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The Google Thread

Victor FrostVictor Frost
edited December 2009 in Everything Else
Seeing how fascinated many of us are by Google and their continuing role towards becoming SkyNet taking over the world innovating interesting new technologies, I thought I'd just make a Google thread to house our discussions, rather than making a new thread every time a new piece of Google tech comes out.

On that note, Google Goggles.
Hhgfz0zPmH4
So Google is making a BIG step here with consumer available augmented reality.
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Comments

  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    edited December 2009
    Wow. Anyone hear "Google Goggles" and immediately think of the Gargoyles from Snow Crash? This shit is so cool.

    I wish I could pursue a job with Google. It's like the perfect place to work...except it's pretty far removed from my academic interests.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • SailSail
    Wow, I totally didn't even click on the link before because I figured that this was some sort of joke. But gotdamn, this shit actually exists.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    Ugh... why am I too poor to get a Droid?!
  • CremlianCremlian
    Wow, I want I want.. Too bad I have a blackberry... So close we are to terminator vision...... So close...
  • theknoxinatortheknoxinator
    I wish I could pursue a job with Google. It's like the perfect place to work...
    I used to think this too... until I actually tried to get a job there. The company is honestly full of stuck up pricks. Unless you are either 4.0 student as an undergrad, or you have a master's degree or better, they won't even look at you. And don't think I'm making this up. I did apply for the job and they didn't even give me a phone interview. When I later talked to the person who gave me a recommendation, she straight up told me that their reason was that I didn't have the grades. Gee Google, I'm sorry that I took more credits than the generally allowed maximum every semester, plus took summer classes, so that I could graduate with an engineering degree plus two minors in 4 years, but I only managed to graduate with a 3.5. Oh, and it's from the highest ranked school in the state. Don't bother checking out my seven years of experience in the software industry either, it's not like that really matters.

    Yes, I am bitter. Screw them.
  • Dr. TimoDr. Timo
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    I am pretty much BEGGING my parents to switch me from my HTC touch Pro to the HTC Hero. I can live without a hardware keyboard if it mean access to this kind of shit.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    edited December 2009
    I wish I could pursue a job with Google. It's like the perfect place to work...
    I used to think this too... until I actually tried to get a job there. The company is honestly full of stuck up pricks. Unless you are either 4.0 student as an undergrad, or you have a master's degree or better, they won't even look at you. And don't think I'm making this up. I did apply for the job and they didn't even give me a phone interview. When I later talked to the person who gave me a recommendation, she straight up told me that their reason was that I didn't have the grades. Gee Google, I'm sorry that I took more credits than the generally allowed maximum every semester, plus took summer classes, so that I could graduate with an engineering degree plus two minors in 4 years, but I only managed to graduate with a 3.5. Oh, and it's from the highest ranked school in the state. Don't bother checking out my seven years of experience in the software industry either, it's not like that really matters.

    Yes, I am bitter. Screw them.
    Yes, how dare they take students that have advanced degrees, went to tops schools, have years of experience AND have perfect GPAs?! When a company is an industry leader and can essentially pick the people with "perfect" stats over someone with near-perfect stats, then they can and do set whatever arbitrary (or not so arbitrary) standards they want. It sucks that someone as talented and accomplished as you didn't get the job, but also consider that they can hire the people that "have it all." That doesn't make them evil or dastardly and it doesn't mean you wouldn't be an excellent employee, but can you really fault them for their hiring practices?
    Post edited by Kate Monster on
  • gomidoggomidog
    Google will make Dennou Coil happen!
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    Google will make Dennou Coil happen!
    *reads Denn? Coil wikipedia article*
    Yes. I hope they do.
  • theknoxinatortheknoxinator
    Yes, how dare they take students that have advanced degrees, went to tops schools, have years of experience AND have perfect GPAs?! When a company is an industry leader and can essentially pick the people with "perfect" stats over someone with near-perfect stats, then they can and do set whatever arbitrary (or not so arbitrary) standards they want. It sucks that someone as talented and accomplished as you didn't get the job, but also consider that they can hire the people that "have it all." That doesn't make them evil or dastardly and it doesn't mean you wouldn't be an excellent employee, but can you really fault them for their hiring practices?
    Hmmm. Yeah, when you say it like that, it makes me realize that I let my ego go a little overboard again. Certainly any company has the right to choose people by any measure they want, I just personally don't feel that it's a good practice to use grades as a standard measure. Any person in any industry will tell you that experience is the most important part in hiring someone. I just bring it up because Google was the only company I applied to that cared about my grades. That's the only reason I'm bitter about it, I just don't agree with those kinds of hiring practices. In retrospect, I didn't really even want to work there, and I'm pretty happy with where I ended up. Sure they may help people with their first world problems, but I help people save lives and nations. Little more fulfilling.
  • RymRym
    I just personally don't feel that it's a good practice to use grades as a standard measure.
    While there are clearly exceptions, it's a good general indicator if you're willing to accept the noisiness of the data. It's an easy way to eliminate the bottom 10%, even if you also happen to eliminate some of the top 1%.
  • Dr. TimoDr. Timo
    I just bring it up because Google was the only company I applied to that cared about my grades.
    Maybe because you didn't have anything else to recommend you yet? If you really want to get a job with Google go work somewhere else first and make sure you do an abso-fucking-lutely phenomenal job of it.
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    I help people save lives and nations. Little more fulfilling.
    That more or less why I'm looking at bio (for either med school or for a masters in marine biology). If Google had a biology division, I'd be on that like white on rice.
  • GeoGeo
    edited December 2009
    Oh shit...Google does it again. Luckily, monies will be coming my way soon as I got a call back from one of the places I sent an application out to and I'm going to meet them tomorrow. So a nook and/or Android may be obtained in the future...
    Post edited by Geo on
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    I'm going to try to get an unlocked Droid as soon as my AT&T contract is up for renewal.
  • SailSail
    My next phone will definitely be a Droid, but for now my iPhone is satisfying my needs perfectly well.
  • CremlianCremlian
    Google will make Dennou Coil happen!
    This would completely cure my dilemma on pets, virtual dogs don't poop :-p
  • RymRym
    This would completely cure my dilemma on pets
    s/pets/children/
  • gomidoggomidog
    edited December 2009
    This would completely cure my dilemma on pets, virtual dogs don't poop :-p
    But you can't touch them and feel their fuzziness!

    Also, nintendogs poop, but you can't smell it. It looks like a little brown bun.
    Post edited by gomidog on
  • theknoxinatortheknoxinator
    I just personally don't feel that it's a good practice to use grades as a standard measure.
    While there are clearly exceptions, it's a good general indicator if you're willing to accept the noisiness of the data. It's an easy way to eliminate the bottom 10%, even if you also happen to eliminate some of the top 1%.
    I don't disagree. In general, someone who holds a 3.5 or better is obviously either more intelligent or more determined than someone who gets a 2.0. The problem I have with it is that it's a number that doesn't hold any context. To be fair in using grades, which really only applies to new grads, a company should look at what the major was, how many credits the person actually earned (compared to the number needed to graduate), what the grades were for the classes that actually matter to the job, etc. Just from my perspective, if I had a candidate who was a computer science major, earned a 4.0, but took mostly liberal arts classes for electives (as opposed to CS ones), and a candidate who double majored in computer and electrical engineering, got 125% of the required credits to graduate, but only got a 3.0, I'd take the latter 100% of the time. Most companies don't seem to care enough to put the time into checking this stuff out. In Google's case, I don't really blame them considering the sheer number of applications they get compared to 99% of the companies out there, but it would be nice if they did. From what my recommendation source said, they pretty much just have a GPA floor there that is absolute.
    I just bring it up because Google was the only company I applied to that cared about my grades.
    Maybe because you didn't have anything else to recommend you yet? If you really want to get a job with Google go work somewhere else first and make sure you do an abso-fucking-lutely phenomenal job of it.
    I would just wonder what it is they really look for in terms of stuff besides grades. From what I've experienced, very few people coming out of college with a computer engineering degree can say that they have worked at 4 different software companies (part-time) before graduating, which I did, among other extracurricular things. But yes, getting where you want to go is much easier to do if you just get a basic job somewhere and really impress your bosses. At this point though, I don't see myself working anywhere else after my current job. My goal is to start my own company once I have the capital and experience to go out on my own.
  • CremlianCremlian
    This would completely cure my dilemma on pets
    s/pets/children/
    Well, Kids don't work as well unless they are A.I.'s or something.
  • AprecheApreche
    I don't disagree. In general, someone who holds a 3.5 or better is obviously either more intelligent or more determined than someone who gets a 2.0. The problem I have with it is that it's a number that doesn't hold any context. To be fair in using grades, which really only applies to new grads, a company should look at what the major was, how many credits the person actually earned (compared to the number needed to graduate), what the grades were for the classes that actually matter to the job, etc. Just from my perspective, if I had a candidate who was a computer science major, earned a 4.0, but took mostly liberal arts classes for electives (as opposed to CS ones), and a candidate who double majored in computer and electrical engineering, got 125% of the required credits to graduate, but only got a 3.0, I'd take the latter 100% of the time. Most companies don't seem to care enough to put the time into checking this stuff out. In Google's case, I don't really blame them considering the sheer number of applications they get compared to 99% of the companies out there, but it would be nice if they did. From what my recommendation source said, they pretty much just have a GPA floor there that is absolute.
    The thing is, you don't want to hire either one. When you have a big old pile of resumes, there is someone in there who has a 4.0, took all the really hard classes in the right majors, and is just insanely awesome. That's the person that the big companies get to hire.
  • AnastiusAnastius
    edited December 2009
    Well, Kids don't work as well unless they are A.I.'s or something.
    There's not that many directions Google can go anymore.
    Post edited by Anastius on
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    edited December 2009
    Google will make Dennou Coil happen!
    Why have I not seen this anime, it sounds cool.
    Post edited by George Patches on
  • ......
    Google will make Dennou Coil happen!
    Oh god no. I don't want to loose my mind in the internet. Though haven't there been several concepts like this before?
    Why have I not seen this anime, it sounds cool.
    Wrong thread, but it's a good anime. Has great filler.
  • GeoGeo
    edited December 2009
    Why have I not seen this anime, it sounds cool.
    Wrong thread, but it's a good anime. Has great filler.
    Oooh...STRIKE! You always seem to keep that fastball on hand, dontcha Nine?
    Post edited by Geo on
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    edited December 2009
    It also makes sense for Google to use a Masters in EE/CS instead of GPA when they do make exceptions. That sends up the flag that even if one's GPA was sub-4.0 in undergrad studies, one probably has astronomical amounts knowledge in his or her field that others who stayed with undergrad work simply couldn't obtain.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • ChurbaChurba
    Oooh...STRIKE! You always seem to keep that fastball on hand, dontcha Nine?
    Far better than going for the cheap, easy shots though, isn't it?
  • RymRym
    Many places just use GPA as a very rough filter. IBM, for example, simply wouldn't even consider you for a co-op from RIT if your GPA was less than 3.4. This was simply to reduce the number of applicants to a reasonable level.
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