The Internet

The big news that Gmail, Google Apps, and other services are leaving their beta status and becoming full-fledged products isn’t big news at all, really. Plenty of people have been making use of the products, and there was no huge roll-out of features that accompanied the launch. In fact, it’s notable only for the fact that the years-old label was formally removed, ending the “beta” joke once and for all.

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It may seem like a minor feature for most email clients, but Gmail getting the ability to drag-and-drop messages and conversations into their “label” structure brings it in line with more fully-featured options. Labels help you organize your messages (even more than the conventional “conversation” structure the Gmail web client already does) better, and now you don’t have to even open the message to organize it.

Check out the Gmail Blog for more information.

Google hasn’t rolled out its Google Voice service to the public as the Today Show mistakenly implied last week, but the page promises that you’ll be able to utilize the service within the next few weeks. Basically, the service gives you a single number that rings all of your other numbers, effectively consolidating your points of contact to a single point. But there’s more you can do.

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You’ve already planned your trip and taken a look at the events happening at your final destination. Wouldn’t it be helpful to know what other people have to say about what you’re planning on doing, eating, or using as a place of rest?

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Wherever you’re going, you have a reason for going though. Maybe there’s a big amusement park, family ties, or the best collection of pocket watches the world has yet to produce. But there’s a lot more out there, and the Internet makes it easier than ever to find out what you can do when you get there. Be sure to check these sources out before you get on the plane or in the car.

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Microsoft’s Bing joins Wolfram Alpha as new competitors to Google in the search engine field, and each has their standout characteristics. Bing puts in-line video previews and some shopping information front and center, while Wolfram Alpha breaks down your subject and provides a mini-portfolio of information around your search topic. So which one are you going to start using?

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It may sound weird that Twitter is beating Google in real-time search, but a little reflection shows that there’s some sense behind it. After all, there’s a difference between the real-time search of Twitter and the carefully vetted and indexed information Google provides. Like all information, faster is not always better or more accurate - you have to evaluate your sources. If you’re feeling lucky though, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for in the cacophony of Twitter.

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Forgive me for plugging my latest book here, but I’ve spent quite a bit of time recently poking through the services Google offers in order to bring you this latest title, Google Business Solutions All-In-One For Dummies. My co-author Floyd Smith and I put together 792 pages of information for you covering everything from Google Apps to site construction to security for you, and it seems like a good time to put a book like this out. More than ever, small businesses need agile and inexpensive tools to support their efforts, so that’s who we’re trying to help. Check out the book and let me know if you have any questions or comments - I’d love to hear what you think about the book.

I wondered why today’s Stardate was showing up in my Google calendar. TechCrunch lept in with the explanation, so now you know what to do in case you want to join in the fun, too. Just be glad it doesn’t translate your appointments into Klingon.

Still feel like saving some money? The third installment of this series looks at Google’s Product Search and what it can do to keep your money around.

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