Just within the last month there have been reports of the number of defections from Google and the steps that Google has been taking to stop the activity. They may need to ratchet up their efforts however. Hot on the heels of the news that one of their biggest legal eagles has nested elsewhere we learn that there is another mutiny on the good ship Google-pop. TechCrunch reports that

After nearly 5 years with the company, Engineering Director Mark Lucovsky is leaving Google for a role with VMware we’ve learned.
Lucovsky has been an integral part of Google’s APIs, including the all-important Search APIs.

Rosetta Stone, the company that makes the software that can help you learn any language (according to their advertising that is) is joining the line of companies who are suing Google over trademark infringement in AdWords campaigns. The Washington Post reports says that the company has filed their suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Rosetta Stone asked the court to stop Google from allowing other firms — including competitors — to use its trademarks to sell ads associated with online searches.

“Google and its advertisers benefit financially from and trade off the goodwill and reputation of Rosetta Stone without incurring the substantial expense that Rosetta Stone has incurred in building up its popularity, name recognition and brand loyalty,” Michael Wu, general counsel of Rosetta Stone, said in a statement.

Google is still going about its search business despite the flurry of activity around its Chrome OS and all other things Google. Today, on the Official Google Blog, they announced the introduction of better, more comprehensive search results for places.

Using our Universal Search technology, we have provided maps in our search results for more than two years. However, as any traveler could tell you, knowing the geographical location of a place is only part of the story. It’s often just as valuable to get a sense of what the place is like, and there’s no better way to do that than by looking at images of some of its most important sights.

Rather than just heist the images they used I did some exploring myself. Raleigh, NC and Cary, NC (neighboring ‘cities’) each had their own map and pictures.