Google adds former Ford CEO to board of directors

Google today announced that Alan Mulally has recently joined its board of directors. As the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company it stands to reason he’ll bring his auto expertise to Google’s Android Auto initiative. It appears, however, that he’ll take on a different role in at least the short term.

A veteran corporate executive of the automotive and aviation industries, Mulally will serve on Google’s Audit Committee.

Looking at his background we also learn that Mulally has spent time on other various boards, including NASA, U.S. Air Force Scientic Advisory Board, and multiple universities and institutions.

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Image courtesy of Flickr

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Google Street View cars have mapped methane gas leaks in big US cities

Google’s Street View cars aren’t just useful for scouting out a locale in advance — they might be saving the planet, too. The vehicles have just helped the Environmental Defense Fund publish methane gas leak maps for Boston, Indianapolis and New York City’s Staten Island. The Google cars roamed around cities using sensors that could detect both the location and scale of one of the dangerous leaks, driving by at least twice to make sure the results weren’t a fluke. Depending on where you live, the data is either reassuring or scary; the older pipes in Boston and Staten Island have an abundance of leaks, while Indianapolis’ more recent infrastructure is keeping the problems to a minimum.

The maps should help paint a more accurate picture of methane pollution in the US. Researchers are worried that existing estimates are too low, and the Street View cars may have spotted leaks that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. Having such a complete, publicly accessible data set could also pressure gas companies into fixing pipes that would otherwise go neglected. The Environmental Defense Fund is most concerned about curbing pollution, but there are also some short-term benefits — if utilities take action, they could both prevent explosions and minimize waste.

[Image credit: Adam Gerard, Flickr]

Filed under: Transportation, Science, Google

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Via: New Scientist

Source: Environmental Defense Fund

Google now tells you how much your Bitcoin is worth

Let’s assume that you’ve just spent more than $200,000 on some of Russ Ulbricht’s Bitcoin fortune — but what do you do with it now? If it were us, we’d sit on our couch, constantly referencing Coindesk to find out how much our stash had gained (or lost) across the day. If, however, you’d prefer to source your information via search engine, then Google’s now offering live currency conversions for the cryptocurrency. Like the states and nations that took their time to take a stance on Bitcoin, Google’s taken its time to add the feature, which has been available on Bing for the better part of five months. Or, if the idea of sitting at home watching your cash doesn’t feel like fun, you could always sponsor an NCAA game.

Filed under: Misc, Internet, Google

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Via: Coindesk

Google search now tells you when websites won’t work on your phone

Many websites are built for mobile devices these days, but you’ll still run into the occasional page that refuses to run. Wouldn’t it be nice if you got a heads-up before you wasted a click? As of today, you will: Google search now warns you when a site isn’t likely to work on your hardware of choice due to incompatible content, such as Flash. You can still visit if you’re convinced everything will be A-OK, or if you just have a masochistic streak. However, the new search policy may leave some site designers scrambling — now that Google is discouraging mobile users from visiting pages that insist on proprietary plugins, companies may have to switch to web standards like HTML5 if they want to get your business.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google Webmaster Central Blog

Google adds former Ford CEO Alan Mulally to its Board of Directors

Just a few months ago Alan Mulally was being mentioned as the possible next CEO of Microsoft, but after leaving his position as CEO of Ford he’s now aligned with a different tech company: Google. Google announced today that he’s joined its Board of Directors, effective July 9th. While his connections to the auto industry could obviously be valuable for projects like Android Auto and the development of self-driving cars, Google’s announcement also mentions his aviation experience as a former executive at Boeing. Mulally was president of Boeing’s space and defense business, and between Project Loon, drones and satellite launches we figure there’s plenty of input to provide there as well.

[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]

Filed under: Transportation, Internet, Google

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Source: Google Blog

Google Plus finally lets you use any name you like

When Google+ first debuted, it insisted that you use your real name on your profile in an effort to “create a community made of up real people” and reduce the trollish behavior often associated with the anonymous internet. As you might expect, it’s suffered some backlash due to this policy, especially for folks who wish to keep their online identities separate from their real ones. Over the years, it’s loosened that restriction by allowing folks to use their desired name on their profile pages plus eventually letting YouTube users use their existing usernames. Today, at long last, Google’s social network has lifted any and all name restrictions entirely, finally letting you pick whatever name you like. So if you’ve always shied away from Google’s social network because of its insistence on real names, you can now go ahead and sign up with any name of your choosing. Unfortunately, you’ll still have to use actual letters or numbers — those who yearn for emoji usernames might want to take a look at this instead.

[Image credit: Shutterstock]

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Google Plus

Google strikes smart contact lens deal to track diabetes and cure farsightedness

With Glass and Android Wear, Google has already invested a lot of time and resources into developing the next-generation of wearables, but it’s another of its eye-focused projects that has today received its first major boost. The search giant’s secret Google[x] team has confirmed that it’s licensed its smart eyewear to healthcare specialist Novartis, which will develop the technology into a product that can improve eye care and help manage diseases and conditions.

As part of the agreement, Google[x] and Novartis’ eye care division Alcon will create smart lenses that feature “non-invasive sensors, microchips and other miniaturized electronics” and focus on two main areas. The first will provide a way for diabetic patients to keep on top of their glucose levels by measuring the sugar levels in their tear fluid, feeding the data back to a smartphone or tablet. The second solution aims to help restore the eye’s natural focus on near objects, restoring clear vision to those who are only farsighted (presbyopia).

Google’s role will be to develop the tiny electronics needed to collect data and will also take care of the low-power chip designs and fabrication. Alcon, on the other hand, will apply its medical knowledge to develop commercial versions of the smart contact lens. “Our dream is to use the latest technology in the miniaturization of electronics to help improve the quality of life for millions of people,” says Google co-founder Sergey Brin. “We are very excited to work with Novartis to make this dream come true.”

Filed under: Wearables, Google

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Source: Novartis