Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#1

Post by thehickmans » Sun, May 03, 2009, 6:23 PM UTC

I was out for dinner with family last night, when I noticed a group come into the restaurant wearing Google Ocean fleeces. One member of the group was carrying a laptop and some documents, from which I surmised that I was witnessing a project team dinner. Does anyone know what the Google Ocean team might be doing in the field? Could they be piloting the Google Ocean View submersible? I'm in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Re: Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#2

Post by sowbug » Sun, May 03, 2009, 6:49 PM UTC

It's a codename having nothing literally to do with water or seas. The codename is for a released product.

Re: Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#3

Post by nico78 » Sun, May 03, 2009, 6:56 PM UTC

isn't it part of Google Earth, ocean-floor mapping?

Re: Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#4

Post by nx » Sun, May 03, 2009, 6:57 PM UTC

Because it was THAT hard to Google it, right? http://www.google.com/search?q=google+ocean

Re: Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#5

Post by jcapote » Sun, May 03, 2009, 6:58 PM UTC

sowbug wrote: post #2

It's a codename having nothing literally to do with water or seas. The codename is for a released product.

And which product is that?

Re: Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#6

Post by colinplamondon » Sun, May 03, 2009, 6:59 PM UTC

http://tinyurl.com/cdlspk

Re: Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#7

Post by falsestprophet » Sun, May 03, 2009, 7:00 PM UTC

sowbug wrote: post #2

It's a codename having nothing literally to do with water or seas. The codename is for a released product.

VentureBeat reported the team has something to do with book search and digitization.

Here is more information for the curious: http://venturebeat.com/2009/02/02/what-is-googles-other-ocea...

Re: Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#8

Post by [deleted] » Sun, May 03, 2009, 7:02 PM UTC

colinplamondon wrote: post #6

http://tinyurl.com/cdlspk

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#9

Post by swombat » Sun, May 03, 2009, 7:18 PM UTC

nx wrote: post #4

Because it was THAT hard to Google it, right? http://www.google.com/search?q=google+ocean

Why spend 5 seconds googling something when you can waste hundreds of people's time with your easily-answered question?

Re: Ask HN: What does the Google Ocean team do?

#10

Post by thehickmans » Sun, May 03, 2009, 7:56 PM UTC

colinplamondon wrote: post #6

http://tinyurl.com/cdlspk

Thanks for the painfully juvenile replies, guys. I was looking for something more insightful than the press releases and media coverage that turn up in search results.