According Darren Rowse (from Problogger.net) Google is secretly testing new Adsense format.

Here’s the scoop. Adsense are testing a system where by the publisher not only chooses from a number of prescribed ad formats (as we currently do) but where they themselves are able to determine: 1. the ad format size - 2. the number of ads to be shown in this space This is an interesting development because it allows publishers to have much greater control over the design of ads and the integration of them into their sites. It would give real freedom to publishers to find the very best position on their site without needing to completely rearrange their site’s design to accommodate them. There is no word of when such a system might actually go live but as far as I can see they are testing it in a number of places which could mean that it is sooner than later. Adsense Developing Fully Customizable Ads Blocks? Source: Darren Rowse (from Problogger.net)

(Via: Inside Google :

Jen Fitzpatrick (Director, Engineering at Google) a video they've put together highlighting all the benefits of working at Google. This video is mainly focused on women and engineering.

Here are some snapshots:

Begining...

Laughing...

Interviewed...

A motorbike inside the Googleplex...

With Sergey Brin (he's got a nice jean)...

Sergey's famous shoes...

The end...

(69 MB, MPEG, 7:21)

Google today released two new local services that enable people on-the-go to quickly and easily connect to the information they want from their mobile phones or wireless device. From local business listings to interactive street maps, users can now access Google Local information via a mobile web browser and driving directions using Google SMS.

Whether people are traveling long distances or looking for a restaurant in their hometown, Google's new mobile services make it a snap for them to find what they're looking for--without the hassle of referring to paper maps, reference guides, or often outdated directories, said Jonathan Rosenberg, vice president, product management, Google Inc. Google's mobile search and Google SMS services are important advancements in our goal to provide users immediate access to valuable information anywhere and anytime.

Google Local

When users visit http://mobile.google.com/local on their XHTML-enabled mobile phone, they can enter their search term in the 'What' search box and location in the 'Where' search box to receive results from Google Local. For example, if users enter the query wifi hotspot in the 'What' search box and 90266 in the 'Where' search box, they will receive Google Local results of wifi hotspots in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Currently available in the U.S. and Canada, this service enables users to find business listings and driving directions, view an area using Google Maps with zooming capabilities, and click-to-call.

Driving Directions

With Google SMS, users have another choice to access information on-the-go. This service enables users to send a search query as a text message to the U.S. five digit shortcode 46645 (GOOGL on most phones) and receive Google Local, Froogle, finance, weather, and movie showtime results. Today, Google added driving directions to this list. For example, if users enter the query from jfk to 50 broadway new york, they will receive turn-by-turn driving directions as a text message on their mobile phone or device. Google SMS is available on most U.S. carriers. More information can be found at .

Google has been offering mobile services for more than four years. In 2001, Google Web Search was introduced via WML-enabled and iMode-enabled phones (Japan). This past year Web Search, Image Search and several advanced search features were introduced via XHTML, enabling more users to access Google's index of more than 8 billion web pages and more than one billion images from their mobile phones.

Google's mobile products

More information about Google's mobile products can be found at .

(press release)

1. TurboScout.com Makes Web Searching 20 Times Faster

A 21 year-old undergraduate from Singapore launched TurboScout.com, a new search tool that helps Internet users to access and compare original results from over 90 search engines across 7 categories on a single web page, removing the hassle of retyping keywords into different search engines.

Comparing results from different search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, and Ask Jeeves is a common practice for many users. This is because different engines use different ranking methods and thus no single engine can give users exactly what they’re looking for.

That’s where TurboScout.com comes in handy Says William Chee, founder of TurboScout.com. Grown out of the frustration of typing and retyping keywords into different search engines, I decided to create an online search tool to get rid of these hassles and make such searching 20 times faster.

Users who visit http://www.turboscout.com only need to enter keywords once, and getting original results from different search engines is as simple as clicking the engine’s name. No more retyping keywords into different search engines.

Search engine marketing firms also find TurboScout.com an invaluable tool for search engine optimization and finding out the rankings of their clients’ web sites in different engines.

Users who set their browser home page to their favorite site can even customize TurboScout.com to load together with their favorite web site. This way, users can have all the benefits of TurboScout.com and access to their favorite site at the same time.

In addition to web page search, TurboScout.com also helps users to find images, search encyclopedias, check out latest news, look for interesting blogs, find songs and videos, and even compare prices from major online retailers and auction sites.

With a growing number of users who search online, TurboScout.com is slated to become the preferred time-saving search tool for many across the globe.

2. Access 90 Search Engines’ Results With Firefox’s Search Box

TurboScout.com launches a Firefox extension which empowers over 27 million Firefox users to access original results from more than 90 search engines with just a click.

According to Nielsen//NetRatings, majority of Internet searchers use multiple search engines to compare results from search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN Search and Ask Jeeves. Different search engines use different ranking methods and thus no single search engine can give users exactly what they’re looking for.

Users who visit http://www.turboscout.com only need to enter keywords once. Getting original results from different search engines is as simple as clicking on the engine’s name. No more retyping of URLs and keywords into different search engines.

To further simplify the searching process and enhance TurboScout.com’s usability, a Firefox extension has been developed. This allows Firefox users to customize the browser’s in-built search box to search using TurboScout.com, said William Chee, founder of TurboScout.com. Users can add this extension with just a click from http://www.turboscout.com/firefox, no download or installation is needed.

TurboScout.com saved my time and made searching a breeze, said Ben M. Bois, the extension's developer and founder of hooboo.com. This prompted me to develop the extension to help fellow Firefox users around the world.

Over 27 million Firefox users can now harness TurboScout.com benefits by adding the extension to their Firefox's search box with just a click, Ben added.

By incorporating TurboScout.com’s capability with the convenience of searching with Firefox’s in-built search box, Firefox users will be able to access original search results of multiple search engines right from their browser’s tool bar.

About TurboScout.com:

TurboScout.com is a search tool that saves you time and makes your Web searches easy. With TurboScout you only need enter keywords once to access and compare original results from over 90 search engines across 7 categories by simply clicking on the engine’s name. No more retyping of URLs and keywords into different search engines.

About HooBoo.com:

hooboo.com, a free online bookmark Web site, founded by Ben M. Bois, who also developed the free TurboScout.com Firefox extension.

Ask Jeeves announced the launch of Ask Jeeves Spanish version.

• Ask Jeeves Spain Beta URL : http://es.ask.com

• Software to check your keyword ranking on Ask Jeeves Espana

• AskJeeves Blog : ¡Jeeves habla español! and Ask Jeeves blog in Spanish

OAKLAND, Calif., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Ask Jeeves(R), Inc., a leading provider of information retrieval technologies, brands and Internet advertising services, today announced the launch of a Spanish version of Ask Jeeves. Currently available at http://es.ask.com , the search service is expected to formally launch this summer at http://www.askjeeves.es. Ask Jeeves Espana, which is in beta, is based on the Company's flagship consumer search site Ask Jeeves (http://www.ask.com), and follows Ask Jeeves' expansion into the United Kingdom and Japan. It is the first in a series of international growth initiatives to be announced by the Company this year. "International expansion is an important component to our corporate growth strategy," said Steve Berkowitz, CEO of Ask Jeeves Inc. "We believe the Ask Jeeves brand has a tremendous opportunity to succeed in Europe because it offers the only differentiated world-class search experience to consumers." Ask Jeeves Espana utilizes Ask Jeeves' proprietary Teoma(R) search technology, which determines a website's expertise on a subject, rather than just its link popularity. In addition to Teoma, Ask Jeeves Espana will include industry-leading features such as My Jeeves and the Binoculars site preview tool that make searching faster and easier. Ask Jeeves Espana is the first in a series of European launches Ask Jeeves Inc. expects in 2005. The Company plans to leverage the strength of the Ask Jeeves brand, its differentiated technology that provides users with expert, everyday search functionality, and partnerships with leading consumer media companies to grow users in emerging markets. Ask Jeeves expects to generate revenues from Ask Jeeves Espana through sponsored links. "Spain is still an emerging marketplace and search will be on par with email in terms of popularity," said Miguel Acosta, Vice President of European Development for Ask Jeeves Inc. "So as the Spanish Internet population grows, more and more people will turn to Ask Jeeves to access the best of what the web has to offer: from finding information on news, weather and entertainment to browsing the best shopping and travel sites." Ask Jeeves launches Ask Jeeves Espana

Source: Search engine roundtable: Ask Jeeves Espana

Google is testing a new feature called "Alternate Searches" intended to enhance the user search experience. Other search engines like Yahoo! or AskJeeves have included in their results pages some suggestions of related searches. Google never wanted to add these links but Nate Tyler (from Google) confirmed to Andy Beal that they are running a limited test of this new interface.

This new interface includes a new link at the bottom of a Google results page. The link Try Alternate Searches, when clicked on, takes you to a page that includes other suggest keyword searches, you may want to consider.

Google's option is different from other search engines' because Google's Try Alternate Searches takes the concept one step further by offering a link to a page showing the top-3 searches for common popular variations of the entered search term.

See screenshots from Andy Beal's blog:

Via Andy Beal ()

Other blogs and forums coverage:

• Google Testing New Related Searches & Clustering System?
• "Try Alternate Searches": Google Testing Feature
• Google - Try alternate Searches

Google used to index only the first 101 KB of any web document (that's why you may have often seen 101k as a document's size on Google SERPs). It seems that it's no longer the case: a search for gives as first result the page http://www.gofigger.org/hphist/gutenberg/7ethc10.htm which is 513k.

We reported previously that but at this time we couldn't find any example.

Via WebMasterWorld (Google cache page size limit change) and Google Fan ()

Yahoo! has updated its toolbar with new anti spyware features, but forget that, they now support Mac via Firefox.

Source: John Battelle

After MSN (MSN adcenter) few weeks ago, Wanadoo announces the launch of its own Pay Par Click platform : Wanadoo Clic

Wanadoo Clic ads will be display on Wanadoo and Mappy websites.

• Read this article and interview from Luc Tran Thang, Directeur de Wanadoo Portails

• To check your keyword ranking on Voila and Wanadoo you can download this software (15 days Free)

Today, Google released a new version of the Google Toolbar (available for download at ). This free browser tool now checks spelling, enables users to translate English text into 8 other languages.

The Google Toolbar in French is part of Google's ongoing commitment to providing users around the world with access to more information. Its launch follows the introduction of earlier this week.

• SpellCheck: Whenever users type into a web form (including web-based email, discussion forums, and intranet web applications), SpellCheck instantly reviews and suggests corrections. The AutoFix option enables users to automatically check and correct all the text they're entering with one click.
• WordTranslator: This feature translates words from LANGUAGE web pages into one of 8 other languages. Hover the cursor over a word and Google Toolbar's WordTranslator feature displays the word in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Japanese, or Korean.

This new version of the Google Toolbar is now available in French and 8 other languages.

Google released a new version of its search engine: .

Google April Fool's Search searches everything related to April Fool's Day among 401,000 pages.

Via Philipp Lenssen

According to the 2004 Annual Report that Google just published, Google has a new subsidiary called Zipdash Inc.

This acquisition seems to be recent, as no one mentionned it before, and the New York Times who profiled Zipdash in March 2004 made no mention of Google.

According to Palo Alto Weekly (see Navigating by phone, an article about Zipdash, a traffic info start-up), Zipdash software allows cell-phone users with Global Positioning Satellite systems (GPS) to view a map of how fast traffic is moving on Bay Area highways.

Zipdash works by gathering location information of individual cell-phone users, tracking data from taxi and trucking fleets, and utilizing existing highway sensors.

Via and