When doing a search on Google [GOOG], you will have noticed over the last several months, perhaps longer, that as you type, suggestions drop below the search box giving you hints at what you want to search for.

An even newer service has been spotted recently that indicates Google could be displaying actual search results as you type the search in the search box. This is believed to be called Google Streaming Search Results and as you start to enter text, the results keep changing on each letter typed to perhaps let you get your result a little quicker. [Read more…]

Yesterday, Facebook introduced Facebook Places. The service is a location based service that lets you tag where you currently are and post the update on to Facebook.

One of the other major challengers in the on-line check in game is Foursquare. Some expected that Foursquare would be worse off after a service the size of Facebook essentially knocked it over. However, the opposite has happened in that yesterday the company had the most amount of signups they have ever had.

‘Just heard from The @HarryH that today was @foursquare’s biggest day ever in terms of new user signups, Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley just tweeted out a few minutes ago (@HarryH is the Twitter name of Harry Heymann, Foursquare’s engineering lead).

[Read more…]

Apple [AAPL] looks to be currently testing iOS 4.1 on a number of devices which includes the unannounced iPod touch 4, iPad and an unknown product (perhaps iTV).

The latest Beta of iOS 4.1 has a few indications that Apple is testing these devices. It is expected that the iOS 4.1 release date is sometime within the next month.

The information is part of the latest iOS 4.1 beta in a section called “Configuration Descriptors”. The first device on the list (image below) shows a device code as iPod 4,1 which indicated it is the first iteration of the 4th gen iPod touch. [Read more…]

Intel has announced that it will be acquiring McAfee for $48/share which gives the deal a total price of $7.8 billion.

The acquisition reflects that security is now a fundamental component of online computing. Today’s security approach does not fully address the billions of new Internet-ready devices connecting, including mobile and wireless devices, TVs, cars, medical devices and ATM machines as well as the accompanying surge in cyber threats. Providing protection to a diverse online world requires a fundamentally new approach involving software, hardware and services.

[Read more…]

The Facebook iPhone app was updated last night to version 3.2. Along with a few bug fixes, a new service was launched called Facebook Places. Facebook Places aims to tackle the likes of Foursquare and Gowalla as a location check-in service that lets you post where abouts you are.

The service isn’t available just yet in the UK, but should be rolling out soon. For those of you in the US, you already have access to this service with this update. In regards to privacy settings, they are surprisingly not that bad in that Facebook hasn’t opted you in to letting the whole world know exactly where you are. Instead, this information is restricted to just friends. However, Here.org.uk does point out a particular default setting that allows friends to check you in to places which if you worry about this sort of stuff you might want to disable that option. [Read more…]

Google [GOOG] is launching the Chrome Web Store soon with the expected launch date to be sometime in October of this year.

This move indicates that Chrome OS netbooks and possibly tablets will all start appearing either around or shortly after the launch of the Chrome Web Store.

From what we understand, Google will be charging developers a 5 percent processing fee for apps which is quite a bit cheaper than other app stores which can go up to 30 percent. [Read more…]

With the recent opening of the Amazon Kindle UK store, the Kindle Digital Text Platform has now also arrived in the UK.

“Publishers and authors can now take advantage of the Kindle Digital Text Platform and make their books available to the millions of customers that visit Amazon.co.uk,” said Greg Greeley, Amazon Vice President, European Retail. “Sales of Kindle books in the US continue to rise and we are now selling more Kindle books than hardcovers. We expect to see a similar pattern in the UK with publishers and authors benefitting from greatly increased sales as a result of adding their titles to the new Kindle Store via the Kindle Digital Text Platform.”

[Read more…]

The shorter an email address is, the easier it is to mention it to someone. Just imagine what it would be like having a new contact write this one down…

“Can you send me the document via email?”

“Sure, what’s your email address?”

“contact-admin-hello-webmaster-info-services-peter-crazy-but-oh-so-ubber-cool-english-alphabet-loverer-abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz@please-try-to.send-me-an-email-if-you-can-possibly-begin-to-remember-this-coz.this-is-the-longest-email-address-known-to-man-but-to-be-honest.this-is-such-a-stupidly-long-sub-domain-it-could-go-on-forever.pacraig.com”

“Thanks, the document is on it’s way.” [Read more…]

Microsoft [MSFT] is pushing Bing Maps quite a lot recently. Scobleizer is reporting that they will be flying planes over every inch of the US in the next 18 months to capture high resolution imagery. The problem with doing that is that the images need to be stored somewhere.

All the images are sent to a location in Boulder, CO. where they are edited, processed and stored on a five petabyte storage unit… that particular unit is a mobile shipping container, the sort that sits on a large truck. Robert Scoble managed to get a look inside one of the mini datacenters to see exactly what it was like in there. Due to the storage facility being squeezed in a container, it makes it very loud inside. [Read more…]

Apple [AAPL] will be holding an annual event mid-September according to AllThingsD.

This particular event has been held every year since 2005 and is expected to run next month. Items expected to be announced are the new iPod touch 4 with the Retina Display and the dual cameras for FaceTime. There is also the possibility that the iPod touch could get the A4 processor like the iPhone 4 currently has. With the higher resolution screen being mentioned, we suspect that the innards will also get spruced up a little. [Read more…]

Google [GOOG] is holding an event this week on August 12.

Not much is known about the event other than it being related to Google Mobile in that they announce that they are “unveiling a couple of cool new mobile features”.

We’ll keep an eye on the details. It’s only a couple of days away, so there isn’t too much time to wait now. [Read more…]

Amazon looks set to be working on a number of devices other than the Kindle to deliver content. The Kindle was built in Lab 126 and that same lab is responsible for new hardware at Amazon. Recently, 80 job postings were made for that particular division which further indicates new hardware could be incoming.

It is expected that the new staff will be working on a number of projects as well as the next generation Kindle which could feature a touchscreen or/and colour screen.

According to people with direct knowledge of the company’s plans, who declined to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly about Amazon’s internal workings and unannounced products, Lab 126 has been looking into building other gadgets that it could sell to consumers.

One of those people said building more hardware products would be a means to an end. This person said Amazon wants to make more devices for consumers that would enable simple purchasing of Amazon content including its digital books, music and movie rentals and purchases.

[Read more…]