Category: Toys & Tech

Google Acquires Aardvark – Will it Be Integrated into Buzz?

Aardvark is a free service I’ve been using for a while now that lets you ask questions and finds people who can answer them… I’ve used it to ask questions about food, cars, soldering, and baby issues. It’s integrated into Google Chat and Gmail, so I’m used to using it with Google products… and they’ve been in the spotlight at recent tech conferences, so it only make sense that Google has acquired them.
I will update my prior post regarding Buzz predictions, as I believe Aardvark functionality will be merged with Buzz eventually.
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UPDATE: Aardvark is listed as an application in Google Labs but is currently only a static page with a link to the Aardvark website.

Predictions about Google Buzz

(most of these have already been posted in my Buzz feed)

  • Google Buzz will directly or indirectly help cause the downfall of Facebook and maybe Twitter as well
  • Google Wave functionality will be integrated into Buzz; Wave may eventually cease to exist
  • Those worried about the privacy issues regarding people being able to see who you communicate with the most will finally realize that e-mail and chat perhaps aren’t the best way to go about having an affair anyway – just ask any senator

UPDATES:

  • Aardvark functionality will be merged with Buzz eventually, even if only as a default category,filter in Gmail at first (with a cute little aardvark icon located under the ambiguous one for Buzz).
  • Buzz needs permalinks for entries and comments, especially for shared ones Update: Done.
  • Come to think of it, Google Chat needs to be integrated into this big mess as well. Update: There is now a Reply by Chat link under every Buzz post and comment made by a user with whom you’re allowed to chat… Was it always there? I thought I looked for one.
  • Depending on how well this integration is carried out, Google will either have created an indispensable all-powerful app, or a huge mess (that will probably still be indispensable, just more of a pain in the ass). It’s kind of like an MS Office moment for Google.
  • In addition to the permalinks for every post/comment updated above, you can perform a Buzz search with the following string, by adding your search terms at the end (join multiple search terms with a plus symbol in between): https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#buzz/search/
  • Anybody can comment on any Buzz marked as Public

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Related: Stop Google Buzz From Showing the World Your Contacts
Having to set buried privacy settings that should have been activated by default? This is sounding more like Facebook every day. Now all we need is mindless games in the vein of virtual crime syndicates and point & click agriculture!
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My latest Buzz:
“I’m not worried about Buzz privacy concerns because Google already pwns all of my e-mail, scheduling, and contact info anyway. I just assume that they will one day do something stupid/evil with it so I won’t be as disappointed when that time comes.”

a feed for everyone

Google Reader now allows you to create feeds for any site; even ones without syndication (RSS, Atom, etc.): Follow changes to any website
I was still hanging stubbornly with Bloglines until mid-last year, but they had so many feed errors it was really a no-brainer to move onto GR. There are a few Bloglines features I miss in Google Reader, but really, it’s a far superior product.
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UPDATE: Trying to be a smartass, I added the Wikipedia’s Random Article link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random), but it ends up subscribing the recent changes link instead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RecentChanges). I’m going to continue experimenting with some other uses as well.