Google continues its groundbreaking path to deliver more content and services to your desktop. Google's book search feature now serves up free classic novels you can download and print. All such books in the feature are in the public domain. The company already has separate search features for images and videos.

Under the book search feature you have the choice of finding information on a particular text, or of searching for the available full text PDF file, depending on what is available.

Previously the book search feature only allowed surfers to read the out-of-copyright books online.

The search engine company recently reached a deal with the University of California library to catalogue its books online. Out-of-copyright books will be available as a full text. For books protected by copyright, users will just get basic background and a few lines of text related to their search. Another new addition of interest to Bermuda retailers concerns Google Maps. Users will be able to print discount coupons for a local place they have accessed using the mapping service.

The coupons from businesses will be displayed on the Google Maps search results and business listing pages.

The coupons can be printed out directly from a computer and redeemed at a physical store location of a neighbourhood or local business. Coupons are available in Google Maps at no cost to businesses and consumers. Businesses simply need to log into www.google.com/local/add to put in a discount coupon for free.

Unfortunately Bermuda only exists as a cardboard cutout on the service. Still it's worth a try entering your business information on the most important search resource on the Internet.

Another business service launched last week allows you to put e-mail, calendar and other communications tools on your Internet site.

The online applications could help you eliminate many of the expenses and hassles of maintaining communications in your business. Google Apps includes Gmail web e-mail, the Google Talk instant messaging and voice calling service, collaborative calendaring, and web page design, publishing and hosting via Google Page Creator.

The company offers two versions of Google Apps for Your Domain. A standard edition is available today as a beta product without cost to domain administrators.

The key features include two gigabytes of e-mail storage for each user, customisation tools, and help for administrators via e-mail or online.

Another version of the product is being developed for organisations with more advanced needs. Google says it will make more information, including details on pricing, soon. Visit www.google.com/a to register for the free service.

And do not forget about Google Analytics. The service was launched in November 2005 as the first free analytics programme for websites.

However Google got bogged down in registering people for the service due to the overwhelming demand for the free service, resulting in a long wait time.

Now the wait is over. Now anyone with a website can instantly create a free Google Analytics account by visiting.

Google Analytics provides information about visitor behaviour when visiting your website.

Point your cell phone at a building and it might tell you all about its history.

Target it at a cinema and you might get the latest shows and their times.

What's more you might be able to leave messages and information at any location, anywhere, anytime.

The concept of creating an interactive city is being developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The project is called Electronic Lens (eLens). The location-aware service uses special tags and software developed for the cell phone.

Physical tags are attached to buildings. The tags can be scanned and read by mobile camera phones.

In May this year eLens' developers conducted their first field trial with students in Manresa, Spain. They gave students the task of posting architectural information along three tourist routes though the city. The students posted official information and added in their own personal impressions about the buildings. The idea was to match institutional information with the experiences of local citizens.

"Ultimately the eLens enhances the value of the city for its citizens by making their environments more accessible, more culturally vibrant, more socially just," the developers say on the MIT site. "The eLens fosters communication among people and between institutions; as a result citizens are now better able to navigate the social, institutional and physical urban space."

For more information about eLens, visit mobile.mit.edu/elens/.

Talking buildings? What will they think of next?