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Google's X Files Vanish

An anonymous reader writes "News.com reports that Google's latest technology experiment paid tribute to Apple Computer, but the Mac OS X-themed version of the search king's Web site was taken down a day after its debut. Though that particular page was taken down, there is a screenshot here displaying how the icons were magnified as the mouse hovered over them."

16 of 407 comments (clear)

  1. Still blgged on the Google's Blog by xmas2003 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Ironically, this is still talked about on the Google's own Blog

    --
    Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
  2. Code Still Available by ewithrow · · Score: 5, Informative

    In case you have a good use for it, you can find the HTML here:

    http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=29 7173&st=40&p=585627099&#entry585627099

  3. Mirror of X by sammykrupa · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here is a fully functional mirror of Google X:
    http://www.theplaceforitall.com/googlex/

  4. Mirror by boredMDer · · Score: 4, Informative

    There's a mirror here: http://googlex.foxified.info/, from someone in ATM at DSLR.

  5. Re:Variable names... by Philippe · · Score: 4, Informative

    There is a reason why the code looks like this: bandwidth. With the amount of people loading Google.com every day, even one character off their home page must make a significant difference.

  6. Local Copy by pseinstein · · Score: 4, Informative

    Non Working Mirror of Page but it has a zip of all the files you need to run it locally, works too so I can still use it as my homepage. http://www.geocities.com/googlexmirror/

  7. Re:Google cache to the rescue! by Shachaf · · Score: 5, Informative

    A link that actually works can be found Here.

  8. Speculation by daitengu · · Score: 5, Informative

    Why all this about Apple's legal department? Google Labs says that sites will be pulled down if they're too intensive on the Google Labs server, and this was a VERY popular layout today. It's quite possible that that is the reason they pulled it down. I doubt Apple would threaten them over something like this.

    1. Re:Speculation by daitengu · · Score: 4, Informative

      Because I'm a bumbling idiot, I forgot to include the link...

      Google Labs FAQ

  9. Re:Variable names... by GoClick · · Score: 5, Informative

    Quite possibly code re-coded. Ie it was obfuscated after the fact. Obfuscated might be a bad word, smallized might be a better one. ;)

  10. Re:my version by no1here · · Score: 5, Informative

    The code I used is available from logjjic.net at http://lojjic.net/script-library/OSXBar-doc.html . It's available freely to use as long as it's for a non-commercial purpose. I'm not an expert at javascript or DHTML so I used that and then modified bits and pieces to display the bar the way I wanted it.

  11. It gets press because by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 4, Informative

    1) Slashdot loves Apple.
    2) Slashdot loves Google.
    3) It looks kinda nifty.
    4) It's not something most people expect HTML to be able to do.

    I mean your same criticims apply to the actual dock. Tog (Bruce Tognazzini, founder of the orignal Apple Human Interface Group) did a writeup on the dock and complained about it as being a nice tech demo but not good for usability. One of the reasons was no labels on icons (http://www.asktog.com/columns/044top10docksucks.h tml if you are curious).

    However, seems clear in the case of Google it was just a tech demo. Some guy showing off some nifty stuff with DHTML. Doesn't look like Google was at all serious about actually using it as theri new interface. They've long maintaned a very simple, clean, compatible interface and this would break from that.

    But ya, neat though it is, not sure it's front page /. news worthy. However, I'm not one that makes those kind of decisions.

  12. Re:We all know why by evilandi · · Score: 5, Informative
    'look and feel'

    You're thinking of the Lotus 123 case.

    The difference was that Lotus didn't have a patent, they only had copyright, which as you rightly point out doesn't cover look and feel.

    This time, though, Apple have a patent for the graphical design which means they may well be able to successfully sue those who copy the look and feel of their interface.

    Which IMHO just goes to show how dumb patent law is these days, but hey, everyone's doing it so it might be right. Right? :-(

    --
    Andrew Oakley - www.aoakley.com
  13. Re:We all know why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
  14. Re:Google cache to the rescue! by shaka · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, this is quite how the one at labs.google.com worked - that didn't zoom any other icons except the one the mouse was over either.

    --
    :wq!
  15. Re:We all know why by tdemark · · Score: 5, Informative

    Same happened in the infamous Apple vs. Microsoft lawsuit.

    No, it didn't.

    Instead of hearing that Apple lost that case and jumping to an incorrect conclusion about what it says, maybe you should actually read the ruling?

    But, no, this is Slashdot, where people can't even be bothered to RTFA (which, talking about the current article, makes no mention of Apple legal putting pressure on Google). So, I'll sum the ruling up for you:

    Apple sues Microsoft for stealing its "look and feel". Apple loses because the judge ruled that the license agreement that Microsoft had with Apple could be interpreted to give Microsoft right to the look and feel. Without the fuzziness in the license wording, Apple would have won easily.

    - Tony