Google My Business
Google announces a new tool for business owners called Google My Business. The tool allows businesses to update all of their information in one system. After information is input, the app populates it in Google Search, Google Maps and Google+. This helps businesses get found more easily in the search engine. The app also provides businesses with insight into the background of their viewers, by giving them some tools from Adwords Express. A mobile application will soon be available.
Doodle competition winner
Audrey Zhang of New York wins the Google Doodle art contest. Zhang’s drawing will be animated and displayed on the search engine’s homepage. The doodle, entitled Back to Mother Nature wins out of 100,000 submissions. The scene shows a system that can convert polluted water to clean water for both humans and animals. About her doodle, Zhange comments:
I was thinking that if we didn’t have water, we couldn’t live.
In addition to her work on display, Zhang will receive a $30,000 college scholarships and a $50,000 grant for technology towards her chosen school. Google also will donate $20,000 towards clean water in Bangladesh.
Open Automotive Alliance
Google creates the Open Automative Alliance to bring the Android system to cars. The companies in the alliance include Google, GM, Honda, Audi, Hyundai and Nvidia. The group’s focus is to integrate Android into the entertainment system. They will develop new features that will allow developers to add car modes to the apps. The alliance plans to launch the first cars in late 2014.
Android ‘dominates malware market’
Cook criticizes Google for not encouraging users to upgrade to a new version of Android. He says that nine out of ten iDevice users have upgraded to the latest version of iOS, but fewer than one out of ten Android users have the latest version, which introduces security risks:
This [upgrading] is particularly important for Android, which dominates the mobile malware market.
Gmail: One billion installations
Gmail for Android becomes the first individual smartphone application to surpass one billion installations. This figure does not include updates, only fresh installations of the application.
https://plus.google.com/116651741222993143554/posts/KBahhDyRaXB
2m Pirate Bay URLs removed
Copyright holders accumulate a total of two million Google take-down notices for URLs leading to the “thepiratebay.se.” The two million requests were submitted in 93,070 separate notices, averaging more than 20 links per notice. The Pirate Bay is listed as 29th on Google’s list of domains that receive the most URL removal requests.
Continuous virus scanning
Google updates its Verify Apps virus scanner to include post-installation scans, which ensure that applications do not become malicious after installation:
Building on Verify apps, which already protects people when they’re installing apps outside of Google Play at the time of installation, we’re rolling out a new enhancement which will now continually check devices to make sure that all apps are behaving in a safe manner, even after installation.
Project Loon
0 CommentsGoogle launches Project Loon, whose goal is to provide internet access to rural and remote areas. An additional project goal is to improve communication during natural disasters. Google names it Project Loon because of its far-out mission objectives. The project places balloons in the stratosphere to create a wireless network system that has speeds up to 3-G. The internet signal will travel between the various balloons then connect to a station on the ground to connect to the internet. The balloons launch in a rural area in New Zealand, which can provide service for an area twice the size of New York City. If successful, the project will expand to globally.
Joins Google Ventures
The founding partner announces he is leaving Crunchfund:
Google Ventures sits in a truly unique space within the venture capital industry. They have the resources to make investments at any stage, but more importantly, they have the talent and knowledge required to do so. The partnership is brimming with experience when it comes to starting companies, building products, and scaling.
The firm also has teams in place to help with basically everything an entrepreneur could ever need. These are the highest caliber people in their respective fields all working under one roof to help the portfolio.
Rubin leaves Android
Andy Rubin, co-founder of Android Inc., decides to leave Android and work on other projects at Google. He is replaced by Sundar Pichar, one of the lead managers of Google Chrome’s development:
Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of for Android—and with a really strong leadership team in place—Andy’s decided it’s time to hand over the reins and start a new chapter at Google.
Android@Home
Google announces Android@Home, a set of protocols that enables users to control household items like light switches, alarm clocks, and kitchen appliances through an Android device. They intend to partner with the Lighting Science Group to create compatible appliances and hope developers will build applications to utilize these features.
Nexus One
The Nexus One, the first phone in Google’s line of Nexus Android devices, is released at a cost of $529. The device has 512 MB RAM, a 5 megapixel camera, and a 4GB removable SD card. All devices in the Nexus line of products are not tied to any specific carrier:
Through the web store found at www.google.com/phone, consumers can buy the Nexus One without service (meaning any GSM network SIM card can be inserted into the device), or purchase the phone with service from one of Google’s operator partners. As new phones come to market through this channel, consumers will benefit from the ability to match a phone of their choice with the service plan that best meets their needs.
First android phone
0 0 lesley lesley2014-06-25 23:59:032015-02-06 09:46:38First android phone
Android announced
The Open Handset Alliance, a collection of 34 firms including T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm and Motorola, announces they plan to collaborate with Google to develop Android. They hope it will be the first open platform for mobile phones. Google CEO Eric Schmidt says:
Today’s announcement is more ambitious than any single ‘Google Phone’ that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks. Our vision is that the powerful platform we’re unveiling will power thousands of different phone models.
Mobile phone patents exposed
InformationWeek publishes a report by Evalueserve, a consulting and research firm, which shows that Google holds a number of patents related to mobile phones, such as patent application number US20060004627, “Advertisements for Devices with Call Functionality Such as Mobile Phones” and patent application number US20050185060, “Image Base Inquiry System for Search Engines for Mobile Telephones with Integrated Cameras.”
Schmidt: Mobile ads ‘twice as profitable’
Eric Schmidt, chief executive at Google, expresses that mobile advertising is twice as lucrative as traditional online advertising:
What’s interesting about the ads in the mobile phone is that they are twice as profitable or more than the nonmobile phone ads because they’re more personal.
Google buys YouTube
Google has recently purchased a majority (more than 50%) of YouTube for $1.65 billion. All 67 of YouTube’s employees kept their positions. Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube, says:
I’m confident that with this partnership we will have the flexibility and resources needed to pursue our goal of building the next-generation platform for serving media worldwide.
