Google, Google, Everywhere
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scooped by Basil
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Summary: While Microsoft and Yahoo! were busy not merging, Google apparently kept itself occupied adding features that will make them both cry. Lifehacker and Google Maps Mania point out that Google Maps now contains geotagged photos and articles from... Click to expand...
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![sample1[1]](http://blog.rojo.com/rojoblog/WindowsLiveWriter/sample1%5B1%5D.png)
While Microsoft and Yahoo! were busy not merging, Google apparently kept itself occupied adding features that will make them both cry. Lifehacker and Google Maps Mania point out that Google Maps now contains geotagged photos and articles from Wikipedia. And Google's own LatLongBlog shows off new street-level photography of New York City for Google Street View. Also new in Street View is super-privacy-protecting Face Blur technology that smears images of people's heads so you don't know who was out there doing stuff on the streets. This advance surely is bumming out voyeurs (Google Blogoscoped last year highlighted the kind of private-space invading candid shots Street View was revealing). But it's probably making people with cats less paranoid notes Boing Boing. Marketing Pilgrim trumpets the good news: "Now you, too, can be part of the faceless masses." The UK-based TechNotes blog calls the blurry faces good news for people on that side of the pond who were watching warily for Street View's arrival. Big G also is rolling out Google FriendConnect, an API that allows you to make any web site social. Local Advertising Journal compares it with Facebook Connect and says Facebook's privacy will be better (time for more blurring?).
Meanwhile, Search Engine Watch has noticed: Google AdWords isn't supposed to be selling hard liquor, but suddenly ad matches for the keyword vodka are coming up in Google searches! "One hopes this was an oversight," Search Engine Watch says. Maybe selling vodka was an early attempt at making everyone's faces look blurry.
All Mojo'rs for Google, Google, Everywhere
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