The Magic by Google

The BBC reports that European telecom operator Vodafone has announced details of the second “Google phone” - a phone called The Magic from manufacturer HTC with Google’s operating system Android:

The Magic will feature new Android firmware, known as “Cupcake”, with changes based on G1 user suggestions. The Magic will go on sale to Vodafone customers in the UK, Germany, Spain and France, and non-exclusively in Italy.

Android phone users will be able to access the Android Market, a storefront for applications that already boasts 800 offerings. That number that is sure to grow with more Android handsets on the market.

The announcement was made at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona - a major event for the telecoms business - where it was expected that several phones that used the Google operating systems would be presented by companies. The Magic has been the only phone announced by a major player so far though.

Source BBC

SearchWiki: Users to Edit Google Search Results

Google unveiled SearchWiki, a feature which lets users improve the site’s effectiveness by editing search algorithms. SearchWiki allows users to re-rank, delete, add, and comment on search results.  You can move search results up in relevance by selecting the arrow-up icon next to the result title.  The ‘X’ button deletes links that are irrelevant to the user.  Edits will not effect Google’s website ranking results, but instead allow users to tailor their personal own search results.  Users will have to log in to use the search-editing feature, with changes stored in your Google account and made effective in following Google searches.  Users can also access the community’s search edits and comments by selecting the ‘See all notes for this SearchWiki’ feature.  Google explains:

This new feature is an example of how search is becoming increasingly dynamic, giving people tools that make search even more useful to them in their daily lives. We have been testing bits and pieces of SearchWiki for some time through live experiments, and we incorporated much of our learnings into this release.

SeachWiki: make search your own

Source Sydney Morning Herald