Exploring Tech

How Google Works

Dom — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:06:36 +0000

The following article was written ages ago… it may not be accurate today. But read it anyway, I put a heap of work into it back in the day.

Google is a search engine; everyone knows that – but how does it actually work. In this article, we will delve into Google’s behind the scenes, from how they crawl the web, to how results are shown to you.
>> Read the rest of How Google Works (414 words)

Internet Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Dom — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:08:16 +0000

The world famous communication and data transfer network known as ‘The Internet’ (yes, that one…) has been included into the nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Italian edition of ‘Wired’ Magazine lobbied for the nomination, starting a campaign back in November ‘09 saying that “What happened in Iran after the latest election, and the role the web played in spreading information that would otherwise have been censored, are only the newest examples of how the internet can become a weapon of global hope” (Riccardo Luna, Wired Italy editor-in-chief). The magazine launched a website, http://internetforpeace.org/ that outlines the reasons why the Internet shoud be awarded the prize:

We have finally realized that the Internet is much more than a network of computers.
It is an endless web of people. Men and women from every corner of the globe are
connecting to one another, thanks to the biggest social interface ever known to humanity.
Digital culture has laid the foundations for a new kind of society.
And this society is advancing dialogue, debate and consensus through communication.
Because democracy has always flourished where there is openness, acceptance,
discussion and participation. And contact with others has always been the most
effective antidote against hatred and conflict.
That’s why the Internet is a tool for peace.
That’s why anyone who uses it can sow the seeds of non-violence.
And that’s why the next Nobel Peace Prize should go to the Net.

And now they’ve done it, the Internet is nominated. So what we must ask now, is whether this is a good thing. Is the internet worthy of a Nobel peace prize? I’ll leave that up to you. As always I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

>> http://internetforpeace.org

Google to phase out support for IE6

Dom — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 07:37:41 +0000

Google is planning to stop supporting older browsers, such as Internet Explorer 6. Over the course of 2010, Google will update it’s Google Apps suite to HTML5, meaning older browsers such as IE6 will be unable to support the new standard. Google will start by updating Google Docs from March 1, 2010. Other apps, such as Mail and Calendar, will be converted later in the year. Those using older browsers are advised to upgrade, and will get a message when they use the Google Apps later in the year.

>> Google Apps admins should have received an email, no word yet on wether this affects normal Google Accounts.

Apple tablet comes to fruition, with a name no-one expected.

Dom — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:52:44 +0000

Apple’s Slate has finally come out in the form of the iPad. It really looks like a bit of a disappointment at first glance, as it looks like a scaled-up iPhone, and at second and third glance, it turns out that that is all it is. It’s a big iPhone. It’s got the GPS, the compass, the Wi-Fi, the iPod, the Safari and even the OS of the iPhone. It’s an iPhone with a 9.7 inch display. It does look cool though…

>> The iPad (I actually preferred iSlate)

Some stuff to make the web easier to read.

Dom — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:00:00 +0000

The internet is great, but all the ads, fonts, images, layouts and all the other superfluous stuff can make it hard to read the actual content. Here are three services that can make the web a lot easier on the eyes.

>> Read the rest of Some stuff to make the web easier to read. (252 words)

What is a blog?

Dom — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:20:48 +0000

News is one of the fundamental pillars of our society. Without news, no-one would know when anything had happened, unless they had witnessed it themselves. News is important, and so is the way we are given it. Now, news is changing. It’s going online.

>> Read the rest of What is a blog? (464 words)

Wingows 7 has a God Mode, does not do what you think.

Dom — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:57:42 +0000

Despite the name of this ‘mode’, this windows 7 hack won’t give you almighty powers. It will, however, create a folder that allows you to edit all your computers settings from one place. It can do everything from adding a printer to reformatting your hard drive – and more. Simple How To after the break.

>> Read the rest of Wingows 7 has a God Mode, does not do what you think. (152 words)

AD: Memozu Rewrite

Dom — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:39:37 +0000

Memozu, the simple sharing solution is coming out of beta. And to do that, it is getting completely rewritten from the ground up. There are heaps of new features that are going to be implemented, but it’s a huge job, so don’t expect it to come soon. We want your ideas, though. Tell us what you want to see in the memozu rewrite by sharing your ideas on getsatisfaction. We are also planning Faceboook integration, so jump on over to our app page and become a fan (on a side note, you can also fan Exploring Tech).

We’re planning great things, but we need your help.

>> You can follow @memozu on twitter

Clean feed going ahead?

Dom — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:35:36 +0000

Two days ago, Stephen Conroy re-affirmed his support in implementing a mandatory internet filter in Australia. The filter, which aims to filter out all websites and content that has been ‘refused classification’ and that is “harmful and inappropriate” for children, has been shown in tests to slow our already sub-par internet speeds by up to 80%. Despite the failed tests and opposition from the public, Conroy seems unfazed in his attempt to build a china-esque firewall.

>>> Fore more information on the clean feed, visit http://nocleanfeed.com/.

Google Chrome OS Released

Dom — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:54:35 +0000

Google today released a preview of the Google Chrome OS…

I don’t have much to say at this point, except that I’ll probably do a review of it over the next couple of days…

Also, there’s a great article detailing the installation of it in a virtual machine at http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/19/guide-install-google-chrome-os/