Google and Gmail

Not only was Ride Finder announced today, so was a new Gmail policy. Gmail now is upgrading all mailboxes to 2gb of storage. Not only are they doing it, they're doing it in a fun manner. Go check out gmail.com to watch your storage space grow in real time. (Read on for much more)">

Google and Gmail
Posted :: Apr 1, 2005 by Impact

Well, Google has managed to put out yet another beta to blow your socks off. The new "Ride Finder" currently has 11 cities cataloged for rides (taxis). You can try out the beta and see where the cabs are in real time. No more sitting on the corner with your thumb out, you can just find them at a wifi hotspot and walk to the nearest cab.

Not only was Ride Finder announced today, so was a new Gmail policy. Gmail now is upgrading all mailboxes to 2gb of storage. Not only are they doing it, they're doing it in a fun manner. Go check out gmail.com to watch your storage space grow in real time.

Some quotes from google regarding the two new programs:
Ride Finder:
"Need a ride?
One of the things I like most about Google is the ability to create useful tools for our users that leverage current products. There's no shortage of ideas, for instance, on how to use Google Maps; here's one we're ready to show you.

If you're like me, you use a mix of recommendations from friends, the phone book, or standing on the corner with your hand in the air (and hoping it isn't raining) when you need to find a taxi, limousine or shuttle service. With Google Ride Finder, you can tell us where you want to find a ride and we'll show you the actual positions of participating vehicles in that area, along with a phone number you can use to contact the fleet operator (e.g., Chicago).

We're just getting started, so forgive us if we don't have your city or ride provider yet; we'll be adding more as they become available. If you're a fleet owner/operator, get in touch with us; we'd love to include your vehicle."
Google currently indexes the following cities:

Baltimore, MD
Chicago, IL
Cleveland, OH
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Milwaukee, WI
New York, NY
Phoenix, AZ
San Jose, CA
St. Louis, MO
Washington, DC

Gmail:
"G is for growth
Storage is an important part of email, but that doesn't mean you should have to worry about it. To celebrate our one-year birthday, we're giving everyone one more gigabyte. But why stop the party there? Our plan is to continue growing your storage beyond 2GBs by giving you more space as we are able. We know that email will only become more important in people's lives, and we want Gmail to keep up with our users and their needs. From Gmail, you can expect more."

I'm just amazed.