Google celebrates Heinrich Hertz’s birthday with a (pretty cool) animated Doodle

Google's celebrating Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, who is best known for proving the existence of electromagnetic waves, today, February 22, with an animated Doodle on its homepage. The Doodle, which is currently live on the U.S. version of Google, is pretty simple, but may just give you hours of entertainment - it's a wave graph that moves.

Hertz is accredited with building an apparatus that displayed the existence of certain electromagnetic waves that detected radio waves. He also expanded and clarified James Maxwell's electromagnetic theory of light. He was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1857 and died on New Year's Day, 1894 at the young age of 36.

Microsoft directly attacks Google in new video

Microsoft has posted a new video to its YouTube account that directly attacks Google's "lack" of non-experimental products. The company focused on the number of high-profile changes Google has been making over the past eight months, and the fact that end-users are affected in a major way.

The video follows "Googlighting Stranger," who tries to convince a company to use Google products, despite the fact that they are ever-changing.

We've got to give credit to Microsoft to this one - they've got a sense of humor.

Google files patent related to Siri-esque voice commands for Google TV

Patently Apple reports on a patent filed by Google that deals with voice input commands for the Google TV set-top box. The feature would act similarly to Apple's Siri service on the iPhone 4S in the sense that it would allow users to ask a variety of questions through an Android app and have the answer outputted on the Google TV, or other specific media device. The technology can also be applied to things like music.

The patent specifically states that "the provision of the query to the television may occur when the user is within a set distance of his home also (e.g., by determining with GPS functionality on the smartphone that he is within 1/4 mile of the home), and the television may be turned on automatically as he approaches the home, with the television tuned to a channel that is determined to be most relevant to the query…"

Whether or not a feature like this will be integrated into a Google TV product is still unknown at this time.

[UPDATE: GOOGLE RESPONSE] Microsoft accuses Google of bypassing security settings on Internet Explorer too

Over the weekend, we brought you the news that Google had been caught bypassing user security settings of Safari on iOS devices, which allowed the Internet giant to track users' behavior while browsing the Web. Google was using cookies in order to track how people browse the Internet.

Today, Microsoft announced via its IEBlog that it has caught Google using the same tactic to track users' behavior on Internet Explorer. "Google is employing similar methods to get around the default privacy protections in IE and track IE users with cookies," the company says.

We’ve found that Google bypasses the P3P Privacy Protection feature in IE. The result is similar to the recent reports of Google’s circumvention of privacy protections in Apple’s Safari Web browser, even though the actual bypass mechanism Google uses is different.

Microsoft recommends that users who don't want to be tracked by Google update to Internet Explorer 9 and begin to use the Tracking Protection list feature in the web browser.

UPDATE: Google has issued a statement to The Verge, responding to Microsoft's claim. The Internet giant says that Microsoft is using older technology in Internet Explorer, causing the "issue" with cookies.

Full statement:

Microsoft omitted important information from its blog post today.

Microsoft uses a "self-declaration" protocol (known as "P3P") dating from 2002 under which Microsoft asks websites to represent their privacy practices in machine-readable form. It is well known - including by Microsoft - that it is impractical to comply with Microsoft’s request while providing modern web functionality. We have been open about our approach, as have many other websites.

Today the Microsoft policy is widely non-operational. A 2010 research report indicated that over 11,000 websites were not issuing valid P3P policies as requested by Microsoft...

Google caught tracking iOS users through Safari with hidden code

According to The Wall Street Journal, Google has been caught tracking iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users via the Safari web browser on iOS by using hidden software embedded on certain websites. The software is designed to go around default privacy settings setup by the user, which allowed Google to track their behaviors on the Internet.

The issue lies with how Safari handles cookies, the information that is stored on devices that allow you to login to a website, leave the website, and come back still logged in. Cookies are also used by a number of advertisers, including Google, to display relevant ads to you.

Google is accused of placing specific cookies onto users' devices, which would allow the Internet giant to then track the behavior of the user. The company claims that the software being placed on certain websites was actually a mistake, and was done merely to use the Google "+1" button on domains other than Google.com.

Google has stated it has begun deleting the cookies that are causing the controversy from user' devices, but hasn't provided a current state of this. In addition, it's unclear whether any government agencies will begin to investigate this incident, but it's likely that it will happen eventually.

HTC announces plans to update Thunderbolt, DROID Incredible 2 to Android OS 4.0

Earlier today, HTC announced via its official Facebook Page that Verizon Wireless customers with the HTC Rhyme, HTC Thunderbolt, HTC DROID Incredible 2, and HTC Rezound should all be expecting to be upgraded to Android OS 4.0 (a.k.a. "Ice Cream Sandwich") sometime in the future. The Taiwan-based manufacturer was reluctant to give any solid rollout dates, but it's expected sometime in the near future.

In addition, HTC revealed that the HTC Raider will be receiving the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for customers on Rogers and Bell in Canada.

Google Public DNS now handling 70 billion requests per day

Google announced yesterday that its public Domain Name System (DNS) is now serving an average of 70 billion requests per day. The service first launched in late December of 2009 as an attempt to make the "web faster for everyone." This newest figure puts Google at the top of the list as the world's most popular public DNS service.

Google Public DNS has become particularly popular for our users internationally. Today, about 70 percent of its traffic comes from outside the U.S. We’ve maintained our strong presence in North America, South America and Europe, and beefed up our presence in Asia. We've also added entirely new access points to parts of the world where we previously didn't have Google Public DNS servers, including Australia, India, Japan and Nigeria.

Google gives a look inside Mountain View, California headquarters

Yesterday, Google uploaded twenty four (24) pictures to its "Life at Google" Google+ account that give the world a look inside the company's Mountain View, California headquarters. The HQ, dubbed "Googleplex," boasts a tennis court, a basketball court, a bunch of couches for employees, an outdoor cafeteria, and a garden.

Google has been known for having an extraordinary campus, and these pictures show just that.

We've included some of the pictures below. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Google celebrates Valentine’s Day with an animated Doodle

Here's a surprise. To celebrate Valentine's Day today, February 14, Google launched a special animated Doodle on its homepage. The Doodle is a video that shows a young man trying to get a girl to like him (because, that's just so romantic), but failing several times. He searches Google for things she likes, but the girl rejects him every time and continues her jump roping. Finally, the man realizes he should just start jump roping too and the two end up together (it's such a cute ending!).

Clicking the Doodle will bring users to a Google search for "Valentine's Day."

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

European Commission and U.S. regulators both approve Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility

Earlier today, Google announced via its blog that the European Commission has approved its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility, which was initially announced last year. This approval is a huge milestone in closing the deal, and Google says its still waiting on a few other jurisdictions to make their final approvals. In addition, according to a report from The Associated Press, U.S. regulators have also approved the deal.

China appears to be the final major approval that Google is waiting for to officially close the deal that will put the web giant in control of Motorola Mobility's nearly 17,000 patents.

Updated YouTube app for Google TV announced

Today, Google revealed a redesigned YouTube app for the Google TV platform, overhauling the user interface and performance. The company says that a new navigation menu should make things easier for users, as well as the new "Discovery" feature, which allows you to find YouTube channels by category.

"We’ve also updated the YouTube app with new channel pages. You can navigate through playlists and videos in your favorite channels, and you can subscribe to channels from the YouTube app with just a click." In addition, related videos and more videos by the original uploaded can now be seen by pressing the up or down arrows on a remote.

Finally, pressing the up or down arrow keys on the remote will also allow users to see information about the current video, including the ability to "like" it, comment on it, or add it to a playlist.

The updated YouTube app will be available via the Android Market in the coming days.

Report: Google developing wireless home entertainment system

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal yesterday, Google is currently in the process of developing a new home entertainment system that would allow people to stream music wirelessly throughout a home. The system would be branded under the Google name and be powered by Android OS, but it's unclear whether the web giant will be manufacturing the device itself. If Google does go down that route, it would be the first electronic device that it manufactures itself without outside help.

While some may question why Google would even think about entering this market, it does lineup with the company's recent focusing on music. This includes a new music section in the Android Market to buy tracks, an updated Music Manager app, and a refreshed online music streaming service dubbed "Google Music."

The entertainment system "is expected to be unveiled later this year."

Google begins testing Chrome 19 – includes improved spell check and support for Mac OS X Lion’s “Resume” feature

Following the release of Chrome 17 earlier this week, Google has begun the early testing phase of Chrome 19 with developers and adventurous users. Since Chrome 18 is already in the beta stage, we can expect to see Chrome 19 come in stable form in either late March or early April.

While exact release notes are scarce, we can already see that Google's Chrome 19 will include a new spellchecker that is powered by the web giant itself. Users must first "opt" themselves into using the service, however, and it's not clear exactly how this is different than the web browser's current spellchecker.

In addition, Chrome 19 brings initial support for Mac OS X Lion's "Resume" feature, which allows applications to be closed and later opened in the exact state that they were left in. Chrome sees support for this with open websites in tabs, which desktop space you left it in last, and whether it was in full-screen mode or not.

The latest build of Chromium (the current testing build of Chrome 19) is available for download here.

Google offering up $25 in Amazon gift cards if you’re OK with your every move to be tracked

This week, Google launched a new project that it is calling "Screenwise." Screenwise is an attempt from Google to learn how people browse and use the Internet, and the information collected will be used to improve Google products and services. To begin with Screenwise, you must download a Google Chrome extension that will track the websites you visit and how you interact with them. 

As a bit of a thank you, Google is offering anyone who participates in the program up to $25 in Amazon.com gift cards ($5 initially, and $5 for every three months you continue to use the extension). 

The company notes that users who participate in the project must be older than 13, have a Google Account, and use Google Chrome. 

Google axes plans of a drop-down navigation menu across its services

Back in November, Google announced plans to completely overhaul the navigation bar that currently resides at the top of every Google service. The web giant revealed a redesign "Google Bar" that removes the notorious black menu at the top of every page and replaced it with a drop-down navigation menu that's accessible by hovering over the Google logo. The rollout of the new Google Bar, however, was never revealed to the public. 

Today, Google provided an update on the new navigation menu, stating that it has taken user feedback into account to once again redesign the menu. The concept of a drop-down navigation bar has been axed in the newest update, and in its place is the black bar we've come to know and love. Google+ tools, however, have been moved out of the navigation menu and into the main body of the webpage. In addition, Google has re-ordered the links in the menu. 

The company says it will be rolling out the redesigned menu in the coming weeks. 

Report: Google to launch cloud-based storage service soon

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Google is planning to unveil a new cloud-based storage service in "the coming weeks or months" that will tie in with Google Apps. The service, which will likely be named "Google Drive," will be a direct competitor to Dropbox, which was founded back in 2007. 

Google Drive will reportedly allows its users to store things such as photos, documents, and videos on Google's servers. The files would then be accessible from any Internet-connected device and can easily be shared with family and friends. The service will be free to use for individuals and businesses, but those who exceed the initial storage limit will need to pay extra to store more files. Drive will reportedly cost less than Dropbox. An initial storage capacity hasn't been disclosed at this time. 

This isn't the first time Google has been reported to be building such as cloud-based storage service. Five years ago, right around the time Dropbox was initially released to the public, "G Drive" was apparently being developed internally at the web giant. For one reason or another, however, the service never saw the light of day.

Google releases Chrome 17 with improved speed and security

Yesterday, Google announced the release of the seventeenth (17) version of Chrome, brining improvements to both speed and security. First revealed on Google Chrome's Beta Channel early last month, Chrome 17 includes the ability to pre-render webpages if a URL is auto-completed, and better checking against possibly malicious files. 

When you start typing in the omnibox and the URL autocompletes to a site you’re very likely to visit, Chrome will prerender the page, so it will appear faster--sometimes, even instantly--as soon as you hit Enter. 

On the security front, Chrome now does even more to help protect you from malicious downloads. In addition to checking a list of known bad files, Chrome also does checks on executable files (like ".exe" and ".msi" files). If the executable doesn't match a whitelist, Chrome checks with Google for more information, such as whether the website you're accessing hosts a high number of malicious downloads.

Chrome 17 is available for download from either the Chrome download page or via the updater inside Chrome itself. 

RIM exec says BlackBerry apps are more profitable than Android apps

InformationWeek is reporting today on comments made by Research in Motion VP of developer relations, Alec Saunders, at the company's DevCon Europe conference in Amsterdam. Saunders stated during a presentation at the conference that the BlackBerry App World now hosts over 60,000 applications, up 300% year-over-year, but still significantly lower than the iOS App Store and Android Market. 

He went on to say that the App World has seen over two billion downloads in total, with 174 million in one month and 6 million per day,  also significantly lower than the App Store and Android Market. 

Despite these stats, Saunders stated during his presentation in front of 2,000 BlackBerry developers that the App World is actually showing 40% more revenue for developers than Google's Android Market. The reason? It's because many apps downloaded from the App World are paid, while a majority downloaded from the Android Market are free. 

"BlackBerry is one of the most profitable platforms to work for," said Saunders. "Very clearly, developers are making money on BlackBerry and PlayBook today. There is a study from Evans Data that shows that 13% of all Blackberry developers made more than $100,000 from App World. That is more than from any iPhone or Android application. And I think that speaks to the economic power of our platform."

Google announces Chrome Beta for Android devices

Earlier today, Google unveiled Chrome for Android Beta, which takes the popular web browser for desktop computers and brings it to the web giant's mobile platform. The browser will work on Android OS 4.0 (a.k.a. "Ice Cream Sandwich") devices and is "focused on speed and simplicity, but it also features seamless sign-in and sync so you can take your personalized web browsing experience with you wherever you go, across devices."

Chrome for Android also includes the following features, most of which are already available on Chrome for desktops:

• The "Omnibox" - address bar + Google search bar combo
• Google Instant technology
• "Link Preview" for automatically zooming in on links
• "Incognito Mode" and several privacy controls
• Syncing bookmarks between devices
• Autocomplete suggestions that sync between devices
• Open tabs that sync between devices 

Chrome for Android is designed from the ground up for mobile devices. We reimagined tabs so they fit just as naturally on a small-screen phone as they do on a larger screen tablet. You can flip or swipe between an unlimited number of tabs using intuitive gestures, as if you’re holding a deck of cards in the palm of your hands, each one a new window to the web.

Chrome for Android OS is currently available in beta form on the Android Market (download link) for devices running Android OS 4.0. 

Google and Twitter discuss Super Bowl statistics

Despite the fact that the Super Bowl is now 24 hours behind us, America and the Internet are still buzzing about last night's biggest plays, commercials, that nice new Chevrolet Corvette that Eli Manning is now a proud owner of. Both Google and Twitter have released their statistics about Super Bowl XLVI, and we've recapped them below.

Google

Google starts off by saying that 41% of searches about Super Bowl advertisements made during the game came from mobile devices, which is up from 25% last year. During the game, the following list were the most-searched terms:

1. Madonna
2. Halftime show
3. Patriots
4. Tom Brady
5. Giants

This year's Super Bowl was the first one ever that was live streamed on the Internet, and Google says that searches for "super bowl live stream" peaked at kickoff.

Finally, Google says that companies ads that were posted to YouTube, either in full or teaser mode, were watched more than 30 million times before kickoff Sunday night. "Game day searches for [super bowl ads] were 122 times higher than the same time last week," the web giant says. Acura, GoDaddy and M&M’s were the top three most popular ads in terms of Google searches made.

Twitter

Twitter says that it saw a tweets per second (TPS) spike during this year's Super Bowl in the final three minutes of the game, shortly after the Giants' final touchdown. The TPS number is being listed as 12,233. Madonna's half time performance averaged 8,000 TPS, with a peak of 10,245 tweets.