Technology Snippets

Facebook Rules!

Facebook is now 5 years old.   I know of at least  a couple of 80 year old folk who have facebook profiles and I am sure we all agree it is a great way to keep in touch with those who are a distance away from you.    I didn’t know that it is also being used by the Toronto police who have a Facebook Page which they use to post videos hoping to have a tipster recognized and anonymously identified.    Facebook for social good!!

Crime Stoppers turns to Facebook to find thieves

 Google Expands in Every Direction:

Google Earth V5.0 lets you see underwater shipwrecks!   This latest version expands the quality of the undersea experience with much better graphics and much much more.   If you haven’t explored Google Earth recently you may not know that you can also explore the sky and stars.  Go on a “staycation” – just travel Google Earth!

Go to:

http://earth.google.com/

You can also get an incredible number of Google Earth experiences such as:

• See current artic ice concentrations
• Experience an Earthquake
• See shipwrecks
• See the effects of Climate Change in the Antarctic and elsewhere:

After downloading the new version of Google Earth go to:

http://www.google.com/gadgets/directory?synd=earth&cat=featured

Google Books - Shakespeare Anyone?

Google has made 1.5-million free books available for reading on cellphones.  Not sure how many folks will be using this service, but I guess if you get stuck in gridlock for an hour or two or stuck in an elevator you can always download a book and spend sometime reading.

You won’t find today’s best sellers but you can find a large selection of older books available on the new Google Books site.

For More Info Go To:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090205.wgoogle0205/BNStory/Technology/home

Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

Google has added a new offering to its stable, the feature, dubbed “Latitude,” expands upon a tool introduced in 2007 to allow mobile phone users to check their own location on a Google map with the press of a button.

The software plots a user's location — marked by a personal picture on Google's map — by relying on cellphone towers, global positioning systems or a Wi-Fi connection to deduce their location. The system can follow people's travels in the United States and 26 other countries

To Learn more:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090204.wgoogletrack0204/BNStory/Technology

Divorce Fair Anyone?

This in from Warsaw:

Yet while many divorce fair organizers are familiar with the long tradition of wedding shows, where gushing brides meet with enthusiastic vendors, marrying commerce with divorce is proving trickier.

At the first divorce exposition, participants ranged from education-oriented non-profits, such as churches and local government, to private businesses, such as makeover studios and detective agencies. But while Vienna seemed the perfect location - two-thirds of marriages there end in divorce - journalists ended up outnumbering visitors. Last year, Mr. Barz organized two more shows, with a combined attendance of more than 4,000.

I guess that will be the next big thing at the Metro Convention Centre!     For more:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090205.wldivorce05/BNStory/lifeMain