Health by Google?

Google has ambitious plans in expanding its easy-to-use applications to Google Health. One thing that concerns me is the potential for harvesting of personal medical data.

Google can't be 100% attack-proof, no matter how security-conscious they are. So I'd expect that eventually a hacker would break into at least some people's health information.

Also, you give a doctor access to your online profile (medical history, medicines, allergies, operations, symptoms, etc.). So do they get a one-time password entry or would you have to change your password after every such access (yuk!)?

• Read about Google Health

Google now packs StarOffice

Google has announced that it will include Sun's StarOffice as a free download as part of Google Pack. Previously, a StarOffice download form Sun cost $70. Since Google let's you select exactly which apps you want as part of Google Pack, this is a no-brainer.

If you are an average home user, why pay for Microsoft Office when you buy a PC? Just download StarOffice as part of Google Pack.

I'll shortly be ordering a computer for a relative and stocking it with apps. Below are the programs I'll pick from Google Pack:

• FireFox with Google Toolbar
• Adobe Reader
• StarOffice
• Picasa
• Google talk (this only because the relative is not a Gmail user).

Hope for image searches

Current image searches give only fair results, but researchers are working on the problem. Here's a couple of articles in MIT Technology Review:

• Better, more accurate image search
• Software learns to tag photos. The test used Flickr photos to assign up to 15 tags per photos. ALIPR (Automatic Linguistic Indexing of Pictures) uses statistical methods to analyze a photo one pixel at a time and determine what tags apply. While the software is still in development, it assigned at least one correct tag 98% of the time. Not perfect, but pretty cool. I drool in anticipation of an improved version.

Plot multiple point maps

I was going to gush over a make-your-own-map site, MultiPlottr I discovered recently. Then I noticed that Google has enhanced Google Maps to include "My Maps".

With both MultiPlottr and Google's My Maps, you can add several map points and assign text to the point for display in the normal Google pop-up balloon. But Google's My Maps appears to offer more and has the Google ease of use and cool minimalist interface we've come to expect from Google.

I tested MultiPlottr by plotting lots of places to eat around where I work. We may refer visitors to it in emails prior to visits. My recommendation -- try both and see what you like.

Update April 19:
While Google My Maps is great, it still cannot actually plot multiple exact addresses. You basically "swag it" by dragging the marker. Multiplottr, on the other hand, does let you add specific addresses, then plots them for you.

Update: April 21:
It's a different process than I anticipated. Google does let you locate an address, and then add it to a custom map in MyMaps. [There is still a 50 address limit per map, though.] Here's the process:

1. Sign in to Google.
2. If you have never created a map, click on the "My Maps" tab and create one. Then save that map.
3. Search for an address or for business near that address (for example "restaurants near _____"). If you search for businesses or similar groups of addresses, each address listing in the search sidebar now has an "Add to My Maps" link. When you search for an individual address, the address marker balloon includes a "Save to My Maps" link.
4. If you have more than one map, select the correct one via the drop-down box.
5. Edit the marker balloon title and text. You can use the text tools to bold or color text and background. If you add a link in text for (including the http://), Google makes it a link.
6. OK the results. Presto -- a new marker is plotted. You can plot up to 50 on one map.

Weather + Google mashup

Weathermole is a great sample of what developers can do when they combine Google maps with other data. Such a merging is called a "mashup".

In this case, the developer merged NOAA weather data to Google maps data. The resulting mashup lets you specify a ZIP code or a major city, then provides forecast text and images below the U.S. map.

Dig a hole through the earth

If you dig a hole "clear through the earth", will you really come out in China?

Find out with this very clever Google Maps mashup by a Brazillian developer.

Clever and fun.

Hold on to Windows XP?

You may want or need to hold on to Windows XP instead of upgrading to Vista. If so, you should know that you can still get some of the benefits of Vista by adding on to XP. Here are some cool add-ons, (courtesy of an article by Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows). These are free unless a price is listed. Read Paul's article for a more in-depth review of each category.

• Desktop search: Windows Search
• AntiSpyware: Windows Defender
• Web browser: MSIE 7.0 (not yet in final release)
• Sidebar and Gadgets: Yahoo Widget Engine or Google Desktop
• Backup/Restore: Windows One-Care ($15-$20/yr)
• Email: Mozilla Thunderbird or Microsoft Windows Live Mail Desktop Beta
• Calendar: Mozilla Sunbird or Google Calendar
• Photo gallery, management, & sharing: Picasa 2 from Google.
• Digital Media Jukebox: Windows Media Player 11 for XP
• Digital movie editor: Windows Movie Maker 6

Google fun!

There are a bazillion ways to enjoy Google. Now there's a book, "55 Ways to Have Fun with Google", that lets others in on Google entertainment.

This unique book is available as a purchase or even as a free PDF or MS Word download. Just make sure you read the Creative Commons license.

Fake Google toolbar spreads virus

Surf Control reports that computer hackers are now using a Google Toolbar look-alike application. The fake app tries to lure you into installing a malicious program. Be paranoid. Be very, very paranoid.