On the map

The Maps team was excited to see all the ideas and feedback that hit blogs around the Web after Google Maps launched a couple weeks ago, and we've been listening: Maps now supports Safari and Opera. Keep the feedback coming...

Bret Taylor
Google Maps Product Manager

Google movies: now playing

Red pill blue pill. Ship hits iceberg. One ring to rule them all. If you love movies, you know which films these phrases refer to. Now, thanks to our new movie feature, Google web search knows too.

Just in time for the Oscars, we've created a new "movie:" operator that enables you to find movie-related information faster and more easily, whether you're looking for titles or actors, director or genre, famous lines or obscure plot details. Can't remember the name of that film where Tom Hanks made friends with a volleyball? Search for [movie: Tom Hanks talking to a volleyball] and Google will tell you: it was Cast Away. Want rental recommendations? Try searching for [movie: awesome car chase] or [movie: good chick flick].

Looking for a multiplex near you? Use "movie:" followed by a U.S. zip code or city/state to find theaters and showtimes in your area (a search for [movie: Mountain View, CA], for example, will show you what's playing near the Googleplex). You can also just search on "movies," "showtimes" or the title of a current film, and your top result will be movie-related info for your area (if you haven't already saved your location using Google Local, just fill in your U.S. zip code or city/state and click the "Get Showtimes" button). And for those on the go, movie showtimes are also available on Google SMS (send a text message to 46645 -- aka. GOOGL on most phones -- to look up showtimes for nearby theaters).

Popcorn and a date to snuggle up with are up to you. For now.

Jess Lee
Associate Product Manager

A richer Zeitgeist brew

If you were in India, what would you search for? Inquiring minds from Mumbai to Bangalore wanted to know, so now there's a new Google India Zeitgeist. Among the most searched-for queries in January: the tsunami of course, and Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai. Not to leave out other visitors from across the globe, we've also just added Zeitgeist lists for Ireland and New Zealand. May your trendspotting be more global.

Kalpana Behra
Google India

Mapping your way

We think maps can be useful and fun, so we've designed Google Maps to simplify how to get from point A to point B. Say you're looking for "hotels near LAX." With Google Maps you'll see nearby hotels plotted right on a crisp new map (we use new rendering methods to make them easier to read). Click and drag the map to view the adjacent area dynamically - there's no wait for a new image to download. Or get step-by-step directions to where you're headed. If a particular intersection on the route looks tricky, click on that step in the directions to see a magnified view. Play with the keyboard shortcuts (arrow keys to pan or the +/- keys to zoom in and out ) too. The tour shows you even more. Happy trails.

Bret Taylor
Product Manager

Get the picture

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Google Image Search is now worth 1 trillion, 187 billion, 63 million words. Yes, that's right, math majors; we've updated our image index, and now offer users precisely 1.18763 billion newly updated images of purple flowers, Lamborghinis and whatever else you care to look at.

In fact, we're so excited about the quality and comprehensiveness of our updated image index, we've even begun sprinkling a few images into the regular Google.com search results for certain search terms. If you do a Google web search for, say, sunsets, Mount St. Helens, or other queries for which our algorithms think pictures might be relevant results, you may see a few pictures at the top of your search results page, along with a link to complete image search results for that query.

You can try out our new image index by clicking the "Images" link on Google.com, or by going directly to the Google Image Search page. Go ahead and feast your eyes.

Radhika Malpani
Tech Lead

Hungering for the here and now

Got a craving for spaghetti Bolognese in San Francisco? Maybe you're on the road and must have free wi-fi in Chicago, or a beachfront hotel in Santa Monica. And Valentine's Day is approaching: time to find the perfect romantic restaurant in Philadelphia.

There's been such great demand for Local search results that we've added a Local link on the Google homepage so you can find nearby businesses around the U.S. and Canada even faster than before. Try it out and tell us how it's working for you. We suggest keeping an eye on Local, too - you'll soon see even more features. Whether you're at home or traveling, you're now one click closer to whetting your appetite.

Thai Tran
Product Manager, Google Local

All in a year's work

We made lots of improvements to Google AdWords in 2004. Find out how they can help your business as you meet some of the engineers who made it happen.

- Bismarck Lepe
AdWords Product Marketing Manager