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Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - software, services, apps

It's been a bumper year in 2009 for software, services and apps as the overarching trend of tech creeps glacially away from its hardware focus and more towards what the Internet and its friends can do for us. So, before you shout out in the comments who you think should...

Google launches data Dashboard

Google, perhaps reacting to criticism that it's keeping a whole load of your data in disparate places, has launched a "dashboard" that displays all the info that the search giant is keeping on you, and allowing you to modify that data.

The service, which can be...

Google honours Sesame Street with doodle

Google has put up another "Doodle" on its homepage above the iconic search box, depicting both Cookie Monster and Big Bird - depending on where in the world you're located.

Clicking the image links through to a search for Sesame Street, marking the 40th anniversary...

Google doodle celebrates Wallace & Gromit's birthday

Google has posted another of its infamous homepage "doodles" today celebrating the birthday of Wallace and Gromit.

Created by Nick Park, it seems the plasticine pair debuted on this day back in 1989 at an animation festival in Bristol.

20 years...

VIDEO: Google search by voice launches for Nokia S60 phones

Google has announced its search by voice service is available as a free download for Nokia S60 phones such as Nseries or Eseries handsets.

Google explains: "The new version of Google Mobile App places a shortcut to Google search on your Nokia phone's home...

Phantom town appears on Google Maps

The presence of a mysterious town on Google Maps has stumped locals, the online giant and its mapping data provider.

It seems no-one can explain why "Argleton" in Lancashire, a town that does not exist, appears in the L39 postcode area just south of Ormskirk.

According...

Google Wave gets crowd-sourced user manual

It's no secret that Google Wave is a little tricky to get your head around. When confronted with the Wave dashboard for the first time, many people scratch their heads and ask "uhh... what now?". Well, Gina Trapani and Adam Pash from productivity blog Lifehacker have...

Google about to allow private Wave servers?

Google Wave may be about to open up its servers for federation, if reports from TheNextWeb are correct. If true, it would mean that businesses and corporations will imminently be able to download everything they need to run their own Google Wave server.

If that's...

Who'll be the casualties of Google Music?

Not content with crashing down hard on the satnav industry yesterday, today Google put the willies up the music industry too with the launch of a Google music search feature. Just before you go diving off to try it, it's only available in the US at the moment, but so...

29th August 2012: the date Google becomes "aware"

Another day, another industry in trouble, all because the company that promises to "do no evil" has entered its market.

The latest victims that are likely to fall foul of the search giant are the dedicated GPS makers. TomTom and Garmin both saw big drops in share...

VIDEO: Google demos Music Search

In response to the millions of search queries about music that Google gets every day it has beefed up its music search service.

Users can now use Google to find tracks by searching artist, song title and even lyrics with links to online retailers to buy.

While...

Google PowerMeter to debut in the UK from first:utility

Google's PowerMeter product is to debut in the UK from first:utility, a small, independent electricity and gas supplier, based in Warwick.

Google PowerMeter is a software tool that allows users to see a near-real-time display of their energy usage through their...

TomTom shares plunge on poor Q3 results and Google announcement

TomTom and Garmin saw their share prices plunge on Wednesday, supposedly following the announcement from Google that it was entering the "Real time" navigation sector.

The news coincidently came as TomTom announced poor Q3 results with earnings down over 64 million...

Google adds music search; foretells the death of another industry

Google has added music search to its growing search offering as it attempts to help people find what they are looking for quicker.

"Every day we get millions of search queries about music. You want to know more about your favorite artists, find that new album...

Android 2.0 HTC Hero Inbound

HTC has confirmed that it will be bringing Android 2.0 to the HTC Hero.

"The rumors are true! Hero will be getting an Eclair update. We ask for your patience as we update Sense for the fancy new Android OS", the company said via its official Twitter feed.

No...

Google Maps Navigation "could" run on iPhone 3GS

Google has said that it has no plans at present to offer Google Maps Navigation on other platforms like the iPhone or BlackBerry handsets for the time being, but hinted that might not always be the case.

"It's currently only available for the Android 2.0 OS,"...

Six serious reasons why Google Maps Navigation is pure win...

Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0 will not just be setting the cat amongst the pigeons but is probably more akin to handing a rocket launcher to our feline friend as well. From demonstration, the turn by turn satnav system has got several advantages over traditional...

Verizon officially announces Motorola Droid

Verizon has officially announced the teased and leaked Motorola Droid - or as it's officially dubbed "Droid by Motorola" - in the US with a launch date in early November and a $200 price tag to those happy to sign away 2 years of their mobile life.

And happy...

Google to add free turn-by-turn navigation functionality to Maps on Android 2.0 phones

Google has just thrown somewhat of a spanner in the works for satnav hardware and software companies as it has revealed it is to offer free turn-by-turn navigation functionality to its Maps product that will be offered in Android 2.0 devices.

"Maps Navigation"...

Google "Similar Images" becomes permanent feature

Google has announced that its Similar Images feature "is graduating from Google Labs" and becoming a permanent feature in Google Images.

Designed to help narrow down image search results for more successful searches, one example given for how Similar Images...

Google Wave users get more invites

It looks like Google is rolling out a second set of invites to Google Wave users. When logging in, users that have burnt through their initial five invites are finding that they've now been granted an additional twelve to dole out to whoever they like.

The invites...

Android 2.0 rolls out to developers

So, Eclair has arrived, pretty much as we predicted. The SDK is now available to developers who want to build the next version - version 2.0 - of Android into their devices, as well as people who want to create apps for the platform.

Among the improvements will...

Five things that Google Wave can do for you

It certainly can't have escaped you that Google Wave has arrived but, whether you've managed to get an invite or not, what you might have missed is the point of the whole exercise. Yes, it's a new way of communicating, mixing e-mail, IM, extensions, gadgets and all sorts...

VIDEO: Google demos Social Search

Google's new "Social Search" Labs feature that looks to your contacts for relevant results during searches is being rolled out now. You'll find a neat demo video above that does a good job of explaining the changes, while Google says:

"Your friends and contacts...

Google Voice features now work with your main mobile number

Google Voice, the currently US only based telephone service from Google, has announced that it will be allowing users to use their own number to collect messages rather than having to use a dedicated Google number.

"Up until now, if you wanted to use Google Voice,...