Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Google Gadgets on your Dashboard
A question everyone asked when we launched Google Desktop for the Mac was: where are the gadgets? Today, we have an answer: they're in your Dashboard! Now there's a new feature for Google Desktop, Google Gadgets for the Mac, which is ready to install. With this launch, we're bringing hundreds of Google Gadgets to the Mac OS X platform. You can take advantage of gadgets to do things like browse YouTube videos, nurture a virtual flower pot, or even check your day's agenda in Dashboard.
Not only that, the new Google Gadgets applications let you add gadgets with one click and interact with them beside your Apple widgets in Dashboard. There's an automatic update to the gadget list each week, so you'll always have something new to look forward to.
Watch the Gadget application in action:
Attention, gadget/widget developers: this launch makes it possible for you to write your gadget once and have it run on a Mac, a PC, and any webpage on the Internet. Learn more about how to write a cross platform gadget.
The CNN/YouTube Republican Debate
First up were the Democrats, and now it's the Republicans' turn. Tonight marks the much-anticipated CNN/YouTube Republican Debate, in which the 8 GOP candidates on our You Choose '08 platform will descend on St. Petersburg, Florida to answer video questions submitted via YouTube. The two-hour debate will be aired live on CNN at 8 PM ET, and all the clips will be hosted soon after on YouTube.
People submitted almost 5,000 questions (4,927, to be exact) to the GOP hopefuls right on YouTube -- 2,000 more than the Democrats got on July 23. In true YouTube style, some of the questions are creative, but most are compelling -- and demonstrate the concerns of voters trying to differentiate between the candidates in a crowded primary field.
Back in July, we broke new ground in presidential debates with our first-ever CNN/YouTube Debate. Thirty-nine questions were posed to the Democratic candidates, and when Stephen Sixta asked a question about whether or not the presidential contenders would speak directly to foreign dictators, a conflict broke out between Senators Obama and Clinton that has matured into the defining difference between these two front-runners in this campaign.
The core concept behind these debates is to let real questions from real people drive the dialogue. The power of YouTube is that it lowers the barrier to entry to engage in the political process, and levels the platform for political discussion. It used to be that a voter had to live in Iowa, New Hampshire, or Florida to engage with the candidates at this stage of the campaign, but YouTube has broken down those barriers, and has brought more transparency and access to the political dialogue than ever before. We think that politics will never be the same (thankfully).
Lost? No, found!
We know a lot of you are using Google Maps for mobile to view maps and satellite imagery, find local businesses, and get directions. But to date not many of you have been able to take advantage of the increased speed and convenience that location information from technologies like GPS can afford, if only because there are very few GPS-enabled devices on the market.
Well, when it comes to location information, GPS is no longer the only game in town. Today we released a version of Google Maps for mobile with a new beta technology called My Location, which provides approximate location information for those of us without GPS, and complements GPS location information for those who do have it. Head over to our new mobile blog to learn more.
Life List
There are certain things in life that you MUST do before your time ends. I have a list of things that I call my Life List - these are the things that I have to do... there are a bunch of things on there. Some involve traveling, some involve family, and others are just random acts of craziness that must ensue before I can no longer do them.
One of my closest friends Corrie is a tremendous inspiration to me. And I know that if I ever need advice or to be told that I am being ridiculous, she is the one I turn to.
With that said - our Grand Opening was last night, it was AMAZING, I mean simply incredible. I am totally overwhelmed with emotion as to how many people came to support me, how great the event looked and just well, how truly humbled I am with the support I received from the vendors I surround myself with, both near and far.
Okay, back to Life Lists for a second - have you ever wanted to do something and just said "Nahhhhh, that's crazy!" or "What would people think, if they ever knew!" I do that all of the time.
I got to check something off my life list last night that I thought I would NEVER do, because of both of those excuses!!! I am not going to tell you what it is until later, when I get the pictures back from Caroline. But it's A.W.E.S.O.M.E!!!
A special HUGE Thank You to these folks for going above and beyond!
Tapa's: Hilton Conference Center
Chocolate Fountain: Four Tiers Chocolate
And the photographers that are showcased in our new Studio:
Really, thank you all!!!!
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