This is a really cool new experimental feature for Google search - it shows results on a timeline or map, allowing you to view the information in a different dimension.
Timeline and map views work best for searches related to people, companies, events and places. Here is an example for a search George Washington.
Google Labs keeps releasing a steady stream of great new products - it’s hard to keep up! So one of the functions of this blog will be to keep all you Google users out there who don’t have time to read all the press releases informed about new Google products.
Let’s start with Goog-411. This is a free telephone based information service that could replace toll 411 calls.
Goog-411 can be accessed by dialing 1-800-GOOG-411 from any phone. The product is completely automated - you tell it your city and state, and then ask for a specific business or business category. I gave it a whirl and it works great. And of course, it’s free.
Then there is My Maps, an extension to Google Maps .
My Maps allows you to create, annotate and share personalized maps.
To get started, go to Google Maps and click the My Maps tab. After that, it’s pretty simple to add places, draw lines and shapes, incorporate hosted photos and videos, and then share the map (it gets its own URL) or create a KML file for use in Google Earth.
And of course there are the very special products announced on April 1, Google TiSP and Google Paper:
Google TiSP is described by Google as “a fully functional, end-to-end system that provides in-home wireless access by connecting your commode-based TiSP wireless router to one of thousands of TiSP Access Nodes via fiber-optic cable strung through your local municipal sewage lines.” Nice!
And finally, my very favorite, Google Paper. This allows you to request a physical copy of any message in Gmail with the click of a button. Google will then send it to you in the (regular) mail.
Google Paper has the added advantage of teaching a valuable hands-on lesson:
“Now that I have Gmail Paper, I understand the difference between labels and folders. I had one message with two labels, but when I tried to stick the paper version into two filing cabinets at the same time, it just wouldn’t go.”
