Google Reader as Scheduler

Is it possible to use Google Reader as a job scheduler? (albeit an unreliable one)

According to Google, feeds with only one subscriber get updated every 3 hours, while the rest are updated every hour.

Web Browser Security Handbook

Google has compiled and released a Web Browser Security Handbook for web developers. It is released under the Creative Commons license.

Things on my radar screen

This week seems to be an exciting week, so here's a list of things I am looking at:

Google Chrome

As a browser, Chrome is rock solid, and it runs impressively on older computers running Win XP. If you have not tried it out, I suggest you give it a spin. If you are stilling IE, please ditch it in place of Chrome. (CNET's somewhat bias JavaScript speed test shows Chrome being 65x faster than IE and 10x faster than Firefox.) 

Related news:

- Did Google reverse engineer Windows?

- SquirrelFish Extreme (Webkit's new JS engine)

Adobe CS 4

Adobe has released its CS 4 suit of applications. Lightroom 2 is out too! Photoshop CS 4 comes with cool new features like the content-aware scaling/resizing, and smoother panning/zooming. GIMP already has the content-aware resizing feature, called Liquid Rescale.

The new California Academy of Sciences bulding opens

I remember visiting the temporary one at San Franciso's Howard Street in Dec 2004. This news bring back memories.

Some random stuff: Technical Article on Moore's Law, Math Clock for Math Geeks

Solutions to Google Treasure Hunt

About a month ago, Google launched the Google Treasure Hunt challenge with the following code:
aHR0cDovL3RyZWFzdXJlaHVudC5hcHBzcG90LmNvbS8=
Solution: base64 decode

Note: The Google Treasure Hunt page is built on Google's App Engine platform.

Solution to Problem 1:

Problem 1 is a standard pascal's triangle kind of problem involving big numbers.
My solution is in C.

Solution to Problem 2:

For this problem, you need a bash shell. Modify this script accordingly...

Solution to Problem 3:

Problem 3 is relatively easy, once you get the definitions right. It can even be done using pen and paper! You need to understand that "A.B.C.D=>W.X.Y.Z" means if your destination IP is A.B.C.D, then your next target IP is W.X.Y.Z. Also, "A.B.C.0/24" means "A.B.C.*"

This is my solution in C.

Solution to Problem 4:

I used the bigint class for this problem. This question is the toughest among the 4 questions. You may even need to generate up to 90000 prime numbers to solve it. (if you have a better solution, please share...)

This is my solution in C++. Takes minutes to generate the solution. So pls be patient.

GOOG 700++

Beyond belief.

Google Flight Simulator Guide

Flying over San Francisco. You can even make out Coit Tower in the distance.

You might have heard about it - there is a Flight Simulator built right into (as an easter egg) the newest version of Google Earth (the version in which the sky feature which allows you to view constellations in outer space, debuts.)

Firstly, for those who don't know yet, the "activate" the Flight Simulator, hit Ctrl+Alt+A (for Windows) or Command+Option+A (note it must be capital A) (for Mac) once you are in the newest version of Google Earth (version 4.2.0181.2634 beta).

Well, for many first timers out there, here is a quick guide to using the Flight Simulator. Google Earth's Flight Simulator is far far inferior to Microsoft Flight Simulator or FlightGear Flight Simulator (the free, open source, non-MS version).

Plane / Airport selection screen

Once you have successfully activated the simulator, you will be greeted with the screen above. In addition, you will also be able to access the simulator from the menu [Tools > Enter Flight Simulator] after your first activation.

For beginners, the good places (with nice scenery) to begin are Sydney or Los Angeles. You also get to choose between the F16 or SR22. For starters, the SR22 will be easier to control as the speed is slower and it is easer to get accustomed to your controls. As mentioned in TechCrunch's comment, "F-16 is officially called the “Fighting Falcon” - the use of “Viper” is a common pilot nickname."

The Runway


Once you have made your selection, you will get a view of the runway, as seen from the cockpit. Note: this is not a sign of bad graphics or whatsoever. Its just a runway!

To take off, press Page Up on your keyboard to increase speed. While continuing pressing Page Up, press the Down Arrow to get your aircraft to point upwards. Do not keen pressing the down arrow, as your plane may go upside down.

It is a MUST to take a look at the help manual for keyboard instructions.

How to interpret your screen

Landing

Landing your plane is very tricky, but it currently seems that you can land anywhere. For landing, a slow decent with the nose angle almost to nil is recommended. Once you know you are about to touch floor, continuously press Page Down to decrease the speed. Pressing the comma and period to brake both wheels should also help. The landing may be a little bouncy.

Conclusion

For the first few times you play, your plane may crash, and you can get a little dizzy looking the at the horizon spinning round and round.

It might be good to have a large cache and memory so that Google Earth does not need to re-stream the maps.

I hope this quick guide is helpful. Most importantly, have fun!

Flying over LA

Lets be Pirates!

The Pirate Bay has started negotiations to buy Sealand in order to avoid copyright laws. (But since Prince Michael of Sealand says that he won't sell Sealand to pirates... maybe he will sell to Google?)

If you think Sealand is an island, you are mistaken. Its a man-made off-shore installation (image above). Now it is interesting to note that Sealand's claims to sovereignty and legitimacy are not recognised by any country.

Sealand's current price tag is a hefty 1 billion dollars. Currently, the amount of money raise on www.buysealand.com is less than $20,000. In comparison, Wikipedia took quite some time to raise one million dollars. It will certainly take a miracle (e.g. Bill Gates decides to chip in some money) for The Pirate Bay to hit one million dollars.

What if Google Buys Sealand?

Now... if only Google can change its motto from "Don't be evil" to "Let's be evil", Google can easily buy Sealand. Afterall, they bought YouTube for 1.6 billion dollars and the amount of pirated content on YouTube is peanuts compared to the all the stuff you can torrent from all the computers in the world. Looking at the costs involved, I am sure buying Sealand will be a far, far better deal for Google. However, since there are so more BitTorrent leechers than seeders, maybe the ROI will be a problem.

(Downloading 'The Internet.zip' using uTorrent)

Of course, buying Sealand will only be the first step for Google. The next logical step will be to rename Sealand to Googleland (for Google, its again as easy as renaming a file in windows). Now, since Googleland might not be so hospitable for humans, we should start cloning GoogleBots on Googleland (like in Star Wars). Armed with the latest super lava-lamps and lava-phasers, these GoogleBots will start go on to colonise the rest of the Earth... and the universe beyond. How long will it take? Exactly 42 Days.

After that, some Wikipedian (probably Jimbo Whales) will have to change the Wikipedia entry on Sealand (erm Googleland), since the 'leadership' of the state will no longer be "Prince Roy" but King Larry Page, Prince Sergey Brin, and Prince Regent Eric Schmidt.

The Google

HOST: I’m curious, have you ever googled anybody? Do you use Google?

BUSH: Occasionally. One of the things I’ve used on the Google is to pull up maps. It’s very interesting to see — I’ve forgot the name of the program — but you get the satellite, and you can — like, I kinda like to look at the ranch. It remind me of where I wanna be sometimes.

This is the link to the Bush interview regarding Google.


Anyway, here is a documentary on Google. Its called Google behind the screen.

Google becomes a verb

Google is now officially a verb in the English language. First the venerable authority on the language that is the Oxford English Dictionary added Google as a verb to its online edition. Now Merriam-Webster has added google, without the capital "G" as a generic term, as a verb to its 11th edition released this autumn.

From the Oxford English Dictionary:

1. intr. To use the Google search engine to find information on the Internet.
2. trans. To search for information about (a person or thing) using the Google search engine.

2000 Re: $Emergency_Number in NYC in alt.sysadmin.recovery (Usenet newsgroup) 10 Jan., I've googled some keywords, and it came up with some other .edu text.

2001 N.Y. Times 11 Mar. III. 12/3, I met this woman last night at a party and I came right home and googled her. 2005 ‘BELLE DE JOUR’ Intimate Adventures of London Call Girl 115 Obsessing over the details, including Googling his name every few hours? Too right I did.

From the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:

Etymology: Google, trademark for a search engine
: to use the Google search engine to obtain information about (as a person) on the World Wide Web

Google now on Mars

Today, google's logo at the top of the search page looks special again. Click on it to view Mars!

mars.google.com

Technorati: Google

Google Analyst Day

Read the 10 MB PDF File from Google on Google Analyst Day. And there is also speculation of a Google GDrive.

Google Pages

Google have released Google Pages, a WYWIWYS web editor. Google Pages allows you to upload files and also select from an array of templates. Google Pages lets you upload any file and gives you 100MB of space (at yourweb.googlepages.com). [Read more]

A threat to free web hosting with advertisements? Maybe.


A little Apple update:
Apple have sold their 1 billionth song, marking the end of their Billion Song Giveaway campaign.

Technorati: Google

Google Desktop 3

"From a practical perspective, law enforcement agencies are always looking for places where they can get a great deal of information without much effort."

Amussing, but realistic quote.

Read more about the privacy concerns over Google Desktop 3.


Also, "Gmail for your domain" allows you to have Gmail service for all user for your domain name. And according to Google Blog, San José City College (SJCC) is offering students email accounts using Gmail.

The New Gmail

Its the new gmail with web chat that everyone is talking about...
Really innovative... and a good way to attract users...
so will Microsoft/Yahoo copy Google now?

Google’s beautiful China paradox

Recommended reading: Thomas Hazlett: Google’s beautiful China paradox (Financial Times)

Google may regret its embarrassing moment. But I suspect the reverse. Chinese autocrats will one day look back fondly on a world before global communications networks, when searching the internet was difficult and the masses knew their place.

Update: Google's official comment on Google Blog

Google Pack & Yahoo! Go

Google announced Google Pack at CES 2006 today.
Absolutely fantastic...

It even comes with Norton Antivirus 2005 Special Edition

• Protect your PC from viruses, worms and Trojan horses
• Includes 6-month subscription to protection updates

Hey... no need for some Windows Antispyware or Windows Defender. Everyone should just download Google Pack.

But this seems to be a marketing ploy by Symantec. What happens after 6 months? Symantec is hoping that people will be dependent on the product and continue the subscription. Smart move. Funny that Norton Antivirus is actually a licensed product among the traditionally-free products.


Yahoo has posted CES pictures on Flickr (Yahoo! is using Flickr to post their photos there. [Free publicity])

Yahoo has also launched Yahoo! Go - "a new suite of products and services for your PC, mobile phone and even your TV."

Basically its 3 seperate by closely related products - Yahoo! Go Desktop, Yahoo! Go TV and Yahoo! Go Mobile. As of now, Yahoo! Go TV is not available for download.


Technorati: CES

Google Analytics

I have been receiving this for 2 days...

Analytics has been successfully installed and data is being gathered now. The demand for Google Analytics surpassed even our highest expectations and as a result some customers may temporarily experience report-update delays. All data continues to be collected and no data has been lost. We are currently adding resources to ensure high-quality service. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Arg... GOOGLE!

Google Base & Analytics

Yesh! Google Base is back again!

Google Base is a place where you can add all types of information that we'll host and make searchable online.

You can describe any item you post with attributes, which will help people find it when they search Google Base. In fact, based on the relevance of your items, they may also be included in the main Google search index and other Google products like Froogle and Google Local.

Also, check out

Formerly known as "Urchin".

Google Code Jam

Three Indians, including one based in Singapore, are among the top five winners of a contest organised by Google, the world's largest search engine.

"We were given three algorithms problems. The first was to find out the unique URLs (universal resource locators); the second was trying to find the shortest possible path and the third was to calculate the probable winner among the two in a competition," said fifth-placed Ramachandran.

ooh...almost forgot about it.. heard it somewhere... and forgot to track.
but thats today's news.

Google Calendar?

Latest speculation suggests that there might be a Google Calendar coming soon...

Looks like Google is trying to maintain its dominance of the web.
If there is MSN Calendar and Hotmail... then we can have Google Calendar and Gmail.