Category Archives: microsoft

Past, present and future of online maps

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Rakesh Agrawal

Google announced yesterday that it has added more detail on its maps, highlighting businesses and landmarks. They even solved the Albert Einstein Memorial problem that I wrote about last year. Businesses and landmarks are important because they make maps more … Continue reading →

Posted in bing, google, local search, maps, microsoft | 4 Comments

Tellme about Ford

Posted on January 8, 2009 by Rakesh Agrawal

Yesterday marked my one year anniversary at Tellme. I spent the day where I started a year earlier: at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Coincidentally, Ford officially announced its next generation of SYNC, which incorporates Tellme services. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in cars, launchpad, microsoft, mobile, mobile search | 2 Comments

VOIP: Alive, well and full of potential

Posted on January 5, 2009 by Rakesh Agrawal

Om Malik asks on his blog whether VOIP is dead or alive. It’s an interesting question and the answer is very different depending on how you define VOIP. Many people associate VOIP with cheap voice calls using the Internet. This … Continue reading →

Posted in im, instant messaging, microsoft, mobile | Comments Off on VOIP: Alive, well and full of potential

Wall Street and the incredible shrinking newspaper industry

Posted on September 17, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

A friend asked me today “Does one Bear Stearns bailout equal the entire newspaper industry?” I decided to find out. Although there isn’t a clear answer, I was surprised by how small the newspaper industry is. Here are the market … Continue reading →

Posted in google, journalism, media, microsoft, newspapers, yahoo | 4 Comments

Google offers fresh perspectives on travel photography

Posted on June 3, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

Google’s Panoramio has launched one of the most exciting advances in online pictures since flickr added geotagging. A new “Look around” feature shows you when pictures are available from other angles. In the screenshot below, you can see the dome … Continue reading →

Posted in flickr, fun, geotagging, google, microsoft, photography, travel, web 2.0 | 1 Comment

Occasional reader – cognitive surplus, Larry Page on changing the world, CSI and mapping crime

Posted on May 5, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

Some interesting reads from the last few weeks: Clay Shirky at Web 2.0 Expo on the cognitive surplus (Web 2.0 video) – Author Clay Shirky spoke recently on how much could be done if only a fraction of the time … Continue reading →

Posted in apple, dash, google, gps, iphone, microsoft, reader, satellite navigation, video, weekly reader | 1 Comment

3D maps meet geotagged pictures

Posted on May 3, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

Microsoft’s Virtual Earth has a phenomenal addition to Live Search Maps that allows users to create virtual aerial tours. Here’s an example using pictures from my trip to Kauai: The tours can be exported as a video file and uploaded … Continue reading →

Posted in flickr, geotagging, maps, mashups, microsoft, photography, web 2, web 2.0 | 1 Comment

Tellme about St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

Tellmes know how to throw a great party. The annual St. Patrick’s Day party was a jolly good time. Colleagues from Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus joined us in the courtyard for limerick and mashed potato sculpting contests. The winning sculpture? … Continue reading →

Posted in fun, microsoft, yahoo | Comments Off on Tellme about St. Patrick’s Day

Microsoft yodels for Yahoo!

Posted on February 1, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

The announced Microsoft bid for Yahoo! means a lot of different things for lots of people. An emboldened competitor for Google. A stronger ad network for advertisers. Heightened acquisition hopes for AOL. Better benefits for Yahoo! employees. (Microsoft has the … Continue reading →

Posted in aol, google, iphone, microsoft, mobile, mobile search, social networking, wireless, wireless data, yahoo | Comments Off on Microsoft yodels for Yahoo!

Bringing email into the 21st century

Posted on September 14, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

John McKinley, former AOL CTO and now VC, asks “Who will be the first major (Google/Yahoo/Microsoft/AOL) to break ranks and apply a fundamentally new metaphor to email?” There’s been a proliferation in ways to communicate — IM, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, … Continue reading →

Posted in aol, email, facebook, google, microsoft, social networking, yahoo | Comments Off on Bringing email into the 21st century