Search engines and web domains have been around since the beginning of the internet. Despite being the most popular search engine now, Google has been around for a very short period of time. Here is how this search engine conglomerate was founded!
The beginning
Like all love stories, Larry Page’s and Sergey Brin’s story had very troubled beginnings. The two met for the first time at Stanford University in the year 1995 and from the moment they locked eyes, everyone around knew trouble would follow. At the time, Brin was a second year student, whose job was to take potential students around campus and Page, an interested student, ended up in Brin’s group.
Walking up and down the hill, Brin and Page could not stop arguing with each other, constantly debating and fighting over everything from the weather to the historic places of San Francisco. Obnoxious, social and extremely opinionated, Page and Brin were poles apart in every way. What made them come together then? Their interests and desire to create a one of a kind search engine.
The first project
Page and Brin were thrown together for the first time ever when they started writing the code for a search engine, then called BackRub, because of its ability to analyse backlinks. Despite the tumultuous relationship shared by the co writers, the code became a massive success. So successful was the project that it resulted in the creation of a research paper titled The Anatomy of a Large Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine.
BackRub was unique in its functionality. By using an internally developed technology called PageRank, BackRub ranked a website’s importance by taking into account the number of pages on the website, the importance of the pages and the number of times they were linked to to the original site. The product was relatively successful but unfortunately, buyers were not interested in getting a product which was still in its initial stages. Finally, after multiple rejections. Brin and Page decided to innovate and create something new with (hold your breaths) Google!
The name that changed the world
Page and Brin took inspiration for the name Google from Gogol and voila, the strategy worked! A new name and a new beginning was all the founders needed for Google to get the much needed investors. Sun Microsystems co founder Andy Bechtolsheim was so impressed that after a quick demo of Google, he told the pair “Instead of us discussing all the details, why don’t I just write you a check?”
Bechtolsheim’s check was for $ 100,000 (made out to Google Inc) giving Page and Brin the much needed push toward success. The first two weeks after the founders got the check was quite an iconic one. With more than enough money in the bank, the duo opened their first office in Menlo Park, California. Post that, Google.com, a search engine that answered more than 10,000 questions a day, was launched.
History was created
Four years later, Page and Brin dropped the word beta from Google’s title and in 2001, Google finally filed and received a patent for its Ranking Technology! After that, there was no stopping Google and ever since, the search engine has changed the way the internet works. Interestingly, the first ever Google Doodle of the Burning Man was created to talk about the company’s motto, “Do No Evil.”
Google has come a long way, from being an accidental company to being one of the largest in the world. With exquisite patents to its name and extensive research at its hands, Google has definitely created a place for itself in the world of technology and innovation.
After years of anticipation, WhatsApp has officially launched a dedicated app for the iPad, finally giving users a seamless and optimized messaging experience on Apple’s popular tablet. Previously, iPad users had to rely on the web version, which lacked many features and was not designed for the larger screen. Now, with the arrival of WhatsApp for iPad, users can enjoy all the core messaging and calling features in a native, iPadOS-optimized environment.
How to Get Started with WhatsApp on iPad
Setting up WhatsApp on your iPad is straightforward. Simply download the app from the App Store, open it, and scan the displayed QR code using your smartphone’s WhatsApp app to link your account. This process mirrors the setup for WhatsApp Web and Desktop, ensuring your chats, calls, and media stay in sync across devices. The iPad app supports all key features, including individual and group chats, Communities, Channels, and both audio and video calls for up to 32 participants.
Enhanced Features and Multitasking
WhatsApp for iPad is designed to take full advantage of the tablet’s capabilities. It features a two-column layout, with recent chats on the left and active conversations on the right, making multitasking easier and more intuitive. The app supports iPadOS multitasking features such as Split View, Slide Over, and Stage Manager (on compatible models), allowing users to keep WhatsApp open while using other apps. Additionally, it works seamlessly with accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, boosting productivity and creativity.
Privacy and Security
All messages, calls, and media remain protected with WhatsApp’s industry-leading end-to-end encryption, ensuring privacy and security across all linked devices. The iPad app also includes privacy features like chat lock, giving users peace of mind even if they share their device with others.
Conclusion
The launch of WhatsApp on iPad marks a significant milestone for Meta and its users. With a native, feature-rich app designed for the iPad’s larger screen and advanced multitasking capabilities, WhatsApp is now more accessible and convenient than ever for iPad owners worldwide. This move also signals Meta’s commitment to expanding its ecosystem, with rumors suggesting Instagram may be next in line for a dedicated iPad app. For now, WhatsApp on iPad stands as a welcome upgrade, enhancing how millions stay connected.
Adopt AI, a San Jose and Bengaluru-based agentic AI startup, has raised $6 million in seed funding led by Elevation Capital, with participation from Foster Ventures, Powerhouse Ventures, Darkmode Ventures, and angel investors. The funding will be used to expand the company’s engineering and product teams and to scale enterprise deployments of its automation platform.
Founded by Deepak Anchala, Rahul Bhattacharya, and Anirudh Badam, Adopt AI offers a platform that lets businesses automate workflows and execute complex actions using natural language commands, without needing to rebuild existing systems. Its core products include a no-code Agent Builder, which allows companies to quickly create and deploy AI-driven conversational interfaces, and Agentic Experience, which replaces traditional user interfaces with text-based commands. The startup’s technology is aimed at SaaS and B2C companies in sectors like banking and healthcare, helping them rapidly integrate intelligent agent capabilities into their applications. Adopt AI’s team includes engineers from Microsoft and Google, with Chief AI Officer Anirudh Badam bringing over a decade of AI experience from Microsoft.
The company has also launched an Early Access Program to let businesses pilot its automation solution and collaborate on new use cases.
Google has refreshed its iconic ‘G’ logo for the first time in nearly 10 years, replacing the familiar solid blocks of red, yellow, green, and blue with a smooth, vibrant gradient that blends these colors seamlessly. This subtle update gives the logo a softer, more fluid, and modern appearance, aligning with Google’s evolving digital identity and current design trends.
The new gradient transitions smoothly from red to yellow, yellow to green, and green to blue, making the logo more visually appealing and adaptable across various devices, especially on mobile platforms. This redesign also reflects Google’s growing emphasis on artificial intelligence, echoing the gradient style used in the branding of Google Gemini, the company’s AI-generative assistant.
The updated ‘G’ logo has started rolling out on iOS through the Google Search app and on some Android devices, particularly Pixel phones running the Google app beta version 16.18. However, most other platforms, including the web and non-Pixel Android devices, still display the classic solid-color logo. A wider rollout is expected in the coming weeks.
So far, Google’s main wordmark and other product logos like Chrome, Maps, and Gmail remain unchanged. Given the shift toward gradient designs and AI-inspired visuals, similar updates to other Google icons may follow in the future.
In summary, this first major update to the ‘G’ logo since 2015 signals a subtle but meaningful shift in Google’s branding strategy, blending tradition with innovation as the company deepens its focus on AI and modern design aesthetics.