Monday, January 17, 2005
Google.co.za and Huygens probe
Hello good morning and how do you do? You are listening to Cybersurf, a weekly look at what’s happening in our neck of the cyberwoods. I am Steven Lang and as most regular internet users – the Google search engine is never far away – it is by far the most popular search engine in the world and I have been using it this entire millennium.
So I was very surprised yesterday when I clicked on the Google link and instead of going to Google.com – the browser went to google.co.za – an option I have never used. Many of the larger internet countries have domain specific Googles – but I never expected one just for South Africa.
I was even more surprised to find four other links inviting the user to search google.co.za in isiZulu, Xhosa, Sesotho or Afrikaans. It looks really intriguing except that they have spelt Xhosa in a way that I have never ever seen before.
I invite listeners who are good at these languages to test it out and share their impressions with us. Maybe you would like to “Maak van Google jou tuisblad!”
Maybe this means that we are finally registering our presence on the internet.
And talking about our languages on the internet, you might remember late last year we had a web site review of the wikipedia – a free online encyclopedia – well I believe they already have more than three thousand six hundred articles in Afrikaans.
Rapid change of subject to one of the biggest astronomy stories of our time – the Cassini Huygens mission to Titan – the largest moon orbiting around the Saturn.
The Huygens lander successfully touched down on the surface of Titan and has already sent back to Earth - a huge number of spectacular photographs.
It is the first time that humans have landed a craft on the moon of a planet other than our own – and it is perhaps most important because many scientists believe that Titan is one of the best places in our solar system to look for extra-terrestrial life.
All the latest information and many fascinating pictures can be found on the sites of the three agencies working together on this mission. The agencies are NASA, the European Space Agency and the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana. – their respective www’s addresses are www.nasa.gov/cassini; or www.esa.int and www.asi.it for the Italian agency.
All three of the sites are very good and look quite similar – but they have had big traffic problems. I had a lot of difficulty getting through on Friday and Saturday - so if you want to look at the great pics – you might need some patience.
Nobody was quite sure what to expect of the surface of Titan – some experts predicted an ice-field; others speculated about a sea of methane or maybe just some rocks.
Well the initial verdict coming from one of the mission scientists is that the surface of the moon has a consistency something like that of crème brulee.
Hmm.. wonder if it taste likes crème brulee too.
On that tasty note we end today’s edition of Cybersurf – if you missed any of the addresses – never fear – the Cybersurf blog is near – specifically at Cybersurf.blogspot.com – one more time – Cybersurf.blogspot.com
That’s it from Cyberspace - Thanks for listening and be sure to tune in again next Monday for more on the best of the web.
So I was very surprised yesterday when I clicked on the Google link and instead of going to Google.com – the browser went to google.co.za – an option I have never used. Many of the larger internet countries have domain specific Googles – but I never expected one just for South Africa.
I was even more surprised to find four other links inviting the user to search google.co.za in isiZulu, Xhosa, Sesotho or Afrikaans. It looks really intriguing except that they have spelt Xhosa in a way that I have never ever seen before.
I invite listeners who are good at these languages to test it out and share their impressions with us. Maybe you would like to “Maak van Google jou tuisblad!”
Maybe this means that we are finally registering our presence on the internet.
And talking about our languages on the internet, you might remember late last year we had a web site review of the wikipedia – a free online encyclopedia – well I believe they already have more than three thousand six hundred articles in Afrikaans.
Rapid change of subject to one of the biggest astronomy stories of our time – the Cassini Huygens mission to Titan – the largest moon orbiting around the Saturn.
The Huygens lander successfully touched down on the surface of Titan and has already sent back to Earth - a huge number of spectacular photographs.
It is the first time that humans have landed a craft on the moon of a planet other than our own – and it is perhaps most important because many scientists believe that Titan is one of the best places in our solar system to look for extra-terrestrial life.
All the latest information and many fascinating pictures can be found on the sites of the three agencies working together on this mission. The agencies are NASA, the European Space Agency and the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana. – their respective www’s addresses are www.nasa.gov/cassini; or www.esa.int and www.asi.it for the Italian agency.
All three of the sites are very good and look quite similar – but they have had big traffic problems. I had a lot of difficulty getting through on Friday and Saturday - so if you want to look at the great pics – you might need some patience.
Nobody was quite sure what to expect of the surface of Titan – some experts predicted an ice-field; others speculated about a sea of methane or maybe just some rocks.
Well the initial verdict coming from one of the mission scientists is that the surface of the moon has a consistency something like that of crème brulee.
Hmm.. wonder if it taste likes crème brulee too.
On that tasty note we end today’s edition of Cybersurf – if you missed any of the addresses – never fear – the Cybersurf blog is near – specifically at Cybersurf.blogspot.com – one more time – Cybersurf.blogspot.com
That’s it from Cyberspace - Thanks for listening and be sure to tune in again next Monday for more on the best of the web.
Comments:
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Dear Steven
I apologize but it is hard to find how to send you an email.
A few weeks ago you did a review of Google.co.za.
Recently, I heard of Desktop Google, free software that one can download to help find text or other information on one's Desktop computer. I downloaded the program but there is one part of the user agreement that indicates the program will send certain information from your computer to Google. The first part about the software sounds cool, but the latter about sending information about my computer sounds "uncool". Is it safe? Should I care that it sends information about my computer? What information will it send?
Thanks in advance.
Cheers and "keep on surfin"
B
Post a Comment
I apologize but it is hard to find how to send you an email.
A few weeks ago you did a review of Google.co.za.
Recently, I heard of Desktop Google, free software that one can download to help find text or other information on one's Desktop computer. I downloaded the program but there is one part of the user agreement that indicates the program will send certain information from your computer to Google. The first part about the software sounds cool, but the latter about sending information about my computer sounds "uncool". Is it safe? Should I care that it sends information about my computer? What information will it send?
Thanks in advance.
Cheers and "keep on surfin"
B
# posted by 
: 2:39 pm
: 2:39 pm << Home
