Experimental search under experiments?

Google's shortcut search experiment seems to be under maintenance or something, 'cause it ain't working as it is supposed to.

A few weeks ago, I released a Firefox search plugin to trigger it from the search bar, and today I discovered that the shortcuts are not working as expected: keyboard keys J and K are used to navigate forth and back in a search result page, but now it seems that pressing these keys will go forward a complete result page, and not browsing through individual results.

Does anybody know what is happening?

Update! (23/08/2008, 16:04) Looks like it's fixed, don't know for how long.

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(Google's) Free the airwaves (what about other countries?)

I've heard about freeing the airwaves, a Google initiative (with it's own dedicated website) that will help achieve wireless broadband nationwide Internet, taking advantage of unused airwaves between broadcast TV channels. The Federal Communication Commission in the US has a pending decision concerning new rules on aforementioned radio spectrum broadcast channels.

I have no doubt that this will surely benefit the US, and that it will pave down the way for other countries to follow this example, but the first question that comes into my mind is: what is the real short term benefit (if any) for other countries in supporting this initiative? Guess it's up to each country and each country's laws (and law-makers), and of course, each country's current radio spectrum set.

I certainly support it, and I believe it is a good first step, just wondering...

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Personalized Google top bar

I like the way Google links to more of their services at the top, but I think it will be more useful if it was personalized and linked to what each user uses the most, based on clicks or user logins to each particular service.

For example: if the services I use the most are gMail, Calendar and Reader, I want those to be displayed in the top bar, and if I hardly ever use Picasa, I want it out of it. I actually use all of these, and more (like Notebook, Analytics, Web Master Tools, Adsense, to name a few), but I think each user has different needs.

Actually, I think I will finally be able to switch from Outlook to Google completely when Android (an open source Mobile Operative System, well for cell phones, or something like that) comes out, and when Google goes live with a "to do list" service, which I've heard it's in the works now.

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gMail's 7

I don't know exactly when, but a few days ago, I noticed Google Mail (as it is called in Germany) had reached a new Integer: 7 GB. That is seven thousand mega bytes. I remember when we only had 2 MB in hotmail...

What will happen to the the additional storage Google is currently offering once gMail reaches 10 GB? They now charge 20 USD per year if you want to upgrade your account to 10 GB, but it enables both gMail and Picasa Web Albums to share the storage. Currently Picasa offers a very small single GB. And if you want to get heavy, you can pack in 400 GB for 500 USD. That's bigger than my Hard Drive.

Anyway, me: I never go beyond 30% of gMail's storage capacity, guess my mail and attachments grow at the same pace as gMail's.

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adSense for Feeds

I am starting to get serious about Google adSense (an advertising revenue program you can implement in your website or blog), with my not so new site: Academic Lozbo, in which by the way, the template is still in beta, though it already offers a couple of posts.

So I started optimizing every little detail, setting up Analytics, Feedburner, for both content and comments, and adSense, with their respective WordPress plugins, among other heavier stuff (like developing a theme from scratch and even some WP plugin).

So I also wanted to add advertisement in my feed, as I know that it can also be an important way of monetizing my efforts, but I found that currently there is no adSense available for feeds :( . There seems to be a private beta going on, but since 2005! I read in the adSense Help Center that the beta is closed and they are no longing accepting new applications, though the form is still available online.

I hope it gets out of beta soon! Not that I'm planning to become rich with adSense, it is still more important the content and my (currently non existing but this hopefully will change soon :) readers. For me, even the graphic design is more important than monetizing the site, so I have not even included advertisement yet on my template as I am still wondering where to put it so that it looks good :) , but to be fair: I would like to earn a bit if I can from the time spent on the development and writing there.

So Google adSense: we are still waiting!

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Google Reader updates me on the world

It's not just Google Reader, it could actually be any reader, but for me, it was particularly this free Google service that helped me.

I know what happens in México, even if I'm living in Germany. I don't have to buy a newspaper, or watch TV. It's all online... Though I must admit I have been never too interested on the news, most of them are sad anyway (except cultural or sports news), but I want to know. But the fact is that, it has become so easy to know...

This is possible because a lot of things, not only Google, but the ever growing blogging community, the syndication technology adopted by sites publishing content, and other global developments. The world becomes bigger and smaller at the same time.

And it's not just news, but blogs and all kinds of different sites sharing their stuff on the evil Internet.

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