1) This database does NOT include Pre-Grant Published Applications that are published before a U.S. patent is or is not awarded. Like other patent database, the Pre-Grant dbase can be useful in CI research. It's available via the USPTO.
2) Watch those totals and use advanced search features to narrow your search! Why? This search for FM Radio shows 1002 results. However, you can only view 579 of them. Another search for "Search Engine" shows a total of 1157 results but you're unable view beyond result 577. One more search, this time for electric motor. The total listed is 1247 but only 596 can be reviewed. Of course, MOST people will only look at the first few results be it a specialty database or a general web database. However, as we've pointed out with Google Scholar, some users might want to review all of the results and maybe analyze offline. So, not being able to review all of the results could be an issue. Most likely not most searchers need to worry about, just something to keep in mind.
In the FAQ, Google says its patent database is current as of the middle of 2006. They "look forward" to adding more features and content (including international patents) "in the future."
Note: The advanced interface includes 5 fields:
+ Patent #
+ Title
+ Inventor
+ Assignee
+ Current U.S. Classification
+ International Classification
+ Issue date
+ Filing Date
The European Patent Office offers this database containing information from patent applications published in over 50 countries (and regions) worldwide. Search by keyword, patent application number or company to find abstracts and bibliographic information. Although a free search and retrieval site, the database features a shopping cart that lets you store search results. Site documentation indicates that this feature will soon allow you to order paper copies of patents, if desired.
Thanks to Carey Lening for her assistance with this post.
+ New Features from MSN Virtual Earth Released
What's New?
++ Improved Tools to Navigate "Birds Eye" Imagery Using an "inset map." (Much easier!)
Also, kudos on the next new feature that also makes Birds Eye imagery more user friendly.
You can now drag to the end of a birds eye scene and and the next Birds Eys image should appear (if available)
++ Ability to Measure Distances from Point A to Point B Using Drawing Tools: Example Here
From the blog post:
To compliment this, we've added a bunch of new drawing features and drawing enhancements. for instance, you can now right click on an end node of a path to continue drawing where you left off in a previous visit.
+ Center for Research Libraries Contributes 71 millionth Record to OCLC, Awarded “Gold Record”. The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek has contributed the 72nd - 76th millionth records.
A family of resources to help information workers be more effective, raise the value of information in their organisations and contribute to success. Read more »
Recently I have found myself cooing over visualisation maps (and heat maps) of health and well being resources. The content rich data is overlayed with mapping technologies, and some interesting themes and patterns are emerging.
A lot of the talk around social media in the last year has been around information overload. Social media has provided us with new and exciting ways to create content. But it has also meant learning new ways to manage and engage with social media tools. Are we teetering on the edge of an information overload precipice?
Information overload is a figment of your imagination. Or a failure of your filter. Or a symptom of your technological submissiveness. Depends on who you ask.
What if you had to sort through 3.5 million articles and social media posts a day and try to pull out the most relevant items for your organisation? What if you then had to cobble it all together into something readable for your top groups and executives in your organisation?
Alacra Compliance saves time by aggregating information from both free and fee-based sources and enabling users to conduct an accurate federated search across these sources (coined “simultaneous search” by Alacra).
FreePint Family
Quilting big data threads
The fallacy of information overload
Information overload: fact, fantasy or filter failure? 
