Google Celebrates Pac-Man's 30th Anniversary With Style

Google is always making the front page view in order to remember the special birthday of the great world or important events of the world. PAC-MAN is born from the line dot matrix in the decade 80?an, Pac-man in those days to be friends / best friend for the video game maniac who might play it every day. Namco as well as publishers game developers may not expect if charcter that can be mimicked by even elementary school children can survive, and even evolve to this day.

Recently, the Guinness book of world records gamer edition provides an appreciation for the Pac-man as the most popular video game character of all time, even pac man managed to surpass Mario bross which was the second after the pac-man.

A playable … logo? That’s exactly what web giant Google has today, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man’s Japanese release. The doodle (Google’s term for its event and holiday-specific logos) is accessible on its main page and is a full 255-level game complete with a 256th level “kill screen,” just like the original coin-op.

The interactive doodle — a first for Google — is the brainchild of senior user experience designer Marcin Wichary, whose earliest exposure to Pac-Man came at age five while traveling across his native Poland with his father, a game technician, to repair arcade machines. Wichary worked with Google doodler (yes, it’s a real job) Ryan Germick to create the finished design.

On this day 30 years ago, the Japanese released one of their most valuable gifts to America: Pac-Man. The iconic video game has been enjoyed by generations of players, and it seems to be getting better with age.

In tribute to the game’s milestone, Google has reinvented it’s daily design by making it interactive. For all those looking to waste some time, just click on the elaborate Google logo and get ready to guide Mr. Pac-Man through a maze of fun!

To play the game, go to google.com/google.co.uk during the next 48 hours (a day longer than usual because – as Google explains – “it’s too cool to keep for just one day) and either press the “Insert Coin” button or just wait for a few seconds.

Toru Iwatani, in 1979, created Pac-Man as a young Namco designer, and perhaps unknowingly began the Pac-fever, which hasn’t necessarily stopped in today’svideo game world of realistic game play and high tech graphics.

And even back in the 80s when home video game consoles like Atari and Nintendo made their way into the consumers’ market and arcades’ bad reputation of being unsafe places, Pac-Man faced difficult competition but remained strong and popular. In the 90’s, two-player fighting games like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat threatened its popularity, but kids waiting their turn or roaming around through the machines always seemed to make their way to a Pac-Man machine and fight colored ghosts.

EWEEK has been tracking the news leading up to this third I/O event and most of the news signs center around Android. Google I/O last year brought the world Google Wave, sparking a love affair with real-time collaboration software for the next six months. Now Wave rarely registers as a blip on most high-tech watchers radar despite having more than 1 million users.

One thing that seems certain to launch at Google I/O this Wednesday is Android 2.2, or Froyo, as it’s called.

Google I/O last year brought the world Google Wave, sparking a love affair with real-time collaboration software for the next six months. Now Wave rarely registers as a blip on most high-tech watchers radar despite having more than 1 million users.

One thing that seems certain to launch at Google I/O this Wednesday is Android 2.2, or Froyo as it’s called.

Another big rumor is that Google TV, or at least a flavor of Android running on set-top boxes will make its debut at the event.

Google TV, as it is currently known, is a platform and service that will run Web applications through set-top boxes and onto televisions.

April Fool!: Google calls itself 'Topeka' for day

Google will be changing its name effective immediately to Topeka as a way to honor the great capital of Kansas, the city of Topeka! Google, I mean, Topeka also announced the names for Google products like Topeka News, Topeka Maps or Topeka Talk.

Topeka Google Mayor Bill Bunten said: “Don’t be fooled. Even Google recognizes that all roads lead to Kansas, not just yellow brick ones.” And Googlers will now be called Topekers or Topekans. Google’s April Fools prank is kind of lame this year. Who wins? Topeka’s citizens will see their “little” town in the news all over the world on April Fools’ Day.

In more Google fun, if maps and gmail and docs and all those other Google functions aren’t enough for you, perhaps you would like Sergey and Larry to help you communicate with those who don’t speak your language.

Google Plans To Deliver 1Gb/sec Fiber-Optic Broadband Network To More Than 50,000 Homes

Google wants the development to spur people into building new applications that are bandwidth intensive, as well as spurring itself to experiment with deployment techniques.

Google has announced plans to build and test a number of ultra high-speed broadband networks across the United States.

The experimental networks are expected to deliver Internet speeds that are 100 times faster than the average connection, with 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections.

Google is getting into the broadband business. The company plans to deploy its own “experimental” fiber-optic network to at least 50,000 homes, perhaps as many as 500,000. The fiber-optic network will deliver speeds of 1 gigabit-per-second, which is more than 20 times faster than residential fiber optic services offered today in the U.S.

Given that the purpose of my new watchdog site www.GoogleMonitor.com is making Google more transparent and accountable — I offer some pertinent questions people may want to ask Google about its new high-profile broadband plans.

1. Does Google now believe that broadband facilities-based competition works, given that Google is freely able to enter the broadband market as a facilities-based provider itself?
2. Will Google submit to the FCC’s regulatory jurisdiction?
3. Will Google no longer seek to exempt itself from all the FCC’s proposed Open Internet regulations?
4. Will Google allow competing search engines on its broadband network and agree to not monitor searches conducted through competitors?
5. Would Google’s opaque search algorithms, ad auctions, and quality scores be subject to the FCC’s proposed Open Internet transparency regulations?
6. Is Google committed to following through with this, or is this another PR stunt like Google’s failed public plans to create a WiFi broadband network for all of San Francisco?
7. Will Google give priority in its build out to the ~5% of American communities who have no broadband access at all?
8. Will Google give priority in its build-out to what NTIA considers under-served communities?
9. Will Google publicly pledge to not “redline” neighborhoods but serve all people in a community?
10. With over 150 million Americans who use Google’s services, and with over $10b in annual free cash flow, and ~$20b in cash on hand, why is Google only committing to make its ultra-fast broadband available to only 1 in 6,000 Americans and no more than 1 in 600 at most? Why is Google thinking so small when it believes the problem is so large?
11. Does Google plan to provide human customer service for its broadband services or only its current web-automated Q&A service?
12. Will Google have the highest early termination fees in the industry like it did with Nexus One?
13. Will Google agree to serve all customers or will it maintain that it can block calls as it chooses from high cost users like it currently does with Google Voice?
14. Will Google contribute to Universal Service?
15. Will Google abide by the FCC’s privacy regulations (sections 222 & 551 and the ECPA) and not collect and personally identifiable information without permission?
16. Will Google’s broadband network make copies of all users’ internet traffic via deep packet inspection like Google Chrome currently keeps record of all users’ searches and clickstreams?
17. Will Google broadband customers be given the choice up-front to opt-out from having Google take and use their private information without permission?
18. Will Google offer a “Do Not Track” List option for customers that don’t want Google doing the Google Chrome equivalent of deep packet inspection like NebuAd?
19. Will Google abide by the FCC’s equal opportunity (EEOC) regulations that apply to other broadband carriers?
20. Will Google replace the Domain Name System for its broadband network like it is proposing for the rest of the Internet?
21. Does Google expect the American taxpayer to subsidize their purported broadband network deployment like the American taxpayer had to subsidize Google’s open access proposals in the FCC’s 700 MHz spectrum auction — to the tune of $7b?
22. Will Google decide to build in the community that offers the most tax breaks and public subsidies?
23. Will Google ask the NSA for help in making its broadband network secure from cyberattacks?

Google rolls its own Facebook & Twitter with Gmail "Buzz"

Looking up the word “buzz” in Google, we get several definitions, like the following: “If a place is buzzing with activity or conversation, there is a lot of activity or conversation there, especially because something important or exciting is about to happen.”

Google Buzz allows users to “autofollow” contacts in their Gmail account. It allows users to share Tweets, photos and more! This new service launched today and provides a rich fast sharing experience combining public and private sharing all in your Gmail inbox. Inbox integration is a new feature that allows social interaction within Gmail.

Buzz items can be shared directly in Gmail, but are also pulled in from other social sharing sites, including Twitter, Picasa, YouTube, and Flickr.

What’s particularly cool is that the people you “follow” are auto-generated for you out of your email-based social network. If you communicate with them, they are the seed for your buzz cloud. Over time, as you like or dislike buzz entries from that network, the buzz cloud adapts.

Five years ago, Gmail was just email. Later we added chat and then video chat, both built right in, so people had choices about how to communicate from a single browser window. Today, communication on the web has evolved beyond email and chat — people are sharing photos with friends and family, commenting on news happening around them, and telling the world what they’re up to in real-time. This new social sharing is valuable, but it means there’s a lot more stuff to sort through, and it’s harder to get past status updates and engage in meaningful discussions.

Today, we’re launching Google Buzz, a new way to start conversations about the things you find interesting and share updates, photos, videos and more. Buzz is built right into Gmail, so there’s nothing to set up — you’re automatically following the people you email and chat with the most.

This only works 100% in Google Chrome. If you run the page on Firefox, you won’t get the satisfaction of tossing the elements around!

Google has added to their education/assistance information with the launch of an optimization center for Adwords, an area offering tips and strategies for all levels of Adwords’ users.

The center has gathered information from numerous specialists and categorized it into basic, intermediate and advanced to be accessible to all levels of ppc experience. There are also areas covering each account feature and advertising goals. Some of the center’s navigation points are listed below:

* Ads: Ensure your ads attract the right customers.
* Keywords: Choose relevant keywords that your customers are searching for.
* Targeting: Target the customers who most want to see your ad.
* Bidding & Budgeting: Control ad position and cost.
* Account Structure: Organise your account to mirror your business.

* Improve Return On Investment (ROI): Get more value from your advertising.
* Improve Ad Position: Raise the position of your ads to increase their visibility.
* Increase Sales and Leads: Get more clicks from customers who are ready to buy.
* Improve Click-Through Rate (CTR): Make your ads more relevant to potential customers.

google android based phone

2009 was a strange year in the world of cell phones, Google Android based handsets has been taking the world by storm but would you believe that only 10 were launched. However, things will be a little different in 2010 as more than 50 Android handsets by different vendors will be launched.

If Apple thought that the iPhone was under attack in 2009, then they have not seen anything yet. We know that these handsets did not bother the iPhone this year, but how would the smartphone king be able to handle the assault from 50 Google Android handsets?

We have heard a number of rumors that Apple plan to launch the iPhone 4G in 2010, but this will come at a premium. According to PC World, these new Android smartphones will fall to silly prices in 2010, this could certainly persuade users to make the switch to Android.

We recently mentioned that Android based smartphones would takeover the iPhone in 2012, this is because Apple only have one handset running the iPhone OS, whereas there are more handsets running Android.

This has certainly got me thinking, Apple have done a superb job with just one handset. Apple also has another trick up its sleeve, what if the iPhone was made available to Verizon Wireless users.

Google's Free Holiday Wi-Fi Beats Airport Grinches

Google said Tuesday it will subsidize free wireless network access in 47 airports from now until January 15–and indefinitely in the airports of Burbank, Calif., and Seattle.

The promotion, in cooperation with Boingo Wireless, Advanced Wireless Group, and Airport Marketing Income, is the latest effort to use free Wi-Fi to boost a brand. Among others: Yahoo is sponsoring Wi-Fi in Times Square in New York, and Google is sponsoring Internet access on Virgin America flights during the holidays.

Among the larger participating airports are those in Houston, Boston, Miami, Las Vegas, Nashville, San Diego, Baltimore, and St. Louis. A full list of the airports is at Google’s free holiday Wi-Fi site.

The move, though not cheap, is probably smart. Plenty of business travelers have a laptop and time to kill, and today’s consumers are increasingly likely to be equipped with laptops, iPod Touches, or other devices that can use wireless Internet access. Google is spending some money for an opportunity to give a lot of people the warm fuzzies when they encounter the Google brand.

And in the big picture, Google gets to show people what the world might be like if there were more high-speed wireless Internet access–something the company has been aggressively lobbying for in Washington, D.C. Many people are used to wireless networking in their homes, but it’s a different matter on the road.

There are downsides, though, too. Having been to dozens of conferences where the wireless Net access collapses as soon as the keynote speech begins, I’m acutely aware that providing large-scale wireless Internet access is technically demanding–and people get unhappy when a promised benefit evaporates. And public, anonymous places such as airports and urban population centers are great spots for hackers to launch main-in-the-middle attacks by offering “Free Wi-Fi,” so exercise caution when logging on to these networks.

Elmo From Sesame Street Is Today's Google Logo

Your Elmo’s World, not their Google, without your Elmo on Google. The fun, lovable red muppet, Elmo is a Sesame Street character now in Google’s doodle.

Google continues to hold Sesame Streets ‘40 anniversary with a different character from Sesame Street in your drawing. They will do this through Nov. 10.

Sesame Street superstar, is drawing the character Elmo from Google today. Google already has offered Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie and Oscar the Grouch on the doodle.

The Happy-Go-Lucky, fire red muppet family joined Sesame Street in 1979. Through 1981, Elmo was known as “Little Monster”.

After Kevin Clash took over Elmo’s interpreter in 1985, Elmo’s character grew in depth and popularity. Elmo is now a product and marketing goldmine of Sesame Street.

Each year, products such as Tickle Me Elmo and Elmo Live for sale from shelves. With her positive attitude and child personality, Elmo also helps educate young children.

Recently, the government had Elmo help out with helping to educate children the correct way to sneeze and washing hands to help from getting the flu H1N1 this season.
Elmo Read more about helping to educate children about staying healthy and seeing one of his videos.

It is said that Elmo is only about three years old. This could explain why it is loved by children of all ages.

Elmo is loved by many adults who remain young at heart. Adults can often be caught humming the theme song for the segment of Elmo from Sesame Street, “Elmo’s World”.

Google managed to capture contiguous Elmo laugh famous for drawing the letters in their laughing with Elmo. For now, Google is the Elmo’s World.

Google Dashboard: A Closer Look

Google showed Thursday it’s getting more serious about privacy when it launched a tool called Google Dashboard that aims to give you more control over your personal data stored on Google’s servers. From your Google Dashboard you can view the company’s privacy policies, easily access your most recent activity for each Google service you use, and manage settings for those services. My initial impression is that Dashboard is a quick and easy way to get greater control over your Google Account activity, and even clean up any services you may have forgotten about.

Accessing the Dashboard

To get into Google Dashboard, sign into your Google Account, click on the settings link at Google.com, and select “Google Account Settings.” You can also click on “My Account” from your iGoogle page. This will take you to your Google Account page where you select “View data stored with this account” under “Personal Settings.” Google will then ask you to enter your Google Account password again as an extra security measure before redirecting you to your Dashboard.

It should also be noted that from your Google Account page you can also see a list of all the Google services you use, but Dashboard gives you more information about what kind of data you have stored on each Google service.

When you land on Dashboard you will see a list of your Google services on the left-hand side. This list contains information about the Google services you use including your recent activity and basic statistics. Under Gmail, for example, you can see you how many messages you’ve sent, how many conversations are in your inbox, the number of Gmail chats you have saved, and even how many items are in your trash.

The statistics feature in Dashboard was particularly useful for me allowing me to take control of various services I hadn’t used for a long time. For example, I’d completely forgotten that I’d signed up to use the social features on a few Websites using Google Friend Connect. But since I don’t really visit those sites, or use Friend Connect, I was able to quickly navigate to my settings for this service and “unjoin” my Friend Connect Websites. I also noticed that Google Latitude had access to my Google Account information, but since I don’t really use Latitude I easily revoked access for that application as well.

On the left side of Dashboard, you will see several links for managing your settings for each service and links to Google’s privacy and help pages. Gmail in Dashboard, for example, lets you navigate directly to controls for your chat, security and general settings.

What’s Missing?

While Google Dashboard looks like a handy tool, there are some services still missing. You can find information for Gmail, Google Docs, Calendar, Contacts, Blogger and more. But other popular services absent from Dashboard include Maps, Wave, Chrome Bookmark Sync, Google News, and business-related services like Google Analytics and AdSense. Google says it plans on integrating all Google services into Dashboard in the future. A company spokesperson told me that Google Video and Checkout should show up on your Dashboard in the next few days, and other services will begin to appear after that. Google also plans to integrate future products into Dashboard as they are released.

Dashboard for all?

Dashboard is an informative way to see what kind of data you have spread across Google’s Web services. It also got me thinking that other online service providers should consider releasing a Dashboard-like product. Microsoft, for example, has similar services to Google including Bing Search, the beta version of MSN.com, Hotmail, Windows Live Sync, the upcoming Microsoft Office Web Apps and more. Windows Live does have an “all services” list that you can see, but it lacks the statistical overview that Google Dashboard has.

On the other hand some social networks already offer similar functionality to Google Dashboard. Facebook, for example, lets you edit which sites have access to your social networking account on the Applications Settings page (select “authorized” from the drop-down menu). Twitter also lets you see what services you are using under “Connections” on your account’s Settings page.

Dashboard and Privacy

It will be interesting to see what privacy advocates have to say about Dashboard considering past criticisms leveled against Google involving Google Maps Street View, Google Latitude and Google Books.

One possible problem I found, for example, was the ability to tell my browser to save my account password for future visits to Google Dashboard. This means anyone could view my Dashboard if they hacked into or stole my computer. This is very different from Yahoo, which requires you to sign in every time you want to access your Yahoo Account information.

That being said, Dashboard does have some handy features that will help you maintain greater control over you data across Google’s wide variety of services.