Technically Foreign» Google

Google Turns 10!! Happy Birthday!

Terry — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:00:55 +0000

Google is Ten today. That’s right he’s smarter then a 5th grader too. Ten years ago Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google Inc. (September 7th, 1998 for those who can’t count backwards!) Over the years google has brought us many online toys like – Gmail, Google Docs, Google Earth, Okurt and Picasa to name only a few. However many may have forgeten that the baby-curse word started out as search engine from Stanford University. More of the boring info is at Wikipedia (google on wikipedia!). But if want to see what they looked like when first launched here’s a peek from the wayback machine: Google 1998.

Technically 411 with google?

Terry — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:07:30 +0000

So while out with my conversational Spanish group trying to be technically foreign the group leader asked about that old school way of Texting google and getting a reply. If you text message GOOGL (46645) with a business and city, then you will get the information texted back to you. This works with sports, weather, movies and such. However, why text when now you can just call. Google now has a 1-800-goog-411 or 1 -800-466-4411. Which is a free 411 service with voice activation commands. This service works like any 411 service you would use, plus some extra benefits.

There website – http://www.google.com/goog411/ has a cool youtube video on the service, and allows you to also have the service send the info to your cellphone via text or directly connect. This is a free 411, service instead of the ones that charge you, so it seems worth it or at least to try and like all things that I deem Technically Foreign, it just got that cool factor while you and your friends are walking through the streets and trying to find that restaurant.

Random Googling: NASA technology shrinks a human

Terry — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:42:31 +0000

A new thing over here at Technically Foreign. Random Googling. As I stated previously on my post about Google As A curse word, there is a lot you can do with google. So now I will be randomly putting phrases into google to see what the all seeing eye thinks.

Today’s Random Googling is: NASA technology shrinks a human

or: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=NASA+technology+shrinks+a+human&btnG=Search

Like all things web, Results may vary. The results I saw show a couple of interesting things. First I have a PDF from MIT about Bio Space suite, but no Shrinking Humans.

Next I have two from NASA’s website but they would never admit in shrinking humans. So we move onto NASA Spinoffs from Thespaceplace.com. This is a cool place that explains all the gadgets NASA has created for our modern way of living. The list is great but no real mention of NASA’s ability to shrink a human.

Next and last for this post is the opinion from the AIP – that is the American Institute of Physics which talks about if Mars should be Human Space flight objective? Now the article is not very interesting and doesn’t talk about any shrinking of a human. It is drier then the planet mars.

So I am afraid I leave with not discovering NASA’s technology that shrinks a human. Till next time, keep Random Googling and spread the hobby.

Google Maps Spying – what’s with the goats?

Terry — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:10:24 +0000

In the middle of the desert in Africa Google satellite maps show a bunch of guys by a well with a lot of goats surrounding them. I think one guy is actually look up to the sky. The surrounding area isn’t mapped with high resolution. Google maps seems to upload the resolution by one square at a time, but how do they pick the squares? I wonder if they find anyone stranded on an Island after a plane crash… the others probably block that too. Very interesting if you zoom out. Not sure what is there besides a lot of goats, a well and some guy randomly staring back at you.

Click for the Google map:

Google as a curse word?

Terry — Wed, 16 May 2007 21:48:36 +0000

Their are many stories about the origination of the word F U C K. Well, the old 100 year war store (yes i know it lasted 116 years) where the British were being killed off by those bloody French and when they were captured the nice gentle French army cut off the middle finger so they couldn’t use the Long Bow which was made from the Yew Tree. When the English kicked some French ass, they put up the middle finger and stated “I can still pluck my yew.” Which was shortened to Pluck Yew. However my favorite origins of the word is from the band Van Hallen according to the rockers the word comes from an old English law term “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”. But most people will believe that it was the German word Fokken which meant to Thrust.

Now what does this have to do with google? Well today the word google can be used as diverse as the F word. It took hundreds of years for this simple and yet fun word to become a medifore for almost anything. Let’s face it the F word can be used in almost any conversation. Today I have heard googling, googled, googlish, googler with many different meanings. A googler isn’t only someone who uses google but rather someone who just knows a F’n lot. Googling isn’t just that term for searching on google but the process of finding things quickly. Plus everyone is googling each other that it is also the term of background checking dates, employees, employers, friends and everyone in between. I’ve been googled is the term meaning that someone has found me. The word is a very common term today.

The complication of this meaning is that google is not a term, a verb but it is a company. The overall ease of use and culture that the company created shows us that maybe this fun word (say it ten time really fast with out laughing) on the tips of our tongue is the real reason why the search engine is popular. Just like the F word google has that vibe even though the meanings are completely different.

In two hundred or three hundred years from know maybe the word will be a illegal, a slang of sorts. Something that isn’t appropriate to say at the dinner table or to the elders. By then we might not even be communicating by our mouths anyway. However for now we can all keep F’n googling.

Google Sued because parents don’t know web filtering

Terry — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:26:56 +0000

Most people don’t bother learning how to secure their Internet or even search for a place that will help them (like netsmartz.org). We all want to protect our kids and ourselves from the bad parts of the Internet. However, most people will just sue a company. And if you work for the government and need a way to get more votes, then maybe stating “Google Inc. generates “billions of dollars from the pornography trade and illicit profiteers.”" makes a lot of sense. ( News article from Newsday ) People have to take a little responsibility for themselves and their children. The Internet Law is open and it is the user’s responsibility to filter and make sure they are protected.

Now an easy way to filter adult content in Google is to create a Google user account and keep logged into Google personalized: http://www.google.com/ig.
Then inside click on preferences: http://www.google.com/preferences?hl=en
There is a “SafeSearch Filtering” feature. Turn this on and save the preferences.
Besides Google all top search engines have a safe search Feature, but since Google was singled out…

Now there are many ways to filter a computer and doing this just for Google isn’t the best way since there are other search engines out there. Yahoo, MSN are others who have the same issue. Parents and anyone who has kids around have to learn to set up their computer to have better filters since children can also get into other online places like MySpace or blogs. Software filtering is an important step for parents. With a simple google search with the keywords: parent information on web filtering a parent can find many ways to restrict their computer.

I do not think itâ€™s Google’s or any other search engines responsibility for filtering the Internet for pornography. Instead, the US government could have backed the push for a .xxx domain which would have made it easier for filtering and enforcing control over such content. Instead it is the parent’s responsibility to configure their computer. However, what I have found that all parents should look at is the websites: netsmartz.org, www.nap.edu/netsafekids/ and getnetwise.org. These are a must for all parents to look at. But, if a parent wants to go further, they can use monitoring software like Web Watcher or filter program like NetNanny.

The parent resources below go into more detail about what parents or people who have kids on their computer should do. We aren’t going to leave a four-year-old alone in a house without someone looking after them. Why then would we let children use a computer without proper safe-guards in place ?

Parent Resources:

netsmartz.org
Net safeFiltering And Monitory Tools
getnetwise.org – Online resources for protecting yourself, your kids and your computer.
staysafeonline.info/ – National Cyber Security Allaiance

Software Solutions: