DVD’s, Books, and Games
Google Goggles picked up results for Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii), Caddyshack (DVD), and The Color Purple by Alice Walker (Book) with ease.

Business Cards
Though the format of the business card I used may have been an issue, I wasn’t able to pull up as much contact information as the example on the app’s website. It found the name and company, but not the phone number or email address, even after a couple of tries.

Logos
In general, logos work really well. The first thing I did when I installed Goggles was take pictures of the numerous empty bottles on my desk; every one of them was found successfully. However, the logo on my sweatshirt did not work, which is pretty disappointing considering the reputation of UC Davis.

Places
Goggles also allows you to identify nearby places using your phone’s GPS and compass. The app displays the names of businesses in the direction you point the camera at the bottom of the screen. In areas where I had good GPS signal, this feature was fairly accurate. This would be really handy for exploring new places, though I imagine you would look pretty silly using this to find the nearest Starbucks.

Conclusion
I had my doubts with this application; it’s not everyday someone invents a Pokédex. The verdict: it works almost as well as advertised and faster than you would expect. After you snap a photo, the analysis generally takes less than ten seconds. If you have a phone with Android 1.6 or later, head to the Android Market on your phone and try out this app. PC World reports that Goggles will reach other platforms, but if you have an iPhone or Blackberry you are out of luck for now.

Links: Google Goggles

Only about two weeks after the launch of WordPress 2.0.6 and 2.0.7, the WordPress crew finally pushed v2.1 (aka “Ella”) out of beta. WP2.1, rather than a patch, is a major upgrade from the 2.x series. The blogging engine, which Skatter Tech is currently running, now has a more powerful back-end for administrators to manage content. Although many plugins no longer work for 2.1, we recommend updating since it also includes over 550 bug fixes. The following is some of the major changes implemented.

WordPress v2.1 Features:

• Ajax AutoSave Posts – prevents loosing posts
• Tabbed Editor – WYSIWYG and Raw Code
• Ajax-based Spell Checker for composer
• XML Import/Export – transfer data between blogs
• Search Engine – custom indexing privacy settings
• Front Page – set any page as the main page
• Blogroll – many improvements and changes
• Login – redesigned screen from Shuttle
• Ajax Admin Panel – helps speed up tasks
• Comment Feeds – includes all rather than last 10
• Uploads – management for uploaded data
• Other: Cron support, new APIs, and more

We are pleased with the overall improvments the update brings. Managment and content seems to be flowing much faster than ever before. As we mentioned we are having diffucluties with some plugins, but most of the major ones either already have been updated or work.

Links: WordPress 2.1 ‘Ella’ | Download
Related: Instructions For 2.0.x to 2.1

2006 was an amazing year for Skatter Tech. I thought I’d let everyone know some interesting statistics about our site. Last year alone, we had about 1.12 Million visitors from all 193 internationally recognized countries in the world. The most popular Operating System is still Windows XP and Internet Explorer is still the most popular browser. About 80% of our readers are now using Cable or DSL, while 8% are still on Dial-Up. There are many more interesting statistics below such as popular ISPs, Keywords, Screen Resolutions and so on… (P.S. The data provided is not 100% accurate!)

Total Visitors for 2006: 1.12 Million
Average Per Day: 2,100
Countries Visited From: 195 (thats all of them!)

Popular Posts:
1) Stream iTunes To PSP
2) Soda Machine Hack
3) Russell Peters Video
4) Motorola KRZR Review
5) Sony Pocket Station
6) How To Block Fasterfox
7) Royale Theme For XP
8) LG VX9900 Review

Top Web Browsers:
1) Internet Explorer – 55%
2) Mozilla Firefox – 36%
3) Apple Safari – 5%
4) Opera – 2%

Popular Operating Systems:
1) Windows – 90%
2) Macintosh – 7%
3) Linux – 2%

Network Connection Type:
1) Cable/DSL – 79%
2) DialUP – 8%
3) Others – 12%

Geographical Location:
1) USA – 56%
2) Canada – 10%
3) U.K. – 10%
4) Australia – 4%
5) Remaining 20%: Singapore, Germany, Netherlands, India, France, Sweden and so on…

Referring Source:
1) Google.com
2) Direct Access (skattertech.com)
3) Digg.com
4) Yahoo.com
5) CollegeHumor.com

Top Search Keywords:
1) PSP
2) KRZR
3) Fasterfox
4) iTunes
5) enV

Top Internet Service Providers:
1) Comcast – 9.5%
2) SBC – 5.6%
3) Verizon – 4.5%
4) Road Runner – 3.9%
5) Other ISPs – approx. 74%

Screen Resolutions:
1) 1024×768 – 46%
2) 1280×1024 – 19%
3) 1280×800 – 7%
4) 800×600 – 6%

For the past few months we have been running off our new new servers hosted by MediaTemple and the results have been extremely satisfying compared to 1and1. If you haven’t already done so take a look at our new “Tag Browsing” feature,the new Skatter Tech Mobile, and our Message Boards. We’d also like to let everyone know that we will be getting new authors soon, therefore increasing the content on our site. Also check back next week as we will have heavy duty MacWorld 2007 Coverage.

And Finally, Happy New Year!

Less than a week after Microsoft announced Internet Explorer 7, Mozilla has now officially released Firefox 2.0. Numerous blogs and sites linked to Mozilla’s FTP server yesterday in belief that the software had been released earlier than expected, however Mozilla soon stated that the files were not official and were not meant for distribution yet. Either way Firefox 2.0 can now be safely downloaded from Mozilla.com.

Firefox 2.0 brings many improvements and new features from its predecessor. Some of which include reduced memory consumption, improved performance, strengthened security and much more. The following is the official list as stated by Mozilla’s press release:

• Tabbed Browsing – more custom options. close button added to tabs. session history.
• Spell Check – inline spell check for web forms. works with most online blogging tools.
• Search – real-time live results. search engine management options.
• Web Feeds – ability to add feed to live bookmarks, Thunderbird, Google reader, etc.
• ID Theft Protection – spyware/popup blocker. phishing protection. blacklists.
• Customization – more add-ons for specific features. (themes and plugins)

One major difference everyone will notice is the close button which now appears on each tab. It will probably feel awkward at first, but it’s easy to adapt to. Mozilla should have offered a preference to revert back to the old close button at the end of the tab bar. However if you use the “middle-click” button the new feature won’t be an issue. Luckily most popular extensions for Firefox still function properly with 2.0, however Firefox users will still have to wait for many extensions to be updated.

Another good note is that startup and page generation now seems to go much faster than on 1.5x. Even with several tabs open, Firefox no longer seems to hog as much memory as it once did. Overall, even with the new features, the program still feels as friendly as it once was. After playing around with both IE7, despite the improvements, Firefox 2.0 is the winner. If your computer doesn’t detect the update, go ahead and download it from the link below. We haven’t found any major bugs/issues just yet.

Download: Mozilla Firefox (all versions)
Links: Mozilla.com | Firefox 2.0 Features
Related: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 Released

On June 6, 2006, the long awaited Digg v3 went live. Along with this update came a brand new theme, new sets of feeds, and plenty of new features. To maximize compatibility we have released the Digg Search Widget v2.0, which has been rebuilt from scratch. Although the widget may look similar to the previous edition at first glance, this new widget incorporates tons of new features. v2.0 includes features such as an Advance Search, Digg v3 Themes, RSS Reader, Text To Speech, and Story Alerts. To get the Digg Search Widget you will need the Yahoo! Widget Engine installed (available for Windows & Macintosh). Please give this a try and let us know what you think. Suggestions and comments are welcome.

Digg Search Widget v2.00 Features:

Search Features:

• Area: All Stories, Front Page, or Upcoming
• Age: From Anytime or Last 7/30/365 days
• Type: Within Title, Body, or Both
• Sort: Newest, Oldest, or Most Dugg First
• Buried: On or Off to Include Buried Stories

Theme Features:

• Widget Colors: Digg V3 Blue (plus Green & Grey)
• Info Slide: Display Description, Diggs, Category, etc.
• View Preference: Numbered Stories And Scrolling Items
• Timestamp: Add Time/Date To End Of Description
• Usericons: Get Submitter Username and the Usericon

Feeds Features:

• Optional: Collapse Feed Reader (search only)
• Main Feeds: Popular, Upcoming, Username, Friends, etc.
• Main Categories and subCategories: 37 available
• Headline Count: View 1-15 Headlines On Any Feed
• Update Interval: Check For New Stories Every 5-60mins
• Update On Demand: Right-Click and “Refresh Feed”

Speech:

• Computer Text To Speech With SlideShow
• Choose What To Read: Title, Diggs, Description, etc.
• Number Of Items To Read: All Items Or Choose 1-15

Others:

• Digg Logo Link: Homepage, Upcoming, Spy, And More…
• New Story Alert: Chime When New Stories Are Available
• Optional: Multiple Monitor Support To Allow Functionality
• Restore All Defaults: Incase Widget Becomes Damaged
• Software Updater: Notifies And Assists Updating Widget

Download: Digg Search Widget (win or mac)
Links: Widget Gallery – Digg Search Widget
Required Software: Yahoo! Widget Engine (aka. Konfabulator)

Having trouble finding DMV forms, handbooks, or contact info? You no longer have to worry; Google has just released a new search tool which allows searching through millions of government websites. Google Government Search, which was launched yesterday on 06/15/06, allows anyone to search through Federal, State, and Local government webpages. The tool has been designed to help people find information about anything relating to the U.S. Government directly through their powerful search tool.

The website which is accessible from usgov.google.com has been designed very similarly to Google’s custom Personalized Homepages. If you are one of those that like to keep up with government news, you will now have the ability to add tons of government news feeds and information to your Personalized Google Government Homepage. This is a great tool for finding information, but lets just hope the government doesn’t subpoena Google’s logs to see what everyone’s been searching for.

Links: Google U.S. Government Search | FAQs and More Info
Related: Offical Google Announcement | Google Calendar Released

The Digg Search Widget (DSW) v1.0, was originally released on March 6th, 2006. About a month after the launch successful of DSW v1.0, I am pleased to announce The Digg Search Widget v1.70! DSW now includes such features as Advance Search, Themes, RSS Reader, and Alerts. (see details below) As you must already know, the DSW runs off the Yahoo! Widget Engine (aka. Konfabulator) and now functions properly on both Windows and Macintosh computers. The main goal of the DSW is to help Digg.com users easily access a large variety of Digg content right from their desktop. Please download the widget and try it out. I guarantee you’ll like it.

Digg Search Widget v1.70 Features:

Search Features:

• Area – All Stories, Front Page, or Queue
• Type – Title, Body, or Title/Body
• Age – All, 30 Days, or 60 Days
• Buried – On or Off

Theme Features:

• Widget Colors – Blue, Green, or Grey
• Tooltips – show digg story description on hover
• Scrolling Text – marquee long headlines
• Numbered Items – shows number of each item

Feed Features:

• Collapsible Feed Reader: On or Off
• Feed Selection: Home Page, Digg Queue, or Top Stories
• Category Feed: Apple, Deals, Design, etc. (16 total)
• Username Feed: Dugg, Submitted, Home Page, or Comment
• View Headlines: Display 1-15 Items from Any Feed
• Update Interval: Auto Update every 5-60mins
• On Demand Update: Right-Click then press “Refresh Feed”

Other Features:

• Logo Link: Digg Home, Queue, Search, Submit, Spy, and more…
• Beep on Update: Plays a Sound When There Are New Stories
• Software Update: Checks the Widget Gallery for Newer Version

For our next goal we will need your help! While keeping the file size under a 1mb (currently ~375kb) and making sure this widget stays simple and clean, we hope to add many new features to make the Digg Search Widget an even better tool. To help us out, please report any bugs, give suggestions, make comments, or request features in the comments.

Download: Digg Search Widget (win or mac)
More Info: Widget Gallery – Digg Search Widget
Required: Yahoo Widget Engine (v3.1.1)
Related: Digg Search Widget v1.0 – v1.68 Info

Update: Digg Search Widget v2.00 Released

After the recent release of Google Calendar, Google has decided to make navigating through their most popular products easier. Google has placed a small toolbar at the top left of Google, Gmail, Google Calendar, and a few other pages. Therefore, if you do wish to navigate between Google Calendar and Gmail for example, you no longer have to go through the hassle of opening a new window/tab and typing in a URL. This new feature is very handy and useful tools that will help people using Google’s products navigate to where they want to go faster. Not all Google Accounts have the feature added to them yet, but expect to see this feature on you Gmail or Google Calendar page within a few weeks.

Links: Google Calendar | Gmail
Related: MSN Calendar | Yahoo Calendar

The Skatter Tech Team has created a “Digg Search Widget” for all Digg users. The Widget runs on the Yahoo! Widgets Engine (aka. Konfabulator) and will function on both Windows and Macintosh machines. The widget can be used to search all of Digg’s archives simply by entering text into the highlighted field and pressing enter. Pressing on the digg logo will launch Digg’s homepage (digg.com) in the default browser. The best feature this widget has allows the user to set Advance Search preferences, which are available on Digg’s Advance Search page. (digg.com/search) To set the preferences you like right-click on the widget and press on Widget Preferences. If you have any questions, suggestions, or other remarks please reply in the comments below! (See Change Log)

Update: v1.60-1.68 now includes multiple themes, more search preferences, a slightly re-done interface, a collapsible rss reader, custom feeds, user set update intevals, update on demand, alerts, and more!

Update: Digg Search Widget v1.70 Released
Update: Digg Search Widget v2.00 Released

Download: Digg Search Widget
Links: Get Yahoo! Widgets
Related: Skatter Tech Widget

Google Mobile has just introduced a new feature to their service which allows accessing Google News from any cell phone. With the service you can get the latest news right from Google News. The new feature allows full access to the latest Top Stories, U.S., World, Entertainment, Sports, Sci/Tech, Business, and Health categories. The service already offers Web, Image, Local, and Mobile Searches in addition to the personalized homepage service they recently launched. The service is still in BETA, like most Google products, but still works great. Expect to see more features for this service soon. To get to G-News Mobile, type google.com/xhtml into your mobile phone’s browser and hit the “News” link.

Google News for mobile devices keeps you updated on current news articles when you’re on the go. You can access top headlines, browse through news categories, or search for exactly the stories you want all in a phone-friendly format that’s easy to read and navigate. All you need is a web-enabled phone. [From Google Mobile]

Link: Google Mobile News Tour | Google Mobile News
Related: Google Mobile | Google Blog Announcement

If you search for the phrase “desktop search” in Google’s search engine it brings up Google Desktop Search as the first result. Then if you search for it in Yahoo’s engine it brings up Yahoo! Desktop Search as their first result. (both as expected) They both advertise their products properly (prioritizing their own), but also provide results for competitor products after theirs. This is completely normal. But when you try out MSN’s Search you will see that Google’s Desktop Search hilariously appears at the top of this list. This is even above their over their own product. Let me know if im wrong, but if you have a product competing with another major company, wouldn’t you advertise it. I’m guessing, but this is what happens when MSN copies Google’s results. If MSN wants people to use their product then they should be advertising it over competitor products.

Link: MSN Search | Google Search | Yahoo! Search