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for them to find what they're looking for--without the hassle of referring to paper maps, reference guides, or often outdated directories, said Jonathan Rosenberg, vice president, product management, Google Inc. Google's mobile search and Google SMS services are important advancements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 .

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 ()

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