Plot your New Year resolution with Google's interactive resolution map

Everybody makes new year resolutions, but whether they keep up with it through the next 365 days is something else entirely. You may want to lose weight and stay in better shape, pick up a new hobby, or get a job. Well, Google now has a way to let you see what others want to change, do or see in the new year, and you can add yours for everyone to see, courtesy an interactive map.

Lets you see what others have resolved to do.

Google's interactive resolution map has a Resolutions legend on the right, with the categories Love, Health, Career, Finance, Family, Education, Do Good and Other. The rest of the page is covered with the world map and is dotted by resolutions corresponding to the legends. So, if a user has resolved to lose weight in 2013, the same will show up on the map with the corresponding legend colour. Move your cursor over the map and the tiny dots expand to form a larger circle to show the message clearly. If you wish to see the message in a different language, then you can change it according to your language preferences. 

Alternatively, users can zoom in and out of their maps and navigate along the surface to see what people across the globe have resolved to do in the new year. If you wish to see each category at a time on the map, then all you have to do is click on individuals singularly. This way, only those resolutions that feature in that category will show up. Alternatively, if you wish to see all the lengends showing up on the map, then you will have to click on 'View all'. 

So what's your new year resolution?

To add your own resolutions to the map, click on the bright blue, semi-hidden circle at the bottom of the page. In the first box, you will have to type in  your resolution for the new year. In the second box, you have to specify their postal code, followed by their country name in the third box. In the drop down menu, you have to pick a category for their resolution. Once done, you can expect your resolution to show up on the map in 24-48 hours.

On a related note, Google will make its data centre in Asia operational this year,  which means YouTube videos will load faster for us Indians and searches will be quicker by almost 30 percent.

Google started work on its Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong centres in 2011. While the one in Singapore is likely to be completed early this year, the Taiwan one is scheduled to start operations by the second half. As for the Hong Kong facility, Google has not provided a clear timeline on its completion. Reportedly, the company is spending $300 million (Rs 1,600 crore) on its centres. 

Lalitesh Katragadda, Country Head, India Products at Google, was quoted as saying, "Internet connectivity speed in India is not very high. These data centres will be crucial to this market due to its proximity."