Good bits   http://gmail.com/motion

Motion ^BETA

A new way to communicate

The mouse and keyboard were invented before the Internet even existed. Since then, countless technological advancements have allowed for much more efficient human computer interaction. Why then do we continue to use outdated technology? Introducing Gmail Motion — now you can control Gmail with your body.

• Play video “Overview” Overview
• Play video “Paralanguage expert” Paralanguage expert
• Play video “Movement specialist” Movement specialist

Try Gmail Motion

Don’t have Gmail? Create an account

• Easy to learnSimple and intuitive gestures
• Improved productivityIn and out of your email up to 12% faster
• Increased physical activityGet out of that chair and start moving today

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  How it works

  Gmail Motion uses your computer’s built-in webcam and Google’s patented spatial tracking technology to detect your movements and translate them into meaningful characters and commands. Movements are designed to be simple and intuitive for people of all skill levels.

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  Motion Guide

  Familiarize yourself with some of the basic functionality of Gmail Motion using this printable guide of sample gestures. With it, you’ll be able to start writing and responding to emails – with your body – in no time.

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  Safety precautions

  Using Gmail Motion is not only safe but also healthy and fun. As with any physical activity, certain precautions are recommended. First, make sure to clear the area around you. Second, try to take short breaks every 30-40 minutes, just as you would if you were typing. And finally, take time to stretch after each session to give the muscles you’ll be using some relief.

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  Coming soon to Google Docs

  This new motion detection technology doesn’t stop with Gmail. We’re excited to announce that Google Docs Motion will be coming later this year. Learn more

• “No longer will people be required to bend to the will of technology. Instead, technology will now bend to our will.” Lorraine Klayman, Environmental Movement Specialist, Nevada Polytechnic College
• “It is commonly known that 80% of communication is non-verbal. Gmail Motion not only accepts this fact – it embraces it.” Dennis Tooley, Ph.D, California Center for Kinesis and Paralanguage
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  “Kudos to the Gmail team for bridging the divide. I’m eagerly awaiting the next version with ASL turbo boost!” Ken Harrenstien, Software Engineer, Google Accessibility Team

© Google – Terms & Privacy

(and yes, you ought to check the date of this post here and on Google <grin>)
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Now playing: The Who – Boris the Spider
via FoxyTunes

Follow Team HTC-Columbia on Google Maps

With Google search over SSL, you can have an end-to-end encrypted search solution between your computer and Google. This secured channel helps protect your search terms and your search results pages from being intercepted by a third party. This provides you with a more secure and private search experience.

To use search over SSL, visit https://www.google.com each time you perform a search. Note that only Google web search is available over SSL, so other search products like Google Images and Google Maps are not currently available over SSL. When you’re searching over SSL, these properties may not appear in the left panel.

What is SSL?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a protocol that helps provide secure Internet communications for services like web browsing, e-mail, instant messaging, and other data transfers. When you search over SSL, your search queries and search traffic are encrypted so they can’t be read by any intermediary party such as employers and internet service providers (ISPs).

What can I expect from search over SSL?

Here’s how searching over SSL is different from regular Google search:

• SSL encrypts the communication channel between Google and a searcher’s computer. When search traffic is encrypted, it can’t be read by third parties trying to access the connection between a searcher’s computer and Google’s servers. Note that the SSL protocol does have some limitations — more details are below.
• As another layer of privacy, SSL search turns off a browser’s referrers . Web browsers typically turn off referrers when going from HTTPS to HTTP mode to provide extra privacy. By clicking on a search result that takes you to an HTTP site, you could disable any customizations that the website provides based on the referrer information.
• At this time, search over SSL is supported only on Google web search. We will continue to work to support other products like Images and Maps. All features that are not supported have been removed from the left panel and the row of links at the top. You’ll continue to see integrated results like images and maps, and clicking those results will take you out of encrypted search mode.
• Your Google experience using SSL search might be slightly slower than you’re used to because your computer needs to first establish a secure connection with Google.

Note that SSL search does not reduce the data that Google receives and logs when you search, or change the listing of these terms in your Web History .

Does SSL provide complete security?

While SSL helps prevent intermediary parties, such as ISPs, from knowing the exact search that you typed, they could still know which websites you visit once you click on the search results. For example, when you search over SSL for [ flowers ], Google encrypts the query “flowers” and the results that Google returns. But when you click on a search result, including results like images and maps, you could be exiting the encrypted mode if the destination link is not on https://.

If your computer is infected with malware or a keylogger, a third party might still be able to see the queries that you typed. We recommend that everyone learns how to prevent and remove malware.

Remember that only Google web search supports search over SSL, so searching Google Images, for example, will not be encrypted.

Technical discussion of SSL protocol-level limitations

How can I confirm whether I’m on a secure connection?

Check to see that the URL you’re on starts with https:// instead of http://. Most browsers provide a visual confirmation (such as an icon of a lock) in the address bar or in the status bar at the bottom of the page. On Google SSL search, you’ll also see a special Google SSL logo with a lock icon. In addition to this logo, be sure to also check the https:// text in the address bar and any browser lock icons.

When you perform a search on https://www.google.com , you might see a warning if a page has some non-secure components: depending on your browser settings, you might see the lock icon turn into a warning sign, a pop-up message, or some other form of alert. This issue is often referred to as a “mixed mode error.”

Since this is a beta feature, there might be some rare cases in search over SSL that generate a mixed mode error. We’re working to prevent such errors, and you can help if you report any errors through our Help Forum.

(full original text at http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=173733&hl=en )

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Now playing: UK Subs – C.I.D.
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Google Wave (Labs) available to Google Apps customers	May 2010
You asked to be notified when Google Wave would become available for your domain.  We’re happy to announce that Google Wave is now available for all Google Apps customers . Google Wave is a new web application designed to make it easier for groups of people to work together in real-time, using rich text, images, video, maps and more. See how organizations are using Google Wave. If you are a Google Apps domain administrator: Learn more about enabling Google Wave. If your domain does not yet use Google Apps: Sign up for a free trial. If your organization uses Google Apps but you are not the administrator: Let your administrator know that Google Wave is available! Google Wave is a part of Google Labs and there are a number of things we have planned before it will be ready for large-scale enterprise deployment, but this is an opportunity for you and your organization to try it out. Join our webinar To learn more, we invite you to join our webcast on Wednesday, May 26th at 9:00 am PDT. We will share real world use-cases from businesses and other organizations and answer your questions. Register for the webcast. For more information, visit our Help Center. Happy waving! The Google Wave team

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Now playing: The Knack – My Sharona
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Android 2.2: Froyo Is a Major Update

Google announced today Android 2.2, a major update for Google’s mobile operating system. There are many changes and a lot of new features that are really useful.

Android now uses a just-in-time compiler that improves the performance for some applications, especially for games. “The new Dalvik JIT compiler in Android 2.2 delivers between a 2-5X performance improvement in CPU-bound code vs. Android 2.1 according to various benchmarks,” says Xavier Ducrohet.

Android’s browser includes the V8 JavaScript engine created for Google Chrome, so web pages that use JavaScript heavily will load much faster (some benchmarks show a 2-3X improvement). Google claims that Android’s browser is the fastest mobile browser available today.

Developers have a new API for app data backup, which is really useful if you want to switch to a new Android device or you want to install a custom version of Android. There’s also an extremely useful messaging API for sending data to an Android phone from another device. For example, you’ll be able to send a link from your computer to your Android phone and the phone will automatically open the browser and navigate to the web address. You can also send files and install applications from your computer over the air.

Android Market will have a web interface, applications can auto-update and you can quickly install all the updates, instead of manually installing each update. Another change is that applications can be moved to the SD card. Google also announced that it has acquired SimplifyMedia, a company that developed some cool applications for streaming your music.

Android 2.2 has built-in support for tethering and it can transform a phone into a portable hotspot. Android Market includes some great applications for tethering, but it’s nice to see that’s now a built-in feature.

You can add multiple languages to the keyboard and switch between them by swiping across the space bar, there’s a new UI for the camera, there’s support for Exchange calendars and remote wipe, LED flash for the Camcorder, support for sharing contacts with other phones and much more.

Flash 10.1 is now available as a beta application in the Android Market, but it requires Android 2.2. Nexus One and Motorola Droid will be updated to Froyo next month. The other HTC phones launched this year will be updated in the second half of the year. “This includes popular models like the Desire and Droid Incredible as well as hotly anticipated phones like the Evo 4G, MyTouch slide and upcoming models.”

(yes, I’m hoping this capability comes to the HTC Hero (sprint version / cdma) soon ) – and for those wondering – relocation was typically painful, but is now complete

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Now playing: Rush – Rivendell
via FoxyTunes

Google, Microsoft Prepping iPad Rivals

ByAntone Gonsalves InformationWeek  April 13, 2010 08:35 AM

Google and Microsoft are reportedly working on their own slate computers that would challenge Apple’s iPad.

Google chief executive Eric Schmidt told friends about the company’s new device at a recent Los Angeles party, and the company is talking to publishers about delivering books, magazines and other content to the device, The New York Times reported Sunday. The gadget would run exclusively on Google’s Android operating system.

Microsoft, on the other hand, has built a prototype of a slate. The device, called the Courier, is about the size of an average paperback and unfolds to reveal two screens, a Microsoft employee claiming to have seen the device told the Times. Users would be able to write on the screens using a stylus and would be able to drag content between the two screens.

While Microsoft engineers have talked about having the device ready for release by early 2011, no official announcement has been made on whether to sell the computer.

(for the rest of the article, head over to http://www.informationweek.com/news/storage/portable/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224400032 )

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Now playing: The Rolling Stones – Paint It Black
via FoxyTunes

Besides the new addiction here (Android-powered!) I saw a new bit o’ Google this evening, well, new to me.

http://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/home

“The Google Apps Marketplace offers products and services designed for Google users, including installable apps that integrate directly with Google Apps. Installable apps are easy to use because they include single sign-on, Google’s universal navigation, and some even include features that integrate with your domain’s data.”

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Now playing: Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning
via FoxyTunes

OK, it’s time to set up google apps via the HTC Hero.  It’s syncing everything right now.

Good buy.  w00t

Strongly considering the HTC Hero smart phone, as it has a lot of features I’m looking for.

http://www.htc.com/us/products/hero-sprint?view=0-2&sort=0&filters=2-0-0

There appears to be quite a few mobile WP blogging tools out there, too. One thing I really like is the fact that the app store is “open” – and you can choose to use apps from anyone, so no “jailbreaking” needed.

I think this is totally the direction of the future : sure, you can be featured on the “official apps” page, but there’s nothing stopping you from hosting an app on your own web page, and charge or not for it independent of the Android pages . . .

The Nexus One would be a contender, again, were it not locked down to a single network. Any such lockdown is an immediate strike against a device for me, let alone if the network is not going to meet my needs (shout out to the iPhone!)

Anyway, that’s the current plan. The prior 2 years of contract is up tomorrow, and this beauty is on sale for $75 locally . . . no need for rebates, etc. a definite plus.

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Now playing: Men At Work – Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive
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Google : Locking SafeSearch

When you’re searching on Google, we think you should have the choice to keep adult content out of your search results. That’s why we developed SafeSearch, a feature that lets you filter sexually explicit web sites and images from your search results. While no filter is 100% accurate, SafeSearch helps you avoid content you may prefer not to see or would rather your children did not stumble across. We think it works pretty well, but we’re always looking for ways to improve the feature.

Today we’re launching a feature that lets you lock your SafeSearch setting to the Strict level of filtering. When you lock SafeSearch, two things will change. First, you’ll need to enter your password to change the setting. Second, the Google search results page will be visibly different to indicate that SafeSearch is locked:

Even from across the room, the colored balls give parents and teachers a clear visual cue that SafeSearch is still locked. And if you don’t see them, it’s quick and easy to verify and re-lock SafeSearch.

To use SafeSearch lock, go to the “Search Settings” page on Google. For detailed instructions, check out this video.

We hope you and your family find exactly what you’re looking for in Google search results — and nothing more.

Posted by Pete Lidwell, Product Manager and Aaron Arcos, Engineer

(via http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/locking-safesearch.html)