Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on October 16, 2007 by CyberNet.

Google has been working on a copyright filter (originally called “Claim Your Content”) for YouTube videos for quite some time now, and it has finally launched. YouTube Video Identification (in beta, of course!) is what it’s being called, and it is their way to ensure that copyrighted content will not appear on the site. At least that’s what it’s supposed to do. On the official announcement they describe it as a “highly complicated technology platform” which is the “next step in a long list of content policies and tools that we have provided copyright owners so that they can more easily identify their content and manage how it is made available on YouTube.

While it’s great that they finally launched Video Identification, it isn’t exactly a simple process for content owners.  If a content owner wants protection, they must provide Google with a “master” copy of the video.  This master copy is then used to see if other videos match it. If they do, then the video is removed. If you’re a content owner and you have hundreds of potential videos that could make their way to YouTube, that’s a lot of work involved!

Andy Beal over at Marketing Pilgrim makes another great point when he says “Once any content hits the web, it’s there, forever!” If a copyrighted video is uploaded, it’ll still take a some time before it’s removed. During that time, it will be easy for anybody to take the movie and distribute it elsewhere.  Another thing to keep in mind is that under this system, Google will end up with a rather large library of copyrighted content. You know how they say that their goal is to index everything? Well, this new system will bring them one step closer to meeting that goal.

All this aside, I’m sure Google worked rather quickly to get something out that shows that they’re really dedicated to protecting content owners.  After all, they’ve got that Viacom lawsuit lingering over their heads, and Video Identification could help them win that lawsuit.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

Related Posts:

Does Viacom’s Suit Against YouTube Threaten Online Communication?YouTube’s Filtering System to Debut SoonMySpace: What We Take Down, Stays DownGmail Provides White List for Email AddressesGoogle says Filtering Videos is a Top Priority

This article was written on July 16, 2008 by CyberNet.

Google has done a great job of making Gmail an easy-to-use email service, but one thing that has always bothered me is the fact that they automatically add people you email to your contact list. It might not be such a bad thing for your personal email accounts because the chances are pretty good that you’re only emailing people who you contact often, but when it comes to business accounts this kind of behavior can get rather annoying.

Luckily Google has finally come up with a solution that will please both those who like the behavior and those that don’t. What they do now is move everyone that you email or reply to into a “Suggested Contacts” group, which you can view in the contacts manager. From there you can move any contacts to your more permanent contact list.

Don’t worry, any contacts that show up under the Suggested Contacts will still be accessible by typing any part of their name or email address in the “to” field of a new email. That means you’ll never really notice a difference in the behavior unless you are managing your contacts.

By default Google will move frequently emailed contacts into your “My Contacts,” but this too can be disabled. To change this preference click on the “My Contacts” section in the contact manager, and you should see the setting appear where your contact details are normally shown. Unchecking the “Automatically move suggested contacts…” box prevents Gmail from ever adding contacts without your consent.

Gmail Homepage [via Google Operating System]

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

Related Posts:

Helpful Tip: Gmail Contact GroupsGoogle Wants Your Opinion For New Features In GMailGoogle Video gets Contact Selector, what about Gmail?Get Ready for Gmail 2.0How To Add MSN, Yahoo, And AIM Contacts To Google Talk

This article was written on June 26, 2007 by CyberNet.

We’ve read over and over again about all of the perks that come along with working at Google. Three free meals per day, exercise facilities, doctor and dental care on-site, money towards the purchase of a hybrid vehicle, and the list goes on and on. They’ve also had the honor of being named the #1 company to work for in 2007 by Fortune Magazine, but is it really THAT great?

It probably is, but it could also change depending on who you ask. If you’d like an insiders look at Google, here’s your chance to get a glimpse. An internal Microsoft email includes details of the experiences of a Microsoft employee who started out at Microsoft, quit to start his own start-up, got acquired by Google, and eventually left Google to go back to Microsoft.

You can read the email in its entirety here, I’m just going to point out a few interesting details. During the interview, he was asked several questions about the environment at Google. One of the first things that stood out for me is that while the perks sound great, the perks are needed because people spend so much time a day there working. The former Google employee explains how it’s much like a college campus in that all of your needs are taken care of, but that the younger employees in their mid 20’s don’t really have a life yet so they spend it all at work.

Remember the 20% that employees are supposed to get to work on a project every week? According to the former Google employee, you have to create that time in your schedule. If you don’t take it out, it doesn’t get used, and really, nobody notices. He says most people don’t even have a project, and managers don’t tend to remind you to start one.

Then he was asked if he had any advice for Microsoft that would “help in our battle for talent against Google.” His suggestion? Make all the food in the cafe’ free. Yep, that’s the only suggestion he had. Apparently Google knew what they were doing when they made this one of their perks. He explains that while Microsoft may not offer free food, they start at a higher salary. If Microsoft were to cut back on starting salaries and put that money towards the food of their employees, he thinks it could help them out.

So there ya have it, an “insiders” look at the real Google.

Source: I Started Something 

Read Entire Email here

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

Related Posts:

MyFive: Services Google Should IntroduceAbout that 20% Time at Google…How to Extend the Life of Your GadgetsCool Google vs. Reliable MicrosoftGoogle Music Clues Start Popping Up

This article was written on February 15, 2011 by CyberNet.

When Gmail first came out I was extremely impressed with the interface, but the lack of updating kinda left me wanting more. Then Google rolled out the Gmail Labs back in 2008, which drew me back to the web-based mail client because there were some pretty cool features and capabilities getting added that couldn’t be found in a desktop app.

There are a lot of different things that Gmail Labs is capable of offering, but it’s still not perfect. For example, since I’m a minimalist at heart there are some objects I wouldn’t mind removing such as the invite box in the left column. Good news though… there’s a Chrome extension that helps me fulfill that need. As you can see in the screenshot above there is an abundant number of settings you can configure in Minimalist Gmail, and with this extension you truly make Gmail your own.

What makes this extension unique is that it’s not a set-in-stone style that someone else made to fit their own needs. Instead you choose from nearly 100 interface objects that you can customize the appearance of, move around on the page, and enable/disable them. The best part is that you can still use one of the official Gmail themes you already love with this Chrome extension.

Want to see what options are supported before you install the extension? The developer has actually set up a page that lets you fully navigate the settings before you click the install button.

Get Minimalist Gmail for Google Chrome

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

Related Posts:

Integrated Gmail Transforms Your Inbox into a Website HubWho Needs Microsoft Word When You Have Gmail?Helpful Tip: Advanced Addressing in GmailGMail Drive 1.0.10 Has Been ReleasedGmail Now On Your Cell Phone Or PDA

This article was written on July 05, 2008 by CyberNet.

Ever since we launched the CyberSearch extension I’ve been getting a ton of emails with recommendations on what I can do to make it better, and alongside those emails are also a few dozen from people who are having troubles trying to install it. What happens to them, and I’ve had this happen to me before, is they are prompted with this warning when trying to install the extension:

Firefox could not install the file at [URL] because: Invalid file hash (possible download corruption) -261

Believe it or not this has been a known problem for quite some time, and there are a couple of different things you can try to circumvent the problem.

1. Clear your cache. Go to Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> Network / Offline Storage -> Clear Now and then try reinstalling the extension.
2. Enable third-party cookies. A few commenters (thanks Clark!) have pointed out that enabling third-party cookies in Firefox is also something you should do to get around the error message. To do this go to Tools -> Options -> Privacy and check the Accept third-party cookies box.
3. Manually install the extension. The easiest way to do this is to just download the extension in another browser, and then drag the downloaded file into the Firefox window. This should initiate the installation process.
4. Suspend ThreatFire. I’m adding this one to the list because several of our commenters (thanks Sunny!) have pointed out that ThreatFire could be one of the reasons that extensions won’t install. Temporarily suspending ThreatFire should solve the problem.
5. Temporarily disable your antivirus. When all else fails the culprit could be that your antivirus application is preventing the installation of the extension. This is kind of a last resort, and not something that I really recommend doing.

Again, I apologize for those of you having issues installing the extension, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Once we manage to get enough (hopefully positive) reviews of the extension we will be able to get CyberSearch out of the experimental stage. From what I’ve read after that happens the “invalid file hash” errors shouldn’t really happen anymore. So if you’ve got a spare second go drop by the Mozilla site and leave a review for our extension.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

Related Posts:

Scan Files for a Virus with VirusTotal, No Upload NeededCyberNotes: Calculating MD5, SHA-1, And CRC Hash ValuesGet Rid Of The Delay When Installing Firefox ExtensionsFirefox Extension Lets You Drag & Drop Attachments In GMailCyberNotes: Best Experimental Firefox Extensions