Notice Anything Different?

By Nathan Weinberg
Expert Author
Article Date: 2006-01-23

Yes, there's something different about the Google News logo. Can you tell?

That's right, Google News is out of beta after 8,753 months! Okay, it was actually 40 months, but still, what is likely Google's longest beta is over. This coincides with the release of Google News' new personalization and popularity features. Since Google claims products stay in beta until all desired features are implemented, we can assume they're satisfied.

One of the most prevalant theories over the years was that News was in beta because it had no ads and that it had no ads because Google was afraid of getting sued. Well, News has left beta, and there is still no revenue model. Will we ever see ads on Google News?

Hat-tip: Miel

UPDATE: Gary Price notes that it was in beta a mere 29,256 hours, or about 1219 days.

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About the Author:
Nathan Weinberg writes the popular InsideGoogle blog, offering the latest news and insights about Google and search engines.

Visit the InsideGoogle blog.

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