No doubt you’ve heard about how Google is testing a brand new interface for its users. The cleaner interface will give users more options, but many people who have tried it have decided that it isn’t for them. It hasn’t actually been implemented, but if you’d like to give it a try we found the trick for doing so. Gizmodo gave away the trick the other day, but it appears that a lot of people who dived in are asking how in the world to get their old Google back. But if you want to try it for yourself, just do the following…
1. Go to Google
2. After it has loaded, put the following code into your browser’s URL address field at the top:
javascript:void(document.cookie=”PREF=ID=20b6e4c2f44943bb:U=4bf292d46faad806:TM=
1249677602:LM=1257919388:S=odm0Ys-53ZueXfZG;path=/; domain=.google.com”);
Ensure that there isn’t any http://google.com in front of that. Just that code.
3. Hit enter.
4. Open a new Google.com page (or you can refresh) and you will have access to the new Google interface.

Tags: google, new google, new google search

The quest for the ability to properly hide that you’re looking at porn on your computer has come to a three way stand off. Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox all have active (or will by the launch of their next beta) a method that will allow users to ensure their privacy when doing private things.

Internet Explorer 8 calls their mode InPrivate.

Google Chrome calls their mode Incognito.

But as of yet, Firefox does not have a name for their privacy mode that will be launching with next months Firefox beta 3.1.

Let’s hope it’s something witty.

Tags: FireFox, firefox beta 3.1, google, google chrome, ie8, Internet Explorer, porn, privacy

The Google Android Developers Challenge has officially ended! Out of all the developers who entered this first annual event, only fifty made it through to the final round. Out of those fifty, the top ten were awarded $275,000 each and contestants 11-20 received $100,000 each.

Most of the winning finalists took advantage of the location based aspects of the Google Android platform, such as the grand prize winner, Locale. Unlike the iPhone, these apps can run in the background, allowing for Locale to help you set multiple profiles and automatically switch to them depending on where you physically are.

The list of winners will no become the list of apps we’ll all be downloading on launch day. This developers challenge definitely seems like the best idea yet that Google has had for the Android developers.

Tags: android, android market, app store, apps, google, google android, google android developers challenge, iphone

More information regarding Google’s soon to be released mobile operating system have come to light. Today on the Google Android Developers Blog we had a chance to learn a little bit more about how the apps are going to work with Android and what we have to look forward to.

Instead of a store, Google will offer the Android Market, a place where any and all developers can list their apps for use with Google Android immediately and without approval. There will be plenty of measures taken to make sure that you won’t be able to load the wrong version of the app onto your Android based phone (as not all Android capable phones can do the same thing) and of course make the distinction between free and paid (paid apps won’t be in Android Market 1.0, fyi).

We’re nearing the launch of Google Android, so stay tuned for more up to the minute information from your favorite tech blog.

Tags: android market, app store, apps, developers, google, google android, iphone, itunes, sdk

When asking your magic eight ball about the expected launch of HTC’s Android based phones, all signs are starting to point to “no”. Either that or my eight ball is broken….

HTC has been working hard on getting their Android ready phones up and running, particularly the HTC Dream, but it may not be hard enough. The features that Google is demanding out of the phones launching with Android, plus the revenue share have been enough for HTC to possibly question how strong a selling point Android will be.

With the iPhone SDK updating like crazy and providing an active community for developers, it’s difficult for people to choose investing in Android when the updates are so scarce lately (unless you’re one of the elite few). Add in the fact that Windows Mobile, Symbian, and BlackBerry are also a part of this pie, and it will make perfect sense as to why HTC is waiting a bit on this game.

Tags: android, blackberry, google, google android, htc, iphone, sdk, symbian, windows mobile

Apparently there’s a new search engine ready to take on Google. Claiming to have indexed over 120 billion webpages, over three times as much as Google, this $33 million backed company isn’t kidding around.

Lead developer Anna Patterson left Google in 2006 to work on this project, with another 2 Google developers as well. The company, spelt Cuil but pronounced Cool, presents the information in a more magazine style, trying to bring back the black and white scheme we never knew we missed. the claim to provide more relevant information then Google does, but feel free to try searching the same keywords in both, especially your name or a website name, and you’ll soon find out how lacking it is in comparison.

How can you try and make a new Google when the flaws in Google aren’t that big?

Tags: Anna Patterson, cuil, google, search engine

Google Android, the legendary open source operating system, seems to be coming closer and closer to an actual launch. A recent demo given by Andy Ruben of Google to those at CNet was apparently very hands off, but it did reveal some interesting screen shots and some additional information.

This touch screen version of the operating system had a fully customizable desktop that was actually much larger then the max screen resolution. The intention is to use more than just what the visible screen has to offer, similar to the new iPhone pages. Considering it’s a Google product, the system comes loaded with over 20 Google based applications, including Youtube and of course, Googlemaps.

Letting you know you’ve got something to look at is a big exclamation point in the top corner, but it wasn’t clear if that would also alert you to activity in open applications. Ruben also mentioned specifically that this OS could handle a good deal of applications at once because it "freeze dries" them as to not hog resources. Take a look at the interface screenshots to the left.

Tags: android, cnet, google, google android, googlemaps

Downloading torrents at an alarming rate? Wondering why your younger siblings can’t connect to Toon Town or Webkins because the connection is too slow? Perhaps your ISP has slowed down your connection without giving you the heads up. While this is completely within their rights as your service provider, Google still wants you to know where they’re doing it or not.

Regardless of whether Google actually sides with the net-neutrals or not isn’t the point. The point is that we’re getting the tools to tell the truth about the entire situation. While Google’s aren’t live yet, feel free to keep an eye out on Google Labs for more information on it’s launch date.

Tags: bit torrent, google, isp

Thomson and Google have teamed up to offer the “first ever one touch” GOOG-411 button to many of the GE branded DECT 6.0 phones. GOOG-411 was developed by Google Labs to offer free voice activated directory assistance. Currently the service only offers business listings, but residential listings are planned for the future.  

  To use the service now simply call 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411). I have known about GOOG-411 for quite a long time now, but always seem to forget and dial 411 and spend $1 or more to get the number I was looking for. The button here will save me a ton, and is a briliant idea.

Tags: CES, goog-411, google