Kai Mai's Blog - Take Back the Web - Nodes for google

Google Experiment - Alternate View For Search Result

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:31:21 -0800

Once you sign in your Google account, you can check out Google Experiment for potential upcoming features. I've tried alternate views for search results and really liked the timeline view and the map view.

Timeline view Example: postgresql vs mysql I just want to see the recent comparison between postgresql and mysql. so I can limit the timeline to show only pages from 2008 to 2009. But Google's first result is definitely wrong as the article was written back in 2003.

Tags: google search timeline

iPhone(iPod Touch) vs. Android(Google Nexus One)

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:51:52 -0800

Google's nexus one is coming out this week. While most of attentions have been focusing on Android-based phones vs iPhone, Flurry shined some lights on the not-so-secret weapon of Apple - iPod Touch(which I own one): iPod Touch Downloads Explode on Christmas Day, Surpassing iPhone for the First Time!

iPod Touch is a great device for anyone that doesn't need a phone or can't afford all the expenses(monthly data/voice plans) associated with a phone. I am talking about teenagers/college students here. I bet many teenagers get their first tastes of apps through the App Store on iPod Touch. I am still waiting for companies to come up with a Andorid-based iPod Touch-like device(zii is supposed to be the one, but it's not yet ready for consumer).

Tags: google apple iphone android nexus-one app-store ipod-touch

Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:36:36 -0800

Android Development - the good

Easy to extend/customize existing functions - a few examples:
- You can write a new dialer to handle calling - in fact, I am using StartContact because the default dialer sucks(no contact search function, need to scroll).
- Add your application to contextual menu of native functions(eg: handling the calling of a number)
- You can override the home screen lock. see FlyScreen
With the backing of Google, Android SDK evolves very quickly( this is really a double-edged sword).

Tags: google android android-market apple-app-store android-development

Data Visualization with Charts. Five Dimensions of Data with Motion Chart

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:47:10 -0800

We are constantly getting overloaded with data. Data itself isn't good enough without analysis and insights. We need to be able to visualize data, see trends and get insights. The following is a list of data visualization resources:

visualization strategies hierarchical data
Many Eyes from IBM is a bet on the power of human visual intelligence to find patterns
bewitched.com has a list of data visualization developed.

One advance in charting is motion chart which can show five dimensions.

Tags: google data visualization chart motion

Is Google Adwords' Broad Match Evil?

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:58:30 -0800

In case you have too much money to experiment or to spend, you can use Google Adwords' default match type broad match.

Tags: google adwords ppc broad_match match_type sem

Ask Google about Santa

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:09:52 -0800

Google hot trends show how people are googling "santa" at Wed, Dec 24, 2008 3:52 PM:

santa tracker 2008
google earth santa tracker
where is santa right now
where is santa claus
santatracks.com
santa radar norad
track santa christmas eve
santa claus tracker norad
www.santatracks.com
santaclaus.net
is santa real
santa locator
santa sightings
santa finder
when will santa come to my house
santa s naughty or nice list
santa radar.com
santa s phone number
santa search
noradsantatracker
tracksanta.com

Tags: google christmas hot trend santa_claus

First Look at Clickriver - Amazon's Pay Per Click(Sponsored Link) Advertising Program for Service Providers

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:52:01 -0800

Clickriver Ads, the sponsored links program from Amazon, lets service providers reach active shoppers on Amazon.com via pay per click advertising. For example, for a lawyer, he can advertise his service targeting users in his region that browses and searches for legal books on Amazon. Amazon has a good "How it works" page.

Here's my impression with Clickriver:

Clickriver structures your ppc marketing with the hierarchy of campaigns and ads. * A campaign with a daily budget can hold multiple ads.

Tags: google yahoo amazon adwords ppc msn service clickriver panama adcenter advertising

Microsoft Has Nothing to Lose on MSN's Live Search Cashback Program

Mon, 26 May 2008 18:34:57 -0700

Microsoft(MS) recently introduced cashback on your purchases through participating merchants if you find your items through MSN's Live search. Given that Google has been gaining search shares again and again, it's not surprising that people view Microsoft's move as desperate. Well, they are trying something that have been proven to work by Ebates, Fatwallet.

Basically, MS has nothing much to lose in this cashback program. They are betting that price-sensitive consumers in this recession period will want to save a few more bucks via cashback. With a CPA-based pricing model, MS hopes E-commerce retailers will increase their spend on advertising through Live when they see more leads through Live and good conversion rates/ROI(return on investment). MS is just giving up a little bit of income to potentially increase their search market share and e-commerce's advertising spend.

Tags: google live search msn cashback

OpenSocial ( Google + MySpace + Rest of the World ) VS. Facebook - Finally I Am Motivated to Try Social App Development

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:39:49 -0700

If you can't fight the biggest player. Unite others to fight him.

OpenSocial API, proposed by Google, and supported by popular social networks including hi5, iLike, Slide, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Ning, Bebo, MySpace and SixApart, but excluding FaceBook, are going live in any minute(supposedly to be open tonight).

The open API will have three parts(from Oreilly Radar

People
Storage
Activity stream

All of these calls will have a GData counterpart and they will use HTML and JavaScript only. Google is considering adding OAuth (Radar post) to the API.

Tags: google facebook microsoft opensocial platform myspace

Google is Evil: Your PPC Campaigns opt in Mobile Search Network by Default starting November 19, 2007

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:46:03 -0700

According to Clikz's post Google Ports AdWords Listings to Its Mobile Search Product: "Google will run listings free on Google Mobile Search pages through November 18. As of November 19, SEM buyers will have to opt out through the campaign summary page or pay for mobile clicks. While it is said ads will run across both the Web and mobile platforms, an e-mail sent to AdWords customers indicated that only ads with landing pages adaptable to mobile handsets will qualify for disbursement to the mobile search product." Here's the FAQ from Google.

Tags: google adwords mobile search ppc analytics tracking