When the New York Times reported that Google is "trying again in social networking," I thought it meant a significant new product on the level of Chrome or Picasa. Then I read down further: "Google’s +1 is remarkably similar to Facebook’s Like button," except that you're "liking" search results. It's personalized search. When you find a store, news article, recipe, photo, advertisement, etc. and … [Read more...] about Google’s new social tool ‘+1’
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K-12 artists can doodle for Google
You've noticed how the Google home page logo gets dressed up for holidays and big news events, right? Well, Googlers themselves aren't the only ones who can do that. Students can too – right now! Google has a contest for US K-12 students every year called Doodle 4 Google, and this year's deadline for registering is coming up fast: March 2. All the info and necessary forms – entry, parental … [Read more...] about K-12 artists can doodle for Google
Google’s new Family Safety Center
The search giant and parent of YouTube, Picasa, Buzz, etc. today launched its new "one-stop shop" for online and on-phone safety for parents. The two things I like about the Family Safety Center most are 1) the video that pulls together good ideas about kid safety from parents at Google, including CEO Eric Schmidt (on the Safety Center's main page) and the way the FAQ puts safety info for all key … [Read more...] about Google’s new Family Safety Center
Social Web privacy: A new kind of social contract we’re all signed onto
1993: In a famous New Yorker cartoon, a dog at a computer says to his canine buddy looking up from the floor, "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog." Fast-forward 13 years.... 2006: "On the Internet, EVERYBODY knows you're a dog," declares the subhead to a Michael Kinsley essay in which he wondered at how narcissistic the social Web was (before that became a cliché). Fast-forward only … [Read more...] about Social Web privacy: A new kind of social contract we’re all signed onto
Better teen privacy in Google’s Buzz
Google's Buzz, which makes its Gmail much more social, didn't get off to a great start, where kids' privacy was concerned. But Google has made serious strides toward fixing that, and the "Buzz Teen Safety Tips" video it just put on YouTube takes 2 minutes to show you what I mean. If your teens are using Buzz (the minimum age is 13, as with most social Web services), you might watch the video to … [Read more...] about Better teen privacy in Google’s Buzz