Bingoogle?

That's a bloody big visual for Google. Particularly in the context of all the clandestine activity the search engines have been engaged in lately - dubbed the "Bing Sting". Is Google becoming more visual, stealing Bing's thunder in retaliation?

When you click on the Google logo, it directs you information about Jules Verne, in celebration of  the author's 183rd birthday. Rather like Bing's homepage hotspots allow you to explore the visual.

Hack your iPhone with Steve's blessing

Facebook started the trend for encouraging third party applications, opening up its platform to outside developers last year. The site went ballistic with a flurry of user-friendly apps from Scrabulous to Vampires making Facebook the place to be. Google knew a good idea when it saw one and developed the OpenSocial system, allowing people to develop common APIs across multiple social networks. Now Apple has joined the party, legitimising iPhone hacks with its new iPhone Development Center for webapps.

Apple is maintaining a greater degree of control, inviting developers to submit their applications for consideration. Only those approved will get listed in the iPhone webapps library. So far, some applications that have made the cut include the drawing programme iDoodle, Alternative Channel TV, the game Gumball Bingo and a handy Tip Calculator for when you and your mates are totally incapable of figuring out the bill, let alone the tip.

Apple is also using digital signatures that can be traced to developers. The company admits that this means the system is not "totally open". Even so, the new SDK is good news for geeks everywhere. I wonder if existing apps like the pocketguitar will make the list? Then again, who cares, as long as there's a burgeoning universe of cool apps out there on some website, official or not.



Shinya Kasatani's pocketguitar

Google Thyself

I was in Epoque in Cammeray the other day (great mussels and chips) and happened to see a woman wearing this T-shirt. It made me smile.

Self-Googling is increasingly common, now practiced by 47% of American Internet users, compared to 22% in 2002, the Pew Internet and American Life Project reports.

It may seem narcissistic, but keeping track of your 'personal' information online - your so-called 'digital footprint' - makes sense. The same research study, released in December 2007, indicated that 53% of online users had Googled other people, for personal or business reasons. In other words, false, or embarrassing information, or images, come back to bite you.

There's a growing industry in reputation management, with companies like ReputationDefender and the professionally oriented Naymz, helping Internet users bury potentially harmful information.

I've pointed out previously that many people, particularly teens, still don't seem that bothered about many aspects of online privacy. But, managing their image is important to them. It's about being in control of what they share and what they disclose about themselves, in order to be perceived the way they want.