Google Answers Questions About Maps Of Georgia In Response To Users

It appears as though Google has been fielding a number of questions about the Google Maps rendition of Georgia and it's neighbours Armenia and Azerbaijan, all of which have only high level photography and no detail regarding cities or roads. In it's defense Google has posted this comment on the Official Google Blog (Cross-posted from the Google LatLong Blog) "...we never launched coverage in those countries because we simply weren't satisfied with the map data we had available. We're constantly searching for the best map data we can find, and sometimes will delay launching coverage in a country if we think we can get more comprehensive data."

In the wake of the recent conflict in the area some Google Maps users have asked if Google removed the data but Google insists it was never there but says that it is learning from the experience saying that users have indicated that some data is better than no data, to which Google says "... we have started preparing data for the handful of countries that are still blank on Google Maps. Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, as well as other significant regions of the world will benefit from this effort..."

Turning To The Internet For The News

Video footage from inside the combat zone in the former Soviet nation of Georgia has made it's way to LiveLeak, this video shows a Russian fighter jet dropping a bomb on a Georgian city and what appears to be the aftermath on the ground with obvious civilian casualties. What I find interesting is that this is the first footage from within the conflict that I've seen. I'm not sure if this is because I am increasingly turning to the web for my news, or if main stream media has been slow to get footage out of the country.

Russia dives for oil, gas at the North Pole

A Russian scientific expedition to the north pole also has political and economic goals, with the Russians planning to deposit a flag at the bottom of the sea. The team hopes to prove that the Lomonosov Ridge, a 1,240-mile underwater mountain range that crosses the polar region, is a geologic extension of Russia, and therefore can be claimed under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. Denmark also believes the ridge is an extension of their territory, while Canada seeks to maintain sovereignty over the region and is planning to invest $7 billion in a fleet of patrol vessels. The American government is also contemplating an investment in the Coast Guard's ice breaking fleet in order to protect it's interests. Looks like more than global warming is heating things up at the pole... let's hope that Megatron isn't disturbed by all the activity! CNN story here.

Is the Kremlin waging information war against opposition and media?

Opposition parties and media outlets that are critical of the current Russian government say the Kremlin has employed its vast resources to hack and cripple their Web sites in an attempt to "stifle Russia's last source of free, unfiltered information". With parliamentary elections in December and presidential elections in March '08, the victims allege they are being harassed electronically by vast zombie networks. The Russian government denies any wrong doing, saying "hackers could easily forge Internet Protocol addresses registered to government offices." You believe that don't you comrade?

CNN story here.