Google Alerts

Google Alerts are email updates of the most recent Google results (web, news, etc.) of your query or topic. This is a very useful tool to automatically keep track of specific events, people, activities, and things.

Go to http://www.google.com/alerts to create a custom alert.

Video podcasting

MediaRede, Inc is providing a video virtual tour podcast service. This online marketing service is offered via www.vtrevolution.com.

The company specializes in creating video virtual tours which will provide listings high visibility on sites like Yahoo Video, YouTube, Google Video and Realtor.com. Video virtual tour files are created especially for these websites. The average video receives over 300 plays on each site.

Video virtual tour files use photos, video, voiceover, music or any combination of these four sources.

Knol a wiki

Google offers a new service called Knol that will capitalize on the growing popularity of "social encyclopedias" like Wikipedia.

Like similar products, Knol users will be able to create a page on any topic with information, pictures, links and more.

Google's primary focus with Knol is the authorship of each page. The original creator of each page will have a miniature profile on the page and will be given options to control the page. One significant difference between Knol and competing services is that authors have the option to place Google ads on the pages they manage and receive revenue from those ads.

The author of a page can limit what other users can modify on their page. A comments section will always exist allowing users to comment, but actual changes to the content can be limited by the author.

For more information, read http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/006068.html

Google Mobile

Google Maps for mobile devices - that's Google mobile. This downloadable application puts local information, directions and maps in your pocket. This includes a new “GPS-Like”’ technology called “My Location”. This new feature is freely available for most web-enabled phones that does not need to have GPS on the device for it to work.

Google will pinpoint your location within 1000 meters by calculating and estimating your handset location based on the unique footprint of surrounding cell towers. To start up this feature from with Google Mobile Maps, click “0” and your approximate location will be displayed on the Map.

To get started, simply text the word “bluedot” to 33669 or visit www.Google.com/gmm on your mobile device to download the application.