Symmetric Media

Google Chrome is no longer safe. Two security researchers have announced publicly that they can access emails from users, Google Docs, Google contacts and Voice messages.

But the situation is even more worse: if Google does not fix major flaws in their security, hackers could easily access the data from Chromebooks. The two researchers of White Hat Security, Matt Johanson and Kyle Osborn, said that after months researching Chrome OS, they have found a flaw in the notebook.

“You can easily take and download the contacts of someone,” said Osborn during the security conference. In response, a spokesman for Google simply said it is just an casual news on the web.

Google has reportedly, and quite quietly been testing out different media types through its AdWords system, until recently.

Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt dropped the news that they were indeed testing alternative advertising display methods. This includes video ads.

There is a large market in the internet advertising arena, and a lot of the players are hungry to stand out. They will spend the money necessary to do so. Google knows this, and has been testing the effectiveness of these type of display ads across their network of publishers.

Its only a matter of time before these ad systems will be released into the marketplace, turning over a new leaf of innovative Google money making mechanics.

While Google says that Internet Explorer is required to use the new Google Desktop Search, intrepid developers have released the Firefox Toolbar that extends the Desktop Search to the Firefox browser on Windows and the Google Toolbar to Firefox on the Mac. This new toolbar allows one-click access to Gmail and the ability to search your Gmail account.

Adding Google Desktop Search to the toolbar in Windows requires an easy “hack” but it is one Google themselves provide to add Google Desktop Search to their own Deskbar. I’ve hacked my Google Deskbar and it works fine.

The Firefox Toolbar works with Firefox 0.9 and the PR1 release.

NOTE: This post has been updated. I originally indicated (incorrectly) that this toolbar enabled Google Desktop Search on the Mac. As a reader pointed out in the comments to this post, Google Desktop Search requires an .exe file that is currently only available for Windows 2000 and XP. Sorry for the error.

Google’s Matt Cutts answered some questions recently on Google Video. Check these videos out if you are really into search, Matt has some good thoughts down.

Cutts went over the Qualities of a good site, SEO myths, and Optimizing for Search Engines or for Users.

The videos were freshly shot this weekend, and are the personal views of Matt, and not necessarily of his famous employers. Excellent Read.

Search engines are popping up left and right. With people fiddling and tinkering with open source directories, and API’s. But i have never came across something like this….

Are you a girl? A girl that loves searching? Better yet, a girl that loves searching on Google? Why not try Girgle?

There is really nothing new as far as search technology goes here. Girgle is really just a pretty landing page for the AdSense search tool. Pretty might not even be the word. Its landing page is a little malformed with its heart shape thingy. The developer might have something, but they might want to spend a bit more time making it at least appear a little prettier.

Sightings are starting to grow with this new Google phenomenon. Google AdWords with Pictures placed above text.

Research and studies have previously been shown, and suggest, that Google AdWords tend to be more effective, and visitors are more likely to click or look at text ads when there are images around the ads. Well, looks like Google is doing some studies on its own.

The example that has been showing up most frequently is a 120×600 format, with a 90px x 100px image placed on the top of the text column.

So keep your eyes open for these appearing on your site, or your favorite sites, and keep track of your click through stats for improvements.

Google is still in first place for the search engine race, continually growing stronger, and gaining ground.

Google has been gaining strength month after month in the search field. It is in its 10th consecutive month continually growing market share, and has grabbed another 1% share lead, landing at 44.1%. While Yahoo continues in second place at 27.9%, and MSN at 12.9%.

The Google CEO will be hosting “A Conversation with Eric Schmidt” that will happen on August 9th. Danny Sullivan will be discussing with Eric Schmidt the growth of Google, and how it’s dealing with challenges and issues in search.

Search Engine Strategies San Jose is scheduled for August 7-9 2006. Schmidt’s performance is set for the 9th of August. Agenda for the show can be found on the SES website.

Seems like Microsoft employees even prefer searching from Google. Google is top, and even Microsoft workers know that. Nick Farrell drops this interesting news over at the Inquirer.

Techwebs, Andrew posted Google analytics stats about visitors to his website. He said that there were over 80% of people from Microsofts domain reached his site through a Google Search, while only 20% used a Microsoft search engine.

Very interesting stats, but im sure that those Microsoft doods and dudettes were using Google just for research purposes… wink..wink..