The Goliath that is Google and a postscript on relationships...
So ladies and gentlemen; yes I’m still in
Thailand (about to visit Phi Phi Island – made famous in Hollywood film THE
BEACH!) – but I’m not going to provoke any more holiday envy; instead I’m going
to let you in on a bit on my top tips for holiday reading. Now I know I said I
would focused on our love/hate relationship with apps, but unfortunately this
very worthy subject matter has been usurped by the giant that is Google; yes
it’s time to catch up on the USP’s that have made the search engine the Goliath to Internet Explorer’s David.
Now we all know the powerhouse has gone from
strength to strength in the fourteen years since founders Sergey Brin and Larry
Page dropped out of grad school at Stanford University (check out The Google Story by David A Vise, What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis and
finally The Search by John Battelle),
but what always baffles me about the world’s greatest search engine, is that it
is so much more than the sum of its parts; the sheer variety of features
available is just staggering – particularly since the brilliant minds down at
Googleplex are constantly adding, refining and thinking up new ways to daunt us
with their sheer technical wizardry. In light of this it’s time for a little
summary of what’s available – because just as we only use 5% of our brain’s
capacity – so too do we use a fraction of what’s available down at Google:
1. 1.
Books, books, books and more
books; go to books.google.com and find extensive information from a huge
archive that Google has scanned into its database.
2.
It’s is also a dictionary; just
type in your word and watch as the definition comes up with lightning speed.
3.
Looking for a phone number? Then
type a person’s name, city and (if in the US – state) into the search box and
Google will ping you their phone and address listings.
4.
Lost your calculator? Google will
do the maths for you.
5.
Looking for a map? Just type the
address or city straight into the search box – you’re one click away from a map
of your destination.
6.
Search up to date information on
politics, business or any subject your heart desires – if it’s been covered by
an online publication – it’ll be on Google News.
7.
Weather – it’s all there. Just
type ‘weather’ into the search box and then follow up with the location.
8.
Want help with in depth research?
Go to Google Scholar (scholar.google.com) to access a whole host of scientific
and academic journals. Don’t stare too long though – you might fall in.
9.
Need access to the stock market?
For an instant quote just type a stock ticker symbol into the search engine
(for example Google’s is GOOG – stock currently trading at $756.99 don’t you
know?).
10. Need a translation? Forget going to a specific site just head
straight to Translate under the More tab and you’ll have it done in seconds.
11. Need a calendar – Google’s is one of the best around.
12. Google Drive – we thought Dropbox had cornered the market, but
Google Drive takes web storage one step further…
13. Wallet – one place for online and in store shopping.
14. Reader – oh the joys of being able to keep up with multiple online
publications without having to visit the sites themselves – just load up your
sites and Google will update reader every time a new post is added; much like
Flipboard but especially handy for those of you who haven’t succumbed to the
smartphone/Iphone/tablet obsession quite yet.
15. Google + and Google Circles – (to Cybergirl at least) seems much
more complex to use than other social media platforms. The theory is robust;
multiple circles of contacts for friends, acquaintances and employees and a
facility to easily share information, photos and other digital media at the
click of a mouse, but the reality seems a little more mindboggling – try it for
yourself or view the following YouTube offering for a simplified explanation:
For a comprehensive list of features click
here. I know it’s akin to reading an instruction manual – but believe you me,
the time investment will more than repay you.
On another note – Cybergirl has been thinking
a lot about the web and relationships this week. Yes I am on holiday with ‘The
date’; for those of you who have been avidly following this blog (many thanks
for your support), you’ll know that ‘The date’ is the superhero who saved
Cybergirl from a very nefarious burglar in ‘Blog One’. Well ladies and gents –
there’s trouble in Paradise; why? 1. The Web, 2. The Internet 3. You get the
picture. Yes Cybergirl is a proper out and out addict; not just through passion
but through necessity – which unfortunately does not go down well with said
‘date’ whilst on holiday. Every few days the conversation goes something like
this:
The Date: We’re going to (INSERT BEAUTIFUL
SECLUDED THAI ISLAND) tomorrow! Are you excited!
Cybergirl: Yes!
Cybergirl looks slightly perturbed at thought of Island floating
in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand miles from the mainland.
The Date: What’s wrong?
Cybergirl: (considering whether to say this out loud) Errrrr – will there be
Wifi?
The ‘Wifi’ conversation becomes something of
a running joke; but there’s a very serious undertone both for Cybergirl and ‘the date’. Cybergirl’s thought process goes something like this:
‘ahhhhhheverythingwilllgowrongworldwillcaveinLIFEWILLIMPLODEIFWEDON’THAVEACCESSTOWIFI’
(not particularly balanced you might say). The Date’s on the other hand is; ‘Jeez Louise this woman can’t switch off for one
minute, she doesn’t really want to be here, she’d rather be head down in front
of her laptop than contemplating a pristine white sandy beach with my gorgeous
self.’
The women reading this blog will mutter about
‘multitasking’ (I know, I know – of course we can do both), the men will most
likely echo 'the date's' sentiment, but at the end of the day – not logging on
for a week or two just cannot have the detrimental effects as outlined above. Is it too much to say that the web has
become a sort of ‘addiction?’ In The Google Story, David A. Brise attributes the following quote to Sergey Brin;
‘We spend most of our time trying to get Internet access. it’s an invaluable tool... It’s kind of like a respirator now.’
Is this
really what it’s come to? That we literally can’t breathe without the web? Take
a deep breath and consider if this is a world you want to live in?
Next week I promise it’s back to the apps…!
Love/hate/timesavers/timewasters – you decide… This is your intrepid web
explorer signing off – I promise.
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