Category Archives: Google

Is the BBC showing AdSense – Only when viewing google cached snapsot ?

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I noticed for the first time today that the BBC are displaying AdSense on bbc.co.uk

Strangely though, the google ads are only showing when viewing the cache of the BBC web pages.

Have the BBC added AdSense to their pages or is Google adding the AdSense code when the cache is viewed?

View the source of this page, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ and there is no mention of google adsense.

View the cached snapshot,  http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGIC_en-GBGB266GB266&q=cache:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2F 

view the source, and this is added,

<script type=”text/javascript”>$render(“advert”,”advert-google-adsense”);</script>

Update:

It looks as though the AdSense ads are only shown to people outside the UK, so for some reason when viewing the cached snapshot it must be assuming the viewer is outside the UK too.

Google Quick Scroll in Google Toolbar

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Don’t know if it is new or if something has tampered with my google toolbar settings, but I noticed today my sidewiki and autofill icons in the google toolbar appear more prominant, almost like they are lit up.

I also had a pop up box appear which turned out to be the Google Quick Scroll which I have never seen before and can’t remember ever allowing.

Has the google toolbar updated and added new features?

Will Google buy Ordnance Survey of UK Government

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With google increasing the use of Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Streetview and the  recently launced Google Sat Nav how long will it be before we see Google buy Odnance Survey and start integrating definitive maps in to their maps?

Imagine Google Maps accurately showing all public footpaths and rights of way, surely it is only a matter of time and the sooner the better.

Google not using Alt attributes on homepage Doodle

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Google.co.uk today had a logo on their homepage with a flying saucer sucking up the 2nd O

As we know they quite often have logos for special ocassions, special days, famous peoples birthdays etc.

Usually I just hover over the image to see what it is about, did that today, but no joy, the image had no Alt attribute ot tool tip title.

The image itself is linking to a search for unexplained phenomenon which noone seems to know is about yet!

Maybe the unesplained phenomenon is Why aren’t Google using Alt attributes on their Doodles‎?

Google safesearch too strict

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For the past week I had been bafled by the fact some of the pages on A hen is for Christmas have been appearing in the SERPs for other people, for me when using Opera or Firefox, but not for me when using IE.

I suddenly realised why tonight. I had Google Safesearch set up on IE, and because of just one word on the pages safesearch was blocking them from being displayed.

This is something that needs to be taken in to consideration when building pages, and I for one will be testing out a few more pages using Safesearch and editing them accordingly.