Google to built its own super fast Internet network.

Frustrasted by the state of broadband in the U.S., Google announced earlier this month its plan to built its own super fast Internet network as a way to showcase all the possibilities that such high-speed network have to offer.
To be clear, Google is not trying to be an Internet service provider but just a catalhyst looking to force the hands of the players in that field, mainly cable and telephone companies and the lawmakers. As a testimony of its good intentions, Google said it will open the network to other service providers.
According to Google's plan, the new network dubbed Google Fiber for Communities, could top speed of a gigabyte or about 100 times the speed of today's main broadband connections. In concrete terms, the new network could for instance allow the live streaming of 3-D medical images or the downloading of a full-length movie in a minutes, the company said.
According to the company, the new service will be tested in different communities and could reach as many as 500,000 with the hope to have it deployed by year end in some areas.
Google is now encouraging communities and individuals or groups to submit applications for why their communities should be chosen to be part of the test.
The deadline to apply is March 26 2010 and the request forms can be downloaded at the special section in Google own Web site. Here is the link: http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options.

For more, see Computerworld.com

OkCupid offers a diiferent approach to Online dating.

With the ever rising popularity of Online dating and the multitude of sites catering to that trend, for people looking for love, it has became imperative to know which site offers the best chances for finding a perfect match.
In that environment and faced with formidable competitors like Match.com, eHarmony.com and PlentyOfFish.com, a dating site called OkCupid.com is trying a new approach which basically consists of numbers crunching.
To be more exact, the free site founded in 2004, analyzed more than 7000 users' profile pictures in terms of the reactions they have generated. That information was organized in a rational way so to show what type of profile picture generate the most enthusiastic reactions.
In conclusion, the one finding by the site is that more than just look, the sure way to generate favorable messages in your in-box, is you being perceived as conversation-worthy based on your profile picture deemed intriguing enough.

For more, see NYTimes.com

Skype internet calling is coming to Verizon Wireless soon.

Verizon Wireless has announced last week that beginning in March, it will offer free Internet -calling service on some of its smart phones. But the offer comes with a catch as the users will need to subscribe to a Verizon data and voice plan. If users decide to settle with Verizon cheapest data and voice plan, it will cost them a minimum of $70 a month ($40 for 450 voice minutes and $30 for a data plan.)
The Skype app will made available in late March to nine smart phones on the Verizon network, including Blackberry models and Google's Android models, according to the Wall Street Journal.

For more, see WSJ.com

Weather Underground offers an excellent mobile forecast tool.

With the latest winter snow storms, it is not a bad idea to have a reliable weather forecaster tool right on your cell phone. But with the plethora of weather apps available, it can be confusing to decide which one is right for you.
Two weeks ago, the New York Times reviewed and gave high marks to the mobile Web page of a weather site called Weather Underground, generally refered to as Weather Underground Lite.
According to the Times, this is not technically an app, but can be made to one thanks to the shortcut features on today's phones.
The site is accessible at m.wund.com from a cell phone and it delivers an easy to read weather report and forecast. Still according to the New York Times, you can link to more sophisticated features like an animated radar map. But one downsize is that weather Underground works better with some phones than others. Google's Android phones do not make it unto the former list. On the other hand, the Weather Underground version for iPhone called i.wund .com, contains extra links and features.

For more, see NYTimes.com

MagicJack is a cheap telephone service solution.

Nowadays, when it comes to choosing a phone service to make or receive a call, their are so many options available that they can be overwhelming. Mobile phone have so much exploded that now more people own a mobile device than land based one. And with the never ending flood of the so called smart phones hitting the market almost on a daily base, a legitimate question can be raised about the future of land based telephone service. But there is a good news on that front thanks to Internet based telephone service. The technology has been around for a while now and the interesting part is that in most cases, it combines an old technology which is the traditional land based telephone service with the Internet to offer lower rates for phone calls. One product offering Internet phone services for less is the MajicJack which combines a software in a device looking like a laptop mobile Internet card. It has two ends; one is just like a regular USB connector that plugs in a PC or laptop and the other end is a standard phone jack that plugs in a phone a phone. It is made by a small company called YMAX corp based in Florida and retails for about $40 and is available at various retail spots including drug stores.The software that comes with the device self installs itself on any computer it is plugged in and for the phone service to work, the device needs to stay plugged to a computer connected to the Internet at any given moment because the calls are made and received through the Internet.The first year of service is free and it costs $20 after that for unlimited domestic calls to or from the U.S., Canada and certain territories like Porto Rico and the U.S.Virgin Islands.And according to the Wall Street Journal, you can buy "low cost prepaid international minutes or if you travel overseas, take your majicJack with you to make free calls here to the U.S.The device is compatible with both PC and Mac and works either way with a wired handset or a cordless-phone.After signing with the service, you are assigned a new number by the company behind the technology which promises landlines number portability in the near future. As with all Internet based phone services, MajicJack users are required to register their addresses with 911 emergency system. The whole system is set to receive a makeover when the company release a new version without the traditional hardware as reports the Wall Street Journal. Also is planned a MajicJack mobile version that will turn a cellphone into a wireless Internet phone, still according to the Wall Street Journal.

For more, see WSJ.com