09.16.07
Posted in Google, Tech From The Net at 11:53 pm by Lee
A report from India’s Hindustan Times indicates that Google is prepping an offline version of Gmail.
It’s claimed that a client has already been designed, is in testing, and runs (not surprisingly) on Google Gears. Google has previously offered an offline version of Google Reader using the Gears browser plugin. Other companies embracing the Gears platform include Zoho.
Although the story is unconfirmed by Google at this stage, it would be fair to presume that an offline version of Gmail happening is a given, the only question is when it will be available. Google continues to put together its jigsaw puzzle of office functionality as it builds a serious Microsoft Office competitor.
read more | digg story
Technorati Tags: Google, gmail, google gears, email
Permalink
08.21.07
Posted in Google at 9:19 am by Lee
Earlier this month I made a post about the closure of google video and how they were only refunding customers who had previously purchased something, with only $5 of google checkout credit.
It looks like they’ve heard all the feedback (similar to that of what I made) and have decided to change their mind.
When your friends and well-intentioned acquaintances tell you that you’ve made a mistake, it’s good to listen. So we’d like to say thank you to everyone who wrote to let us know that we had made a mistake in the case of Google Video’s Download to Own/Rent Refund Policy vs. Common Sense.
To recap: we decided to end the Google Video download to own/rent (DTO/DTR) program, and are now refocusing our Google Video engineering efforts. The week before last, we wrote to Google Video DTO/DTR program customers to let them know that videos they’d already bought would no longer be playable.
We planned to give these users a full refund or more. And because we weren’t sure if we had all the correct addresses, latest credit card information, and other billing challenges, we thought offering the refund in the form of Google Checkout credits would entail fewer steps and offer a better user experience. We should have anticipated that some users would see a Checkout credit as nothing more than an extra step of a different (and annoyingly self-serving) kind. Our bad. Here’s how we’re hoping to fix things:
* We’re giving a full refund — as a credit card refund — to everyone who ever bought a video. We’ll need you to make sure we have your most recent credit card information, but once we know where to send the money, you’ll get it.
* You can still keep the Google Checkout credit that you’ve received already. Think of it as an additional ‘we’re sorry we goofed’ credit.
* We’re going to continue to support playing your videos for another six months. We won’t be offering the ability to buy additional videos, but what you’ve already downloaded will remain playable on your computer.
Official Google Blog: An update on Google Video feedback
I personally think that this is a much better offer & should have been what was offered in the first place. Especially with the full refund part which is what should have been made available.
The only question lies with, if they’re able to continue to support the videos for another 6 months, would it hurt them to support them indefinitely?
technorati tags:video, refund, google video
Permalink
08.11.07
Posted in Google, Tech From The Net at 9:27 am by Lee
Google ignominiously shut down its video marketplace today via an email to us and everyone else who’s ever tried the service. The product, announced in January 2006 at CES by Larry Page, was an answer to iTunes’ sales of television shows. It was largely forgotten afterwards and if sales were occurring, we didn’t hear much about it.
The email to users, which is copied below, also lets them know that any videos they’ve purchased will no longer be viewable. Money spent on videos is not being refunded, either. Users get a sixty day credit on their Google Checkout account instead. That should spur sales of their new overflow storage product, at least. I just wish I could use it on ebay. heh
It’s a mistake not to fully refund every dollar in video purchases. Users are going to be hesitant to try out Google services in the future if they can’t believe that something they are buying is really theirs to keep.
Google Closes Video Marketplace; Users Out Of Luck
Follow the link through to techcrunch to see the email which Google sent out.
I think it’s pretty bad that this has happened. Although closing the marketplace may not have been too bad a move if it was being successful (especially if they are slowly introducing revenue sharing onto youtube), I have to wonder if they had to disable videos users had bought.
People are going to lose a lot of confidence in Google over this – they would probably have been better closing the marketplace for any more sales but making it so that videos that had already been purchased could continue to be enjoyed – either that or refund everyone the full amount of money they paid. I’m sure they had something within their terms and conditions which allows them to get away with this though.
technorati tags:google, google video
Permalink
06.13.07
Posted in Google, Tech From The Net, microsoft at 10:05 am by Lee
Search engine giant Google and US semiconductor firm Intel have thrown their weight behind a massive scheme to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The ambitious plan sets out an industry-wide target to cut the amount of energy computers consume by 2010.
The scheme is expected to cut emissions by 54 million tonnes a year – equal to 11 million cars or 20 coal-fired power plants, company officials say.
Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Microsoft have all signed up to the campaign.
Computers and other IT equipment have been blamed for causing as much global warming as the airline industry.
BBC NEWS | UK | Google backs green computer plan
As more and more seems to be made of the Green issue within the press we seem to have more companies and different types of companies wanting to get on board and showing they’re doing their bit.
It doesn’t seem to do them any harm getting that bit of extra positive press and it’s got to be good for the environment as long as they do actually do what they promise.
The other interesting part of the article is where it says:
In addition to the environmental benefits, Google co-founder Larry Page said the initiative would also act to make computers better – more reliable and quieter.
If so, thats going to be good news for all of us and would definitely be worth consumers getting behind them as well
technorati tags:green computers, environment, google, intel
Permalink
06.12.07
Posted in Google, Tech From The Net at 11:52 pm by Lee
Gmail users who get Microsoft PowerPoint attachments in their in-boxes can now view them without having PowerPoint installed on their machines. Google appears to have flipped the switch to allow this feature as of last night. We originally reported on this last month, although at that time it appeared that only a handful of accounts had access. This option now shows up on all accounts.
read more | digg story
Technorati Tags: google, gmail, powerpoint, presentations
Permalink
Posted in Google at 9:37 am by Lee
Google is expanding its empire into universities – with entire campus e-mail networks switching over to using Google’s e-mail service.
This will give the internet company a “relationship for life” with students – who can carry on using these e-mail addresses after graduating.
Trinity College Dublin has switched to Google’s e-mail – with other universities considering such a switch.
Google is also offering students online tools to use in their coursework.
BBC NEWS | Education | Google’s e-mail for universities
technorati tags:gmail, email, google, education, universities
Permalink
06.03.07
Posted in Google at 6:42 pm by Lee
Mr. Singhal is the master of what Google calls its “ranking algorithm” — the formulas that decide which Web pages best answer each user’s question. It is a crucial part of Google’s inner sanctum, a department called “search quality” that the company treats like a state secret. Google rarely allows outsiders to visit the unit, and it has been cautious about allowing Mr. Singhal to speak with the news media about the magical, mathematical brew inside the millions of black boxes that power its search engine.
Google values Mr. Singhal and his team so highly for the most basic of competitive reasons. It believes that its ability to decrease the number of times it leaves searchers disappointed is crucial to fending off ever fiercer attacks from the likes of Yahoo and Microsoft and preserving the tidy advertising gold mine that search represents.
“The fundamental value created by Google is the ranking,” says John Battelle, the chief executive of Federated Media, a blog ad network, and author of “The Search,” a book about Google.
Read the rest of this entry »
Permalink
06.02.07
Posted in Google, Tech From The Net, Web 2.0 at 9:35 am by Lee
As you know, we’re constantly looking for ways to identify and offer new tools for content creators and website publishers. Likewise, we constantly aim to give AdWords advertisers broader distribution to an even wider audience of users. For these reasons, we’re very pleased to tell you that we’ve just acquired FeedBurner.
For those of you who aren’t bloggers, podcasters, or feed creators, Chicago-based FeedBurner is a leading provider of feed distribution and management tools. A web feed is a way for online publishers to syndicate their content and deliver it straight to readers. Each day, FeedBurner delivers feeds to millions of users around the world and offers unique and useful tools for publishers to analyze, optimize, and monetize their content. Further, FeedBurner offers a feed advertising platform for advertisers to reach engaged feed readers through targeted in-feed ads and innovative techniques like RSS feed-driven ads.
We’re excited to continue offering the exceptional tools of FeedBurner to content creators throughout the world, and our teams will work together to improve the experiences of feed users, advertisers, and publishers. You can sign up for FeedBurner’s services and take advantage of their feed tools and features immediately.
Official Google Blog: Adding more flare
You can find the earlier story here
There are a few different changes Google could make to the RSS feeds, but I’m guessing the main one will be advertising. Google will be able to offer it’s adsense customers the options of being included on the RSS feed and it’s adsense customers the option to include them. This is on top of the advertising model feedburner already has in place.
technorati tags:google, feedburner, rss
Permalink
05.28.07
Posted in Google, Tech From The Net at 2:48 pm by Lee
Google has been told that it may be breaking European privacy laws by keeping people’s search information on its servers for up to two years.
A data protection group that advises the European Union has written to the search giant to express concerns.
The Article 29 group, made up of data protection commissioners around the EU, has asked Google to clarify its policy.
BBC NEWS | Technology | Google queried on privacy policy
Google have always been quite hush hush about how much search information they store, so I wonder if this will reveal anything that users of Google may be interested in
technorati tags:googe, search, privacy
Permalink
05.27.07
Posted in Google, Tech From The Net, Web 2.0 at 3:33 pm by Lee
Yesterday Google registered several variations of the domain “googlestreetview.com” — normally I would think the feature would be months away, but given Where 2.0 starts on Tuesday, it will likely be available (or at least announced) by the end of the month. This functionality is likely in addition to the 3D buildings they are expected to announce at the same conference.
GOOGLE-MAPS-STREET-VIEW.COM
GOOGLE-MAPS-STREET-VIEW.NET
GOOGLE-MAPS-STREET-VIEW.ORG
GOOGLEMAPSSTREETVIEW.ORG
GOOGLESTREETVIEW.COM
GOOGLESTREETVIEW.NET
GOOGLESTREETVIEW.ORG
It’s unclear what the service will actually look or function like, but we can look at Microsoft’s “street view” preview for an idea. Windows Live Street View literally puts in in the drivers seat — though you have to admit it’s kinda crappy and appears to have been abandoned.
Google can definitely do better than that — I am eagerly looking forward to see what they have in store.
» Google Maps “Street View” to be launched at Where 2.0? | Googling Google | ZDNet.com
It would be a very cool project to see Google do something like this. Living in a rural area of the Uk I know it’s unlikely to come to my area anytime soon, but it would still be a nice feature to get to play around with!
technorati tags:google, google maps, street view, google street view
Permalink
« Previous entries Next Page » Next Page »