The best of Google Labs
Some of the apps become full Google products while others quietly disappear from view. Graduates include the Web portal iGoogle, Google Desktop and the RSS feed aggregator, Google Reader.
ZDNet Asia's sister site Silicon.com took a look around Google Labs and picked out some of the most interesting apps currently making an appearance in Labs along with some recent products that have made it onto the search giant's full time roster.
Shown above is Google InQuotes which uses quotes from stories that appear in Google News on a particular subject. This page compares quotes from Barack Obama and John McCain from the recent US presidential race.
Credit: Google
Credit: Google
Google Flu Trends aggregates search data around flu-related topics which research has shown correlates closely to actual incidents of flu. In this way, outbreaks of flu can be detected early and healthcare professionals can be ready to deal with the increase in patients.
Credit: Google
Credit: Google
The system can resend e-mail replying to common questions--for example, if a user gets a lot of e-mail requests asking for their birthday, Canned Responses will recognize these requests and send an automated response including the right date.
Gmail can be set up to filter combinations of keywords, senders and recipients to generate automatic replies.
Credit: Google
If, for example, you set the application up to work on a Friday night--when many people have had a few drinks--it will ask you several maths questions before letting you send the message.
The aim of the app is to make sure you're thinking clearly enough to send the e-mail and thus prevent any drunken missives reaching bosses and ex-loves only to be regretted in the sober light of the next day.
Credit: Google