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Google Zerg Rush: That was an order, soldier
Zerg Rush is Google's latest easter egg and it's admittedly a little late for the holiday itself. Search for the term (it's a Starcraft thing), and you'll be welcomed by a point-and-shoot mini-game where your enemy is an infinite number of color-coded, marauding o's. These will proceed to decimate your search results, which is currently a bizarre meta view of people explaining the game's existence. Get your trigger finger ready -- the internet needs you. (You also can publish your final score with pride on Google Plus.) [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Google's iOS search app gets a major overhaul, brings instant goodies to iPad users
Dismayed that Google's previous iOS tablet app was merely a thin wrapper around a glorified web view? That duress ends today, as the company's just released a significant overhaul to its mobile search app -- one that, frankly, makes it worthy of your home screen. Headlining the release is the ability to view search results in a slidable tab, enabling you to quickly oscillate between search results and those you've tapped. Also present are instant searches, which pre-load results as you type, and previews which visually display findings in a spiffy carousel. If you're already sold, take it for a spin at the source links below, but before you go, peep the changelog past the break.
Google search promises to get fresh with you
After weathering some less than enthusiastic receptions to Gmail and Google Reader revamps, not to mention the long awaited launch of a Gmail app for the iPhone, the Google upgrade train just keeps on rolling along. This time out, Mountain View is targeting its real bread and butter: search. Google is harnessing its Caffeine indexing system to offer up fresher results -- a change that will apparently affect around 35 percent of the site's searches. The new results include more up to the minute results, prioritization for recent happenings and more frequent updates.
Google encrypts search for users, paranoiacs unsure how to respond
When Al Gore first created the internet (hard wink, everybody), we're pretty sure the plan was for Big Brother to collect your data, not Silicon Valley titans. Now Google, the company that mainly tends the gates to the web's vast array of information, is stepping up to its "Do No Evil" motto, and making encrypted search the norm -- for account users. While Gmail's long had SSL set as a default login, good ol' Joe Public's had to specifically access Mountain View's dedicated encrypted search page for anonymous surfing privileges. No longer, as Gmail users signed in to Goog's suite of web services will be automatically redirected to https://www.google.com where their searches and results will be hidden from prying eyes. The protection doesn't extend out to web advertisements, so those specific clicks will deliver the same metric-relevant info that helps marketers optimize their hyper-targeting. Any of that put you conspiracy theorists at ease? Good, now you can open those curtains again.
Google acquires Zagat: good news for foodies, bad news for Yelp?
Long before Yelp, there was Zagat -- a point-based restaurant rating guide, compiled from the best (or worst, depending) crowdsourced reviews. Today, Google has acquired the brand and plans to integrate Zagat's now expanded shopping, eating, drinking and hotel tips into both search and maps. For gastronomes, travelers and locals, that means crowdsourced tips for superb noms and activity recommendations from around the world. Sounds great, guys, as long as your new found friendship helps us find the best bacon-flavored ice cream cone, we're all for it.
New Google search app for Android gets outed, pulled
While not in the realm of some of Sony Ericsson's gaffes -- as far as pulled images and news, that is -- Google did its level best by throwing up a new version of its integrated search app for Android and then promptly pulling it. New features in the magically disappearing app include: a svelte new interface with categorized results which puts web hits up top then contacts and more in the rows below. Also added is the ability to long press search history to remove questionable search items and country-specific results in countries with Google domains -- think Google.ca, Google.ch, and so on. This may be part of the big search monster's ongoing efforts to "evolve the Google design and experience" across all platforms. Sadly, search fanatics out there will have to wait to get their hands on this as Google fixes whatever evolutionary gremlins have wandered into its code.
Babalu! Google celebrates Lucille Ball's 100th birthday doodle-style
Well, would you look at that? Two of our favorite entertainers, Lucile Ball and the World Wide Web, share a birthday. Of course, the former Mrs. Desi Arnaz would have about 80 years on the old web if she were alive today, but there's no reason the two can't get along, right? That's Google's stance anyway, as the internet giant's dedicated its latest doodle to the memory of the fiery ginger comedienne. If you love Lucy as much as we do, hit the source link, grab some popcorn and cozy up to that tiny TV to watch some of her very finest comedic performances. [Thanks, Bedan]
Google search opens SCADA systems to doomsday scenarios
Google, the service so great it became a verb, can now add security risk to its roster of unintended results. The search site played inadvertent host to remotely accessed Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems in a Black Hat conference demo led by FusionX's Tom Parker. The security company CTO walked attendees through the steps required to gain control of worldwide utility infrastructure -- power plants, for one -- but stopped short of actually engaging the vulnerable networks. Using a string of code, unique to a Programmable Logic Controller (the computers behind amusement park rides and assembly lines) Parker was able to pull up a water treatment facility's RTU pump, and even found its disaster-welcoming "1234" password -- all through a Google search. Shaking your head in disbelief? We agree, but Parker reassured the crowd these types of outside attacks require a substantial amount of effort and coordination, and "would be extremely challenging to pull off." Panic attack worn off yet? Good, now redirect those fears to the imminent day of robot-helmed reckoning.
Google refines search experience for big-fingered tablet owners
Having trouble selecting those tiny links with your big, ol' digits on that swanked-out slab? Don't you worry, Google's just made some slate-friendly improvements to its bread and butter search site, and it's available for iPad and Honeycomb 3.1+ users. On deck for this UI refresh: a much simplified search results page, larger-sized buttons and text, and a quick access button located below the search box that skips you off to "Images, Videos, Places, Shopping and more." There's also been some visual tweaks made to its image search results, with enlarged previews, faster thumbnail loading and continuous scrolling. If you're not seeing this overhauled layout just yet, sit tight -- the update's expected to roll out in the next few days.
Google pulls co.cc subdomains from search, brings our global malware nightmare to an end
Google's been on a creative tear lately, rolling out new products and revamping older ones. But there's a reason the phrase "search giant" is synonymous with Big G, and it's always working to return better results. Sometimes that means tweaking its algorithm to prevent SEO-gaming; other times it means dropping over 11 million sites from search results, as the company just did in blocking the .co.cc subdomain. Google classifies it as a "freehost" -- it belongs to a Korean company that provides free or cheap domains, often bulk-registered -- and after automated scanning revealed a high percentage of malware-hosting sites, decided to scrub the entire lot from its results. Of course, this is something like using a nuclear weapon against cockroaches: it causes a lot of collateral damage, while your real target scurries to its next hideout. Still, we wish Google well in its bravely quixotic mission.
What do you love, asks Google with a new portal to its many web services
Say hello to your new online friend, wdyl.com. An eagle-eyed TechCrunch tipster spotted this freshly launched Google portal, whose purpose it seems to be to gather up all of the company's multifarious web services under one umbrella. A Google search for Google products, in other words. Punching in a topic brings up its popularity in Google Trends, lets you set up Google Alerts, plan related events in Google Calendar, email someone in Gmail, or hit up Picasa, YouTube or Google News with the same query. You get the picture. It hasn't yet been made official and hitting up the site without the "www." prefix throws up a bad URL error at the moment, but it's there and seemingly fully functional. Give it a try and let us know which search terms bring up the most humorous results.
Verbalizer: the open-source wireless microphone of your Arduino-loving dreams
Google's Voice Search for desktop is nifty and all, but what it's really been lacking is a worthy way to trigger it into action. The Verbalizer is an open-source dev board made specifically to be used with the search giant's new tools from up to ten meters away. This microphone-shaped piece of circuitry was made with Arduino compatibility in mind, which means that voice search is just the beginning. The company (who happens to be the same folks behind the brilliant Instaprint) will be distributing schematics and source code through its website, and promises to give away a "limited run" of kits for free in a drawing starting today. Head on over to the source link if you feel like testing your luck, but not before checking after the break for one more shot of these mini masterpieces on display as well as the nitty gritty PR.
WiMAX PlayBook 4G announcement betrayed by Google search?
Well, we've been waiting for a PlayBook packing something more than WiFi to rear its enterprise-friendly head, and there it is -- sort of. Search Google for "Sprint PlayBook" and the number one (non-sponsored) result is a page "introducing the BlackBerry 4G Playbook tablet," which means the companies are right about on schedule for that promised summer release. Clicking on the link just redirects you to the Sprint homepage for now and, sadly, price and exact ship date are still anyone's guess. There's enough detail in the search snippet to tell us that this is legit and and an announcement page is ready to go, though -- so, WiMAX fans, we hope you like QNX. [Thanks, Josh]
Visualized: Google searches around the globe
You've already seen Android activations mapped around the globe over time, now how about some Google search volumes? Using WebGL and different color crayons for each language, the coders at Mountain View have put together the above Search Globe, which presents a single day's worth of Google queries in a beautiful, skyscraper-infused visualization. Jacking yourself into the source link below (your browser can handle WebGL, right?) will let you twist and turn the model world for a closer exploration of global Google use. And if you get tired of that, there's an alternative map showing world populations over 1990s -- that's available at the second link.
Google Mobile app for iOS gets major revamp, new name
Google has released a major update to the Google Mobile app for iOS, with new features and a new name -- Google Search for iPhone (free). The app has a completely redesigned user interface, and according to the developers, they've improved fast app-switching support. Multi-touch gestures have been added -- to make a search more specific, you swipe right on the results that appear, and a vertical toolbar appears allowing you to focus on places, images, news, shopping (both in stores and online), videos, Twitter and Facebook updates, blogs or discussions. A downward swipe lets you access settings and log into your Google account. Even the help system is different in Google Search for iOS. When you tap on the question mark icon to display help, a transparent window with glowing blue spots overlaying areas of the user interface appears. Touching any of the blue spots displays an explanation of what function the appropriate icon or area performs. The previous app did not support the Google Goggles feature on the iPod touch and iPhone 3G. That has now been remedied, and it's possible to search for items by picture on all of the platforms (note: we have not checked that on the iPad 2). Be sure to take a look at some screenshots from Google Search for iOS in the gallery below. [via MacStories] %Gallery-119135%
Google pulls Recipe View out of the oven
Okay, so this Google announcement doesn't come with some dessert-themed upgrade, but we guarantee you'll be able to find recipes for cupcakes, gingerbread, and maybe even ice cream. Yep, those always-hungry folks in Mountain View are rolling out a new Recipe View tab, which will not only narrow your search results to show cooking recipes, but will also provide some pretty awesome ways to filter down your inevitable query for spaghetti and meatballs. The image above pretty much explains it all -- you can filter down by your ideal ingredients, cooking time, and even the calories count. Google's even making it easier for recipe website developers to add markups to their webpages so that content can eventually appear all nicely sorted on the new search pages. It should all be rolling out as we speak in the US and Japan, which really means you have no choice but to cook tonight.
Google Social Search update makes your friends more relevant, difficult to ignore
Google's been talking up its Social Search function for sometime, but up until now your friends' tweets probably haven't made it to the top of your search results -- unless of course you're besties with TMZ, and you've been searching the Miley Cyrus bong salvia rip again. Thankfully, it looks as if that could change with El Goog's latest update to the socially minded search function, which now mixes updates from your contacts' various online accounts, like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, in with the standard search fare -- pulling them up from their previous position at the bottom of your results. Google's also included a photo and annotation to show the origins of relevant links, and given you the ability to manage how you connect your accounts -- either publicly through your profile or privately through your account. The new functions started rolling out yesterday, which means you could be seeing a whole lot more from those contacts you regretted friending in the first place. Isn't social media a wonderful / disastrous thing?
Google's new Instant Previews taste great with Instant Search and a slice of cheddar
In Google's unending quest to destroy all ad revenue and make sure its users never visit any of the websites they search for, the search giant is launching Instant Previews today. The feature, which adds large previews of websites along the right rail with a simple click of a magnifying glass, has popped up at random for various users over the past couple of months (Google's stealthy testing process), but now it's available to just about everybody. Once it's activated you can tab through the previews with your arrow keys, and Google automatically loads up all the preview images if you look just one (to aid with the "instant" aspect). Expect civilization to come to a grinding halt tomorrow or maybe the day after.
Google Search App bungs Bing on Windows Phone 7 Marketplace
Bing not meeting your needs? Don't fret, Google just pushed its Google Search app for Windows Phone 7 live in Marketplace. A move the mirrors the Bing app availability on the Android Market. The Google Search app utilizes your location to provide local search results and features suggestions as your type and a search history to quickly repeat any previous queries. While there's no way to reassign Google Search to the dedicated search "button" on WP7 devices, you could always pin the app to the Start screen. Unfortunately, we're still not seeing it populated in the UK Marketplace (search for "Google Search") but that should be remedied anytime now.
Google opens Android database at former phone store URL, but only for devices using Google services
Remember when Google opened up its own portal for purchasing the Nexus One? It was January 2010, and the URL was as simple as www.google.com/phone -- ah, those were the days. Of course, the store has been down since late July when the phone sold out (permanently), so what's the company to do with such a catchy web address? Simple: make a database of devices running your über-popular Android OS and help customers both compare and find where to buy. Only, it's not just any devices running the platform: according to the Official Google Mobile blog, "all the phones in the gallery include Android Market, Google Search, and other Google Mobile services such as Gmail, Maps, and YouTube." In other words, no phones that meddle with the Android Vision by opting for Bing or Yahoo instead. Maybe Fascinate can join the ranks after that purported Android 2.2 launch, but for now it's conspicuously absent. Them's the breaks -- still, it's fun to explore and draw up side-by-side comparison charts. Go on, give it a whirl, why don't ya? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]