What’s New in Google World

The first month of the new year is almost over, but Google has definitely not been in a post holiday hibernation. Whether Google has any other new years resolution aside from increasing their userbase and developing products I don’t know, but with respect to this they are off to a good start.

Here are the newest developments in Google’s World (and of course ours!) to kick off the new year:

New Products

1. Just as our collective holiday hang-over was wearing off, Google announced Picasa for Mac. Being a Mac enthusiast, I was…well… quite enthusiastic about this. Although I am a fan of everything Mac, and at first I was apprehensive about giving up iPhoto, I’ve already admitted to falling in love with Picasa for Mac.
2. A new search box for Mac is also part of the new developments for 2009. Personally, I am thrilled with the search function I have on my Mac (I run Leopard), but perhaps after giving it some time I will fall in love with this new product as well.

Saying Goodbye…

1. Sometimes organizations decide to discontinue products that are just not that popular. Apparently, Google users were just not that into Google Notebook, and further development on it is being stopped altogether. It is too bad, because it was one of those handy Google products you could also use on a mobile device.
2. Google Catalog Search is another Google product that is biting the dust. As a consolation, Google is expanding it’s Book Search to include magazines.

Staying Organized

1. A few new developments in Gmail include the “send and archive” button in Gmail Labs, and the ability to archive email on your iPhone.
2. Calendar now goes everywhere, from Gmail, Blackberry, to Google Desktop. What can I say… there is just no excuse to miss an appointment anymore.

Just for Fun

1. One of my favorites is personalized themes for iGoogle. You can add any pictures you like to make your homepage even more personal. It is like a virtual collage, and I can see this be yet another creative way to spruce up a boring cubicle space.
2. The world collective watched as Barack Obama was swon in as the new president of the United States. Google watched as well… and let us take a peak at satellite images of the ceremony. Google also helped people get there with helpful maps. Those who couldn’t make it in person could still enjoy the virtual experience.
3. From Washington D.C. to New York: Google has teamed up with the city of New York to build www.nycgo.com and a brand new Official NYC Information Center, located at 810 7th Avenue. This will help people navigate New York with 3D maps (using Google Earth) and interactive maps. Whether you are in New York, or are planning a visit, finding your way around is going to be that much easier.

All in all, it’s been a reasonably busy month for Google, and if this sets the tone for 2009, we can look forward to many new improvements to existing products as well as perhaps a few new ones