Google introduced the world to their new mobile payment service for smartphones aptly named, Google Wallet. While the service isn’t officially live just yet, you can hit up Google.com/wallet to signup and get notified as soon as it is. At present, there is only one telephone in the US that is in fact NFC enabled to take benefit of their new service and I’d envision Google is waiting for the release of some new NFC chipped devices ahead of going live. In case you had been questioning what type of individual would benefit from Google Wallet, nicely — Google already has their very first customer and supplied the video below.
The headlines over the last couple of weeks have been a buzz about Google’s new social networking internet site. 1 of its most touted features is its circles alternative, which allows you to share information with certain groups of individuals, pals, colleagues, etc. There appears to be a lot of users already, but only time will tell if it will go head-to-head with Facebook.
Similar to Mr. Zuckerberg’s network, Google lastly received approval from Apple for its
title="Google+ iPhone App" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google/id447119634?mt=8&partnerId=30&siteID=saW0nB/fQ6o" target="_blank">Google+ iPhone app. Once again, like Facebook, the new social web site does not have an iPad app. Of course, the quantity of iPhone users trumps iPad users astronomically so it makes sense.
But what does Google’s iPhone app offer you that would make you commence utilizing the service, continue to use it and achievable get rid of Facebook?
Read the rest of
href="http://www.appcraver.com/google-plus/">Google+ iPhone App has Potential or discover further
href="http://www.appcraver.com/">iOS applications.
In 1 of the much more geeky (and equally amazing) stories I came across today, a Google engineer by the name of Ari Gilder proposed to his girlfriend today making use of a mixture of Google Maps and a custom app he built on his Nexus 1 The girlfriend was given the Nexus One and then, using the Google Maps to strategy her route, she would check in at numerous locations utilizing the custom app to get a rose and a picture.
Directions to the next location had been locked by a password that the girlfriend had to figure out by effectively answering a question about their relationship. You see, this would never ever work if it was turned around. Men forget every thing. Anyway &mdash back to the story. As soon as, future Ms. Gilder, reached the final checkpoint she was then met by Ari who dropped to one knee and popped her the final question (I promised myself I wouldn&rsquot cry).
This just goes to show you the creative minds working at Google. Oh- and thanks Ari for creating the rest of us men appear bad. I can barely build a tiny house out of popsicle sticks let alone a custom Android app. In any case, congrats Ari and his fiance!
The initial signs of a nationwide rollout for Google Wallet have come in the form of a leaked internal RadioShack email. According to the screen shot passed to Engadget, The Shack is set to start off accepting Google Wallet payments on September 1st.
We’re not really surprised to see RadioShack on the forefront of the new NFC-enabled payment as they had been 1 of the initial retail partners announced with the service. On the other hand, we were pleasantly caught off guard to find out that Google Wallet might be prepared for its huge-scale debut in just a matter of days.
Google will mount the trike onto a boat to take photographs as it floats down the river. The tripod — which is the identical program they use to capture imagery of organization interiors — will also be utilised to give you a sense of what it is like to live and work in locations such as an Amazonian community center and school, says the company.
In other Google Maps news, you can now get neighborhood weather simply by clicking on the layer in Google Maps. To add the weather layer, hover over the widget in the upper appropriate corner of Google Maps and pick the weather layer from the list of choices.
Above is a video shot with an HTC Desire HD utilizing LapseIt, a time lapse application obtainable on the Android Market. Time-Lapse – Lite also continuously shoots pictures and assembles them together as a .mov video file that could be uploaded to YouTube or played back in VLC Media Player.
If you believed that other Android players would be upset of the news of Google acquiring Motorola this morning, then you’d be wrong. At least initially. Early press quotes indicate that 4-out-of-4 OHA partners are in agreement and every of them ‘welcome’ the deal. All four (LG, HTC, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson) have supplied a blurb that paint a picture of everybody sitting about a campfire, sharing s’mores.
“We welcome today’s news, which demonstrates Google’s deep commitment to defending Android, its partners, and the ecosystem.” – – J.K. Shin President, Samsung, Mobile Communications Division
“I welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.” – – Bert Nordberg, President & CEO, Sony Ericsson
“We welcome the news of today‘s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.” – – Peter Chou CEO, HTC Corp
“We welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.” – – Jong-Seok Park, Ph.D President & CEO, LG Electronics Mobile Communications Organization
We’d love to get these guys, and everybody else in the Android universe, off the record and see what they truly think of the news. What was the initial word out of their mouths this morning when their assistant passed the word along?
UPDATE: Greatest Acquire and Marvell have chimed in with their opinion and even though they don’t outright use the word welcome, we get the sense that they are happy nonetheless.
“We are positive towards Google’s continued commitment and investment in an open Android for the benefit of all players in the eco-technique.” – Weili Dai Co-founder, Marvell Technology Group
“Best Purchase has worked closely with each Google and Motorola to bring excellent solutions to our consumers. Now, with today’s news, we are excited to see what we can do together to serve customers. Both businesses have been tremendous partners to Best Obtain and we anticipate that connection to get even stronger in the future. – Brian J. Dunn CEO, Very best Obtain
It’s that time again. Time for another string of Android malware, this time using the popularity of Google+ to fool unsuspecting Android users. The malicious code dubbed “Nickispy.C” was discovered by Trend Micro today and although it uses many of the same services as its previous versions, it learned a few new tricks this time around. Now, Nickispy.C goes incognito my calling itself Google++ using the same icon as the legit Google+ app for all of its services.
If given free reign over your phone, the app steals the usual text messages, GPS positions, call logs, and even goes as far as answering your calls allowing for the malware’s creator to listen in or record your most intimate conversations. Still unknown is if this malware made it into users’ devices through the Android Market or 3rd party app store or via the word wide web.
The good news? Well, the malware only effects Android 2.2 users thanks to the exploit being patched up in 2.3 that allows for an app to change the phone state without a user’s consent. The bad news? Android 2.2 is still found on around 74% of all Android devices. Damn. Even more reason to look forward to Android 2.3, right?
Ever considering that Google told use that they were planning another Nexus device to pilot Ice Cream Sandwich, we’ve waited patiently (feel: spamming F5 on Google’s weblog every 5 minutes) to see what’s in store for us next. Rumor has it that Google has narrowed it down to just a couple of large players, which includes one “big surprise”. And what a few large players they are.
We continue to see a few devices rise from the dozens, so we have to assume that there is at least some truth to the rumors. Among these supposed prototypes are a Samsung device with a dual-core 1.5GHz OMAP4460, and HTC with dual-core 1.8 Ghz Krait Snapdragon MSM8960 (/drool), a Sony Ericsson with dual-core 1.two GHz Scorpion MSM8吸, and an LG with dual-core 1.five GHz OMAP4460. Rumor also tells of a “rather svelte” “really large surprise” with an Intel CPU, which is intriguing simply because it would be Intel’s 1st foray into the Android market. That said, could they be any a lot more vague?
Still, any one of these devices would make for an outstanding telephone. This author has his eye set on the HTC device for a lot more than a few factors, the largest of which getting its unreleased Krait Snapdragon processor. This CPU delivers up to twice the density of any chip previous to it, although its 28nm draw does far more with much less power. Many would argue that these processors won’t be prepared in time for a release this year, but sources tell us that HTC is working about-the-clock to make this a reality. Definitely, a device such as this has the prospective to be the next “developer telephone”, a la the Nexus One. HTC’s stance on rooting just makes it all the much more appealing.
As to the “big surprise”, it had much better be a doozy. We’ve observed Android released on so several devices (phones, watches, Television’s, etc), that Google would have to release an iPhone to genuinely catch this author off-guard.
The Google+ Android App by Google Inc. is Google’s attempt to penetrate the social networking game. Google has done a, masterful job with its customary simple design and seamless integration with Android as well as all the other Google applications. Google +’s interface is extremely simply designed and has many features that the other social networking utilities do just shed in a different light. For example, instead of a like button there is a +1 button which we all know is way better than “Like.” Other features include huddle sessions which will for instant conversations with multiple people. This feature is very similar to a BBM type application.
When you open the app you will see the main menu in front of you and you will be able to select from the different options that are included in the Google + application. You will be able to access your different circles of friends as well as access the huddle feature of the app. The news updates from the members of your different circle will be updated when you open the app each time. The Google + app also comes with an instant photo upload feature to instantly capture and share any moment.
Overall, this is a very useful app for accessing your Google+ account. At the time of this review the Google+ Android App is free. Thumbs Up.
The smallest and lightest dedicated e-book reader is the Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350, which has a 5-inch touch screen and weighs just 5.5 ounces, but lacks Wi-Fi.
Other 6-inch ebook readers include the Kobo eReader Touch ($ 129 with touchscreen, Wi-Fi, MicroSD and Micro USB, 7.1 ounces), Nook Simple Touch ($ 139 with touchscreen, Wi-Fi, microSD, usb, 7.5 ounces), and the Nook Color ($ 249 with a larger 7-inch touchscreen, Wifi, USB, 15.8 ounces).
There are also a number of 7-inch Android tablets available. Most will read books from Amazon, Google, Borders, Barnes and Nobile as well as independent suppliers that use common ebook standards such as ePub, mobi, PDF, TXT, RTF, and others.
Since its launch in April last year, Apple’s iPad tablet has defied skeptics, becoming a breakthough product.
Roger Fidler, program director for digital publishing at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, has been conducting surveys of iPad users since last fall and is surprised by the high levels of user satisfaction.
“While the iPad is designed for consuming all kinds of media, it has become clear that leisure reading of news and features is very popular with owners,” Fidler said. “The iPad’s ultra-thin, lightweight nearly magazine-size screen is more conducive for reading than laptop computers and other mobile devices. The screen size seems to be one of the main reasons for its sustained user satisfaction.”
The Guardian announced that it has launched a Kindle edition. It comes as the Guardian prepares to stop printing international editions this October. The Guardian says will be available in the UK, U.S. and 100 other countries, and will feature all content, including supplements, from both the Guardian and its sister Sunday newspaper, the Observer—for now, all in black-and-white.
According to AdWeek the final pricing hasn’t been set yet, but the goal is to offer a roughly 50 percent discount on the tablet and the digital subscription. The hope is to breach the print and digital worlds with the program. Currently the papers’ digital editions each cost $ 2.99 a week.
The average seven-day newspaper subscription is $ 3.85 a week, with circulation revenue per subscriber over two years adding up to $ 400. But the expense of producing and delivering the paper, plus acquisition costs is more than $ 450. Advertising makes newspapers and magazines possible.
A tablet like the Nook Color may have an advantage for newspapers and magazines over a B&W Kindle in that it can run Android apps and display color banner ads as well as embed video and photos. Amazon is rumored to have an Android color tablet in the works, perhaps similar to the Nook Color. Amazon already has an Android App Store.
Can Google+ steal users from Facebook? PCWorld’s Mark Sullivan says there are good reasons to switch from Facebook to Google+, ranging from ease-of-use to respect for data privacy.
As a long-time BlackBerry enthusiast and proud Canadian, I want to see Research In Motion turn around the negative sentiment that is now stalking them in the media and gain back the sales momentum and brand popularity they have enjoyed in the past.
But should this challenge prove too difficult in the months ahead or simply take too long to execute in the face of an eroding market cap, what will become of RIM? I’ve pondered this question a lot in recent weeks from every conceivable angle, and it was sitting on a patio sipping my fourth pitcher of Sangria on Canada Day that I concluded Google will buy Research In Motion. It won’t be Microsoft – they’ve made their bet on Windows Phone and Nokia (and the Steve Ballmer at BlackBerry World thing was little more than a PR stunt). It won’t be Co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis buying back the company and going private again (though I’m sure they’d love to do that). It won’t be any other company seriously stepping in with a bid. It’ll be Google. Keep reading for my logical reasoning.
10 Reasons Why Google Will Buy Research In Motion
In no particular order….
1. QNX. QNX, the foundation of the new BlackBerry Tablet OS and future QNX-based BlackBerry "superphones" is literally a drop-in replacement for the Android’s Linux Kernel. Thanks to its POSIX compliance, it would literally take just weeks for Android to make this conversion, and they would immediately enjoy the benefits of QNX on the Android platform: improved stability (microkernel vs. monolithic kernel), better security (notice how the PlayBook hasn’t been rooted), ease of rolling out new hardware (QNX is already running on 32 cores) and more. Android has its vulnerabilities. Android with a QNX kernel is compelling.
2. Canada is nice, eh. Google already has offices in Kitchener (next to Waterloo), Ontario, where RIM’s headquarters and main talent pool are located. It could be that Google has been thinking ahead.
3. Java. Java is at the heart of the Android, and Research In Motion has a lot of smart people who know Java.
4. Mobile patents. One of Google/Android’s biggest weaknesses currently are their lack of patents in the mobile space. Google is starting to get inundated with lawsuits, and unfortunately, these lawsuits don’t just get directed at Google but also the companies that are using the Android operating system on their devices. Google NEEDS to build up their mobile patent defenses. Buying RIM not only would give Google RIM’s patents, it would also get Google into the recent Nortel patent acquisition that Google was not part of the winning bid on.
Google lost the bid on Nortel patents to a consortium of companies including Apple, Microsoft and RIM. It’s pretty clear that this consortium was done as a block again Google to stave off Android growth and prevent Google from winning the bid. However, looking at Google’s bids for the patents, which were based on pi (3.141519 billion) and other universal constants like the distance between the Earth and the Sun, it’s like Google wasn’t even taking the bid seriously. And why would you? If you’re Google and you’re about to buy RIM, who’s stake in the Nortel bid was $ 770 million, you’re getting your piece of over 6,000 Nortel patents for a $ 4 billion dollar discount. Google actually buying these Nortel patents at over $ 4.5 billion would have been a stupid move if they’re planning on buying RIM in the near-ish future. A RIM acquisition has effectively been discounted by over $ 3.5 billion.
5. T.A.T. Google has worked extensively with The Astonishing Tribe in the past. TAT did the UI for the original version of Android on the T-Mobile G1. Google knows TAT. Google likes TAT. RIM owns TAT. Google buys RIM and now owns TAT.
6. Enterprise. Android becomes viable for enterprise. Currently when you mention Android in enterprise, most people just laugh. The security isn’t there, nor is there a great way to manage it. RIM already announced they’re working on cross-platform BES support at BlackBerry World this year. In a world where Google owns RIM and there’s a QNX kernel on Android (see point #1), Android in enterprise is no longer laughable, it’s awesome.
7. Carrier relationships. I don’t think anybody would argue with the fact RIM has done a great job over the years at expanding its footprint around the globe. Google is obviously doing a great job at this too with Android, and Google would only further benefit from RIM’s existing carrier relationships and RIM’s existing base of people who currently work in these roles.
8. Proof of concept complete / Commitment to Android. RIM has already announced support for Android apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook (and future QNX-based BlackBerry Smartphones). I believe this was done without Google’s blessing, but it shows that Android on BlackBerry is already doable. It also shows RIM is already going to rely on Android for "app tonnage," which could be seen as a turn off to other potential RIM suitors.
9. Reduce fragmentation. Google has made it clear that they want to reduce the fragmentation in the Android ecosystem, and BlackBerry running Android apps on Google only complicates this issue further. Because RIM is having developers resubmit their Android-built apps to App World (effectively making them BlackBerry apps), there’s little Google can currently do to prevent this. Google buying RIM allows this to be addressed.
10. Assuming Google wants to, they could now own the end-to-end experience. Google currently builds no hardware. Instead, they give away the operating system to companies like HTC, Samsung, LG, etc. who build the hardware. Google may not want to change this approach, but if they wanted to, they could actually own the hardware and software stack and build their own hardware via a RIM acquisition.
Bonus Reason 11. Google’s Eric Schmidt was a CrackBerry addict. Seriously, even in 2009 as Android was emerging from it’s shell, Eric Schmidt was rocking a BlackBerry (remember when he got caught on camera using it). I’m not saying everybody at Google likes BlackBerry, but I’m sure they get BlackBerry.
Google’s Eric Schmidt snapping a photo on his BlackBerry
Hesitations
That’s a lot of logical reasoning as to why Google buying RIM makes a ton of sense. Are there any reasons why it would be a bad idea? Prior to last week, my main sticking point would be the corporate culture. I think pockets of RIM — like QNX and TAT — would fit with Google’s college culture perfectly. But the historical RIM is more stuffy and enterprise focused. Though after last week’s Open Letter to RIM Senior Management, I more than ever get the feeling that RIM not only needs but WANTS a cultural change. It’ll be hard for RIM to make that change happen by themselves, but the Google culture is well known. RIM has a lot of smart people who would be unleashed in a Google culture. I think if Google bought RIM you’d see thousands of currently-depressed RIM employees be as excited as heck again. It would be just the thing that RIM employees need. They wouldn’t be fighting a world that seems to have turned against them – they’d be back on a winning team again.
So is it GoogBerry? GooseBerry? BerryGoo?
I can’t see the future and I don’t know how this is all going to play out. Maybe the worst is now behind us and RIM will get their act together and turn things around. But if not, I really believe the worst-case scenario for RIM would be a Google acquisition. And honestly, I don’t think it would be a worst-case at all. I actually think it would rock.
Long before I was a fan of BlackBerry I was a fan of Google (pretty sure I started using Google for search within in a week of it going live), so if RIM has to get bought, I personally want it to be Google that buys them. I don’t think as much good would come out of companies like Cisco or Dell acquiring RIM (and I think Microsoft is out). It’s a selfish reason, but to me it’s valid. I’d rather see RIM be independent, but if they have to get bought, let it be Google.
It feels like the world wants to consolidate around less mobile platforms, not more. Having iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, WebOS, each with their separate mobile development platforms, is arguably too many. On the internet, I build one website and it works with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc. If I want to put my content into an app and hit everybody, I need to build too many dang versions to hit everybody. For content publishers and people who want to have all the apps, having less platforms is easier. If you’re #1 or #2, you’re set, but if you’re going to be relegated to a number three, four or five, you’re better off joining #1 or #2.
As RIM’s share price continues to decline, RIM becomes more attractive as an acquisition target to somebody. And the more I think on it, the more I believe Google has an eye on RIM and likely knows what they want to pay for the company. When it came to Groupon, Google reportedly offered $ 5 billion to the company (which they turned down). In that case, they went in fast with a lot of money to get in early on something that was taking off – there wasn’t technology there, but rather an emerging network. This is a much different scenario. Android already has momentum and BlackBerry is in the declining position. Google won’t lose out by waiting to buy RIM. However, Google does have a lot to gain from buying RIM, but they’re in a position where they can afford to wait and buy it at a discount. I’m pretty sure Google is thinking shares of RIMM will continue to decline. And hey, maybe I’m way off base here and Google isn’t currently looking at RIM at all. But maybe after this article they will be.
Should Google buy RIM, I’d hate to see the BlackBerry name go away, and I don’t think it would (why kill something so well-known?), but following all these logical reasons of why Google will buy RIM I’m still not sure how the actual BlackBerry brand would tie into an Android/BlackBerry future. I’ll keep thinking on that. In the meantime, be sure to sound off with your comments! What do you think? Is this destiny or just crazy talk?
Google showed off their movie rental service back in May at I/O, but only launched it for the XOOM. It was originally supposed to be for Honeycomb 3.1 devices, but non of the other Honeycomb 3.1 devices have access to it.
We do have an interesting development as some people saw the application in the Android Market briefly last night and were able to download it. Looks like they may be making this a widespread application soon. Of course, it will only be available for non rooted devices. No word on availability, but we will let you know as soon as we hear more. Check out the video of it running on a Nexus S after the break.
Facebook is okay. Twitter is neat. But Google+ is already opening doors. With the new “Hangout” feature, the Phandroid team tested out something we’ve wanted to do for a LONG time: video podcasting. The main thing holding us back in the past was a simple technology to get the job done. Well, check out what we were able to accomplish with Google+:
What we did was extremely simple:
Create a private G+ Hangout with those video podcasting
Use Camtasia, set the recording area to a custom size that fits the Hangout video
Press the record button and start your podcast!
I had to use a microphone that recorded the sound coming out of my laptop speaker, so sound quality wasn’t good. Kevin and I were also using our built-in laptop cameras so our video quality wasn’t great. But when it comes down to it, this was a test run that can be greatly improved upon- we just wanted to test it out, share the idea, and see what you folks think.
Most of all, I hope Google takes notice and continues building this out as a native feature set with YouTube integration. Some things I’d like to see:
Set private Hangout/Podcast participants, but allow other Circles or the general public to view the video stream
Enable the “host” to selectively allow people watching (but not participating) to get face-time: this could be the equivalent of “calling in” to ask a question or having a guest on-air
Allow recording of the video which would automatically be uploaded to your YouTube account for future viewing
Take it one step further and imagine live polls, overlay graphics/text, and elements that would not only improve hangout as a feature for friends but make it the most compelling (and free) video podcasting solution on the planet.
So… what do you think?
Keep the opinions coming!
Please sound off in the comments if you’d like to see more of these videos: what specific topics/ideas would you like us to cover?
Just as any young single stud would be doing on a Friday night of a holiday weekend, I was browsing through Google+… when an Incoming stream post caught my eye:
Immediately I thought about Facebook, all the double posting problems, and how if you make a mistake you’ve got to delete your post and start over. How nice that you can simply edit your posts! Unless someone with devious plans, like myself, comes along:
There is definitely an inherent problem with being able to edit your threads and posts, which the above video illustrates. Most online forums and community-style message boards allow you a certain time period of post-editing ability, after which your post is pretty much locked into place. Twitter allows you to delete (not edit) tweets, but of course the ones you wish you could take back probably get captured in print screen glory or google cache before you can snap your fingers.
That being said, those who were “tricked” in my 5 minute social experiment struck back, editing their own posts.
But it begs the question… what are the default edit settings on Google+ and how could it effect you? Sure you can always edit/delete your comments but what if you don’t catch something in time or the original poster edits theirs far, far down the road? Would love to hear what you think about post editing capabilities.
Have a great weekend Apple Lovers slash Steve Jobs fantasizers!
Google has absolute domination when it comes to search engines, notes NPR’s John Moe. Google currently enjoys a search market share somewhere in the mid 60 percent range in the United States. That number is significantly higher in other countries, many of whom have long been concerned over the inordinate power Google enjoys in presenting information.
Google says, “It’s still unclear exactly what the FTC’s concerns are, but we’re clear about where we stand. Since the beginning, we have been guided by the idea that, if we focus on the user, all else will follow.”
But there may be a darker side to this investigation. What if the federal government wanted Google’s technology and the company refused to comply?
Google reads your email, knows your interests and can even recognize your face. Why wouldn’t the federal government want Google to share its technology.
The civil probe has the potential to reshape how companies compete on the Internet, and is the most serious legal threat yet to the 12-year-old company, writes the Wall Street Journal.
Though Singhal writes that “it’s still unclear exactly what the FTC’s concerns are,” reports in recent days have pointed to Google’s core search advertising business as a concern. According to the Wall Street Journal, the investigators will look into whether Google somehow is unfairly dominating the sphere, at the expense of competition.
Consider Google’s Profiles product includes a user’s name, phone number and e-mail address that might be displayed once a person is identified by its facial-recognition system.
One could imagine a scenario in which Google’s Eric Schmidt was leaning towards some kind of limited cooperation with the feds, who he didn’t see as the enemy. Sergey Brin may have disagreed with Schmidt.
Perhaps that’s why Schmidt is no longer CEO of Google.
The FTC lawsuit – in this scenario – would be the government’s not so subtle shot across the bow — play ball or else. Schmidt, the pragmatist, may have seen it coming. Brin, the idealist, may think he can beat the feds at their own game.
Google+, the up and coming social network from Google, has just landed in the Android Market as a free application for 2.1+ devices. This applications ties in about every Google+ feature including some other features like:
Your Social Stream
Instant Upload
Huddle (Group Messaging)
We have also added a video below the break to visually show the features of the Google+ Android application. Would you use Google+ for yourself? Leave your comments below or on our Facebook wall telling us what appeals most to you! NOTE: You’ll need an invitation to join the party so be patient if you cannot sign in right away.
This morning I awoke to a brand new application in the Android Market: Google Video. I can browse movies and even see the ones that I have on my XOOM, but it takes me to the web interface and not a native rental store. Plus, the Market states that only the Verizon version (say that five times fast) is supported for movie rental and playback.
Anybody out there get this working yet, or did this one get out of the GooglePlex in the dead of night?
When Google’s new movie rentals and accompanying app were announced at this year’s I/O developers conference, the Motorola XOOM was announced as one of the first Android devices to receive streaming of rentals from the Android Market. The Google Videos (formerly Movies) app came to carrier-branded XOOM tablets along with the Android 3.1 update, but the same OS upgrade did not enable the app on WiFi-only versions of the slate. Motorola confirmed that the omission was intentional. Today that changes, as the app has been updated to include support of the WiFi XOOM.
The app still won’t work with rooted XOOMs, and unlikely ever will. If you don’t fall into that category, head over to the Android Market link below to grab Google Videos for your tablet now.
Historical Society eat your heart out, the Panoramic City Views USA iPad app is by far one of the most interesting ways to travel back in time to yesteryear and experience America as it was over a 100 years ago. With up to 400 megapixels of historical detail for intense zooming, the iPad app is the [...]
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We’ve seen Google make a ton of failed forays into the social scene: Remember Google Buzz, Google Wave, Google Knol, Orkut and other ominously hopeful attempts? Yesterday they were joined in hope by Google +1, and while many are saying that it too will fail, I believe Google has a SERIOUS opportunity here. But it’s an opportunity they could just as easily squander. We’ve seen that before.
What is Google +1?
For the unfamiliar, +1 is Google’s version of the Facebook “Like” button. Any page on the internet can be “liked” and webmasters across the globe can add “+1″ buttons to their content, allowing visitors to easily like and share content they deem valuable.
The Wave of Buzz Before +1
There is one crucial difference between Google’s launch of +1 and previous services like Buzz and Wave. Think about the unique proposition of the past products. Google Buzz allowed you to “shout” comments to other Buzz users based on physical locations. Google Wave allowed you to communicate with other Wave users based on a “Next Gen E-Mail” concept. Google Knol attempted to collect in-depth reviews from users to create a Wikipedia competitor. Heck, Google even launched their own social network with Orkut allowing you to connect with a closed circle of friends.
All of these have three key elements in common:
The initial strategy starts and ends with providing an awesome service to the end user
The concept doesn’t properly reach it’s potential if critical mass don’t buy into the idea
If momentum dies… so does the idea
With all of Google’s immensely popular services, with their ridiculous reach and clout, you’d think they could leverage good, new ideas into instant success. Not quite. With Buzz and Wave, Google learned they could influence a large number of people to try something new. But if all their friends weren’t using the service, what’s the point? Both services quickly lost their luster with Wave becoming (NSFW) little more than a novelty/comedy act and Buzz falling into disfavor due to privacy concerns. Although you can get users to try something new once or even many times, creating habits and changing existing habits is a completely different ballgame.
The Fatal Flaws
Facebook isn’t a social network with brilliantly original ideas. When MySpace was still successful (if you can remember that far back), any idiot could have created their own social network that did very similar things. Why was Facebook the juggernaut success story?
It isn’t just about Facebook being a great product. Lots of companies create great products. But is it a great product, in the right place, at the right time, under the right circumstances, in the right environment, and marketed correctly? Facebook enjoyed the perfect storm of momentum, growing organically and somehow fueling itself into the figurative snowball that became an avalanche of success.
Google, on the other hand, (with Buzz/Wave) built what they considered to be the perfect products, flipped the switch, and expected all the moths to flock to the light. I’m being a bit harsh, but it illustrates an important difference in strategy, and one they’ve diverged from with +1.
The +1 Difference
It might be impossible to create the perfect storm, but how about creating the perfect conditions for a perfect storm to manifest? With +1, Google is flipping the three elements found earlier in this article directly on their head, and it could be exactly what the doctor ordered for their social woes.
(1) Forget End Users, Focus On Our Users
While Google still fundamentally believes in and follows through with creating awesome products and services, marketing them is a completely different ballgame. People are finicky. People are creatures of habit. People are very different from one another and Google doesn’t quite have “people” – in general – figured out yet. However, Google does have one huge and strategically important group in their pocket. What group collectively runs the internet and – in their own voice towards their own unique circle of friends – can motivate their “circle” to adopt Google’s products and services?
Webmasters. Think about it: what benefit do end users currently have to use Google’s +1? Almost none. Click the +1 button and see the number go up, but beyond that, does anything interesting happen? Not really.
Webmasters on the other hand have a huge opportunity by implementing +1… and run a huge risk in not implementing. Google has explicitly stated that +1 statistics can and will directly affect organic search results, a source of traffic that is responsible for the majority of traffic for most websites. Why deliver the message themselves when Google has an army of people closer to the end users, willing to recruit the masses?
(2) If You Build It, Bring It To Them
Field Of Dreams is one of my favorite movies on the planet and it features the memorable line, “If you build it, they will come.” referring to building a baseball field that will automagically attract the spirits of former ballplayers.
That’s what Google has done in the past: built it and expected them to come. And they did… but with socially oriented products, they left just as quickly as they came. With ideas that require a critical mass, you’ve got to have a more strategic and proactive approach then what marketers call “pitching and praying”.
This time around, with +1, Google is taking their product directly to the front and center of user’s focus. Not only will webmasters across the globe be implementing +1 in the hopes of attracting social clicks that improve their overall Google rankings, but Google themselves are walking the talk by showing +1 implementation in key places that define their business. For example, see what happens when I search for “phandroid” on Google:
When searching Google (which everyone does) and seeing the faces of your friends who have +1′d results, you’re forced to keep the service top of mind. If you don’t know what +1 is and you see these results, chances are you’ll be trying to find out. And since your favorite websites will likely be shoving +1 buttons down your throats, chances are lots of people will be +1′ing even before there are real benefits involved.
Notice how you can +1 or Tweet but there is no sign of Facebook Liking anywhere? Yeah… that’s NOT a coincidence. The social war is upon us. Might they use this for ranking apps in Android Market as well? Possibly, and I’m sure app developers are taking note, suggesting their users +1 their application. Google will almost assuredly roll out +1 options in other places as well… but more on that later.
(3) Keep The Ball Rolling
Google Buzz and Google Wave lost steam quickly. The novelty wore off, everyone’s friends weren’t using it which made it less useful, people put it down which made it even less compelling and momentum went in the exact opposite direction as intended. Creating the perfect storm isn’t easy, but by:
Enlisting the support of webmasters
Incentivizing webmasters with better rankings
Plastering +1 and friends’ faces across their most visited pages
…Google is ensuring the service will get mass attention and for a decent amount of time. Webmasters will push +1 until it’s deemed useless and Google will push it on their homepage and other key places unless it fails. And it very well could fail if Google doesn’t follow up with more features. To keep the ball rolling, Google needs to extend a unique proposition and key benefit to end users. They’ve bought themselves a nice window of time by employing a new strategy… but they’ll squander the opportunity if they don’t follow it up with the awesome end-user product we hope they have under wraps.
Flattening Facebook
The Google +1 button isn’t going to do much all by its lonesome. But if Google is able to integrate the services they have made successful into one consumer-friendly social haven- watch out! Facebook only has one hugely successful product: Facebook. Within Facebook they’ve got some hugely successful features such as photo albums and up-and-coming features such as Places and Offers, but take a look at Google’s products that people rely every single day: Web Search, GMail, GTalk, Calendar, YouTube, Maps, Navigation, Chrome, Google Voice, Android and many more. Not to mention they’ve got their own picture service (Picasa), recently announced Google Offers and Google Wallet, and projects like Google TV and Chromebooks will further intimate the Google experience in your life.
On a service-by-service basis, Google is light years ahead of Facebook in key areas and if they’re able to harness all that power into one social system? They could potentially flatten Facebook.
They’ll never wipe Facebook out, but they can compete and possibly even win.
For example, with Google Maps and Google Nav on both Web and Android, they dominate the local search arena and give businesses a HUGE reason to cooperate and prioritize their relationship with Google. GTalk is tons better than Facebook Chat, Google Buzz offers location based discussion with friends, and Google Latitude and Places both offer incredible check-in and tracking type functionality. They’ve got video content locked down with Youtube and Youtube LIVE promises unique sharing abilities between friends. Did you forget about the announcement of Google Music? It’s all there…
Google is missing one key thing in competing with Facebook on the social scene: a single destination.
While Google has a lot of different services that people love and use, they all exist in their separate silos that don’t talk to each other. People love having one destination for each activity in their life and Google has accomplished this with many of their services. Want videos? Go to YouTube. Want E-Mail? Go to GMail. Want Maps? Go to Google Maps. Want to stay organized? Use Google Calendar. Want a phone? Use Android. Want Music? Google Music. Want Chat? GTalk. And the list goes on. But people also want one single destination for social.
Google has all the features and resources to integrate their amazing services into one user interface that allows people to share all types of various information with their friends, family, co-workers and whoever else they deem worthy in a simple, intuitive and fun way. They just need to do it. And now.
Where it could all go wrong…
As I already explained, creating the perfect storm is nearly impossible, especially when you’re competing head-on with a social powerhouse like Facebook. Google has all the tools to succeed and they’re building an environment to foster the organic creation of a perfect storm. That being said… it could all end up being a dud and here are a few key reasons why:
Lack of “Cool Factor”: Google doesn’t exactly have the “cool” factor when it comes to social and it’s a wildcard element that’s hard to piece together. It’s not just about the perfect service. It’s in the name, marketing, look/feel, and so much more. Google is known for many things but the social connectivity cool factor isn’t one of them… and overcoming that hurdle could prove problematic. If you ask me, Google would benefit by using a name/domain not directly associated with Google.com (think Youtube instead of Google Video).
Privacy Concerns: Although people like getting all their stuff in one place, people might feel that they already get enough from Google- also sharing their social information is just one step too far. For personal reasons, many people like keeping their social life separate from the rest of their life and by using a Google social service, many consumers may feel there are too many risks in potentially sharing information they really, really didn’t want to share. People like different outlets for different needs but will the masses want one company in charge of everything?
Anti-trust/Monopoly: It would be a great problem to have if Google made a social service so popular that the government came knocking on their door saying they’re too big. But the fact that this is inherently a risk is part of the reason the “cool” factor is hard to achieve- everyone likes an underdog and that’s how Facebook started out. Not to mention, the government already has their eyes on Google for this sort of thing.
Failure to Launch: This whole articles is predicated on the fact that Google +1 is the first step in unleashing a larger and comprehensive social strategy in the near future. Google +1 in it’s current state isn’t much of a threat to anyone. If Google doesn’t follow it up with front-facing end-user features, it’ll go the way of Buzz and Wave. Now that they’ve made +1 public, they have a window of time to roll out the rest of their masterplan. If they don’t have a masterplan? Bye bye +1. If they do? We’ll see what it is. But the next month or two will illustrate if Google has learned anything with the relative failures of Buzz and Wave.
Half-Bake Launch: Similarly, if Google rolls out something half-baked, people will try it for a little bit, not like it, leave, return to Facebook and never come back.
I have to think that Google planned/hoped to launch a lot of awesome social stuff at Google IO but just wasn’t ready. Learning from Buzz/Wave, they decided to wait until all the pieces were in place before they moved forward. They know that if they launch a Facebook competitor and it flops, consumers might not ever give them a second chance and that’s WAY too big of a risk to take by “rushing”. Now that the pieces are ready… +1 indicates step 1 of the plan.
But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe +1 is just another service Google is getting wrong. Maybe it’s a solitary service and Google doesn’t have plans to immediately integrate/promote it with a larger social product. The opportunity is here and now; Google should either capture it while they can or they should have waited to launch +1 altogether until they were ready. And don’t forget… just as Google could enter the Social Hemisphere in a big way, so could Facebook march into Google territory.
Arguably, but not really, the most popular emulators on the Android Market have been yanked by Google. The *oid line, developed by Yongzh, seems to have finally rubbed Google, or some console developers the wrong way.
Engadget has noted that Mr. Zhang has moved his line of emulators to the SlideME store where they will be free for the time being so users who purchased the apps in the Market will continue to receive updates for the time being.
On a sentimental note, I just realized that it was just over two years ago that I first reported NESoid being released on the Market, and I continued to root for him through his releases of Gensoid and SNESoid. I really didn’t think I would be reporting the death of Yongzh’s Market tenure anytime in this life.
PCWorld’s Tony Bradley thinks there are a few tricks Facebook could learn from the new Google+ to improve its own social networking service.
Can Google+ steal users from Facebook? PCWorld’s Mark Sullivan says there are good reasons to switch from Facebook to Google+, ranging from ease-of-use to respect for data privacy.
Webmasters. Think about it: what benefit do end users currently have to use Google’s +1? Almost none. Click the +1 button and see the number go up, but beyond that, does anything interesting happen? Not really.
Google Buzz and Google Wave lost steam quickly. The novelty wore off, everyone’s friends weren’t using it which made it less useful, people put it down which made it even less compelling and momentum went in the exact opposite direction as intended. Creating the perfect storm isn’t easy, but by:
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