Peoples Republic of South Devon

The World According to Google

The weekly technology column from those good people at Plymouth’s
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It has been said by many (and proudly quoted by Google) that Google’s search engine is “the closest thing the Web has to an ultimate answering machine”. And it is because of Internet searching that Google has become a worldwide household name. But how many people know about what goes on behind those six coloured letters? Not only is there a massive business, a lot of money and power, and some of the best talents in the industry, there also appears to be a very specific ethic being employed. Let’s take a closer look…

Google was formed as an incorporated company in September 1998 by two Stanford University PhD students. Having developed a new theory on how to best conduct reliable and relevant Internet searches, Larry Page and Sergey Brin managed to raise an impressive amount of early financial support based on the evidence presented by their university theses. However, like the best of them, their first six months were spent working out of a friend’s garage – apparently this seems to be a requisite for becoming an IT heavyweight.

Google has experienced a massive growth during its life, acquiring many smaller companies along the way to make it the towering giant that it is now, and leaving the Microsoft Network (MSN) quaking in it’s binary boots. In opposition to Microsoft’s ‘immoral and aggressive’ image, “Don’t be evil” has always been Google’s unofficial slogan, allegedly applied to all areas of their business dealings. Environmentalism, philanthropy, and positive relations have always been important to them, and its the employee relations that I find to be the most intriguing.

The picture above is of the Google offices in Zurich. No joke, it really is. The original ‘dotcom’ companies were defined by bean bags and pizza meetings, but Google has taken it to a whole new level.

Fireman’s poles, slides, lava lamps, games, and themed discussion rooms make up one of the most unconventional office complexes in the world. Wherever you look there are white boards and pens so no idea goes unwritten. The idea is to create a relaxing and comfortable environment that will stimulate the researchers, developers, and engineers towards original and interesting ideas. And it obviously works - Forbes Magazine recently named Google the number 1 place to work in the world!

But Google’s friendly presence has recently started to be challenged. Even they are not immune to the US economic downturn, and it is questionable how long their good intentions will last if profits continue to fall. The second of Google’s self proclaimed ‘ten commandments‘ is “It’s best to do one thing really, really well”, meaning of course searching. However it would appear that they are gradually moving away from this ideal. In addition to enhancing the meaning of the term ‘Internet search’ to encompass a massive range of applications and features (Google Earth, ad-words, comparisons etc.), Google are now branching out into new fields. For instance, watch out for Google Android in the coming years – it may well revolutionise the way that mobile pc’s are viewed, making them a lot more accessible and desirable to a broader range of people.

To find out more about the colourful company that has held our hands through many Internet surfing sessions, go to www.Google.com and, instead of searching, click the ‘about google’ button and take an interesting backstage tour…

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July 25th, 2008

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Are you a Global Player?

posted by Cptn

They don’t often pong, but they don’t arf ping – the Blind Ditch artist group is at it again, and this time with all the thrills and spills that is the white-knuckle ride of outdoor table tennis.

As a lead up to the Beijing Summer Olympics a custom built table tennis table is being towed around the streets and public spaces of five British Cities.

The Global Player – one of the three uniformed team members – will encourage members of the public to stand their ground - reclaiming public space while creating an exciting community performance together. Challengers are encouraged to take winning seriously with game stats and edited video highlights being uploaded online at the Blind Ditch Global Player site.

Pucks-away, or kick-off, or first ball will take place at the Exeter Phoenix on Friday August 1 at 11am. The specially-designed table (made out of recycled bicycle parts by John Packer with a global map motif on its playing surface), will then tour the streets, taking on all comers.

And as this is a global event, there will be plenty of languages on offer - including Welsh for the Cardiff leg - and the Global Player project is primed to reach all corners of the globe in the next four years - possibly finishing in the new London stadium, p’raphs.

Global Players for 2008 are: Volkhardt Müller (with the PRSD nickname of ‘Herr Ping’ from Blind Ditch with associate artists Augusto Corrieri (with the PRSD nickname of ‘Senor Ping’) and Tim Dollimore (with the PRSD nickname of ‘Mr Ping’).

Global Player Tour Schedule August 2008
• Exeter City Launch 1st and 2nd Aug – supported by Exeter Arts Council and Exeter Phoenix Incubator
• Jubilee Square and surrounds, Brighton 5th Aug – The Basement Arts Centre, Brighton
• National Eisteddfod Cardiff 6th Aug - Chapter Arts Centre
• Exeter City 7th Aug - supported by Exeter Arts Council and Exeter Phoenix Incubator
• Plymouth Civic Square. Launch of BBC Big Screen for the Olympics – 8th Aug Plymouth City Council

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July 25th, 2008

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Comment on the RSS (on this occasion that’s Regional Spacial Strategy)

posted by Cptn

Did you know that communities minister Baroness Andrews has come out with such photofit quotes as: “The South West needs a long-term development vision that tackles the threat of climate change, addresses housing shortages and strengthens the region’s economy.”?

She was speaking at the publication and start of the public consultation on South West’s draft Regional Spacial Strategy, which has updates on housing, sustainable energy, transport and employment.

Consultation ends on Friday October 17. The proposals include such ideas and information that the “The South West is already the only region with above average house prices and below average incomes.” So there is a proposal to ” increase in the affordable housing target to 10,000 homes per annum (35 per cent of total housing provision)”. With an “additional 1,150 homes a year ” that “will ensure West of England, Exeter and Plymouth housing matches anticipated job growth.”

Plus:
* Development to focus on the strategically significant cities and towns of Bristol (£22m already allocated through New Growth Point funding), Bath (£2m), Cheltenham, Chippenham, Swindon (£11.5m), Salisbury, Dorchester, Exeter (£5.5m), Gloucester, Newton Abbot, Weymouth, Plymouth (£10m), Torbay (£5m), Taunton (£8.5m), Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil and the Cornish towns of Redruth, Truro (£5m), Falmouth, Pool and Camborne (£3.7m), as well as other market and coastal towns.

* Kerrier, Restormel and Teignbridge have also just been identified as New Growth Points and will now be eligible to bid for growth funding to support development in their areas. (but what happens when Teignbridge doesn’t exist anymore under the proposed changed to the structure of the county council?)

and then it just falls to the broad subjects of:
* Plans to help tackle climate change and contribute to delivering our national renewable energy targets.
* Strategic flood risk assessments will ensure new development is delivered in a way that mitigates the threat of flooding.
* Promoting sustainable public transport, walking and cycling and tackle congestion problems in our main urban areas particularly around Bristol.
* Ensuring development is supported by effective infrastructure.

And we’re reliably informed that the Proposed Changes Report and the accompanying documents can be viewed and downloaded from the Government Office for the South West’s website. Copies of the report are being sent to all those who took part in the Examination in Public. The report will also be available for public inspection at local authority offices and libraries across the region during normal working hours.

Also being published for comment are reports of the Sustainability Appraisal of the Proposed and the Habitats Regulation Assessment of the Proposed Changes.

Revised projections of households for the English regions to 2026 can be found at the communities governmentment website.

The Growth Fund allocations for the region have already been announced.

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July 25th, 2008

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Totnes Transitions to triumph, p’raps

posted by Cptn

There can be no losers in the Big Green Challenge, and the Transition Town Totnes crew have found themselves not losing right into the last 21 finalist of the competition which could give them a share of £1 million, but will definitely reduce the town’s carbon footprint,

The Big Green Challenge is the National Endowment for Science, Technology and Arts’ attempt to find innovative approaches to tackling climate change.

The Totnes project is to a dozen team s competing among themselves to see who can reduce their carbon emissions the most. The final 21 teams undergo a Dragon’s Den style event to whittle to down to the final 10, who each run off with their share of the loot.

Go Transition Town Totnes!

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July 25th, 2008

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Rising tide for wave energy

posted by Cptn

Much as EquiMar might sound like the company behind Time Share apartments, the group is in fact, made up of 62 scientists for 11 European countries working on marine energy – that’s wave energy to you – and the south west looks set to be a leader in the renewable energy.

Professor George Smith of Exeter University’s Cornwall Campus, who leads the renewable energy group, told the PRSD: “The South West of England has a strong commitment to increasing its renewable energy generation as demonstrated by the proposed Wave Hub project off the North Cornwall Coast. Marine Renewable Energy, both wave and tidal, has the potential to provide a significant contribution to the UK’s ‘green energy’.”

And if you haven’t noticed, there’s quite a lot of coast around.

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July 25th, 2008

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