can tap into real-time posts on the move. Geo-location capabilities of smart phones let people see what those nearby are buzzing about.

"This is Google being the biggest player on the Web," a one-stop shop for online users, Enderle said.

"If they can capture and index information as it is created then no one should be able to touch them."

As is the case with wildly popular micro-blogging service Twitter, Buzz lets users "follow" people that share updates with the world.

It goes beyond status updates by letting people "pull in" images, video or other data from websites including Picasa, Flickr, Twitter and Google Reader, according to Jackson.

"In today's world of status messages, tweets and update streams, it's increasingly tough to sort through it all, much less engage in meaningful conversations," Jackson said.

"Our belief is that organizing the social information on the web -- finding relevance in the noise -- has become a large-scale challenge, one that Google's experience in organizing information can help solve.

Yahoo! more than a year ago added Updates social features to its free email and other online services. Approximately 300 million people worldwide use Yahoo! Mail, according to the Internet pioneer.

Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube are among more than 200 third-party websites that can feed photos, video, messages or other information to Yahoo! Updates.

In what could signal an escalating battle between Google and Facebook, the leading social-networking service celebrated its sixth birthday last week with changes that included a new message inbox that echoes the Gmail format.

Facebook boasts some 400 million users while Gmail had 176 million unique visitors in December, according to tracking firm comScore.

source: inquirer.net
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8 Things That Suck About the iPad

Gizmodo posted 8 things why iPad sucks. I think they have a point so here's are some things to ponder before an Apple iPad.

Big, Ugly Bezel
Have you seen the bezel on this thing?! It's huge! I know you don't want to accidentally input a command when your thumb is holding it, but come on.

- i also think that it's a bit big especially for us Asians. It would be nice if it will have a little handle or if they will redesign it so we can easily grip or hold it while doing something else like using our phone... etc.

No Multitasking
This is a backbreaker. If this is supposed to be a replacement for netbooks, how can it possibly not have multitasking? Are you saying I can't listen to Pandora while writing a document? I can't have my Twitter app open at the same time as my browser? I can't have AIM open at the same time as my email? Are you kidding me? This alone guarantees that I will not buy this product.

- well if you cant multitask on a system like this then it beats the purpose of having a computer work for you. I usually listen to my music while working on my document and at the same time surfing the net. If I cant do all these in the iPad then i think i rather buy a more powerful notebook or laptop than buying an iPad.

No Cameras
No front facing camera is one thing. But no back facing camera either? Why the hell not? I can't imagine what the downside was for including at least one camera. Could this thing not handle video iChat?

- mobile phones already have cameras today even the new generation of iTouch has one. Why cant they include a camera??? hmmm i simply dont get it...

Touch Keyboard
So much for Apple revolutionizing tablet inputs; this is the same big, ugly touchscreen keyboard we've seen on other tablets, and unless you're lying on the couch with your knees propping it up, it'll be awkward to use.

- Well, like most people out there who enjoys the tapping sound of their keyboard i think they should include an option where people can use a keyboard aside from the touchscreen keyboard on the iPad.

No HDMI Out
Want to watch those nice HD videos you downloaded from iTunes on your TV? Too damned bad! If you were truly loyal, you'd just buy an AppleTV already.

The Name iPad
Get ready for Maxi pad jokes, and lots of 'em!

- are they running out of cool names for their products? iPad... hmmm... not that cool...

No Flash
No Flash is annoying but not a dealbreaker on the iPhone and iPod Touch. On something that's supposed to be closer to a netbook or laptop? It will leave huge, gaping holes in websites. I hope you don't care about streaming video! God knows not many casual internet users do. Oh wait, nevermind, they all do.

- how can i watch my fav. vids online or watch youtube if there's no flash??? tell me how? HOW???

Adapters, Adapters, Adapters
So much for those smooth lines. If you want to plug anything into this, such as a digital camera, you need all sorts of ugly adapters. You need an adapter for USB for god's sake.

- i hate adapaters or other kinds of wired... they're messy... that's it!

Update: Why stop at 8? Here are more things we are discovering that suck about the iPad.

It's Not Widescreen
Widescreen movies look lousy on this thing thanks to its 4:3 screen, according to Blam, who checked out some of Star Trek on one. It's like owning a 4:3 TV all over again!

Doesn't Support T-Mobile 3G
Sure, it's "unlocked." But it won't work on T-Mobile, and it uses microSIMs that literally no one else uses.

A Closed App Ecosystem
The iPad only runs apps from the App Store. The same App Store that is notorious for banning apps for no real reason, such as Google Voice. Sure, netbooks might not have touchscreens, but you can install whatever software you'd like on them. Want to run a different browser on your iPad? Too bad!

Apple announced iPad Tablet

Just as expected, Apple announced their newest product - the iPad tablet. It's not everyday that you see something innovating like the iPad tablet. The iPad tablet is actually running a UI very similar to the iPhone's and is compatible with all its applications.

Plus enjoy the benefits of online stores: iTune store, Application Store and their latest - the iBook store!

Watch this official introduction video and fall in love with Apple's iPad! Price starts at $499... I want my own iPad Tablet NOW!!! Got to start saving now!!!

SkyCable internet service will be called SkyBroadband

Currently SkyCable offers the ZPDee internet which offers 12-mbps speed broadband that can carry heavy online data as much as four times faster than their residential direct subscriber line (DSL) counterpart.

Although SkyCable ZPDee offers fast-speed internet service they only have one percent of their 400,000 cable subscribers sign up for their broadband internet service. I wonder if it's because they are also one of those companies that doesnt live up to their promises.

Anyway, SkyCable's internet business will now be called SkyBroadband and they are offering a 15-day trial of their SkyBroadband internet service to selected SkyCable subscribers which is initially available in Makati, Manila, Muntinlupa, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Las Piñas, Parañaque, and Pasay.

"We want to be known not just a cable TV company. Investments may amount to P500 million until next year for our SkyBroadband offering," According to Montinola.

Sad... I dont know anyone here in our area that has Sky Cable, I dont even know if Sky Cable is available here. I only know 2 cable providers here in our area which are Destiny cable and another cable provider, i forgot the name...

Am I doomed to stick with Smartbro internet connection? Sigh...

12-mbps speed broadband by Skycable

MANILA, Philippines - Skycable is seeking to increase its share of the fixed-line broad-band Internet market with the launch of its new Sky Broadband service, said to be four times faster than offerings from its rivals.

In a briefing Monday, the cable TV brand of Lopez-owned Central CATV, Inc. said the service features Internet speeds of up to 12 megabytes per second (mbps), compared with the maximum three mbps now available for residential broadband subscribers.

"We are looking at a significant increase in our subscriber base," SkyCable Vice-President for Marketing Rodrigo P. Montinola said.

The company said it would spend P500 million until 2009 to upgrade its cable modem terminal services. The service will be available in seven different packages that cost P1,000 to P6,000 a month, with connection speeds of one mbps to 12 mbps. — Paolo Luis G. Montecillo, BusinessWorld

I am looking forward to their services. I dont have that much choices when it comes to internet providers here in our area and seeing this news makes me happy. Currently digitel and smartbro are the only internet providers available here in our area and fyi I am using smartbro now and we all know that their services really sucks. About a month ago I was considering to change my internet provider to Digitel but a lot of friends complained about how slow and unstable their Digitel connection is. I hope these internet provider companies will not just brag about how affordable their offers are but provide the best services that we consumers deserves.

Smaller and faster gadgets

Your next MP3 players, mobile phones and other gadgets could become smaller, faster and more energy efficient. Let's not stop there, future gadgets could have improved battery life and a lot cheaper. All thanks to a new computer design technique created by Edinburgh scientists.

They have developed a way to cut production costs and make the modern technology more efficient using their new computerized design process. With their new computerized design process they will able to provide the optimum result for a specific function and identify which combination of components can be used that can give them good performance and energy efficiency.

Dr Timothy Jones, of Edinburgh University's school of informatics, who led the research, said: "Using our method would enable designers to choose the best combination of components for their needs. For consumers, this means faster, smaller devices, producing less heat and with improved battery life."

This means that designers can now use this tool to pinpoint which processor they can use with which compiler to meet their requirements for new, improved products for the market. The development of this tool can also be used to extend battery life and cut production costs.

Fake YouTube pages used to spread viruses

I saw this news at GMANEWS.TV its scary how criminals are getting better at creating bogus site like youtube and using it in their own agenda. Read the rest of the news and you will surely think twice before you click another link again.

SAN FRANCISCO - Savvy Internet users know that downloading unsolicited computer programs is one of the most dangerous things you can do online. It puts you at great risk for a virus or another time bomb from a hacker.

But even some sophisticated surfers could get taken in by a sneaky new attack in which criminals create fake YouTube pages — dead-on replicas of the real site — to push their malicious software and make it look like it's safe stuff coming from a trusted source.

A program circulating online helps hackers build those fake pages. Users who follow an e-mail pointing them to one of the pages would see an error message that claims the video they want won't play without installing new software first. That error message includes a link the hacker has provided to a malicious program, which delivers a virus.

Even worse: once the computer is infected, it's simple for the hacker to silently redirect the victims to a real YouTube page to see videos they were hoping to see — and hide the crime.

"It's spot-on accurate, and that is scary," said Jamz Yaneza, threat research manager for security software company Trend Micro Inc. "If I were watching YouTube videos all day I would probably click on this one."

The tactic itself isn't new: There's a constant push by criminals to build more convincing spoofs of legitimate sites to trick people into downloading harmful software. And the latest attacks don't target any vulnerability in the YouTube site.

But it highlights the fact that criminals are getting better at creating bogus sites and developing so-called "social engineering" methods to fool people.

Fortunately, truly alert Internet users can still see the telltale warning signs with the fake YouTube pages. For one, the Web browser won't show the real YouTube's Internet address. And to even see the malicious page, you have to first follow a link that's sent to you, which is often a tip-off that you should independently verify whether the site is legitimate.

source: GMANEWS.TV