google

Rupert Murdoch Offers Up Standard PR Firm-Written Apology

Hamilton Nolan · 07/15/11 02:56PM

In your finally Friday media column: Rupert Murdoch apologizes, Andrew Ross Sorkin gets a TV gig, the AP stylebook is wrong, Google encourages you to read, and Bob Schieffer is still among the living.

How a Google Diva Ruined Rush Hour

Ryan Tate · 07/14/11 12:22PM

Marissa Mayer has a knack for summoning helpers, whether it's The Killers to her wedding, a Vogue photographer to her office, or Lady Gaga to her stage. But Google's know-it-all fashionbot outdid herself when she convinced police to block a key San Francisco artery during rush hour so she could upgrade her opulent penthouse.

Mark Zuckerberg Hides His Friend List

Ryan Tate · 07/13/11 01:47PM

As CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg forced everyone's hidden friend lists into public view. As a user of Google Plus, Mark Zuckerberg just decided to hide his own friends. Double standard, much?

Now There's Video Chat in Your Facebook

Adrian Chen · 07/06/11 01:10PM

Facebook just introduced a powerful new way for you to avoid doing your work: video chat built by Skype. It should be no surprise this comes as Google Plus gets rave reviews for its own video chat feature, Hangouts. [Gizmodo]

Google Bids Pi Billion on Patents

Max Read · 07/02/11 12:05PM

Was everyone at Google stoned when the company was placing bids on a collection of Nortel Networks patents that it could've really used? Because here are three of their bids: $1,902,160,540; $2,614,972,128; $3,141,592,653. Yes—that last one is Pi billion dollars.

Justin Bieber Gets Googled

Adrian Chen · 06/30/11 02:02PM

Google loves Lady Gaga. But they're sharing the love with Justin Bieber, whose socially-networked rise to fame probably is an even better fit for a tech company. Google just released this Justin Bieber ad for its Chrome browser.

Google Can Be Sued for Spying on Your Wi-Fi

Adrian Chen · 06/30/11 01:11PM

Go figure, Google might have face some consequences for hoovering up emails, passwords and other personal information from people's unsecured wi-fi networks with its Street View cars for years. A judge just ruled the company can be held liable for the so-called Wi-Spy fiasco. It's good to see that Google, which so far has escaped any major punishment from U.S. regulators, must now face the wrath of the people it spied on. [Wired, image via dspain/Flickr]

Does Anyone Want a Google Plus Invite?

Adrian Chen · 06/29/11 12:04PM

Google just launched its new Facebook thing: Google Plus. And it's invite-only. But people aren't exactly killing each for Google Plus invites. Oh, how times have changed since the Gmail Invite Gold Rush.

Google Plus Swears It's More Trustworthy Than Facebook

Ryan Tate · 06/28/11 03:04PM

Google Plus understands you're nervous, baby. That Facebook, he cheated on you, embarrassed you, and keeps promising to change. But you can trust Google Plus. He's different. Really! Dump Facebook and tell all your friends about your new, richer social network.

Google Under Investigation for Being Evil

Ryan Tate · 06/23/11 12:38PM

Google is about to be officially investigated for being evil. The Federal Trade Commission thinks its search engine may have violated antitrust law, and that Google may be a bully to the core. Review some potential supporting evidence below.

A Billion People Visited Google Last Month

Adrian Chen · 06/22/11 01:20PM

For the first time ever, an internet company had one billion unique visitors last month. It was Google, of course. A billion people, all searching for their cultural equivalent of "good chocolate chip recipe."

Google CEO's Second Mystery Baby

Ryan Tate · 06/20/11 02:32PM

The prototype is incubating, but still under wraps. A recent picture of Larry Page's wife reveals that the Google CEO is expecting a second child. Just don't expect Page, the taciturn computer scientist, to reveal much about the baby.

Stephen Colbert Tries Out Tim Pawlenty's 'Google Test'

Matt Cherette · 06/14/11 11:45PM

Last week, Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty introduced what he called the "Google Test" to fix the nation's economic problems, which he explained thusly: "If you can find a good or service on the Internet, then the federal government probably doesn't need to be doing it." So, does Pawlenty's big idea actually work? On tonight's Report, Stephen Colbert tried to find out.

Enormous Penis Located on Google Maps

Max Read · 06/08/11 01:02AM

Technology! Without it, we'd never be able to immortalize huge penises drawn on school lawns with weed killer. But thanks to the efforts of Google, a 2009 prank at Fairfield College in New Zealand lives on, much to the chagrin of principal Gerhard van Dyk, who says he plans to contact the internet search giant about the lawn dongs now appearing on Google Maps. Penis discoverer David McQuoid, who was looking for property when he stumbled across the phallus, says "at first I thought it was a large piece of art work." Well, yes, David.

Lady Gaga Criticizes Steve Jobs To His Face

Ryan Tate · 06/06/11 04:15PM

Who is the one person allowed to stand up to corporate diva Steve Jobs and criticize the Apple CEO to his face? That would, of course, be musical diva Lady Gaga, who recently talked a little trash at Apple headquarters.

Google Honcho Admits 'I Screwed Up' Against Facebook

Ryan Tate · 06/01/11 01:53PM

Eric Schmidt is sorry he let Facebook walk away with the entire social networking market. The Google chairman and CEO said he knew about the threat several years ago, but didn't address it. Distracted, much?