Tag Google

Entries 19 Total Description

The #1 online search engine and developer of numerous web-based solutions as well as the power behind Android the OS for smartphones.

Google Making a Huge Mistake!

Aug 29, ’12 4:47 PM

In Google’s move and mood to shed unecessary, unneeded, and unproductive online projects Google is intent to follow through on previously announced plans to shutter iGoogle. This is like going to the barber and he cuts it too close and you don’t have enough left to modify it.

It is true the days of web portals has surely passed but Google can put on their thinking caps and reshape iGoogle into a good Social play.

iGoogle will be retired in 16 months, on November 1, 2013. The mobile version will be retired on July 31, 2012.so there still is time for new users to experimenrt with and experience iGoogle as a good browser start page. The end date or iGoogle is scheduled to be deep into 2013, so there is time to export your data and for us to ween ourselves over to other services.

Hopefully by the iGoogle drop-dead date in 2013 Google will realize what an useful asset they already have in iGoogle and can build it up and promote it better.

There is even a “Save iGoogle” petition campaign out here hoping to convince Google to change their mind if nothing else through sheer numbers.

Here is what Google has posted regarding the iGoogle move.

How did you come to this decision?
We originally launched iGoogle in 2005 before anyone could fully imagine the ways that today’s web and mobile apps would put personalized, real-time information at your fingertips. With modern apps that run on platforms like Chrome and Android, the need for something like iGoogle has eroded over time, so we’ll be winding down iGoogle on November 1, 2013, giving you a full 16 months to adjust or easily export your iGoogle data.

All of your personal data stored in other Google products will continue to be available via those products, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Finance, Google Docs (now Google Drive), Google Bookmarks, and Google Tasks. Other gadgets, like the to-do list, allow you to export your data – look for the “Download all” option under the drop-down menu tied to the title of your list. Most iGoogle gadgets are created and maintained by third-party developers. If you’d like to export your data, you should contact the gadget creator directly.

Are there other alternatives?
On your mobile device, Google Play offers applications ranging from games to news readers to home screen widgets.

If you’re a fan of Google Chrome, the Chrome Web Store provides a similar range of options like productivity tools and applications to check the weather. In addition, just like iGoogle, you can personalize Chrome with a theme.

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Google+ on iOS: The Strategy

Jul 16, ’12 3:52 PM

In war its called a inserting a mole or 5th column, in the movie “Social Network”  a main character called it “The Little Big Horn” strategy. Google has turned to it  as a way to to pull in iPad and iPhone users to Google+ slow starting  Google+ service before it becomes a non-starter. They are probably thinking that If it didn’t fly as first planned then you must go where they are.

Google can always snatch up OS dependent Android users as you need but by pre-emptively snaring Apple users Google can establish through an app their brand as cool and in essense beat Apple to the game.

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Marissa Mayer – New CEO

Jul 16, ’12 2:15 PM

Sorry you didn’t get picked for the job, but In a swift move to wipe the egg off their face after the big Resume-Gate Yahoo has rolled the dice by bringing on the very attractive Marissa Mayer formerly Vice President of Location and Local Services as CEO . Ms. Mayer grabs the reins of what is without a doubt one of the toughest jobs out here.

Challenges await her. How will she push the compant to the top?

She’s got all the chips and cards and in front of her and ahead lies the potential to do a masterly Steve Jobs job by repairing The companies bruised image and into the position of a market leader.

We wish Ms. Mayer hearty congratulations and all the luck she can muster.

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Google Compute Engine: Amazon Web Services competitor

Jun 28, ’12 10:04 PM

Some smart pundits say that Google Compute Engine is somewhat lacking and is clearly no match to Amazon.

Google’s Compute Engine fits in the “Infrastructure as a Service” space by offering cloud infrastructure similar to Amazon Web Services. This first effort is billed as a “limited preview”.

Google’s Compute Engine allows users to spin up virtual machines. Now coupled with Google’s App Engine, Google Apps and Drive the company is building out a very robust cloud stack and says they will provide all the access to its computing power to interested companies.

However there is competition, companies like Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, VMware, and HP also have cloud stacks in this space. Google states they are in it to win it with raw performance and sheer computing power.

There are indeed some pluses Google brings to the game like easy integration with Google Docs, allowing users to work offline in Chrome, and ultimately on Chromebooks.

Urs Holzle, senior vice president for technical infrastructure at Google, talked up Google’s infrastructure as a service effort. Holzle, also claims that Google App Engine has a million active apps, and heavily pitched the company’s service levels, value and performance.

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Google Telecasts Moves

May 23, ’12 9:09 AM

After Google’s recently approved acquistion of Motorola + and X-box designer company Mike & Maaike, what do you think is Google’s grand plan with these revealing pieces in their hands?

My guess is they truly desireand are taking all necessary steps to pick up and take off just where Steve Jobs unfortunately left off in his ultimately successful retooling of Apple. It took him years Google is hoping to do it in months.

For Google watchers this mainly means Google becoming a diverse company that can easily morphand merge industries from software to online, and into hardware as they see fit, with really modern minimalist design as the key to unlocking market demand. So far they have made some very wise if not always ethical nor honorable choices.

Google is rapidly becoming an agile company built more in Apple’s mold than anything. This lesson could have been better learned by all those quickly falling and ultimately failing companies that been content to rest on their laurels and past glories.

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S.F. Jury rules: Google violated Java Copyright!

May 7, ’12 7:19 PM

Well Oracle’s Larry Ellison will probably go to bed with a smile dreaming of new worlds to conquer now that his company’s aquistion of Sun and the resulting ownership of Java seems to have paid off. and in effect moves Oracle higher up the emerging mobile platform food chain at least on the Android side of things. This other shoe falling explains the previous settlement offer Google made to Oracle a while back which was promptly refused thus leading to this round of contentious litigation. So where to from here? Google stocks are already starting to react to this news. My question is what else has been built on the back of Java that will come under Oracle’s thumb?

Addendum: Turns out its actually a partial verdict or victory with “fair use” issues still to be  completely defined, considered and decided. = No billion dollars for you.

More to Come…

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Oracle v Google

Apr 18, ’12 1:18 PM

Now that Ellison and Oacle is squaring off against Page and Google it seems that we are about to witness a blood in the streets battle unlike any other in this technology-driven age. The fight seems to center around Java code used by Google in Android. Oracle has in its acquisition of SUN acquired ownership of Java and now seeks to protect it or at least reep the benefits of ownership.

The entire Android world is anticipating this will not adversely affect the Android ecosystem in any way that will slow up the momentum of said rapidly growing and evolving platform.

A few pundits saw this coming back when the deal went down especially given the nature of Oracle and their desire to capture vital shares of the market. Google recently made an offer in compromise to Oracle that was turned down leading to the current litigation that has the Corporate big-wigs taking the stand to make their case. Surely we will see code experts hoping to break down for less-adept others the ifs, whats, and hows of all this. Apple will in the meantime sit off to the side having wisely abandoned use and dependence of Java code quite a while back.

Now the s**t hits the fan we will undoutabily learn more than we ever desired to know about the working of Java in the world of mobile device.

Buckle up your seatbelts and strap yourself in and get ready for a wild ride surely to become a possible best-selling movie or book in the future.

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Fringe Companies in 2012

Dec 20, ’11 8:39 AM

Big companies like Apple, Microsoft, Motorola, Samsung and Google have a good idea where their future rests, but what about the thousands upon thousands of smaller marginal companies that operate just outside hot, glitzy, and trendy niches and market segments? These are the bedrock suppliers that make many of the essential external and add-on accessory products that enhance or perfect the capabilities of the dearly acquired computers and mobile devices we own, love and use.

How are these players making it these days? If they are smart and agile they should have their ears to the ground and stay busy studying the latest innovative technologies for openings and sizable gaps representing openings and opportunities to keep their development labs working on products that address those gaps and lead to profitability and sustainability.

Examples:

These are only a few of the worthy cable, hard disc, monitor, bag and case makers now joined in competition for hard fought consumer dollars by a great many newly hot app builders.

It would be fortunate if these two segments came together to innovate and develop products missing from our current range of selections. After all the direction og our times is making everything intelligent by embedding technology into things that do useful stuff.

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Technological Blind Spots: Yours, Mine & Ours

Dec 17, ’11 5:42 PM
Blind Spots

Blind Spots

BLIND SPOTS?

We all have them. Like hard to see areas around our vans and cars that we cannot see to navigate safely.

They may be complex things we do not know nor have any interest in learning or knowing, or profound things that expose our weak spots and learning gaps.

Usually most of us cannot admit these to others prefering to hide behind our well developed masks of confidence and supreme capability.
The World of the consultant:
For consultants “I don’t know” is not an option. What we do not know we can Wiki and Google up and in a few minutes and pretend to be an expert spewing the requisite lingo. We might even take in a few blogs and develop a borrowed perspective or opinion.
The Internet has made all this possible. Before it you had to have taken courses in the subject or had access to a stock of books and the time to dig.
If you can think of some others plese send them to me so I can include in this post or in my upcoming book.
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What’s Next? Changing of the Guard!

Dec 15, ’11 1:25 PM

It was just a short bit ago when the tech world was dominated by Microsoft.  Research In Motion seemed to  have theworld of mobility squarely in its pocket, then suddenly something happened.

Today Apple and Google rule the roost with Twitter and Facebook becoming forces. Who knows who will step forward tommorrow?

CES2012 might go a long way provide some strong clues or indications of who the real players might be in coming times but if history is any indicator whomever it iswill slowly emerge from the clutter and noise with a product or service most of us cannot live without. We will all wonder what the heck we did before it came into our lives. Theimitatorswill scramble to clone, reverse engineer or under price whatever it turns out to be. Companies will rise or fall. Pundits will tear it apart or extol it.

Consultants will try to figure out how to pimp andmonetize it, users will scratch their heads trying to figure out exactly what to do with it, innovators will attempt to figure ways to integrate enhance, extend or mash it with.

I predict that we will all meet back here (Lord willing) at years end and wonder, what’s next?

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Samsung/Google won’t launch Galaxy Nexus Prime Oct. 11th @ CTIA FALL

Oct 8, ’11 6:08 PM

Everyone may be a bit disappointed now that we have learned for certain that Samsung and Google have jointly decided not to go ahead and launch the new Galaxy Nexus Prime, and Ice Cream Sandwich as they had planned on Oct 11th at the CTIA Fall event.

They have decided to postpone the new product announcement saying “It is out of respect, and as tribute to Steve Jobs’s passing… it’s just not the right time to announce a new product”.  Agreed.

Well, it is at the very least a good jesture from otherwise cut-throat competitors. Much respect!

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Moto-Google-rola

Aug 15, ’11 5:11 PM

As long as Google was content and happy to stay exclusively in the software-Operating System business their many OEM partners were fat, fine and happy .

They all benefited greatly from Google’s willingness to license Android to just about anyone and everyone equally.

The recent announcement that Google is about toplunk down a huge fortune said to be as much as $12.5 Billion dollars to acquire Motorola Mobility Holdings surely makes them shiver in shear fear wondering if Google is getting ready to step up their game and play competively in the device sandbox and wind up changing the name of the game or the rules of the game.

Numerous companies, HTC included, have profited very nicely making handsets and smartphones running Google’s free Android operating system. But the shocking, devestating news that Google will soon probably be in the hardware device business in a big way is sure to cause both panic and concern among Google’s primary hardware manufacturing partners.

This all must great news to Microsoft who is hoping to attract those manufacturers and developers to the Windows phone platform, and to HP also looking to draw them to HP’s WebOS.

What seems pretty certain is that Google most likely will be going head-to-head with former partners so it will be no small task to convince them that things won’t change.”

Certainly we will closely follow this story.

The deal will first have to pass probes and regularatory scruitiny which might just take as long as a year. We should also keep an eye on how Apple responds to this new development and what effect it will have on the market dominant iPhone/iPad ecosystem.

Some believe that Google may be inheriting Motorola problems ranging from tepid device success to having lost serious market share and experiencing problems with delayed product releases.

Google on the other hand is flush with talent and might be able to right the ship.

Addendum: It turns out that mighty Microsoft was also in the running and in talks with Motorola, but as it turned out Google had bigger eyes, and a bigger appetite for Motorola and their many patents.

… Are we ready for a Google Droit?

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SUPER COOL: Google Product Search

Jul 17, ’11 8:34 AM

Google Product Search Beta

If you are a consumer contemplating a significant purchase anytime soon there is a site you must visit. It is Google Product Search.  It is coming through Beta and has benefitted from Google’s failed experiment with Froogle and the result is a service that can prove essential for the enlightened diligent shopper. The site can also be a boon to sellers in ways that no online mall can match. Their policy of no fees or ccommissions permits every manufacturer to list their products free. The lantern result should be the ultimate buyer’s resource.

There are times when the big player cannot even understand or play a game they helped invent. create. or propel into success. Such is the cast of Google in the world of Product Search.  After several attempts at  price comparison services namely Google Products and Froogle, is a price comparison service by Google Inc. They are in beta test stage.

Google Product Search is different from most other price comparison services in that it neither charges any fees for listings, nor accepts payment for products to show up first. Also, it makes no commission on sales. Any company can submit individual product information

 

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NEW Google CEO: Larry Page

May 24, ’11 6:31 PM

Google

While I was digging around for info on the LinkedIn IPO I came upon a news bit I hadn’t heard but everyone else probably knows. Larry Page has taken over the full reins as CEO of Google following the position departurted by Eric Schmidt back in early April. Page one of Google’s co-founders will be looking to explore and capitalize new sources of revenue and attempt to solve the Social Network opportunity/Problems that seem to perplex and confound the powerful and innovative Google.

My personal opinion is that no man has ever been placed into such a prime situation ripe with unlimited resources, and starting out in a market leadership position surrounded by thousands of the greatest young talents on the planet.

Larry Page

Larry Page

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Chromebooks: Cloud Computers

May 23, ’11 10:40 PM

I am hearing much pundit rumble and clamor that Chromebooks are ready to challenge laptops and disrupt notebooks. Google’s Chrome Operating System may be great but they cannot halt a trend. Now that the momentum of tablets has taken off how do they expect to turn the clock back and put the horses back in the stable?

I find it hard to believe but not impossible to believe that a web-based OS and web applications. This is more a move from Google to attack Microsoft and become the center of the world for manufacturers.

Samsung and Acer are the first two Chromebook partners, both companies will be offering up machines online starting June 15 from Best Buy and Amazon.com in the U. S.

The Series 5 comes in at $429 for the WiFi-only model and around $499 for a computer with a 3G radio. Acer’s WiFi-only Chromebook should start around $349.

Google’s Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Chrome product management, has stated that Google expects that users will be willing to access their email, pictures, video and documents from Google’s cloud.

This is a real bold “in your face move” against both Microsoft’s Windows, and Apple’s Mac OS.

This may signal a potential sea change and we will soon find out if users are actually willing to abandon traditional local computing and data storage in exchange for Google’s cloud. Important to this change is a Chrome Web Store offering up app downloads.

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Is Bing “THE” Cool Thing?

May 5, ’11 11:44 AM

In 2009 Microsoft embarked on a new direction in their efforts to capture the market for search. They gave BING to the world

Steve Ballmer sat with Walt Mossberg and admitted that Google was still the market share king but that Microsoft was set to make a play at the market with the introduction of BING.

So here we are several years down the line and what do we know?

  1. Google is still dominant in ways that seem almost unassailable.
  2. Microsoft just doesn’t have the pull it once had to force a hit
  3. Google is proving agile at playing the game and shifting the playing field when needed.
  4. It is difficult if not impossible to alter or change user habits if they are already satisfied and happy.
  5. Slick innovation is no longer good enough.

If Microsoft thought they won the world when they beat up on Netscape they are learning that bars can be set higher than they are able to easily hurdle in a single bound.

They are bitterly learning this in their recent tussles with Apple over media players, smartphones, and now tablets.

The Web apps and “The Cloud” threatens to eat away at the whole Windows complex., and social media has redefined marketing and interaction in ways that Microsoft just doesn’t seem to understand.

Luckily Microsoft has had tremendous success with Windows 7 after moving quickly and wisely away from the tragedy that was Vista.

I have seen an uptick in visitors to this site referred by BING. I wish Microsoft success because we could use a strong competitive market for search.

The die isn’t cast. The final scene isn’t played out. There is still time for Microsoft to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Odds makers would bet against it.

If you haven’t checked out BING you owe it to yourself to do so.  visit BING and let us know what you think.

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COMPETITION: Targeting Apple

May 2, ’11 10:19 AM

Bullseye

It must be very unsettling for high-flying Apple at the peak and apex of profitability and success to find itself in the crosshairs of every would be competitor nipping and chipping away at just about every aspect of Apple’s market success and dominance. On one hand Microsoft is busy going after Apple’s developer base. HTC is busy cranking out iPhone looking phones. Google is hard at work flooding the device mainstream with many flavors of Android OS’ for Smartphones and tablets allowing every hardware manufacturer to build a functional tablet device or Smartphone. Then you have RIM and IBM tightly holding on to their enterprise and corporate strangleholds. Lastly Amazon is following up on plans to build an AppStore that they believe should and will eclipse Apple’s.

We Shall See what we shall see!

No one has a crystal ball revealing the answers or the future. The jury is still out as to wether any or all of these efforts will succeed or fail but what is known is that Apple is in for very interesting times ahead. Such is the state of successful market leaders in the current technology ecosystem.

I was just thinking that given recent history, I would be careful if I was a competitor of Apple’s. They are one company that seems to have a knack for landing on their feet. Although it is not seen by all as the actual case, personally I would say that in the long run Apple beat mighty Microsoft and that is an unparalleled seriously momentus achievement.

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Gizmodo Android Article

Mar 26, ’11 10:58 AM

I came across an article on Gizmodo.com authored by Bill Gurley that was entitled “Android may be the end of the software industry as we know it.” Mr. Gurley goes on to declare that “Android May Be the Greatest Legal Destruction of Wealth in History.” SHOCKING YES, BUT I THINK TRUE!!!

The article made me think back to my initial feelings and reaction that Apple had once again “lifted their skirt” in this instance to Google, in a move strikingly similar to when they unwisely breathed new life into Microsoft when DOS was clearly dead and dying by Microsoft digging into much of the Mac UI to establish a formidble Windows franchise that has lasted decades. One would think that Apple had learned a bitter lesson. However, as we all know only too well, “history has a painful way of repeating itself.”

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Too Many Web Sites, and Not Enough Time!

Mar 18, ’11 8:13 AM

All I want for Xmas is 10 more hours in a week. This would give us at least enough time aside from work, study and business to read and review some of the many good and great web sites out there. As it is we hardly have enough time to simply search and find them. We count on search engines like Google and the newly popular Bing to do most of the work. However today there are a growing number of ways these come to our attention.

One we have uncovered and discovered sites we like we need to bookmark these “Favorites” for future reference and review.

It is imperative that each of us develop a process for effectively doing this important work. Some of the useful tools can include: RSS Feeds, metasearch engines, Stumble Upon, social media services and links from your favorite and most trusted sites.

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