Page 1 of Google Search Results (YAY!)

Yay - I've made page 1 of Google's search results page - twice! How cool is that. I'm number 8 and 10... see image below (not edited, just cropped):

Finally after all these years, I've made it. Aaaaaaah. Now if only I can be number 1 (like my wife). Sigh.

More Google news

Google Phone? In more google news (seems to be all I'm typing about these days), it looks like there's going to be a google phone. Will I use it? Hmmm. After some somewhat disturbing remarks by CEO Schmidt about Google and privacy (see quote below), I'm in two minds. I still use their products though- it seems that people (myself included) are willing to hand over our personal lives for a really useful (or somewhat useful) app. Case in point - I'm writing this blog using Google's Chrome browser for Mac (which really is a step back from the Win version) in Blogger (another google product) and I use Google seach religiously. Seriously - Bing? Nah.

Quote from Schmidt on PCWorld (http://www.pcworld.com/article/184446/googles_schmidt_roasted_for_privacy_comments.html) :
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Lest anything be taken out of context, here's the full quote from Schmidt, uttered in an interview with CNBC:
"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place, but if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines including Google do retain this information for some time, and it's important, for example that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act. It is possible that that information could be made available to the authorities."
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Thanks Schmidt for making me feel safer using your products - really (italics is used to show sarcasm).

Five Years of Firefox

Wow! Five years already!!! Who knew that time could go so fast.

Five years ago, Microsoft had killed off their major web browsing competitors and looked set to keep the throne for decades (mumble, grumble) to come. Then, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Netscape reborn, rebadged and completely (pretty much) recoded, comes back on the scene as Mozilla Firefox.
With features that MS could only dream of and a user base which rapidly grew (and still is), Firefox reignited the Browser wars of yesteryear and warmed the hearts of so many who had been enslaved in the net pits of IE.
Now, after paving the way, and wounding the dragon, Firefox has allowed other browsers to also take up the fight to reclaim the Internet - welcome Chrome, hello on Win Safari, and Opera: just keep on singing.
So to say happy birthday, I've linked to the celebration page. Go there and rejoice for the reign of 'good enough' is almost at an end.

Five Years of Firefox

Posted using ShareThis

Why I trim my goatee

http://dilbert.com/fast/2009-11-28/

Ahh! Scott Adams, you've done it again. This is why I trim my goatee... so that I can move freely throughout this wonderful democracy where you don't have to feel threatened if you have facial hair... or something.

Well done Year 12s!

Last night I had the honour and pleasure of saying goodbye to the latest batch of Year 12 students from my school. I think this bunch of kids have done a great job of growing up - they're confident, driven and have rock-solid character.

To all those people who worry for the future when they look at Gen Y, don't. The future is in good hands - probably better than yours.

Do these guys want to have fun? Absolutely. But why not? Life is meant to be experienced (within boundaries) and these young adults (at least the ones from my school) are doing a great job of balancing fun and responsibility.

Thanks 2009 - I'll miss you ... a little :)
Have fun, take care, and stand firm in the faith God has given you.

Hang on - what is Google Operating System?

If you have no idea what it was that I was talking about in the last post, lucky for you that google has released a video for you:

Chrome Operating System - It's here!

Google has just released Chrome OS as Open Source and they've got bucketloads of videos out there.

I thought I'd post a very recent demo video (from Google's youtube channel) here - it's a live, working version.




What I find interesting is the absolute reliance upon the cloud. All documents etc are based "in the cloud" - or on a google server.

What I love is that it's not due for release for another year, but it's working and Google is mroe than willing to show it off.

There are more videos on the channel, but I thought I'd start with this one.