Google has re-indexed a group of Belgian newspapers owned by the publisher Copiepresse. The re-indexing occurred after Copiepresse decided that Google could include their newspapers in the SERPS as long as cached copies were not linked to. It was the caching of their pages that the newspapers were objecting it made it hard for them to charge users for their archived content.

Google had counter-argued that its use of the content was OK as it benefited both the newspapers and readers alike and that the newspapers could have requested their content be removed from the index.

Despite the apparent compromise Google still plans to appeal the Belgian court ruling last September that forced them to remove the newspaper’s pages from the index.

We’re not sure quite who is at fault here, the newspapers are vehemently defending their property yet surely being removed from the Google index would have impacted greatly on their traffic.

It does seem however as just for once common sense has prevailed and both sides have reached a compromise. But you would think Google would drop the appeal as it all seems a bit nonsensical now, perhaps the legal team at the plex fancy some more waffles and chocolate.

Source: PC World

Featured Tags google, newspapers, serps


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It’s been an interesting 48 hours for the guys at Digg. Having taken a decision to remove a post displaying the hexadecimal code which breaks the protection on HD-DVDs, the site was inundated with posts re-displaying the keys. At one stage the whole front page of the site contained posts with the keys either in the title or description. Digg temporarily closed the site down and then released this statement via their blog.

After seeing hundreds of stories and reading thousands of comments, you’ve made it clear. You’d rather see Digg go down fighting than bow down to a bigger company. We hear you, and effective immediately we won’t delete stories or comments containing the code and will deal with whatever the consequences might be.

They unblocked all posts regarding the HD DVD keys and within a few hours the site appeared to be back to normal with only a few posts about the keys showing on the home page.

What a fiasco, Digg not knowing what to do and Digg users screaming ‘free speech’. The Digg Terms of Use clearly state

Digg may remove any Content and Digg accounts at any time for any reason (including, but not limited to, upon receipt of claims or allegations from third parties or authorities relating to such Content), or for no reason at all.

so the guys were quite within their rights to remove the posts if they so desired.

But what about free speech or more correctly ‘Freedom of Speech’. The term is generally used when a government censors a citizen or citizens from expressing their views no matter what the views are. To apply it to a website removing user content seems extreme in my opinion. Digg own, manage and run the site, they should be ‘free’ to display whatever they want on their site. They should listen to what their visitors want on the site, but it’s still their call.

Probably the most ironic thing all about the whole fiasco is that the keys are easily available on the net and have been for a while. Perhaps it was all just a big scam by Digg ….

Featured Tags digg, freedom_of_speech, hd_dvd, hexadecimal_code


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Ah, the all seeing eye, the font of all knowledge that we know as Google. Well, they’ve fluffed up this time. Despite having their village named after a Chilean independence hero Bernardo O’Higgins, the inhabitants of Villa O’Higgins are Argentinean according to the great Google. Needless to say Chile are hoping the guys at the plex will re-draw their maps and put the villagers back where they belong.

So the next time you use Google to find the nearest liquor store that sells the finest Chilean Merlot, don’t be surprised if you get the details of the closest Argentinean beef importer. Cheers Google.

Featured Tags bernardo_o_higgins, chile, google


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A young Australian start-up technology company, MOR(F) Dynamics, is taking instant messaging and social worlds to new heights of interactivity and intelligence. Since 2005, the Company has been busy implementing advanced techniques in language technologies, artificial intelligence and real-time 3D systems into a next-generation public instant messenger, dubbed the Moji Intelligent Messenger™.

MOR(F) has created the first instant messenger client and social worlds application that dynamically responds, reacts to and understands human language. The technology works by extracting meaning and emotion derived from a user’s chat dialogues and blogs in order to trigger a range of visual responses within the applications, thereby introducing a brand new immersive and deeply personal dimension to the user’s online and offline experience. By utilising the power of language analysis, the application is able to detect if a user is sad or moody and to then dynamically change elements such as the user’s wallpapers, music or widgets to either reflect that particular mood, or to alter the state of the environment such that the user feels better.

The Moji Intelligent Messenger™ is a fully 3-dimensional system that features intelligent virtual pets that feed off a user’s language. MOR(F) CEO, Robert Fong, describes the innovations of this product best when he says that “…for too long, public instant messengers have been uninteresting with few innovations that fail to enhance and improve human to computer interactions. The massive adoption of concepts such as virtual worlds and MMOGs is proving that users are immersing themselves into products that can interact with them on a deeply personal and emotional level. Two people chatting to each other and slinging emoticons back and forth is one thing. But throw in a personalised virtual pet that absorbs, learns, lives and communicates to the users, and immediately, the dynamic changes. All of a sudden you are no longer merely controlling an avatar to mimic your expressions. Instead, the pet has now entered into your own dimension. It can communicate its desires and thoughts to you. It understands you and can react to the way you feel or the things you like and dislike. We are confident that this kind of technology will enhance a user’s experience by making the way we interact with computers more life-like”.

The Intelligent Messenger translates beautifully into the company’s social world, the MojiKan™. By utilizing the same techniques as found in the messenger, MojiKan™ is an online place where users can explore a world of interactive pets, meet other “virtual pet-owners” with similar personalities, purchase new accessories for their pets, download new language capabilities, create their own personal page and to write blogs. The difference obviously is that all content within MojiKan™ responds and reacts to users’ language. In addition, users’ pets feature on their personal page as widget-pets that can communicate with friends and visitors to a particular personal page (see related press coverage on MOR(F)’s I-Widgets). “By analysing and observing patterns in a user’s blogs or personality descriptions, we use that information in many diverse ways from changing a user’s online environment to reflect his or her current mood to matching users to other compatible users that match their personalities, interests etc.” said Project Manager, Harris Roland. “We do this to such an extent that users can feel the power and influence of their language on their online experience and in the existence of their virtual pets. This is a real breakthrough for us”.

Robert adds that the company is currently targeting the massive instant messaging and social world communities especially teenagers and young adults. However, he also believes that there is a tremendous amount of potential in child safety utilising language technologies and a kid’s version is not far off (see related press coverage on MOR(F)’s child safety system). In the future, the company hopes to expand into areas such as market research, product placement and advertising, as well as mobile applications.

MOR(F) is currently in the last phases of their development and says that a commercial beta launch is due out mid-2007. The entire team is excited of the new possibilities that will confront users with the Moji Intelligent Messenger and are keen to obtain feedback from the general public as soon as possible. As a result, they are releasing a teaser campaign that introduces some of their innovations in the form of interactive “widget-pets”. Users can download and insert these widgets into their blog or social network sites and are invited to head over to www.mojikan.com where they would also be able to pre-register for a beta tester account to test-drive the Moji Intelligent Messenger™ and to provide feedback to the company.

Thanks, Robert

Featured Tags messenger, mojikan, pets


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After similar events in Turkey. This seems to keep happening to YouTube due to copyright scandals and calumniator content. Until Google bought it, this was not that much of a big deal but since then all who have something to gain from it can hit Google long and hard on the Youtube subject.

The ban was now established in Thailand, it seems YouTube editors refused to remove some offensive content, even though authorities from Thailand requested it in numerous occasions. As you well know this is not a first, YouTube got banned in the past in countries like Brasil and in state schools in Australia, for similar causes.

And legal matters are not the least of YouTube’s concerns now. Derived from all this copyright problems the video service from Google is facing a great deal of other sites of the kind offer video material that YouTube can’t show anymore. Here are a few examples AllSP or TV links or many more of the same sort that steal a increasing share of YouTube’s visitors.

YouTube is certainly traveling in some black waters, will be Google able to pull it off?

Featured Tags copyright, google, Thailand, youtube


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I was somehow expecting that. Google launched today two new services, out of which I’m expecting at least one to be true, and the other to be fake. Since GMail is three years old today, I assume that the GMail Print feature will be for real.

Starting today, Google introduces GMail Paper. Now in Gmail, you can request a physical copy of any message with the click of a button, and they’ll send it to you in the mail. Google will print all messages instantly and prepare them for delivery. You should be receiving them in 2 to 4 days. Basically, a stack of Gmail Paper arrives in a box at your doorstep, and it’s yours to keep forever. You can read it, sort it, search it, touch it. Or even move it to the trash—the real trash. (Recycling is encouraged.)

So far so good, but since Google made a habit out of tricking us today, they also launched TISP, a service that is supposed to offer you Wi-Fi internet access from everywhere. Google TiSP (BETA) is a fully functional, end-to-end system that provides in-home wireless access by connecting your commode-based TiSP wireless router to one of thousands of TiSP Access Nodes via fiber-optic cable strung through your local municipal sewage lines. Well, it could have been believable until the part where they’re tweaking up their toilets.

1st of April is not over yet. Enjoy.

Featured Tags april-fools, gmail, google


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Three years ago, Google was launching GMail, an innovating mailing service that was perceived as a practical joke at the beginning due its chosen launching day. Today, three years later, GMail is one of the most popular webmail options, directly competing with Yahoo’s Mail.

Even if recently, Yahoo offered unlimited space compared to GMail’s 2,9GB, I still believe that users are not looking just for storage space, and they want more flexibility and user-oriented features. That’s why GMail was and will still be my favorite.

Happy birthday ;)

Featured Tags birthday, gmail, google


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