Powerful new tools let you search for free software and music, zoom in on landmarks and buildings, and add comments to news stories.
Steve Bass
PC World
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
4:19 AM
Google's in the news these days (ain't that a surprise). Seriously, I can't look atPC World's site--or just about any blog--without seeing its name. I figure I'm not going to go against the tide, so this week I've got two new Google newsmakers--as well as a tremendous imaging site from Microsoft.
I don't know what Google was thinking when it allowed Google Hacks to be posted on the Google Code site. But it's a sure bet most people won't abide by the "Please do not use this program for illegal uses" disclaimer you'll find on thedownload site.
Google Hacks is a front-end GUI you can use as a stand-alone app or as a browser toolbar. It performs searches you can already do--if you know the syntax. For instance, if I wanted to search for Dave Brubeck, I could pop the following into Google's search field:
But it's obviously a heck of a lot easier to type into Google Hacks and choose the music category.
Google Hacks lets you search in any one of 12 categories--music, applications, video, books, lyrics, and others. But there's a catch. The searches are indexes--Web site directories that haven't been protected. Translation: You have to sort through lists of files and some, if not most, could be unrelated to what you're searching for.
At the same time, you might hit the jackpot--loads of files with just the content you're looking for. The showstopper is that the content belongs to someone else who doesn't know how to hide it from prying eyes. (And yes, I know, that person may have downloaded the music illegally as well.)
BTW, credit for this masterpiece goes to Jason Stallings, the author of Google Hacks. Jason doesn't work for Google, but his program was released using Google'sfree code hosting service. You can find more of Jason's code onhis Web site.
Dig This:Microsoft's entryinto the mobile phone arena is sure to give Apple a run for the money--and promises to take the nerd world by storm.
Microsoft's Photosynth is awesome--and addictive. You can travel to Rome, zoom in on St. Peter's Basilica, and see details--and I mean close, close up--that I guarantee will amaze you. (The hardware requirements are stringent--more in a sec.) Don't believe me? Watch this7-minute demonstration.
But wait a minute: Unless you have a heavy-duty PC--you need Windows XP and the hardware needs to be Vista ready--save your time. You just won't be able to use Photosynth. (My wife's out of luck; she's been playing with Photosynth on my machine.) If you have the system requirements, you'll also need to download a small ActiveX plug-in available at the Photosynth site.
Photosynthis now up and running. (My friend Bill Webb has a goodwrite-up about it.)
Once you've finished killing time at the default spot, St. Peter's Basilica, head for therest of the collection. My favorites?Grassi Lakes(did you spot any trout?) and theNASA collection.
Dig This: Have you ever seen M.C. Escher's drawings? He was a graphic artist and the absolute master of optically novel situations. (He died in 1972.) Take a look at agalleryof his more famous works on theofficial site. Once you have an idea of Escher's weirdness, check out two videos on YouTube:A Day in the Life of an M.C. Escher DrawingandM.C. Escher-inspired animation.
Microsoft Live Labshas the story behind Photosynth, including three videos of the amazing imaging techniques they're working on. [Thanks, John M.]
If you're interested in imaging technology, take a look at "Microsoft the New Research Powerhouse in Graphics?" The story gives you a roundup of some of the new products from the recent SIGGRAPH 2007 show.
Me, I'm heading back to the Photosynth site to see what's cooking at the South Korean Palace.
TheGoogle News blogannounced an experimental--and very welcome--addition to the news service. If you or your company is quoted, or even just mentioned, in a story indexed on Google News, you can have your say.
Once Google verifies you're really the person or organization in the story, yourcomments are posted online.
Note to every PR flak I've worked with in the last 20 years: Be gentle, willya?
Dig This: Have you ever wondered how many cars, PCs, or bicycles are manufactured each day? How about the number of daily divorces, traffic accidents, or drownings? Get all the stats you'll ever need to be the life of your next dinner party by visiting theWorld Clock. [Thanks, Tom and Gus!]
You thought I was kidding when I said Google makes daily headlines, eh? Here's proof: Read "Google Offers Fee-Based Storage Rental" to see how much storage you can get--and what it'll cost. Then hop over to "Google Mistakes Own Blog for Spam, Deletes It" for a chuckle. Finally spend a few minutes with our very popular [drum roll, please...]"In Pictures: The Strangest Sights in Google Earth."