Day: July 7, 2006

Well, it is official… “google,” with a small “g,” is now a verb! The 11th edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary lists “google” as a new word!

“Google” Goes From Web to Webster’s

“The definition: ‘to use the Google search engine to obtain information … on the World Wide Web.’ As in, ‘Let me google that.’ Linguists said google entered the lexicon especially quickly. It reached the pages of the dictionary just five years after its first known public reference as a verb in a New York Post article. Usually, it takes 10 to 20 years for words to enter everyday use, if they make it at all. Google’s speed ‘is typical for words used on or about the Web,’ said John Morse, president and publisher of Merriam-Webster Inc. ‘Those are words that establish themselves in the language the quickest because of the power of the Web to propagate words.'”

The Ipod from Apple has 70% of the personal digital media market locked up. Will a new offering from Microsoft make a dent in this market?

Microsoft Ipod-Killer?

Microsoft has the money and the “clout,” but will they pull it off? They plan on having an “iTunes-like” site to provide content for their new device as well.

“The new player, which Microsoft Corp. has been touting to record companies in the last few weeks, will let users download music and videos over the air, according to one source, a feature which would give it an edge over the iPod. Microsoft Corp. has also been showing a new media software, developing an application akin to Apple Computer Inc.’s iPod/iTunes integrated ecosystem, according to another source. Record companies are expected to be receiving prototypes to test in the coming weeks, said the first source. The sources said Microsoft will be throwing significant marketing dollars behind the launch.”