Ok. We get it. Google is huge. Massive. Gargantuan. All of the above.

Think about the painstaking process of finding anything on the World Wide Web back in the late 90s before “Google” became a verb synonymous with search.

We had to askjeeves, whoever he was, and cross our fingers at the chance getting something in the ballpark of our query.

Google has a way of transforming the way we use the Internet, or the way the Internet uses us.

AdSense

Sure, you may think you’re searching for things with Google. But really, Google is searching you. You impulsively “Googled” multiple variations of the keyword “engagement rings” six times in one hour. Just to see what your options were. And now, for the next few hours, you’re bombarded with ads on the side and top of your page for any and everything wedding related.

Google has recently begun using AdSense for search retargeting. Google’s AdSense uses your latest search queries (engagement rings, wedding dresses, is my boyfriend going to propose, how to deal with in-laws) to give you specifically targeted ads. They know you better than you know yourself, and search retargeting won’t let you forget it.

Google Maps

Remember when Mapquest.com jettisoned to popularity? People couldn’t believe they were able to get directions from the Internet and took off on three-hour road trips to visit everyone from old college roommates to in-laws they hardly even liked.

Then Google Maps launched, gained popularity and turned Mapquest.com into a cartographical wasteland. The reasons for this? We use Google for everything else anyway. Plus, Mapquest.com had a tendency to get you almost there, but not quite.

And Google Earth provides a whole new level of exploration and navigation with which Mapquest.com couldn’t compete.

Gmail

Email was really cool, like fifteen years ago back in the days of Hotmail, Netscape, and AOL. Then Yahoo! launched its email service and revolutionized the way people communicated with distant relatives or even next-door neighbors. Yahoo brought the ‘cool’ back to email for a bit. Addresses like “soccergirl876@hotmail.com” became child’s play while people flocked to Yahoo! to have a better domain behind their names. Then Google launched Gmail.

And now, who can even name ten other email providers besides Google?

That’s my point exactly.

Google+

Facebook is still a social networking monster. Without it, most people wouldn’t be able to keep in touch with friends, reconnect with old buddies, and chat with family in other countries, or cyber-stalk their ex.

What decent 21st Century American could survive otherwise?

And, while Facebook is unfathomably vast, Google+ is the fastest growing social network of all time. Sure, Facebook paved the way for Google+, but Myspace paved the way for Facebook – and look at where Myspace is these days.

Google+ could turn Facebook into the ‘new’ Myspace. Ouch.

What’s next?

Whether it’s even more accurate search retargeting, the next Facebook or the furthering of advanced applications like Google Docs, no one really knows what Google will do next.

Except for maybe—Google? Yeah. They’ve got something up their electronic sleeve.

It’s Official now, Microsoft’s Windows Live Spaces (or MSN Spaces) are partnering up with the guys at WordPress.com to upgrade and migrate more than 30 million bloggers. That basically means now WordPress.com is going to be the default platform for every Windows Live Space user.

Its not a bad thing, Seriously. If you’re a Windows Live Space user you should be very glad that Microsoft made this great move. Now you will enjoy the unlimited benefits of blogging using the most popular blogging platform online; Which not only makes you feel good when you blog but also helps you improve your blogging day-to-day.

This migration is also a good deal for WordPress, as this will be doubling it’s user base.

Over the course of the upcoming 6 months users will have the option of upgrading their blogs to the WordPress Platform, but there is no need to worry. For those who are wondering if this move will affect your current statistics, I should let you know that WordPress & The Windows Live Team have been working hard to make sure that users don’t loose anything from this move and also provide a smooth upgrade.

I would love to hear your thoughts about this amazing merger, and if you think Microsoft made the right decision or not?

If you’re interested in learning more about this merger you can read more on the Official Windows Live Post or the Official WordPress Post.

Google has just launched a new feature for the most widely used search engine online, the feature is called ‘Instant‘, or ‘Google Instant‘, the idea behind it is pretty simple and straight-forward to understand, While you are typing you will see results on-the-fly.

This new feature was implemented to help save time searching, according to Google’s Research most users take a while to type out their keywords and by using this new instant feature you are most likely to save a few seconds but as Google say’s 2-5 seconds may seem like a low number but if you calculate the daily searches the Giant Search Engine receives and then add up the 2-5 seconds it saved from those searches the results would equal to hours being saved.

Google estimate’s they will save users 11 hours with each passing second!

Here are a few of the core features in Google Instant:

• Dynamic Results – Google dynamically displays relevant search results as you type so you can quickly interact and click through to the web content you need.
• Predictions – One of the key technologies in Google Instant is that we predict the rest of your query (in light gray text) before you finish typing. See what you need? Stop typing, look down and find what you’re looking for.
• Scroll to search – Scroll through predictions and see results instantly for each as you arrow down.

See the below to get some more in-depth information about the Google Instant.

In the below snapshot, I was seeing the results as i typed and it felt like as if i were searching on my Windows 7 Desktop, Live & Instant Search Results

According to Google this feature hasn’t been integrated with world-wide domains that Google maintains for example www.google.co.in or www.google.com.pk. Google says that they will be adding the instant feature over the course of the upcoming months – No accurate dates are available. So far the functionality seems to be working well with the .com domain of Google (www.google.com). Google also said this feature is already available in most other domains but the user will have to be logged into their Google accounts to take advantage of this feature.

Google has a small notice on their Official Instant Search Page, saying that Google Instant is rolling over several days to users signed in to a Google Account. Check back soon if you are signed in and do not see it yet.

Read what Google has to say about this Instant technology.

Google Instant is a new search enhancement that shows results as you type. We are pushing the limits of our technology and infrastructure to help you get better search results, faster. Our key technical insight was that people type slowly, but read quickly, typically taking 300 milliseconds between keystrokes, but only 30 milliseconds (a tenth of the time!) to glance at another part of the page. This means that you can scan a results page while you type.

The most obvious change is that you get to the right content much faster than before because you don’t have to finish typing your full search term, or even press “search.” Another shift is that seeing results as you type helps you formulate a better search term by providing instant feedback. You can now adapt your search on the fly until the results match exactly what you want. In time, we may wonder how search ever worked in any other way.

Benefits

Faster Searches: By predicting your search and showing results before you finish typing, Google Instant can save 2-5 seconds per search.

Smarter Predictions: Even when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, predictions help guide your search. The top prediction is shown in Grey text directly in the search box, so you can stop typing as soon as you see what you need.

Instant Results: Start typing and results appear right before your eyes. Until now, you had to type a full search term, hit return, and hope for the right results. Now results appear instantly as you type, helping you see where you’re headed, every step of the way.

Click here to visit the official web-page for Google Instant.

OR

You can read more about it at the Official Google Blog.

The search engine giant Google has recently launched a new service Gmail Voice. which allows the ability to let Gmail users Call others from within their Gmail Account. No need to setup a phone connection or any other technical mumbo-jumbo.

Using this new Gmail feature is a quick and simple process, you basically have to agree to the terms and conditions followed by a quick installation of a Plugin which does all the hard part of making and managing your calls from inside Gmail.

Calls anywhere in the United States and Canada are free, at-least for the current year – International users unfortunately can’t enjoy this free benefit, on the other hands Google offers extremely low rate for International Calls.

This new Gmail feature allows people to use a single number that can be linked to their other phone numbers, much like a single email address which can receive messages from multiple accounts.  Other high tech features include programmable time schedules for when you want to receive calls, non-disclosure of your telephone number, and advanced caller ID features through your Gmail account.

Do note that by installing the plugin Video calls are also made available as they part of the Gmail features already.

Extra:- According to Google, over 1 million free calls were made in the first 24 hours of their new Internet-based phone service.

Calls from Pakistan to other nations are not working at the moment of writing this post.

App Inventor is the easiest way to create apps for your phone! App Inventor is built on the idea that you do not need to be a developer to build great mobile applications. Instead of code, App Inventor allows you to visually design applications and use blocks to specify application logic.

App Inventor is a new tool in Google Labs that makes it easy for anyone – programmers and non-programmers, professionals and students to create mobile applications for Android-powered devices.

For many people, their mobile phone and access to the Internet is always within reach. App Inventor for Android gives everyone, regardless of programming experience, the opportunity to control and reshape their communication experience.

You can build just about any app you can imagine with App Inventor. Often people begin by building games like WhackAMole or games that let you draw funny pictures on your friend's faces. You can even make use of the phone's sensors to move a ball through a maze based on tilting the phone.

But app building is not limited to simple games. You can also build apps that inform and educate. You can create a quiz app to help you and your classmates study for a test. With Android's text-to-speech capabilities, you can even have the phone ask the questions aloud.

The best part is that to use App Inventor, you do not need to be a programmer. App Inventor requires NO programming knowledge. This is because instead of writing code, you visually design the way the app looks and use blocks to specify the app’s behavior to put it more simple you will simply be doing drag & drop task.

The video below shows a very simple app being created in seconds, using absolutely no coding skills.

App Inventor is currently open by invitation only, Click Here to request an invite for App Inventor.

Source: App Inventor

I just read about the Google DoubleClick’s – Ad Planner while i was in my Google Webmaster Tools account, thought i should it share since it seems very interesting and more useful.

My final thoughts about the Google Ad Planner is that it’s a very nice and useful marketing tool provided to us – it looks to me like a new and improved version of Alexa, at-least a little..?

Watch the below video by Google to see an overview of Ad Planner.

Click to Enlarge

DoubleClick Ad Planner is a free media planning tool that can help you identify websites your audience is likely to visit so you can make better-informed advertising decisions.

Refine your online advertising with DoubleClick Ad Planner, a free media planning tool that can help you:

Identify websites your target customers are likely to visit

• Define audiences by demographics and interests.
• Search for websites relevant to your target audience.
• Access unique users, page views, and other data for millions of websites from over 40 countries.

Easily build media plans for yourself or your clients

• Create lists of websites where you’d like to advertise.
• Generate aggregated website statistics for your media plan.

It provides marketers with a demographics breakdown for selected web sites that includes valuable information, such as gender, age, education, income and language. Ad Planner helps marketers identify web sites their audience views, and buy advertisements on those websites.

Webmasters can claim their websites and edit information related to their websites on the Ad Planner, you can also put your Ad Placement so that potential advertisers can see and reach you.

There are different ways to claim your website, if you’re already using Google Webmaster Tools, then most of your information will be available to the Ad Planner once you join, it will prompt you to collect information about your websites from you Webmaster Tools account.

Note:-

If you’re a Google AdSense publisher, your ad placements will automatically appear in DoubleClick Ad Planner.
For instructions on claiming site ownership with Google Webmaster Tools, visit the Google Webmaster Tools Help Center.

With DoubleClick Ad Planner, you can:

• Define audiences by demographics and interests.
• Search for websites relevant to your audience.
• Access aggregated statistics on the number of unique visitors, page views, and other data for millions of websites from over 40 countries.
• Create lists of websites where you’d like to advertise and store them in a media plan.
• Generate aggregated website statistics for your media plan.

http://www.google.com/adplanner/

Please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions.

Watch Pakistan Express News Live Online

Watch Pakistan Express News For live and latest news coverage, updates, discussion and much more.

Express News slogan itself tells the story “Har Khabar Per Nazar“.

Express News is a Pakistani television news channel launched on January 1, 2008. It is owned and run by the country’s third largest Urdu daily newspaper – Daily Express. Express News has a logo similar to that of British news channel Sky News.

The owners of the channel, Lakson Group, later launched ‘Express 24/7′, a 24 Hour Pakistani English news channel.

It has become the second most-watched news channel after Geo News.

Please try clicking the Play button again – it might be due to the stream load.

Watch Pakistan Dawn News Live Online

Pakistan Watch Dawn News For live latest news, updates, discussion and much more. Dawn News is one of the best English news paper and channel in pakistan.

The Dawn Media Network has launched Dawn News, Pakistan’s first English language news and current affairs television channel.

Dawn News Live Online is powered by Dawn Television Network.
Let us know if its not working for you or you need another mirror.

Watch Pakistan Geo News Live Online

Pakistan Geo News is one of the most popular and watched news channel in the country Geo News offers great and informative television shows and keeps upto date with the latest news and sports updates.

Geo News online is a great thing for broadband users who doesn’t have a cable tv. Now you can watch Geo TV LIVE! and see what’s on at Geo TV directly from your PC.

Geo News Live shows / programs include:
Sub Bata Doon, Capital talk, Metrolite News, Bazaar, Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath, Tezi Mandee, Aaj Kay Bhao, Hum Sub Umeed Se Hain, Score, Round Up, Yeh Hai Pakistan, GEO lifestyle, Aik Din Geo Ke Saath and many more.

Geo News Live Online is powered by Geo Television Network.

Let us know if its not working for you or you need another mirror.

If you are having trouble with the above channel, click here to get more Geo News Channel mirrors.

Earn revenue on your parked pages with Google AdSense for Domains

AdSense for domains allows publishers with undeveloped domains to help users by providing relevant information including ads, links and search results.

With AdSense for domains, users can find relevant information rather than see empty pages or “page not found” errors. To ensure positive user experience and the quality of our network, these sites are monitored for policy compliance and prohibited from using text and images designed to confuse users.

AdSense for domains provides advertisers with additional opportunities to find their customers, and ads on these pages convert well. In addition, we regularly receive requests from advertisers who have found domains to be an effective way to reach their users.

If you have undeveloped domains, then AdSense for domains can help your users. To get started, check out our setup instructions, and visit the Help Center for more information.

Google has just extended the AdSense for Domains program to International AdSense publishers and the program now supports non-English languages as well.

The AdSense for Domains program will also appeal to users who have purchased web domains only for the purpose of Google Apps and have no plans of creating / hosting a public website. In that case you may have Gmail, Google Calendar, etc. in sub-domains (mail.example.com or calendar.example.com) while you may use the main domain (www.example.com) for AdSense ads.

Click Here to visit the website available for this service