Google Aps

Recently, Google released web applications that users could use on their own sites, using their own domains such as: Gmail, Google’s Calendar, Talk and Page Creator. Many small businesses will definitely be attracted to the free sticker-price to use the services, as well as the added savings of not having to purchase a mail server, or Microsoft licenses. This further expansion of Google into the small business market, will help further strengthen their advertising initiatives. Premium services will be made available later this year.

Read the full story from computerworld.com.

Net-ID-me a step in the right direction

As reported by Pocket-lint, a new identity card was released by Net-ID-me to help protect children from online predators. To chat, you must use the ID to ensure you are whom you say you are. To get an ID, you must get a lawyer or some other professional to vouch for your application. Good idea, but how can you stop perverted lawyers, or forgeries, or simple Net-Id theft? If people can steal my PIN from a gas pump, they can certainly steal a child’s Net-Id. And without it being connected to the government - can Net-ID theft be truly punishable?

Read the article

Live Spaces launched

Microsoft’s new social networking platform is integrated with Microsoft’s other applications like MSN messenger. Makes you wonder if this move is to get into the web 2.0 thing more, or is it to push their other products… probably both. Live spaces will also have widgets, er, sorry, gadgets that plug into it in order to enhance a user’s “space”.

Should be something to keep track of - but I think once again, Microsoft is a bit late in catching the boat.

You can visit Live Spaces here.

Read the press release

Mozilla, RealNetworks and Google team up

We’ve seen it before, media companies teaming up together to form a larger monster in attempts to devour the competition. In this case, it’s obviously Microsoft’s IE, MSN search (to be upgraded to Vista…um..one day), and Windows media player. I find it ironic that previously, Google complained about IE shipping with MSN search - and how that was not fair. In any case - will this move do? In MY humble opinion, not a whole lot. Google already ships with Firefox.

But I’ve been proved wrong before… but I’ve never been a fan of RealPlayer…

Read the article

Photosynth

A very interesting new application that takes photographs of an area, compares them and creates a 3D space. It could find its way to online photo galleries in the near future.

I can see a new social networking gimmick where people upload shots of a landmark, and it would map where the user was standing and indicate when the shot was taken. Then you could see where other people were when they took their shots.

Very interesting.

From the BBC:

“The 3D model will enable people to move through a scene, looking at pictures from any angle, click on specific photos, zoom in or out of a feature, and see where snaps were taken in relation to other images.”

Read the BBC News article