Apps rubber-stamped for use by US Gov, Data center segregation

Google has introduced a version of Google Apps certified for use by the US government.

Announced today during a press event at the company's Mountain View headquarters, Google Apps for Government offers the same applications as the existing Premiere Edition of the online application suite, and it carries the same price tag: $50 per user per year. The company says it's the first outfit to offer a "cloud computing suite" with FISMA (Federal Information Management Security Act) certification.

The web-based service is currently certified to operate at the FISMA "moderate" level, which covers "sensitive but unclassified" data, according to Google.

"We're quite committed to the enterprise. We're quite committed to cloud computing," Google CEO Eric Schmidt told reporters. "If you think about government services, almost all of them are suited to simple web apps...[but] it's taken a long time to get the necessary scale and security."

The new service segregates Gmail and Google Calendar data in a section of Google's back-end infrastructure that's separate from services used by non-government users, and all the data centers housing these segregated applications are located in the continental United States. Google says that in the future, it will segregate other applications in this way.

With the service, government organizations can use multiple Google applications from a custom domain, including Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Talk, and Google Sites.

Last fall, when federal CIO Vivek Kundek came to Silicon Valley to unveil Apps.gov, a portal where government agencies can shop for online applications, Google announced its intention to offer a version of Google Apps specifically certified for use by the US government. After updating the service, the company received its FISMA certification last Thursday.

FISMA is, yes, a federal certification. But Google is pitching the service to state and local government agencies as well. The new Google Apps for Government is available now.

Many government agencies have already adopted the existing version of Google Apps. According to Google, over 100 government agencies use a Google service or some sort.

One of the company's most high-profile customers is the City of Los Angeles. Some City of LA employees have been moved to the online suite, but MarketWatch reports that Google has missed a deadline to complete the City's move to the suite, in part because of police concerns over security. ®

Source:http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/26/google_apps_announcement/

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What is Google Punch? A New Google Docs Format

 

A Google staff member posted a video on YouTube demonstrating a particular Google Spreadsheet function today, but when she selected a file format to launch - there was a new option on the drop down menu. Called Punch, the video made no mention of the file type and we've been unable to find any mention of it elsewhere. Internally, at least, it appears that something very new is in the works at Google Docs.

Alex Chitu of independent watchdog blog Google Operating System caught the very fuzzy image in the video and takes a stab at what it might be.

"One of the definitions of the word 'punch,'" Chitu writes, "is 'an iced mixed drink usually containing alcohol and prepared for multiple servings; normally served in a punch bowl'. Maybe Google Punch is a free-form document that lets you combine data from other documents, spreadsheets, presentations and forms. What do you think?"

That sounds like a viable guess to us. Perhaps a Punch is a mix of functions and content intended for collaboration, more than for posting publishing like Google Pages is. That could prove very useful. A multi-media document space, with real-time information flow, Wave, voice and Unicorns? That's probably what it is.

It's possible that Google Punch is being tested internally and will never see the light of day, but it's also very possible that we'll find out soon what it does. We've asked Google for comment, but we don't expect the company to tell us much yet.

Source:http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/what_is_google_punch_a_new_google_docs_format.php

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16 Techi-rific Google Logo Doodles !

 

When Google founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, wanted to do something creative with their logo back in 1999 to signify their attendance at the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada Desert, things were simple for the Google logo; just a stick figure stuck in the middle of the second ‘o’. Since that seemingly spontaneous burst of creativity, changes in the look of the logo have become as regular as Pink’s hair color changes.

While the story of the “Google Guys” and their nerdy acknowledgment of their Burning Man attendance may be what originally sowed the seeds to the doodle concept, it is only a prelude to the yarn; the real story starts with Dennis Hwang.

The founders approached Dennis Hwang, now the current Webmaster for Google, while he was only an intern to design the Google logo in a way that celebrated Bastille Day. The Larry and Sergey were so impressed with Hwang’s doodle that they appointed him Google’s Chief Doodler. Once popularity and demand grew for these doodles, the responsibility of merging corporate logos and national holidays has been expanded to a team of designers with Hwang still at the helm.

These doodles have now become regular occurrence on the search engines’ page, celebrating events all over the world. So let’s pay tribute to the clever and creative work done by Hwang and his team by giving a Techi-style shout out to all the tech themed doodles that have graced Google’s homepage over the past 10 years; a history lesson through Google logos, if you will.

1. Pac-Man – May 21st, 2010

In honor of the 30 year anniversary of the game release, Google’s logo was converted into a fully playable version of the game. Just for the record, it was as addicting as ever.

2. Pi Day – March 14th, 2010

A day to celebrate the mathematical term and give everyone an excuse to eat monstrous amounts of pie.

3. Invention of the Bar Code – October 7th, 2009

This one is pretty self-explanatory; Bernard Silver and Norman Joseph Woodland invented the bar code on this day.

4. 25th Anniversary of Tetris – June 6th, 2009

Arguably one of the most recognized and widespread games out there, this doodle was made to offer respect to the game that changed gaming almost 26 years ago.

5. Alexander Popov’s Invention of the Radio – May 7th, 2009

The radio, a precursor to the Internet in a way, was invented this day allowing broadcasts to reach a distance of six miles (a distance our parents/grandparents walked uphill both ways daily to get to school).

6. Samuel Morse’s Birthday – April 27th, 2009

After being late for his wife’s funeral, Morse made it his mission to find a way to make long-range communication possible. And in May 1837 the telegraph was born alongside, three years later, Morse code.

7. Large Hadron Collider – September 10th, 2008

Particle accelerators are cool. Spinning atoms around the room with the intent of making molecules synthetically, and allowing Tony Stark (Iron Man) to make a new metal for his… Chest-thingy. To explain what this is and does will take 1000 more words, so here is a link. Educate yourself on the awesomeness.

8. 50th Anniversary of NASA – July 29th, 2008

50 years of NASA and their space exploration campaigns were celebrated on this day.

9. Invention of the First Laser – May 16th, 2008

On this day in 1960, Theodore Maiman demonstrated the first functional laser at Hughes Research Laboratories, capable of producing short pulses.

10. Parametron Computer 1 – March 26th, 2008 (Japan)

These computers were made in Japan from 1950 through the early 1960s, using a Parametron (a logic circuit) rather than a transistor.

11. Sputnik Anniversary – October 4th, 2007

The robotic spacecraft missions began on this day in 1957 with Sputnik 1. Russia – 1, America – 0.

12. Anniversary of Lunar Landing – July 20th, 2005

The manned lunar mission landed (or didn’t land according to conspiracy theorists) this day in 1969.

13. SpaceShipOne Wins the X Prize – October 4th, 2004

SpaceShipOne, the non-governmental reusable manned spacecraft, took home the Ansari X Prize this day in 2004 (Google was right on top of this one).

14. Spirit on Mars – January 15th, 2004

Spirit, the Mars Explorations Rover, lands on Mars this day after its five day travel time to the red planet.

15. 100th Anniversary of Flight – December 17th, 2003

The Wright Brothers took off this day in 1903, paving the way for jumbo jets and, a daredevil favorite, wingsuits.

16. 50th Anniversary of Understanding DNA – April 25th, 2003

Whether we really understand DNA is debatable, but Francis Crick and James D. Watson published the first of many papers describing the double helix structure on this day in 1953.

Source/ Story Originally By:Ransler Dier, July 23, 2010

http://www.techi.com/2010/07/16-techi-rific-google-logo-doodles/

These Pictures Give New Meaning To Learning Your ABC's!

  
New Age Kids Alphabet:

There were the days when A stood for Apple, the fruit. Now it stands for Apple, the company that makes widely used iPods and Mac. If you are a kid these days,you will most probably learn the alphabet this way.

I have personally taking the time to give the answers to each letter.

A-Apple
B-Bluetooth Icon
C-Intel "Core" Processer
D-Digg.com
E-Emule.com
F-Facebook.com
G-Google.com
H-HIT.com
I-"I"Phone
J-Java Application
K-Kazza.com
L-Linux
M-MSN Messenger
N-Napster.com
O-Microsoft "Office"
P-Sony"Playstation" Logo
Q-Quick Time
R-RSS Feed
S-Second Life.com
T-Telecommunications/Technology
U-USB Plug Icon
V-Microsoft "Vista"
W-Wikipedia.com
X-Microsoft "XP"
Y-Youtube.com
Z-Zumma The Online Game
@-An Acronym for AT, Also:The "@" sign goes in a URL.EX:example@gmail.com
:)- A Smiley Face, used in Txt and Messaging. AKA:A Emoticon

Source:http://very-bored.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=147&Itemid=1

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The ABC's Of Gaming

Here is for all you gamers:

A-Triforce (Legends of Zelda)
B-DOOM
C-PAC-MAN
D-Bullet Bill(Super Mario World)
E-X WING (STAR WARS)
F-KEY (LEGENDS OF ZELDA)
G-GAME CUBE LOGO
H-Thorn "Hopper"
I-METROID
J-MUTALISK(STARCRAFT)
K-STAR(KIRBY)
L-Life"1-UP"
M-MARIO CUP
N-NINTENDO 64 LOGO
O-POKEBALL
P-PLAYSTATION X LOGO
Q-QUAKE
R-GOLDEN AXE
S-EARTHBOUND
T-MASTER SWORD(LEGENDS OF ZELDA OCARINA OF TIME)
U-YOSHY EGG(SUPER MARIO WORLD)
V-ASTEROIDS
W-Light Guns(NES)
X-XBOX LOGO
Y-SLINGSHOT(LEGENDS OF ZELDA)
Z-METROID PRIME SERIES LOGO

Source:http://capinaremos.com/2010/07/abc-dos-games

 

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ABC's-Google Maps Typography

 

I couldn't help but add this picture from Google Maps, now here is an educational way to learn your ABC's! Can you guess were all the places are located across the GLOBE!!?

My Source:www.geekoligy.com,www.googlemaps.com