Googling Google

September 1st, 2008

Google confirms new browser initiative, probably not a good idea

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 4:11 pm

Categories: Google

Tags: Google Inc., Web Browser, Web Browsers, Internet, Garett Rogers

Google has officially confirmed that it will be launching it’s new browser called “Chrome” that will take on Internet Explorer and Firefox. This is huge news, and for many people, it has been too long overdue. Rumors of the gBrowser have been floating around for years — maybe there is still hope for GDrive?

Before Google made it official, Philipp Lenssen wrote to tell us about a comic book he received that has very detailed information about a new product set to be launched tomorrow — Chrome. This product appears to be well thought out, addressing problems that exist in all other modern browsers. Among many things, Google has written its own javascript engine called V8, and has addressed security and browser stability by placing the contents of each tab in its own sandbox. According to Google, a webpage cannot crash the entire browser, only a tab. View the comic book on Google Books here.

[image from Google Blogoscoped]

Detailed information can be found in the comic book, but let’s discuss something different — why is Google making their own browser, and is it a smart move?

Why is Google Doing this?
Eric Schmidt said in 2006 that they had no plans to build their own browser, and the only reason they would is if there was real user benefit. Apparently, now Google feels that their new browser will really benefit users, and that current browser choices don’t do a good enough job. I would assume that Google wants to try making the internet more secure and useful — and feel they can do it quicker, and better themselves than the competition.

Is it a smart move?
Google is entering into a market that is well established, and is filled with users that are content. Simply launching a browser (that is beta, and probably has some bugs) will not instantly transform the browser ecosystem. In fact, I would guess that it will take Google several years to build any kind of market share with their browser, regardless of how good it may be right now.

If they aren’t careful, not only will they have a browser that resembles Microsoft Live in the search engine wars, but they will have also disrupted their relationship with the Mozilla Foundation — creators of the second most popular browser called Firefox. Why does that matter? The first screen you see when you install Firefox is Google, and the default search engine in the Firefox toolbar is also Google. These two things are important — and in a world where switching to a different search engine is extremely easy, being the default search engine in the second most popular browser is priceless.

On the other hand, if Chrome does step up to the plate and play with the big boys, Google will not have to rely on a good relationship with Mozilla, and they will have more control over their own future. They are going to have to make a great first impression, and move quickly if they want to be successful. This is a huge risk.

What do you think? Is “Chrome” a good idea? What would make you switch from your default browser to this new one?

August 30th, 2008

Microsoft spends $486 million to compete with Google

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 9:43 pm

Categories: Microsoft

Tags: Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., Games, Investment, Personal Technology, Finance, Garett Rogers

Today we’re seeing headlines about Microsoft’s latest huge investment that is going to “accelerate pursuit of Google“. They purchased a company called Ciao that is said to be used by 26.5 million people a month to compare and review products. It might be a case of regional usage, but I’ve never heard of it before, have you?

Anyway, if Microsoft thinks this purchase is going to help them gain any kind of meaningful ground on Google, I believe they are mistaken. If I was in control of the “Google pursuit” at Microsoft, I guarantee I could find better use of half a billion dollars.

That’s an interesting question — what would you do with the $1.2 billion per year that Ballmer has set aside to get Microsoft into the game?

August 29th, 2008

Google Earth to license new satellite imagery

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 9:18 pm

Categories: Google

Tags: Imagery, Google Inc., Google Earth, Satellite, Network Technology, Networking, Garett Rogers

Google has agreed to license imagery for their mapping products from a satellite due to launch on September 4th. This new satellite can take detailed imagery for an area the size of New Mexico in one day. What does that mean? Well, you could get high resolution pan-sharpened imagery for the entire country in around 30 days. Impressive.

The level of detail will be approximately 50cm per pixel — that’s just under 20 inches. If you want to see what that looks like, take a look at this. Imagine having a Google Maps/Earth content that is this detailed, 100% complete and updated once a month — that’s powerful stuff.

“The GeoEye-1 satellite has the highest ground resolution color imagery available in the commercial marketplace and will produce high-quality imagery with a very accurate geolocation. It is our goal to display high-resolution imagery for as much of the world as possible, and GeoEye-1 will help further that goal.” — Kate Hurowitz (Google)

And for bragging rights, Google’s even got their logo on the side of the rocket as pictured above.

August 28th, 2008

First images of Google-powered HTC Dream

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 7:00 am

Categories: Google Phone

Tags: Google Inc., High Tech Computer Corp., Bluetooth, Digital Media, Digital Video, Cellular Phones, Digital Music, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Consumer Electronics

It was rumored that the HTC G1 (Dream) would be the first Google powered phone on the market, and if everything pans out, those rumors will end up being true with a launch date sooner than later. Android Guys have the first mock-up drawings of the Dream, and it’s clearly Google powered — the back of the phone says “with Google”.

[image from Android Guys]

The image shows a fairly basic looking phone that has a sliding screen that reveals a full qwerty keyboard. It’s also got some pretty decent specs:

• 528Mhz Qualcomm 7201 processor
• Data kit for USB connectivity in the box
• 64MB Internal RAM
• 128MB Internal ROM
• 1GB MicroSD card
• 5 Row QWERTY keypad
• Trackball
• Dedicated camera button
• 3.1MP camera (no flash) 2048 x 1536
• Video playback files - H.264, streaming, 3GPP, MPEG4, and Codec 3GP
• Dedicated YouTube Player
• Audio playback files - MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, MPEG4, WAV, MIDI, REAL AUDIO, OGG
• Wallpaper supports JPG, BMP, PNG, and GIF
• Speakerphone (mono, natch)
• Ringtones (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA)
• HTTP, WAP Push, xHTML
• Bluetooth (class 1)
• Picture Caller ID
• SMS and MMS support (Take that Apple!)
• POP, IMAP, and SMTP, AOL, and GMAIL email
• AIM, MSN, YAHOO, and GTALK messaging
• Quad Band (850, 900, 1800, 1900)
• 3G
• 802.11b & 802.11g
• UMTS (1,4), HSDPA, SUPL
• 1150mAh battery
• Screen size is 3.17″ with HVGA (480 x 320)
• Handset 117 x 55 x 16mm
• 5.6 oz weight
• Sync capable with Google Calendar
• Downloadable content via Android Marketplace
• Google Streetview with built-in compass

We can probably subtract GTalk messaging from the list of features though — that has been officially scrapped for security reasons. There’s no word on when this API will be re-introduced, but certainly they will do their best to make it available to developers sooner than later.

Bluetooth functionality will be limited to things like headsets in the first version of the Android SDK. That means developers will not be able to create their own Bluetooth enabled applications any longer. The reason? Mostly because the API was incomplete, and would have shipped broken if it was included in version 1.0. Google has every intention of re-including this, but they are going to make sure they have it right before it’s added.

Still no official word on when the HTC G1 (Dream) will be launched — but it shouldn’t be long now. Will you get it?

August 26th, 2008

Google Suggest goes live, will people like it?

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 4:42 pm

Categories: Google

Tags: Google Inc., Google Suggest, Security, Garett Rogers

Google Suggest is a feature that gives you automatic recommendations when you begin to search for something — it’s eluded the official Google homepage for several years, but today it has finally found it’s way there. The question now, as Philipp Lenssen puts it, is weather it will be useful or annoying in the long run.

I would suggest (no pun intended) that Google has probably done enough experimentation to determine that it will be a positive experience for everyone. I come to this conclusion because I know how protective they are of their homepage — even adding the privacy link at the bottom took forever, and even then the word “Google” was removed to compensate for the added word.

What do you think of Google Suggest on the main page?

August 23rd, 2008

Google finally ready to launch Jaiku on their platform

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 8:24 pm

Categories: Google

Tags: Google Inc., Jaiku, Activity Stream, Text Messaging/SMS/MMS, Channel Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Telephony, Servers, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics

Jaiku is down, and according to jaikuinvites, it’s because they have finally moved their system to the Google App Engine platform. There’s no official word from Google about what’s happening, but their website describes it as “server maintenance”.

If you’re wondering what Jaiku is, you can basically think of it as Twitter, but owned and operated by Google. Here’s how they describe themselves:

Jaiku’s main goal is to bring people closer together by enabling them to share their activity streams. An activity stream is a log of everyday things as they happen: your status messages, recommendations, events you’re attending, photos you’ve taken - anything you post directly to Jaiku or add using Web feeds. We offer a way to connect with the people you care about by sharing your activities with them on the Web, IM, and SMS - as well as through a slew of cool third-party applications built by other developers using our API.

It didn’t take long after the acquisition for people to start wondering if Google had forgotten about this service. Twitter has been plagued with downtime, and it is surprising that Google hasn’t yet taken advantage of that situation.

We’re not too far away from seeing a new Jaiku though — or at least a Jaiku that’s hosted on Google App Engine. Even if the service hasn’t changed, it is certain to be very reliable and scalable now that Google is finally hosting it. For proof that it’s now hosted by Google, check out the traceroute.

August 21st, 2008

Google gains share again, should Microsoft give up?

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 6:12 pm

Categories: Google, Microsoft

Tags: Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., Operating Systems, Software, Garett Rogers

Google has been gaining market share consistently since they day they opened up shop, and it doesn’t appear it will be slowing down any time soon — in July they were up to 62%. Yahoo and Microsoft have been trying their hardest, spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year to try and change users’ minds. Unfortunately for them, their money has so far been wasted considering they are consistently losing ground to Google — a company that really doesn’t even have to try.

So, 5 years down the road, what happens once Google’s market share moves from 60 some to 90 some? Does any other current search engine have a chance? I can see the battle ground moving off US soil to another country where there may be an opportunity for success. I sometimes feel that Microsoft and Yahoo should probably cut their losses with search, and start thinking outside the box. Leave “Google Killers” to start-ups who at least have a new brand going for them.

I often ask myself why Microsoft is so intent on trying to compete with Google anyways. Shouldn’t they be focusing their efforts on things they have proven they can do well, like creating excellent operating systems that get the job done in homes and in the enterprise? If it’s the big advertising bucks spurring their efforts to try and take on Google, they are trying too hard. Why not figure out how to work relevant advertising (that users will welcome) into the operating system in a way that isn’t intrusive, or a privacy problem, then give the operating system away for free.

I make it sound too easy, but anything can be figured out. Where there is a problem, there is usually a solution, and I think Microsoft would be spending their money more wisely figuring that out than trying to topple Google. What do you think about the future of Google’s market share, and what it means for the companies trying to compete?

August 19th, 2008

New Android SDK finally given to developers

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 9:56 pm

Categories: Google Phone, Usability

Tags: Developer, SDK, Garett Rogers

It’s been a long time since a new Android SDK has been publicly released to developers — the last one was made available only to contest winners which made some developers feel less than appreciated. This comes right after the FCC approved the first Android handset expected to be released very soon by HTC.

The new SDK comes with a brand new interface that I think addresses a lot of the problems older versions had — it’s a lot simpler, and most things make sense, or are easy to figure out. The previous version was filled with usability problems that made the device pretty much useless.

If you are interested in trying out the device before buying your own, do the following steps:

1) Download the SDK
2) Unzip into a directory on your computer
3) Open the “Tools” directory
4) Double-click on the “emulator.exe” application

A simulator will open up that lets you play with the operating system — mind you, there’s not a whole lot you can do with it until there is some kind of way to find and install applications from some sort of application directory.

This release, according to Google, is very close to what the final one will look like — the only thing left, likely, is finding and fixing bugs and security problems. What do you think of the new interface?

August 18th, 2008

Want to know what key political players are reading?

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 12:06 pm

Categories: Google Reader

Tags: Google Inc., News, Blogging, Web Site Development, Web Technology, Internet, Garett Rogers

This is an interesting idea — Google’s now sharing with the world what is catching attention from presidential candidates and political commentators. Political news isn’t hard to find online — it’s basically everywhere. Popular news featured on Google News is often political in nature, and there is certainly no shortage of political bloggers out there.

But, have you ever wondered what politicians and journalists themselves are reading? Do they find the same things interesting that you do? To help you answer that question, Google has launched a website called “Power Readers” that aggregates articles shared by these people through Google Reader.

So right now, who are considered “Power Readers”? Well, on the Official Google Blog, they have published the current list:

• Obama and McCain campaigns
• Mike Allen, POLITICO
• Chuck DeFeo, Townhall
• John Dickerson, Slate
• Mark Halperin, TIME
• Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post
• Ruth Marcus, Washington Post
• Jon Meacham, Newsweek
• Patrick Ruffini, The Next Right

A similar type of system be applied to lots of different types of news though — I think Google should definitely consider doing the same thing for Tech news (or perhaps even more detailed to something like “Google” or “Apple” news for example). What do you think?

August 16th, 2008

Google feeds publishers with new AdSense option

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 7:30 pm

Categories: Google AdSense, Google

Tags: Google Inc., Advertisement, Google AdSense, RSS, Internet, Garett Rogers

When most publishers use RSS feeds to syndicate their content, most are hoping readers click through to the original content, and then they can monetize it from there — unfortunately, consumers of this feed data are often just looking for a quick fix, and not really that interested in the actual source of the information. This has made monetizing content a bit tricky when providing full-text feeds.

When Google bought Feed Burner, they instantly got access to a whole bunch of new ad inventory — which has largely remained untapped. Google has finally publicly launched their solution to that problem — AdSense for Feeds.

Google has actually been trying out this service for a long time with a few selected feed publishers, but yesterday they launched it for the rest of the world . This new offering lets publishers very easily include AdSense in their RSS feeds which takes advantage of Google’s classic CPC (cost per click) and also CPM (cost per thousand impressions) ads.

To use the service, simply log into your AdSense account, then follow these steps:

1) Click on AdSense Setup
2) Click AdSense for Feeds
3) Fill out the setup form
4) Click “Save” and you’re done

Once you’ve finished this, the feeds you selected will now show ads at a frequency that matches the criteria you specified when setting it up, and you will magically begin receiving checks for all the content you have been syndicating for free all these years.