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Risk on Google Maps

November 14, 2005

LiewCF has a post that mentions Liew writes, "If you play Risk (board game), then you may want to try out Risk on Google Map". Liew also points out that the Risk game was developed using the Google Maps API. Liew points out that he doesn't know how to play Risk, while I on the other hand am a huge Risk fan.

I grew up playing the board game and have played Risk as recently as a few months ago with some friends both on the computer and the traditional game board. One time when we got bored with playing Risk until the wee hours, we took a Scrabble board, and a Monopoly board connected them all together and played ScrabbMonopoRisk. We invented some rules such as a ability to "kill" a Monopoly hotel from Risk - that is if you knocked a player out of controlling a continent you could then roll the die and if you beat the player he had to remove the Monopoly hotel.

We had some other inter-game rules that let you "attack" across the three games and we devised a point system for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for each game and then tallied the scores.

Posted in Google

Google Analytics now free

November 14, 2005

Google Inc. announces that its hosted web analytics service, Google Analytics, is now free.
Formerly known as Urchin from Google, Google Analytics helps businesses use performance data to improve their online marketing campaigns and websites.

Posted in Google

XBox requires e911?

November 10, 2005

This morning I wrote about the congressional hearing discussing a draft of legislation to create a statutory framework for Internet Protocol and Broadband Services.

I didn't have time to listen to the entire hearing and comment on all of it, so I've been keeping my eye out for other news sources on this important piece of legislation. According to ZDNet, "In a joint letter, representatives from Google, Amazon, eBay and InterActiveCorp voiced opposition for the draft's failure to impose "Net neutrality" requirements equally on all three categories of services".

In addition, I learned that Microsoft's Paul Mitchell, senior director and general manager of Microsoft's TV division wasn't happy either. Mitchell complained about two provisions in the current draft.

Posted in Google, Microsoft, VoIP

Profit from IM and VoIP?

November 8, 2005

FaceBridge Research announced a plug-and-play solution for IM/VoIP networks and portals to profit from IM/VoIP service. According to FaceBridge, "What's been missing is the ability of any individual user to bill for their time while communicating with one or more other users over a standard IM/VoIP network. In other words, if I'm a lawyer or a "life coach" or a psychic or an "adult entertainer" or anything else, I should have the option to charge by the minute for my time communicating with other users."

An interesting concept indeed. Instead of pay-per-minute 1-900 psychic & sex phone numbers they aim to bring that model to IM and VoIP.

Posted in Google, VoIP

Microsoft's Bill Gates take on Google

November 4, 2005

I received my Entireweb Newsletter this morning and it had a couple of interesting quotes from Bill Gates taken from a Computing article.

First, check out this jab Bill Gates throws at Google:

"Which Google products are you talking about? Seriously? Other than search, which are you talking about? Google Talk?

Posted in Google, Microsoft

SBC wants to extort VoIP service providers

October 31, 2005

Russell Shaw's blog brought to my attention an interesting BusinessWeek article quoting SBC CEO Edward Whitacre where he basically says in so many words, "VoIP providers will have to 'pay to play' on SBC's broadband pipes". Check out the exact quote from the article.

How do you think they're going to get to customers? Through a broadband pipe. Cable companies have them.

Posted in Google, Packet8, VoIP, Vonage

GIPS adds PCTEL to its growing portfolio

October 19, 2005

GIPS signs up yet another hardware manufacturer to use their remarkable voice engine used in Skype, Google Talk, and other VoIP solutions. PCTEL is going to use GIPS technology for to be used� on mobile phones, PDAs, and PCs. PCTEL has licensed both the PPC and Symbian versions of GIPS VoiceEngine Mobile to be used in conjunction with PCTEL's Roaming Client family of products. My how far Global IP Sound has come since I did the first exclusive review of their GIPS voice engine on a Pocket PC back in 2003 -� before most people even heard of GIPS.

"Our goal is always to provide the highest level of quality, ease of use and reliability available on the market-and GIPS's technology is clearly the best solution available today," said Biju Nair, vice president and general manager of PCTEL's Mobility Solutions Group."We are confident that GIPS VoiceEngine Mobile will allow us to provide the quality levels that our users have come to expect. GIPS and PCTEL have a long history together going back to PCTEL's modem days.

Posted in Google, Mobile Phones, Reviews, Skype, VoIP

Google and Comcast want AOL

October 12, 2005

From Greg's blog titled
Google,
Comcast & AOL??? Oh my.

This just crossed the wire. Oh my.

These are interesting times indeed.

Google Inc. and Comcast Corp. are in "serious discussions" to buy a minority stake in Time Warner's America Online, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

AOL has been in discussions with both parties separately, the source said. But in recent weeks, Google and Comcast have had discussions to possibly make a joint investment in the online unit of Time Warner Inc.

AOL is also separately in talks to create a joint venture with Microsoft Corp.

Interesting times indeed Greg. I have nothing further to add.

Posted in Google, VoIP

The Google Universe

October 12, 2005

Chief executive Eric Schmidt estimates that Google won't manage to index all the world's information until around the 24th century. Thus, it would take 300 years to index all the world's information and make it searchable, Google's chief executive Eric Schmidt predicted on Saturday at the Association of National Advertisers annual conference in Phoenix.

"We did a math exercise and the answer was 300 years," Schmidt said in response to an audience question asking for a projection of how long the company's mission will take. "The answer is it's going to be a very long time."

Ok, well that's indexing only Google Earth (bad pun) information. What about the rest of the galaxy or the indexing the rest of the universe, including all the alien libraries?

Posted in Google

Mplat FlashPhone for VoIP

October 4, 2005

The Mplat FlashPhone F2K
is a USB device that supports Skype, Google Talk, MSN, Xten, etc. with an integrated microphone and external headphones/ear buds.

I don't know what the deal is with the wet promo image they used on their website. Are they trying to say this is a sexy VoIP device or that it's waterproof? In any event, it comes bundled with Skype, but again supports any VoIP client software.

Posted in Google, Skype, VoIP

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