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27 
How safe is that website?
Google have just brought out their Safe Browsing Diagnostic tool to help reassure you of the safety or confirm the danger of a particular site. To check out a url, go to -
http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=[url]
8 
Sync Google Calendar with iPhone
Here's the utility many mac users have been wanting for a while - something that'll sync iCal with Google Calendar. With that working you can automatically have the new iCal appointments synchronised with your iPhone. How cool is that?!
[Download]
15 
Android G1 emulator
For those wanting a better idea of what it'd be like to own one of HTC's new Google Android G1 phones, here's an emulator.
How does it compare to the Apple iPhone?
8
Google Mail
Gmail users might be interested to have a look around Settings -> Labs to find add-ons the Gmail team (and also 3rd party developers) have made. Some of them could potentially be fairly useful, though one or two are slightly unusual... For example, "Mail Goggles" will pose some maths questions before a late night email is sent just to make sure that it's not something you'll regret the next day... Hmmm.
Now Gmail just have to sort out filtering the really obvious junk mail that creeps into my inbox everyday. They used to be so good. Come on!
7
iPhone vs G1
Further to a previous post, it looks like Android does still have downsides. Unlike the iPhone there is no PAYG yet, and the headphone jack is non-standard. It also looks like they're going to do the usual thing of ripping off UK customers by charging them a contract rate of £40 per month (c.f. $30 in US).
No answers yet on whether they can differentiate themselves by allowing users access to the internet from a laptop, and whether VOIP apps like Skype can be run...
23 
T-Mobile G1 and Android market
Details of Google's answer to Apple's iPhone, the G1, are emerging. Sounds like its camera will be 3MP (that's 50% more) and will also include a compass. Nothing to rave about yet but the price sounds like it could be reasonable too at around $200. No decision's been made yet but I'm glad I resisted and didn't buy the iPhone the other day! Android market will also surely be more open than the App Store... The manufacturers are HTC, a Taiwanese company - another thing in their favour!
[have your say 1]
10
Google Chrome
It's an internet browser. It's fast. It's made by Google. So great, why don't we all start using it? Well, Mac OS X users haven't got a version made for them yet and fans of the Google Toolbar won't switch because it simply isn't there in Chrome... an obvious omission!
9
Google Newspaper
Checking Google's robots.txt file, the file that tells other search engines what part of a website they can or cannot index, sometimes throws up interesting hints as to what might be coming next. Today a new entry has appeared under "newspaper". Guess it makes sense to want to start cataloguing the printed press...
8 
Keep track of Beijing Olympics 2008
Google have made a useful tool to track the many events at this year's summer Olympics.
Btw, wasn't the opening ceremony brilliant?! I'm thinking London 2012 might struggle past having a penny farthing and some chubby monarchs!
30 
Pagerank update April 2008
Google have just done a pagerank update. If you have the Google toolbar installed you should see that Nimisis.com is back to PR4. Same for PriceCutReview.com and Sport.omani.ac. About time too!
16 
Online world country quiz
Below is a famous CNN gaff showing Switzerland after it had apparently invaded the Czech Republic. Would you have spotted it? Here's an interactive world country quiz that tests your knowledge of world geography.
18 
Google search by date indexed
There are still some searches for which Google isn't too brilliant. For example, you can't search for certain special characters and you can't look for files (other than images) by filesize. However, there is a fantastic new improvement - you can now find pages by the date they were added to the Google index. This is very useful because sometimes it's hard to tell when a page was written - not all pages are like press releases and have a date on them! So, if you want to filter out old news or maybe see which pages have been recently indexed for a particular site, you can by adding the "as_qdr" parameter. Append your seach with "&as_qdr=1d" for pages found in the last 24 hours, "&as_qdr=1w" for the past week and "&as_qdr=1y" for the last year. (The 1's can be adjusted to any number and therefore length of time you like).
For example, to find new pages that have been talking about a pagerank update, you might search: http://www.google.com/search?q=pagerank+update&as_qdr=d1 or what new software has been added to a download site in the last week: http://www.google.com/search?q=site:download.omani.ac&as_qdr=w1.
[have your say 1]
11
Google Pagerank Update January 2008
It's happening... the Google servers are giving different numbers for PR, so I'm guessing we're in the middle of another update!
[comments 2]
29
Astronomy with Google Earth
The latest version of Google Earth has a new feature which allows you to flip the default view (looking down upon satellite imagery of the earth) to looking up at imagery of the night sky gathered from telescopes.
No longer do you have to buy a telescope from ebay to do some star gazing (a bit pointless anyway if you live in an area with bad light pollution). Seeing all those billions of stars does make you feel pretty small though!
[remarks 1]
18 
Google PageRank update for July 2007 has started!
If you own a website and have lately been trying to improve your Google PageRank, you might be interested to know that the website rankings are now just starting to change. Keep watching that PageRank button on your Google Toolbar for, hopefully, a higher number!
[have your say 2]
9
New Google Groups
I've set up a couple of Google groups for some of the software I've written, namely Flix and Warp. (Their respective groups are here and here.) These two applications are particularly well suited to have their own group or forum as Flix is about making timelapse videos and Warp is about making funny photos, so I'm hoping that folk will feel free to share their creations!
8
Online world geography quiz
My ignorance when it comes to geography is truly shocking and I've been meaning to do something about it. So, here's a little world geography quiz Google Maps mashup I've whipped up using the Google Maps API. Hopefully you'll learn a few things with it! I'd certainly never heard of the tiny island nation of Pitcairn (population 53) before today...
[remarks 6]
3
Nimisis toolbar button
For those with a google toolbar integrated into their web browser, it is now possible to add your own custom buttons! It really couldn't be easier (follow the instructions on this page if you're interested.) I've made one for nimisis.com too.
6
Picasa
Recently tried out Google's photo organisation app, Picasa and I've got to say that I'm impressed. Some old school photos in the depths of my hard drive were found which I'm sure I would've lost otherwise. If this grabs you, take the tour via the banner below.
5
Word Wreck Tangle
This is the latest Wei Hwa puzzle that can be seen on google personalised homepages.
Drag the letters into the rectangle so that words read both across and down. Purple letters only move up-and-down, while green letters only move left and right. Click and drag a colored letter to move it. You win if four five-letter English words read left-to-right along the rows and five four-letter words read down along the columns.
For answers see comments.
[remarks 1]
14
Just retracing some of my steps using Google Earth and Google Maps and noticed that the reservoir in Central Park looks as if it's either got a very narrow bridge across it or a tunnel. How great would a glass underwater tunnel be (assuming that the water was really clear)! See for yourself.
[comments]
12
Flight sims
Goggles isn't a proper flight simulator like the ones used to train pilots but an online game that makes clever use of Google Maps. (Tip: If you try flying around London, you're starting in Hyde Park.)
24 
But Dave, you're not a geek!
...so people often reassure me. But sometimes I do geek-like things, like qualify for Google Code Jam Europe. Booyah!
(For those annoyed to have missed it, you can still take part in similar competitions at Topcoder.com. If you sign up, please refer "nimisis". Thanks.)
[have your say 1]
13
Google Da Vinci Code Quest
Google is starting a "quest" inspired by Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and is going to offer more than ten thousand prizes. The puzzles will be publish daily on Google Personalized Homepage. "Beginning on April 17th you will embark on a quest that requires skill, intellect, and perseverance. For 24 days, you will encounter unique challenges." Click here for details on The Google Da Vinci Code Quest.
2 
Summer of Code
Google has launched its Summer of Code. Only students i.e. under 18s can apply but still there are some good ideas here!
7
Resolution #3
Blog far less frequently... only joking! Have been quite busy with a little 3D computer graphics program. It's quite cool but more about that later.
My quest is almost accomplished! When you search for "David Butler" in Google, Nimisis.com comes up at number 2 out of 1.2 million! Yeah baby.
3
My quest is starting to get somewhere. Typing "David Butler" into Google places nimisis.com at a dizzy number 34! With all these Butlers giving the rest of us a bad name at the moment (though they're probably innocent I should add), I seem to be getting leap-frogged! Ah well, sooner or later we'll get to the top ten.
3
Dave Butler, I Want You!
A couple of days ago I typed "David Butler" into Google and found out that this site only ranked around 115th. I'm sure we can do better than that. To have nimisis.com appear top is my goal. This is my Everest! So come on and give me some encouragement, if your name's David Butler (or Dave Butler... even Davie Butler, though I feel sorry for you) then please let me know that you came by leaving a comment below. We'll bond over the ether. I realise that this is very similar to the Dave Gorman thing but let's just go with it. There must surely be way more Butlers than Gormans on this planet.
[comments 14]
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