It allows anyone with Google account to annotate web pages in a sidebar enabled via the Google Toolbar. It also appears to pull in content related to blog page from Google blogs.

Comments are ordered using an algorithm that promotes the most useful, high-quality entries.

Here’s the irony: Google launched this tool to take control away from brands in the same week that Squidoo launched Brands in Public in a bid to bring control back to brands.

I think I know which of the two products will fly.

This new innovation from Google Labs repurposes digital content from newspaper web sites and enables readers to browse articles much like if they were browsing through a physical magazine or newspaper. Articles are organised by popularity or personal preference.

Google is baiting publishers with the promise of revenue of a significant revenue share from ads on Fast Flip’s pages.

Google’s proposals come in response to a request for information to technology firms from the Newspaper Association of America’s for revenue-content proposals.

In the document […] Google outlines its “vision of a premium content ecosystem” that includes subscriptions across multiple news sites, syndication on third-party sites, accessibility to search, and various payment options, including small fees for access to individual pieces of content.

Technology is one thing. But what the newspaper industry needs is new models. I’m surprised that the proposals aren’t braver. If Google’s ad network was overlaid wholesale on a newspaper web site would it generate sufficient revenue to make it a viable commercial proposition?

According to econsultancy’s Meghan Keane:

“Google has been slowly easing standards on its advertising for months, as companies have been bidding less on keyword search terms and the economy has forced margins ever slimmer”.

But Google isn’t relaxing its keyword editorial policy in any other area. Alcohol, drugs, gambling, and prostitution, among others, remain no go. We still can’t use Speed.

The organisers at Richmond Events have provided profiles of all the companies and individuals onboard. I’ve been filling in the gaps with the help of a crack team of researchers from across the consultancy using a combination of Google and our digital networks. If I’m going into sales battle on the high seas, or The Solent, I want to be prepared.

Given 30 minutes and a web browser you can dig out a huge volume of insight. Here’s how we compiled our treasure map.

• Companies House filings (for UK companies)
• SEC filings (for US-listed companies)
• Twitter search
• Google and Google News
• PR Week archive
• LinkedIn
• Technorati search

There’s a stack of paid-for tools that will take you deeper but this list is a good start point. I’m hoping that I’m armed with enough contrary one-liners and Resolve to get me through the next few days. We’ll see.