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Using Google Docs to Work on a Book

Currently, my editor Brian Jepson and I are collaboratively writing the book (tentatively titled) Google Office Hacks by O’Reilly using Google Docs.

I wanted to outline the process we came up with, and maybe it’s helpful for you too for certain needs.

Microsoft Moves To Join DataPortability.org

Think about the power of a group including Google, Facebook, and soon enough, Microsoft.  Like some international entity, DataPortability.org would seem to have the ability to make tremendous changes.  Or (like some international entity), DataPortability.org might just sit on its hands.

Yahoo’s Handling of Authority
Does it make sense for MySpace profile pages to rank on the first page for one of the 10 most competitive terms on the web?

Web Standards and Devloping for Mobile

I’ve been an avid Mac user for many years, since about 1996, and actually that’s when I started working on the web.

Turner, Nascar Extend Website Agreement

Do you enjoy watching cars drive in circles – sorry, ovals – 200 times?  Do you enjoy keeping track of the activity online?  If so, you’ll be glad to hear that Turner Broadcasting has extended a contract to keep Nascar.com running.

MPAA Wrong On Piracy Prevalence

The Motion Picture Association of America is the latest poster child for reasons not to trust research put out by entities with vested interests in the results of the research. The MPAA is having to send out word that their previous estimates of movie piracy on college campuses were a bit overstated—by a factor of three.

Vivisimo Taps Remix Clustering For Search

A new patent pending technology for the firm behind Clusty.com introduces what they are calling “Clustering 2.0″ to search results.

Online Super Bowl Ad Buzz

It used to be that Super Bowl Commercials would be protectively hidden until game day by advertisers, but they’ve learned the value of online buzz and many are releasing them early to get that buzz going.

EPIC Slams Ask, Google On Privacy
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In an FTC filing in the US about Ask.com, and testimony before the European Parliament about Google’s DoubleClick acquisition, the Electronic Privacy Information Center complained of the potential threat to individual online privacy.

Online gaming shift with Battlefield Heroes

EA will open its cartoony shooter Battlefield Heroes in a few months as a free to play game, with some monetization options tossed into the mix.

Experimenting with Live Mobile Video
At yesterday’s launch in London of Edelman’s 2008 Trust Barometer, I did a little experiment with live mobile video that was so easy to do that it’s very clear we’re going to see a great deal more of this.

Sexy Micro-blogging Ensures Twitter Success
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Perhaps it was an eventuality. All roads used to lead to Rome; now all superhighways lead to a crotch-shot. But this development is at least a testament to the power of the Twitter concept: the cybersex crowd has taken it up.

If a message on Twitter is called a "tweet," is a message on boobik called a "tw…" –never mind.

Spot Runner Snaps Up GlobeShooter
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All eyes were on WPP – it was supposed to acquire the advertising agency known as Spot Runner, and that may still happen.  But in a move that came as something of a surprise, Spot Runner made an acquisition of its own and formed the Spot Runner Production Network.

Clusty Remixes Search

Search engine Clutsy has a new clustering technology to help you find more information related to your search.

They already have a folder of subtopics relating to your search topics. Now there is a small link near the folders with related topics that says, “remix.” Click it and you’ll see more related searches or clusters.

GOOG Stock Grows Mole, Small Moustache
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Wall Street’s romance with Google may be exiting the limerence stage and settling down into the not-now-honey-the-game’s-on stage. GOOG opened this morning at $560, which would have been cause for Tanqueray and tango in early 2007.

Roost Enters Real Estate Search
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This doesn’t seem like the ideal time for a real estate search engine to launch; individuals are probably afraid to get into the home-buying market, and lenders are probably afraid to let them.  Still, a new contender has arrived, and Roost is pretty impressive.

Make Your Own Reddit

Digg fans have always had the option of creating their own version of the site, thanks to Pligg.

Now Reddit fans are going to get the opportunity to create their own personal version of the popular social voting site.

Live from World Economic Forum

I’m here in the World Economic Forum, writing to you from the headquarters for the Davos Question where I just interviewed the head of PR for the World Economic Forum.

Google Addresses Webmaster Concerns
A couple of days back Google’s Susan Moskwa & Trevor Foucher published FAQs about sitemaps, see: Google’s FAQs on Sitemaps. The FAQs followed from their experience at SES Chicago 2007.

SMX West Coming Up Fast

One of the (if not THE) fastest growing conferences over the past year has been Search Marketing Expo.

The Key to Dominating Google is to Matter Outside of it
Rich Skrenta recently mentioned an article about being within the confines of Google:

So it strikes me that the time is right to make some big bets. You can’t make those within the system. My advice: start from scratch, take some chances in finding marketing channels outside the Google system.

Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program Expands

In the sort of development that can leave a person reaching not to reuse words, the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program is, well, accelerating its support of startups; a total of 30 new companies have been brought into the fold.