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Indian space agency to launch Google Earth rival
 Not content with its latest moon-bound mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has said that it will launch its own version of Google Earth in around six months. The project will be named Bhuvan - Sanskrit for 'Earth' - and is expected to provide satellite images that are newer and sharper than Google's popular 3D mapping tool.
There's already considerable excitement surrounding the project. According to The Times, Isro's chairman, G Madhavan Nair, commented: "This will not be a mere browser, but the mechanism for providing satellite images and thematic maps for developmental planning."
But will it really be a Google Earth killer? Bhuvan will offer high resolution satellite images solely of India to begin with. If this is successful, the project could then start to roll out images for countries across the globe, which - like Google's offering - will be accessible at no cost online.
At first glance, Bhuvan has one touted feature that's certain to appeal to users. Unlike Mountain View's version - which only lets you zoom in to a 200 metre wide area - Isro claims that Bhuvan will let users zoom into geographical images to as small as 10 metres across. The Times relates that, if preliminary tests are successful, Isro could even incorporate a GPS system into the tool. What's more, Google Earth's images for India and South Asia are not as detailed as its North American and European counterparts, and Bhuvan could offer an excellent alternative to this.
However, it's as yet unclear as to whether Isro has the same resources at its disposal as the Mountain View giants, or whether it has the capabilities to rival the vast number of innovative features and layers available to Google Earth users. It's already come under criticism for the huge amounts of money that have been spent on Chandrayaan-1, its first moon probe, in the light of India's huge population, many of whom live below the poverty level.
Google Earth has garnered a solid user base since it first emerged and its imaginative features seem to have whetted users' appetites for greater advances in the fields of online mapping, a desire that could well see Bhuvan gain global popularity fairly quickly after launch. Moreover, Isro's base in Bangalore - South Asia's high tech capital - means that it's likely to be surrounded by great minds. As a result, Bhuvan could be the emerging rival that encourages Google to step up a gear and really blow us out of the water with new Google Earth tools - watch this space in six months to find out.
Digg This! | Save to del.icio.us | Reddit | Submit to Netscape | Google Bookmark This | Furl This | Add to Yahoo MyWeb 2 | Contact bigmouthmedia Facebook offers application verification program
 Facebook has announced a verification program for applications which will separate the wheat from the chaff in the world of Facebook apps.
Facebook has described the verification program as "an optional new program designed to provide applications with a way to stand out and reassure users that they will provide a good experience". According to respected news site TechCrunch, applications which meet Facebook's verification standard will have to be "respectful, transparent and meet the guiding principles for trustworthiness". The guiding principles state that the applications should be meaningful, trust-worthy and well-designed. The program will go some way to help users determine which of the thousands of available applications are worthwhile and safe to use.
To become verified for a year it will cost developers $375 per application - which Facebook claims will "cover costs associated with the application review process". The program should provide a tidy revenue stream for Facebook, especially when you consider that there are currently 48,000 applications, of which Facebook expect at least 10% to eventually become verified. However, Facebook is offering a $200 discount to current students and registered non-profit organisations, reducing the verification fee to just $175, as long as they can provide official documentation.
Developers are given 3 attempts to gain verification status, with Facebook providing feedback during the approval process, and if they fail after the third attempt they have the opportunity to reapply again 3-6 months later.
Once an application becomes verified a badge is placed on the application's About Page, and also next to its listing in the application directory. Verified applications are given increased limits for requests, notifications and emails, along with an increased visibility in the news feed. Developers are also given $100 of free advertising credit per application. Has Facebook finally cracked the enigma of how to successfully monetise social networking sites? It certainly might be on the right path.
Digg This! | Save to del.icio.us | Reddit | Submit to Netscape | Google Bookmark This | Furl This | Add to Yahoo MyWeb 2 | Contact bigmouthmedia Jerry Yang steps down as Yahoo! CEO
 It's been a tumultuous year for Yahoo!, by anybody's standards. After rejecting Microsoft's hostile - yet generous - takeover bid in the early months of 2008, it thought it had found a safe haven in its paid search advertising deal with Google. Five months later and Google's abandonment of the deal seems to have precipitated the desire for a leadership change, as Yahoo!'s CEO Jerry Yang officially announced his resignation yesterday.
One of Yahoo!'s original founders, Yang's 16 month long leadership of the search engine company has been blighted by criticism from the outset. Reports suggest that Yang made the decision to step down last month, but will occupy the position until a suitable replacement is found, after which he will retire to a place on the Yahoo! board as 'Chief Yahoo!'.
Roy Bostock, Yahoo!'s chairman, said in a statement: "Jerry and the board have had an ongoing dialogue about succession timing, and we all agree that now is the right time to make the transition to a new CEO who can take the company to the next level."
In a memo sent to Yahoo! employees on Monday, Yang expressed his deep affection for Yahoo!, stating: "All of you know that I have always, and will always bleed purple [the company's trademark colour]. I will always do what I think is right for this great company. While this step will be an adjustment for all of us, I know it's the right one."
The move comes after a spate of bad news for the search engine. Last month, it revealed a staggering 64 per cent slump in its third quarter profits and a 10 per cent cut in its workforce: around 1500 jobs. Shortly afterwards, Google caved to legal pressure and cancelled its paid search deal with Yahoo! - a move that Yang described as "disappointing".
Following this development, Yang even suggested that Microsoft 'should' buy Yahoo!, although the feeling was not reciprocated by Steve Ballmer, the software giant's chief executive. Resultantly, at the close of trading in New York yesterday, Yahoo!'s share price closed at a historic low of $10.63; in June, Microsoft's final bid for the company offered investors the significantly higher sum of $33 a share.
Yang's perceived failure to improve Yahoo!'s outlook seems to have been widely accepted as a step in the right direction for the search engine - but who will be his successor? CNNMoney suggests that the candidate is likely to come from outside Yahoo!, ruling out its current president Sue Decker. What's more, reports that Yahoo! is currently in talks with AOL-owner Time Warner could influence whoever gets the position. While nothing is certain just yet, one thing's for sure: Yang's heir will have to draw on all his or her experience and wisdom to guide Yahoo! in the right direction.
Digg This! | Save to del.icio.us | Reddit | Submit to Netscape | Google Bookmark This | Furl This | Add to Yahoo MyWeb 2 | Contact bigmouthmedia Presidential campaign reveals YouTube to be primary political source
 Since it's inception in 2005, YouTube has long been the place to go for weird and wonderful videos from around the world. However, during this year's presidential campaign, the online video network became what many video-happy people considered to be the primary source for the latest political news and views, with every speech, ad and opinion from the pundits being posted on the site.
The 2008 Presidential Election was the first time that YouTube, and many other web 2.0 portals and communities, could find out how much influence the site could wield in national politics. While videos of politicians making blunders had been popular on the site for some time, those in charge of the site decided that YouTube would be best served by seriously engaging voters, candidates and the various mainstream media outlets.
According to the New York Times, the political team at YouTube came up with YouChoose in 2006, a section of the site especially created for showing video clips from candidates, which was launched in February of 2007. Despite initial fears from candidates that teaming up with YouTube would only have negative consequences, 7 out of 16 people who ran for the presidency ended up announcing their candidacy on YouTube. And as campaigns continued to heat up, many candidates virtually gave up control of the context of their videos and allowed YouTube users to have free reign.
Almost every candidate was met by YouTube's head of news and politics, Steve Grove, at the start of the campaign season. Candidates were encouraged to start their own YouTube channel, which could also help candidates raise money for their campaigns by allowing users to donate money via Google Checkout.
While YouTube was initially presented as a way for candidates to appeal to the "youth vote" (in much the same way as MTV had done in the 2000 and 2004 elections), the site eventually ended up dramatically affecting the perception of candidates across multiple demographics. The reliance of many on YouTube to keep up with the political occurrences also showed that nearly all those assisting in candidates' campaigns need skills with digital technology, as the New York Times reports that editing and uploading video is now more important to a campaign that direct mail.
YouTube was also enlisted as a partner to CNN for two presidential debates, at which some YouTube users had their questions aired and answered on CNN. Key moments in the election campaign such as the New Hampshire and Pennsylvania primaries were also followed closely by YouTube and its users.
Eventually all candidates opened YouTube accounts and uploaded thousands of videos, with Barack Obama's channel currently containing 1821 videos while John McCain's features 330 videos. The BarackObamadotcom account uploaded more than 150 videos in the final days of the campaign, how responsible becoming a winner on YouTube was in helping the President Elect become a political winner too is hard to ascertain. But one thing is for sure, future political campaigns will ignore the latest developments in digital media at their peril!
Digg This! | Save to del.icio.us | Reddit | Submit to Netscape | Google Bookmark This | Furl This | Add to Yahoo MyWeb 2 | Contact bigmouthmedia Google introduces new iPhone Search-by-Voice app
 The Search-by-Voice app exclusive for iPhone is a search tool that utilizes voice recognition that lets you tell your phone what you want to know - without you having to take your gloves off. So if you're wondering where the nearest Starbucks is, just ask the iPhone.
Your question is then turned into a digital file that goes to Google's servers which dole out the results in the iPhone's web browser, Safari. Those with a fast network connection could see search results appear within seconds.
In an online demonstration video, Google said the goal is to provide "faster web search with fewer key strokes."
The iPhone will still offer type searches to those who want to tap out their enquiries. The voice recognition program also lets you search for contacts in your phone and automatically caters search results to local information no matter where you are.
The phone can tell when it's being picked up and automatically activates the voice recognition so you don't have to.
The Search-by-Voice app is free and downloadable from the iPhone App Store and through iTunes.
Industry news site TechCrunch reports Google's Search-by-Voice "...doesn't deliver perfect results yet, but as the app matures and learns everyones searching techniques, eventually it will creep closer to perfection."
Google is not new to the game in providing a voice recognition search service. Microsoft and Yahoo! already offer voice-search services for cellphones. However, Microsoft's Tellme service only gives specific information on maps, directions and movies, and Yahoo's oneSearch isn't considered as accurate as Google's app.
The Search-by-Voice app was originally due to be released Friday but TechCrunch speculates that approval problems and delays between Apple and Google pushed the release back.
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