Beginning today, search giant Google will offer free WiFi in the New York City neighborhood of Chelsea. The initiative, which was unveiled today by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Google Chief Technology Officer Ben Fried, is in support of "Silicon Alley" -- an area in Manhattan with a concentration of startups.

According to CNET, "When folks enter the Chelsea neighborhood, which spans Gansevoort Street and 19th Street from 8th Avenue to the West Side Highway, including the Chelsea Triangle, 14th Street Park, and Gansevoort Plaza, they'll have free access to a Wi-Fi connection provided by Google." The contiguous WiFi network will be New York City's largest."Google is proud to provide free WiFi in the neighborhood we have called home for over six years," Fried said in a statement. "This network will not only be a resource for the two thousand-plus residents of the Fulton Houses, it will also serve the five thousand-plus student population of Chelsea as well as the hundreds of workers, retail customers and tourists who visit our neighborhood every day."

There are similar Google WiFi networks in Mountain View, Calif., where Google's headquarters are stationed, and in neighborhoods that house Google data centers.

Can widespread free WiFi help spark tech startup growth in New York City?

Do students need computers to do well in school? Some still say no, arguing that children in the 80s and 90s did just fine without today's fancy shmancy technology. But I disagree with that notion. (And so do Google and DonorsChoose.org.)

I was in high school about a decade ago (yikes!), and even back then, students whose families didn't own a computer were at a big disadvantage. If they needed to work on an essay or research paper outside of class, for example, they had to fight for a PC in the library. If they were out sick with the flu, teachers had no quick way to fill them in on missing assignments. If they had questions, they had to wait until Monday to get an answer. I could go on and on.

The point is it never really seemed fair. And for students in today's high-tech world, not owning a computer has got to be even more difficult.

That's why I commend what Google and DonorsChoose.org are doing for teachers and schools across the United States. According to Tech Crunch, the collaboration will make it possible for educators to request Samsung Series 5 Chromebooks for just $99! For a personal computer that's usually priced at $399, that's an incredible deal.

How does it work? Tech Crunch reports: "Teachers can post their requests for up to 30 Chromebooks on DonorsChoose.org, anybody can make a donation and once they achieve their funding goals, Google’s partner Lakeshore Learning will send the Chromebooks." Nice -- I love this promotional idea!

Unfortunately, as of this writing, DonorsChoose.org is not accepting any additional submissions. (They've "seen a tremendous response to this offer." Are you really surprised?) But if I were you, I'd still add my email address here to receive updates on the program.

When purchasing a new cell phone, there is a lot to think about and a lot to consider. What carrier do I want to be on? What size screen do I want? Do I want a hard keyboard? It's a big decision. Of course, worst case scenario you are stuck with a phone you don't like maybe 2 years and you get a new one, right?

Wrong.

Australian police are warning citizens and tourists alike, to stay away from Apple Maps as using it could be a "potentially life threatening issue." Just to clarify what Australian police are saying, owning an iPhone 5 could kill you. Let me explain.

As anyone in the tech world knows, prior to the release of the newest iPhone, Apple cut ties with the hugely successful Google Maps. For years, thanks to cars chartered by Google around the world, Google Maps have been able to consistently update and correct streets and avenues everywhere. 

Unfortunately, when Apple created their own Maps app, without the years of updates their maps were not accurate. Now this is an inconvenience maybe if you are looking for a new route to work, but it's something completely different when using GPS to travel through dangerous or unknown areas. 

According to Wired.com:

Police in Mildura, Victoria, said they've had to rescue "a number of distressed motorists that were directed off the beaten track” and stranded in Murray-Sunset National Park. Apple Maps places the town about 43 miles (70 km) away from its actual location. It’s a potentially deadly mistake, as the location is in the middle of nowhere — the park has no water supply and temperatures can reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius).

If you ask me I would stick with an Android phone to stay with old reliable Google Maps, but that should be no surprise to anyone here at Motivators. Whatever phone you have, make sure you keep it charged and protected with high-quality promotional cell phone accessories. 

While Google's always been a hit among Internet junkies and tech-lovers, it's not exactly a household name on the runway. But company co-founder Sergey Brin might have changed all that when he surprised audiences at New York Fashion Week by introducing Google Glass.

According to Mashable, "Models walked down the runway at Diane von Furstenberg’s Spring/Summer 2013 collection show wearing Glass, the upcoming headset/eyewear device that Google is developing." Take a look at the product below: 

So what do Google's fancy new glasses do? They're a lot like a smartphone; wearers can snap photos, shoot video and view calendars, among other functions.

There's no doubt that Google Glass is an impressive feat in tech innovation. But, even if Google's promotional product wowed NYFW crowds, will consumers embrace the futuristic-looking device? Only time will tell!

What are your thoughts?

Thirteen-year-old Internet company Google is finally old enough to drive a car.

One of the search engine giant's self-driving cars, which utilize a laser radar to detect people, cars and obstacles on the street, has been granted a license from the state of Nevada. According to Mashable, "With the help of GPS and a bit of artificial intelligence, the car can drive itself with very little or no intervention from the human sitting inside." Those are some serious custom auto accessories!

Still, Nevada requires that two people sit in the test cars -- one individual in the driver's seat, and the other monitoring the vehicle's route, stop lights, and potential hazards on the street.  With a simple touch of the brake or wheel, whoever's in the driver's seat can take over.

Watch a test drive of the super-smart vehicle here:

Would you get in a self-driving car?

Ah, the beloved Google Doodle.  It's helped us celebrate the holiday season, New Year's Day, and even Jim Henson's 75th birthday.  But today's Doodle is extra-special; it sends out a message about true love this Valentine's Day.

The adorable animation shows a boy who's trying his hardest to court his crush.  He showers her in gifts, but to no avail.  How does he finally win her over?  Check out the clip below to find out!

Perhaps what stands out most is the video's finale:  All sorts of relationships, including one same-sex couple, are represented as animation pieces come together to form a collage.

What do you think about the special-edition Google Doodle?  Share your thoughts below!

If the city of Atlantis really did once exist, Google Earth is trying to cover it up with its most recent maps update.

According to Mashable, prior to Google's update, a "grid-like pattern" appeared on a Google Ocean map in 2009.  Some believed the impression was that of the streets of Atlantis.  But the search engine giant claims the marks were nothing of the sort.

Google asserts that the strange pattern was actually due to overlapping data sets, which "commonly occur in the sonar method oceanographers use to map the ocean floor."

Last week, the Google Ocean map was updated with new data collected over three years by several research institutions.  The area located off the coast of north Africa no longer shows the checkerboard marking.

What do you think?  Are Google's most recent maps accurate, or is the update part of one big cover-up?

If you don't understand the title of this blog, do this right now:  Open your Web browser, navigate to Google.com, and search the term "do a barrel roll" (without the quotation marks).  The fun query allows Google users to have an entertaining moment while also showing off CSS3, a new feature on modern browsers. If you don't feel like launching the quirky feature on your own, check out this video:

But the barrel roll isn't the only trick Google has up its sleeve.  Take a look at Mashable's "Beyond Barrel Roll: 10 Hidden Google Tricks."

Being able to play around with Google's amusing built-in tricks is a fun promotional gift on this dreary and cloudy Friday morning!  My favorites are Google Gravity, Chuck Norris, and Pacman.  Which Google antic do you think is the best?

Once all the hubbub around the last iPhone ended, Google made their big announcement, Android 4.0 and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. This is a big deal for a few reasons. One it is the biggest update to the most popular mobile operating system in a few years, and the Galaxy Nexus is a powerful, thin phone considered a pure "Google Phone."

Now, the new Android can do all the things that the new iOS does, it has 1080p recording, voice recognition, a convinient pull down notification bar and the ability to open the camera from the lock screen but there were so many more things that Android announced their new 4.0 can do. For example, you will now have the option to unlock your phone by just LOOKING at it using facial recognition.

Android will still be able to do all of the other things its iOS brother can't like have live wallpaper and widgets though both will be even more customizable by adding things like resizable widgets. They also added to their already great camera by adding things like panoramic mode, time lapse mode and you can even add replacement backgrounds or funhouse effects to live video conversations.

All of these new additions were just announced the other day so it may be a little bit until someone like myself has everything on their phone to play with but I know anyone who buys a new Galaxy Nexus will surely want to keep it protected with some promotional cell phone accessories. Keep an eye out though, I'm sure Verizon, Google and Samsung will be handing out many promotional products to show off their new cell phones AND operating system.

While the exact date of Google's birth is unknown (or undecided), the search engine giant celebrates its birthday each September.  Today, Google is celebrating its 13th anniversary!  How do I know?  Go see for yourself at Google.com!

That's right; each September since 2002, Google invites its users to help celebrate its birth month by replacing its Web site's normal banner with a unique Google Doodle.  Interested in seeing previous years' Doodles? Mashable takes a look back at all of Google's birthday Doodles.  Here are a few of my favorites:

1.  The 2002 Google Doodle 

The 2002 Google Doodle was the first of its kind, and it celebrated the search engine's fourth birthday.  Google went all out in 2002.  It turned the logo's letter 'L' into the number four, and inserted a Google-themed custom food product in front.

2. The 2008 Google Doodle

In 2008, Google finally celebrated with a few gifts! The logo was surrounded by gift-wrapped custom tote bags and each letter wore an adorable party hat.  What a great way to commemorate the search engine's 10 year anniversary.

3.  This Year's Google Doodle

Google took an entirely new approach to its 2011 birthday celebration.  The logo this year is presented in a retro fashion.  The room's filled with streamers, promo balloons, a brightly colored table cloth and all. 

For a look at each year's Google Doodle, click here!  Happy birthday, Google!