Happy Birthday Google

If you're wondering what that cake was for when you opened Google this morning, let us inform you that it was today, 12 years ago, that the company was born.

Founded then by two Phd students (now billionaires) Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the website is arguably the most common and most visited website on the planet. Google has since then "diversified" from being a search engine to becoming a mail provider (Gmail), photo sharing site (Picasa), maps service provider (Google Maps) and even social networking platforms (Orkut, Buzz). It is also now a big player in the mobile smart phone operating system segment with its Android OS which is fast becoming the OS of choice for many. It also has a Web Browser, Chrome and also an upcoming PC Operating System sharing the same name - Chrome OS.

Most of Google's services were roaring successes except for a few exceptions like Wave and even its latest social networking platform, the Buzz. Google had also released a mobile phone called the Google Nexus One (as if you don't know!) which did see moderate success.

As for the "actual" birthday of Google, the debate is still on as to what can be considered the real birthday of the site. The Google.com domain was registered on September 15, 1997 and in the past, Google has celebrated its birthday on September 7 and of late, mostly on September 27. The company seems to have more or less fixed September 27 as its "official birthday" and it could well be the way forward in the coming years.

Anyway, here's wishing Google a very happy birthday!  
Techtree

Google Security Concern: Mac or Linux, No to Windows

According to the Financial Times, the technology titan has been slowly phasing out the use of Windows internally since January, not long after it was assaulted by Chinese hackers. For example, new hires are no longer offered Windows PCs — the choices are now an Apple Mac computer or a PC loaded with Linux.

Google’s policies surrounding the internal use of Windows aren’t clear-cut, though. Some employees can still install Windows on their laptops, but not their desktop computers. However, Googlers need explicit permission from “quite senior levels” in order to keep using the Windows OS.

The move makes sense: Windows and Internet Explorer have been implicated as vectors in which hackers accessed personal accounts and confidential data from Google’s servers. And of course, Microsoft is one of Google’s primary competitors.

It’s important to note that later this year, Google is expected to release Chrome OS, the company’s web-centric operating system. However, the decision to leave Windows behind doesn’t seem to be motivated by the impending release of its experimental OS.
Source: Mashable