Google + source code Snoop Gets the job done in Google

Austrian blogger and designer Florian Rohrweck recently discovered a lot of Google + upcoming features just digging around in the source code for a new social networking services. He was one of the first (but not only), open Google + games prior to its launch, for example, as well as the still-unreleased features, such as "shared interests" and social search among other things.

Now it seems Google had enough Rohrweck snooping. He hired Rohrweck to protect the code instead.

This story is a little familiar, doesn't it? In the end only last week, Apple hired one of iOS best hackers, Nicholas Allegra, also known as "@ comex" on Twitter, to work on providing mobile operating system.

In addition Rohrweck will be responsible for providing Google Web apps from leaks and possible worked as a developer advocate. (Even he doesn't know that his duties would include, he said.) The ink does not dry on the contract Rohrweck notes, so technically he's going to be employed, do not work yet.

But to be clear, snooping code (and blogging about it extensively), got a Google account first. Said Rohrweck, Exchange, "Yes, that was my brain and sneaky!" that makes them nervous Google already took notice and gave him scream in Google + at the code in an Easter egg.

We expect to get hired by Google Rohrweck detailed and sneaky (and Yes, sometimes NSFW) views on the future of Google + will be published now is not for everyone. It's too bad for us, but probably smart of Google.

The Google project, headed by Vic Gundotra and Bradley Horowitz, Google + is designed for social expansion of Google. Its ability to focus on making online sharing easy ...

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Tweaking algorithm: Google gives you a small glimpse behind the scenes

Jason Kincaid is currently working as a writer at TechCrunch. He grew up in Danville, California and later moved to Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, where he studied biology with a minor in "society and genetics". You can contact him at jkincaidtc@gmail.com (it has other addresses too, so don't worry if you have another). ? Read More

One of the most common complaints of critics (and competitors) have against Google is a company — despite its numerous outdoor products and initiatives is very secretive about the countless algorithms that power their Crown jewels, a Google search. In other words search is a black box. Google's argument was that it should be this way — if he told everyone exactly how the algorithm works, it would be much simpler games and search results will suffer.

In any case, there are a lot of mystery surrounding search, which is why the video is now posted on a blog Google is so interesting: Google gave a quick video guide detailing how its engineers gradually adjust algorithm which — according to the video gets tweaked with more than 500 times per year.

Video is only four minutes and worth watching in its entirely, but here's a quick rundown on how changes to search goes live:

First Google engineers define the complex motivations of sites, which don't work as well as Google would like them to later engineers were trying to identify the different signals (Google doesn't really get into what these signals suggest) that can be used to more effectively respond to this request. these new results are then evaluated by a qualified employee that is not an employee of Google. Further results are pushed live a small number of users. Analyst then assigns objective look at the changes and how it performs in tests.the proposed change were submitted to the Panel, search quality, which approves or rejects it.

The video also turns into a quick joke about what Google calls "full replacement pages. This applies to the times, Google looks at your request, you misspelled words, and then presents the results for the correct spelling, rather than simply offering proper spelling and display results with errors. To test this, Google looked at how many times users clicked on a link to clear the results of their initial request (which, according to Google was a typo), Google decided that until the escape hatch just pressed 1 in 50 times, and good changes. And passed the test.

Google provides search and advertising services, which together seek to organize and monetize the world's information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers many ...

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Bloody Thursday: Google Deadpools slide all goods except for one

MG Siegler at TechCrunch to write for the 2009 year. It covers web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, almost all. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch it covers different technologies beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, mg attended the University of Michigan. He previously lived in Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where ... ? Read More

Because we need more big tech news this week. Yes, it's true that Google just brought down the hammer on the slide, as Liz Gannes AllThingsD was first reported earlier this evening. Yes, it is true that Max Levchin leaves. Now we know the fate of all products slide. And it's not pretty.

They all went out of business, except for one, we have learned. This means the slideshow products to Google's acquisition of the company a year ago, and new to slide command builds within Google over the past year. Yes, it includes new products like Disco, pool party, incoming video and just started last week Photovine. They are all dead.

The lone exception Prizes.org (which we reviewed here), we have heard. The reason is that it was elaborated by a group of slides in China for Google, and they will keep is, apparently.

It was only in August last year, Google bought slide for about $ 200 million after employee bonuses. The idea is to get more serious about social gaming, and get a proven entrepreneur Levchin on board. But much has changed in the past year — on the one hand, Eric Schmidt is no longer a Director. For another Google now has Google +.

The slide has been running as a fully autonomous unit is broken down into smaller groups inside of Google. During the time that seemed like a good strategy that can keep Google prompt. Now it just looks kind of silly.

The slide was so autonomous that many work on products that compete with features that were part of the Google +. Many of the applications created iOS first, and does not work at all on Google Android platform.

For its part, Google has only the following statement:

Max decided to leave the slide, and use other features, and we wish him success. Most of the commands from the slide stays on Google to work on other opportunities.

This is also true that slide commands not to learn about this bloodshed before this afternoon. Can you help but feel bad for those commands-especially Photovine command, which is really just run their spots photo sharing app a week ago. Unlike other projects slide Google even gave them both PR resources to get the word out about app. eight days later, dead.

Larry page was clearly not messing around with his efforts to streamline Google as much as possible and trim any fat. While Google said that the majority of the members of the Group slide will remain on Google, I wouldn't be surprised to see the outcome pretty quickly.

Update: slide just put up the following blog post to let customers know about cancelled the product:

We wanted to give you all in advance in the coming months the resignation of a number of products and applications of the slide. This includes slide in products such as slideshows and SuperPoke! Pets, as well as more recent products such as Photovine, video of the Inbox and pool party. We have created products with a view to providing a fun way for people to connect, communicate and share. Although we are incredibly grateful to our users and for all the wonderful feedback over the years, many of these products is no longer as active or has not yet caught as we initially expected.

Most importantly we would like to take this opportunity to assure you that we are committed to help our users save their data as easily as soon as possible. We recognize that many of you are valuable content with us and want to assure you that, whenever possible, you'll have plenty of time to load this information or transfer it to another service.

For example, Slide.com, we will allow users to upload their photos, or export them in Picasa account. We are working to release this function exports in the coming weeks, and after adding, users will have several months to take advantage of the translation of their photos.

Google provides search and advertising services, which together seek to organize and monetize the world's information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers many ...

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Slide was founded by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, makes widgets that help people express themselves. The company took a big risk in 2006 year, when they gave users the ability to ...

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Button + 1 Google Gets a pound of cure: now allows you to share Google + circles

Jason Kincaid is currently working as a writer at TechCrunch. He grew up in Danville, California and later moved to Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, where he studied biology with a minor in "society and genetics". You can contact him at jkincaidtc@gmail.com (it has other addresses too, so don't worry if you have another). ? Read More

Over the past few months, you've probably come across Google + 1 quite a few times. Perhaps even pushing her, only to wonder what exactly you just completed. Because, at least from a user perspective, there hasn't been any remuneration from clicking on it. You would click for treatment only to leave empty-handed. This has not prevented button + 1 from getting huge distribution — now at 1 million sites and 4 billion impressions you receive every day, but that growth had more to do with the fact that this is Google, than this is done using the buttons that is helpful.

Button + 1 has always been a thin objective, of course: Google says that it will affect the search results, so pages you + 1 may show in your friends requests greater than they would otherwise. But who knows how often this happens. And while these clicks + 1 are also saved in Google profile +, they are not everywhere your friends are going to see them.

Today that is changing: Google has just announced that button + 1 will allow you to share your circles on Google + directly from any page you're viewing. This means that you have a reason to keep by clicking on them.

This function seems to be fairly simple, and a lot like Facebook "Send" button, which allows you to send content to a group of Facebook friends.

When you click on the button + 1 and elect to share with your Google + circles, you'll notice that common history is filled with images and some text from the page (again, Facebook's sharing features work the same way). Google also letting publishers assign exactly the text that they wish to include these + snippets.

If this is a big step forward for obviously buttons + 1 Google as it gives users much more likely to click on them.

Google provides search and advertising services, which together seek to organize and monetize the world's information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers many ...

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Greplin releases must have iPhone App for staff to organize your life and avoid the rabid Google

J. Michael Arrington (born March 13, 1970, in Huntington Beach, California) is a serial entrepreneur and founder of TechCrunch, covering startups and technology news blog. Arrington attended from Claremont McKenna College (Bachelor of Economics, 1992 year) and Stanford Faculty (JD, 1995) and practiced as a lawyer in corporate and securities at the two law firms: & he rejoined O'Melveny Myers and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich ... ? Read More

It was only a year ago that I first wrote about Greplin, "the other half of searches for your online life. This is an incredibly useful search engine that indexes your Internet email, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, calendar, Dropbox and other stuff (22 services currently supported). Greplin is a single search box on all this, and it's fast.

So far, though, you had to use HTML5 website for mobile use, there is no selected application. If you are a iPhone user, this is now changed. Android and other users will have to wait a little longer.

Why the need for dedicated application? 20 yr old CEO Daniel gross says that they need in their application to add the most requested features. Aim is to reduce typing foresee that you need – if you open the application towards meeting Greplin you can use your location and the date and time to make an intelligent guess you want to address or phone number related to this meeting and then give it to you.

Intellectual accumen Greplin iPhone app is impressive. When Gross was OK in my Office yesterday, "Arrington" was top to search. App knew he was following a meeting with me for his calendar and e-mail messages and knew that are unlikely to search for me. After clicking on my name was further refinements to find phone number or my place, etc.

You could do all that in an email or calendar, in one way or another, but Greplin makes it a lot easier. Instead of opening the e-mail on my phone and looking for the name of the person I'm meeting and then scrolling through an email or two find a phone number or address (and probably getting punished, rabid Googler to type while driving) Greplin just seems to know what I want and put front and Center-per-click advertising. It then outlines the relevant information from the letter a.

It is these two functions – proposed searches and illumination – that make application is so easy to use. It's rare that a new application can receive the coveted "must have" spot on my phone, but Greplin is clear. Once he is on Android, i.e.

Gross original idea for the Greplin derives from the idea that "people with more and more information thrown at them and we are here to make this manageable." Greplin already does this. Greplin in the iPhone app makes it even better. And if he saves the life of even one crazy Googler, which passes in front of your car, it's worth it.

Greplin was slightly less than 5 million dollars from investors, Sequoia Capital, SK Telecom Ventures and Angel.

Greplin, launched in September 2010, is the personal Web search engine which indexes data stored in online services.

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Daniel gross, the founder of Greplin-personal search engine that indexes user data cloud. Y Combinator is the first time Israeli and young entrepreneur in 18 years.

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Android Devs can now begin to optimize their applications for Google TV

Jason Kincaid currently works as a writer at TechCrunch. He grew up in Danville, California and later moved to Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, where he studied biology with a minor in "society and genetics". You can contact him at jkincaidtc@gmail.com (it has other addresses too, so don't worry if you have another). ? Read More

In the autumn of last year, Google made a first attempt to take over your living room with the launch of Google TV is a platform that combines online using television content to create promising to usher in a new era of convenience and interactive experience.

Unfortunately to date, he was mainly a dud. The platform too complex user interface and content issues (some of the main channels specifically blocking access to their Web sites from Google TV devices) has resulted in low adoption. Google is reportedly giving platform for major revamp, and there is at least one more bright light in the future: coming soon, Google TV will support Android applications.

Now, Google has been promising platform will receive Android support since it was first announced that until now has not been strong indication as to when this will happen in reality (most specific got Google was "summer"). Today we are one big step closer to seeing that promise come off: Google just released a preview version of Google TV plugin for Android SDK.

This does not mean that you can install Android applications yet. Rather, it means that developers can begin to configure their existing Android applications for so-called "10-foot experience", in such a way that their application will be ready as soon as the update of the Google TV ship to users.

With the Android blog:

It is still early days, Google TV, and this release is another step in the developer tools for on the big screen. While initially a small number of applications available on TV, we expect that through the early release of the add-ins, which you will be able to bring optimized TV apps in ecosystems more quickly. To start doing this, load the add-in to Google TV today. In addition please continue to contact us in the Android developer community forum Google TV. We look forward to your input!

Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and money in the world of information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers many ...

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In July 2005, Google acquired Android, a small startup company based in Palo Alto, CA. Android co-founders who went to work at Google included Andy Rubin (co-founder of ...

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Google Street view taking up to depths of the Amazon

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He wrote for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts, it would like you to read: the perils of externalization of knowledge | Generation I | Surveillant society | Select two | Frame war | User manifesto | Our great sin his personal site — coldewey. cc. ? Read More

It is hard to believe that Google's street view has been in use for over four years. More surprisingly perhaps, given the speed at which they are briefly discussed in the world of streets and alleyways that nowhere is left unmapped. But while their team successfully detected on the surface of most major cities and a number of other interesting areas, I believe he will not come as a surprise that the remote reaches of the Amazon is not subject to the lens.

They seek to change this, however, and are detailed in a blog post their plans on the street-Ize a large section of the River. This is done in collaboration with the sustainable Amazon Fund, a nonprofit working in the field.

To map the entire length of the Amazon and its tributaries and distributaries, so the work years, however, Google does not attempt to, just yet (although there are many spots to abandon Orange guy, if you're interested). At the moment they focus their efforts on a 50 km stretch of the Rio Negro, starting around Manaus, right about the images:

They also went down to the dirt in the small villages with the street view Trike, a comparison of all the time and a tripod, which they use to show business interiors give panoramic taste of village life. And how little parting shot of mercy, they will be leaving some equipment, probably some cameras and laptops to use FAS and locals. All this is some kind of advertising play for sustainability, not that there's anything wrong with that.

No word on when the project is completed, from what I read (travelogues from the 19th century, but still), these types of trips usually takes longer than expected, but you can see some photos of their work on the blog of Google.

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Google + rolls out verified profiles, still struggling with a Real name policy

Robin Wauters is currently staff writer for TechCrunch and lead editor of Virtualization.com. In addition to its activities, professional blogging, he is an entrepreneur, the organizer of the event, from time to time the Council consultant and an angel investor, but the most important champion of the full launch. He lives and works in Belgium, a small country in Europe. He can often be found work from their home or ... ? Read More

William Shatner, rejoice! Earlier today, Wen-AI Yu from Google + announced with a post on Google + YouTube video and accompanying social network now boasts a "validation icons for celebrities, public figures, but also people who have been added (undefined)" large "number of laps, with the promise to expand proven profile system in the near future.

This is in accordance with the previous report from CNN, mark Milian, who caught wind of Google "celebrity acquisition plan" a month ago.

Icons are mainly Grey check Twitter type, say "check name" when you hover over them (see screenshot of my profile-I seem to have been added to the Google enough to contribute to the list of community +). People who do not yet have a profile verification "hang tight", Yu said.

Things that are obvious:

Both celebrities and public figures requested by Google to verify their identity, while CNN report states that one of the options discussed in Google + commands while participation please fax a copy of the celebrity of his or her driver's license.

-Exactly how many laps on should be added should be, and why, it seems that some users loud fell though the cracks. It doesn't make any sense to me to skip verification, but no such people as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (it is the most followed person on Google, ironically) and entrepreneur celebrities as Kevin Rose and Tom Anderson.

-If there is a dedicated page on the list of all verified profiles (or at least those celebrities and public figures) so people can find more people to follow, especially when they are new to Google +

According to a Tweet from Louis gray, who had just been hired as Google + evangelist, there are no plans to create a list of "default" (aka user proposed) based on what profiles are checked by Google + and who are not. He says, "give me a few days though.

If you are interested in such a list now, my advice is to check this Web site.

In the meantime, the debate about policy, real name on Google + rages on. Join the social network require real name and gender information, and Google has suspended the accounts because he believes that users have used an alias.

In these days when Google finds that profile name does not stick to its policy, users receive a 4-day period to change it before they get downloaded from social network.

Power user this morning Robert Scoble has written an open letter to Google's Vic Gundotra and published it on their Google profile + to download – providing a few proposals for changes to the actual name of the policy that Scoble said not executed correctly or properly and causing a distraction.

(Hat tip to Michelle over at WebSonic)

The Google project, headed by Vic Gundotra and Bradley Horowitz, Google + is designed for social expansion of Google. Its main function is to make electronic exchange easy to ...

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Google + SocMetrics questions on Reach

A few days ago, traffic analysis firm Experian Hitwise shared the results of the study more than 10 million online users and their findings concluded that Google's new social network, Google +, headed to the Mainland.

Disputing not fully these data, social media monitoring firm SocMetrics, comes to a slightly different conclusion today by exploring one specific vertical: moms. Said SocMetrics, the group containing the influencers "MOM" is a key segment for Google + focus on grows, especially given that one of the key Differentiators of a social network is the ability to post private or semi-privately through his user-created "circle" (other lists).

However, the Group moms "is significantly less" Google + than others, SocMetrics find.

Unlike the Hitwise SocMetrics not look at visitors to the sites – it analyzes mention social media. This includes mentions on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Digg, Reddit and Disqus. In this case, the firm tracking conversations (1 million/day) from 20 July to 10 August and then broke down, vertical (industry or group). As a rule were several thousand calls a day about Google + or Facebook.

Moms show up on "Influencers" list

SocMetrics in the table below shows that this mainly industry types (e.g. technical, marketing, security, developer, etc.) that talk about Google +. Other more mainstream verticals such as sports, celebrities and fashion, are underrepresented on Google + when you use this method for the analysis. In fact, of the Top 25 segments, to talk about Google +, the network has only one which can be regarded as "core" – MOM.

Nevertheless, this group is much more active on Facebook and Twitter than Google, which sees the participation of 30% to 50% less based on these interviews.

There are several ways you can interpret this data-or you think it's clear Google + 's attempt to cross the border in the core group, or you may think that the fact that the Moms even make a list of manufacturing verticals show promise for social network site.

With regard to the SocMetrics, the company said its data shows quite similar curves to Hitwise in previous results. There, Hitwise looked into segments called "colleges and Cafe," "children and Cabernet", "status seeking singles" and "full pockets empty nests". (Yes, it's apparently layers.) Regardless of those strange name groups according to Hitwise overall transparency trends in terms of growth (see below).

SocMetrics said that all this means that Google + will not eventually mainstream, but for now this will not be able to do so. Google needs to act quickly to use it with major groups such as MAM, firm finds, before their attention wanes even more.

However, taking into account the most recent lease of Google, it looks like the company really understands their problems with Google + and is moving rapidly to address them.

The Google project, headed by Vic Gundotra and Bradley Horowitz, Google + is designed for social expansion of Google. Its main function is to make electronic exchange easy to ...

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Bring on the hardware for the Google Labs

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He wrote for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts, it would like you to read: the perils of externalization of knowledge | Generation I | Surveillant society | Select two | Frame war | User manifesto | Our great sin his personal site — coldewey. cc. ? Read More

In his statement on the acquisition of Motorola mobility Google says that they will run Motorola mobility as a business. "I understand it, this means that they are not simply devouring them, firing surplus staff and Borging all functionality of the Moto in Google the name and brand. On the other hand they will not only let it ride and skimmed profits (and patents).

Their business plans are still subject to debate, but what I am really excited about something completely different: the new playground Google for equipment.

The potential for creating real objects Motorola is of paramount importance. Google produces almost no real objects at all. Motorola designs and produces the things have to be raised and put in pockets. Google designs and produces the things, which are inviolable, unpocketable. With some points of view, this terrible match as Archie and Veronica. But what Google has, as I doubt they are Motorola and almost certainly not lacking in Microsoft and Apple, up the idea of mobility. Google Labs hardware, anyone?

Look at the "free time" policy of the company Google, where employees spend a significant portion of their working day, handicrafts or collaborating on independent projects. There has been some disagreement about how manufacturing or expensive it may be, but I definitely think it's strength. It could not create many millions of users, but it creates a large number of services viable and interesting niche. I think it's a perfect match for engineers boring equipment.

I wrote some time ago about how Microsoft must turn himself upside down. Google is not a utopia, some people may think that this is an ideal approach, but more than the competition. I always stumble inter-project microscopic Google to improve the study of physics, or solar panels or image compression. Things that don't serve millions of impressions, but act as an Ambassador between Google and consumer communities as a medical institution, circuit Benders, and various random industries. He speaks with certain indulgence within the company and an eye for quality, which selects the projects is to improve.

Microsoft has a smart people, but their wealth and territorial network managers play "mother may I" with the pet projects of stifling growth. It is a miracle that something like Kinect ever floated upwards, although phone Windows 7 and Windows 8 appear to reveal a more open, the focus of the company. Apple probably has a large number of works engineers Scoones and a Research Department. But compared with Google and Microsoft, they are almost completely hidden from prying eyes. Engineers at Microsoft Research collaborates with universities and put together a fascinating showcase at SIGGRAPH, while fruit Apple research disclosed only in patents and finished products. Both approaches have their advantages — I just wanted to show the two types. The Motorola School of Apple, but less creative and Google is Microsoft schools but less diverse.

If Motorola engineers have little room to breathe (think: fewer PCB samples phone functions), they can create some very interesting work. This is not a guarantee, as Google is not guaranteed to create something worth in their 20% time. However Google can combine a clear eye for potential (even — perhaps especially — niche capabilities) and willingness to take risks going public fast track some of the projects and produce some very interesting devices.

Google loves equipment. They just never get a chance to confess it. The closest we can see when they Cherry pick design for their G-series phones, or produce something like Cr-48, soaking in understatement and Google function the first form. And Open Toolkit accessory, as Valentine's day for hardware hackers.

They could have bought a Design Studio or two, of course. They probably have several already. But with Motorola, acting as the Department of rapid prototyping, Google has free rein to try all sorts of things. Not that we should expect Google refrigerators or something. But imagine things as Courier, rather than buried, simply because he was a cool idea. Google simply shelling to picture a limited run of these things, to see what people are not with them to create something really cool to be able to say that they did it?

I portray something along the lines of Google Labs, open to some extent (as chrome) and with basic "emissions" getting small run production. This is probably pie in the sky, but one can dream, can't I? And indeed it's ridiculous to think that Google can sometimes cause a mil or two for budding project equipment, they way they did with software projects? Use your imagination. Why not:

Google Maps and navigation devices, selected specifically for carsa courier as the tablet device for dual screen functionalitya slate focuses on handwriting, sketching, and hand collaborationan Android-powered audio processor box with apps, physical disks and I t/oa Google camera is all about sharing and geolocation

Do you think that Google is not the guys come up with this kind of stuff all the time? They probably have a backlog of deep random interesting hardware devices and spaces, they want to explore the hundreds. Google loves to tinker. And they love to put things that is not even close to finished products. This is not always positive, but it shows that, unlike Apple and Motorola, they are willing to release something wild to see how it works.

Now the recent closure of Google Labs (enter "more wood for a smaller number of arrows") can disrupt sleep. But my thinking Labs occupied a sort of an awkward position, halfway between internal projects too buggy or specific measures to be applied, but not large enough to have a blog or in app update. Obviously they are cutting down on the levels of granularity can be — but that doesn't mean they eliminate experiments, and in any case, the draft equipment is large enough to avoid this particular overclocking.

With the taste they seem to be in your hardware design (and sometimes the design interface) and the interest they show in the technological society of dilettanti, I believe the purchase of proven hardware vector is unabashed good thing, although this is not the sole or main reason Google did it. Whether they were acquired by engineers and designers prepare material on their own volition, or implementing projects for Google's fancy, the result will have a new toy. And may even be something useful.

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Peak soil: why Google will not bless Motorola as his favorite Android

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Jason Kincaid currently works as a writer at TechCrunch. He grew up in Danville, California and later relocated to UCLA in Los Angeles, California, where he studied biology with a minor in ‘Society and Genetics’. You can reach him at jkincaidtc@gmail.com (he has other addresses too, so don’t worry if you have a different one). ? Learn More

The basics: Google is buying Motorola, pending government approval. Everyone and their editor-at-large has written about it. Now I’ll take my shot at the soapbox.

I don’t know why Google acquired Motorola as opposed to simply licensing its trove of patents. My hunch is that it had more to do with fending off a threat from Microsoft than it had to do with Google’s hitherto unforeseen hardware ambitions.

But while I don’t know the why, I have some guesses as to what’s next. And I think that one of the prevailing theories — that Google is going to turn Motorola into its chosen House of Android, blessed with the latest and greatest releases before its competitors as it attempts to mirror Apple — is completely wrong.

Google CEO Larry Page, they say, has been inspired by Steve Jobs. He wants to completely own the Android experience, controlling both the hardware and the software from the ground up. Apple has reaped huge benefits with this strategy, and Google wants in on the action.

From where I’m sitting, the aforementioned scenario doesn’t make a lick of sense.

The way I see it, Android — and the smartphone industry in general — is still very much in a land grab mode. There are billions of people who are going to buy smartphones in the next five to ten years. Billions. Take every Android phone sold thus far, then multiply it by a factor of 10. Or 30. These phones will combine computing power and affordability in a way that has never been seen before. An $80 handset is selling like hotcakes in Kenya with no contract. Give it a few years and they’ll be selling for a fraction of that.

And that’s just the phones. Google allotted plenty of time at its recent I/O conference to discuss the future of Android — a future that includes Android-powered speakers, hardware accessories, and home appliances. There’ll be Android-powered car consoles, refrigerators, dishwashers, and clock radios. If it has an LCD screen, there isn’t much reason why it can’t be powered by Android.

But if Google wants to see this Android-powered future come to fruition, time is of the essence.

The Clock Is Ticking

All of the smartphone platforms have a strong lock-in effect. Those movies and app you’ve purchased on your iPhone? They’re not going to work on Android or Windows Phone any time soon, and vice versa. Switching between one of these platforms is painful for your wallet, and it’s only going to get worse as your growing library of DRMed content weighs you down.

And then there are the hardware ecosystems. Apple TV already runs on iOS; Google TV runs on Android. Xbox has Windows Phone integration. Each of these operating systems is going to get more promiscuous and spread to more devices. The mobile phones of today are hooks, luring you into the comfort of iOS or Android or Windows — and each of these devices is only friendly with other devices in the same ecosystem.

The point being, all of the of the customers who get snatched up by iOS, Web OS, or Windows today are going to be much harder for Google to convert down the line. Which is why it needs to get as many of them as it can, right now.

Which brings us back to the Motorola deal.

The Nexus Advantage?

HTC, Samsung, and the other OEMs have done an excellent job thus far at creating a diverse ecosystem of Android devices that have given Google’s OS a huge market share remarkably quickly. Yes, a few of the devices stink. But you know what? Most people don’t really care. Or, rather, they don’t know they should care, which is all the same to Google. And even the mediocre Android phones are still a huge leap over the ‘feature phones’ many people are transitioning away from.

In short, the system is doing exactly what Google needs it to. Android is spreading like wildfire. If the premature launch of the Xoom proved nothing else, it’s that Google cares far more about getting a solid foothold in the market than it does about the user experience.

Which is why it won’t be using Motorola to one-up the existing fleet of Android partners. There’s just no reason to release a suite of superior devices, because Android isn’t struggling. And besides, Google couldn’t pull it off even if they wanted to: being Apple is harder than it looks.

But what, you say? Hasn’t Google already proven that it can produce superior phones when it designs both the hardware and the software, as it has with its Nexus line?

Except, err, the Nexus phones aren’t that much better than their ‘normal’ counterparts. I’ve used both the Nexus One and the Nexus S extensively. From a hardware perspective, they’re good, but hardly revolutionary. The real reason people think these phones are superior has everything to do with their software. They have ‘vanilla’ Android installed and they receive system updates relatively quickly. Most people couldn’t care less about either of these things. And eventually the other OEMs may be able to make skins that are actually improvements over vanilla Android.

Of course, Google could still get ambitious and try to make a completely integrated fleet of Motorola Android devices that blow everything else (including the iPhone) out of the water. But it would only get one shot at it — such a move would infuriate its partners to the point that they would abandon the platform, or at the very least, begin to seek alternatives. I don’t think Google is going to take that chance.

Which is why, for the foreseeable future, Google is going to do everything it can to make Samsung, HTC, and other major OEMs happy. They will receive previews of upcoming releases of Android at the same time as Motorola. They will be chosen for Nexus releases when Motorola won’t be. And they will help ensure that Android permeates into every market and cranny it can.

So what changes will Google make to Motorola, if any? My guess is that we’ll see it start pushing the boundaries on what can be done with Android. Motorola will start aggressively testing the waters with new form factors and entirely new devices. The hits will be quickly copied by the other OEMs, who will enjoy the benefits of expanding into new markets. And Android will spread even further.

Of course, this land rush wouldn’t be possible if OEMs were concerned about Android’s future because of patent issues, and it could take years for them to be resolved. Which is why Google was willing to throw down $12.5 billion to make sure they were no longer a problem.

You Know What’s Cool?

Finally, I want to address the argument — if you can even call it that — that’s irked me most about recent analysis in Android-land. Namely, the notion that Android needs to start making more money immediately in order to justify this huge investment on Google’s part.

Any attempts by Google now to seriously monetize Android would be akin to Facebook doing a major ad push circa 2005. As I said earlier, this is still very much the land grab stage. Once it has billions of users on Android, Google will have plenty of opportunities to monetize them. It’ll know where its users are, who they’re friends with, where they’re going — and plenty of other information that is both a little creepy and very valuable.

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Sony lowers price of Google TV integrated HDTVs

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He wrote for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts, it would like you to read: the perils of externalization of knowledge | Generation I | Surveillant society | Select two | Frame war | User manifesto | Our great sin his personal site — coldewey. cc. ? Read More

Google TV not exactly set the world on fire, and while we could argue all day about what exactly did not allow it to achieve greatness, expensive hardware should at least be part of the discussion. Logitech bit the bullet two weeks ago and lowered prices for their Revue from $ 250 to $ 99, and it seems Sony decided they could take a bit of that medicine too.

Their Google TV-powered HDTVs, which debuted in October, received cuts the hefty price tag. Sony also made it clear that they are cheaper because there are better ones coming out soon — they just want to grab more market share. This is the code for "they were too expensive to begin with.

Here's the breakdown (according to Amazon and confirmed by Sony), the size of the display:

24: $ 600 to $ 295
32 ": $ 800 to $ 498
40 ?: $ 1000 $ 723
46: $ 1400 to $ 961

Best savings are 24 version — and although Google TV was not exactly a hit among the TV watching public (they prefer to just watch), the Internet powered display as it can be a big hit in the dorm room or kitchen.

Google TV will probably be around for a while, so it's not bad investments (and not a bad price for 24 set anyway), and the platform should receive an update in the next few months, so you would do yourself a favor, picking up one right now.

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OMG/JK: with Google, it's all big game

MG Siegler wrote to TechCrunch since 2009. It covers web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, in fact all. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch he covered various technology beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, mg attended the University of Michigan. He had previously lived in Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where ... ? Read More

Although this is at the end of summer and the beginning of a slow to a crawl tech news, there are actually quite a bit of talk about the OMG JK this week. In this episode, Jason and I focus on three key things: Amazon's Kindle reader web Messenger, Facebook and Google + games.

With Apple screwing Amazon? Facebook, screwing with SMS? With Facebook screwing Google? These are the main points of discussion. We are also a kind of VEER off into a debate about whether Google + all one big game in a more metaphorical sense.

And as a bonus, you can see our awkward transitions between stories.

Here are some of the key stories, we are talking about this week:

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Google pushes for green buildings, provides an example

Google has taken on his public blog this morning to talk about the company's focus on creating a greener, more sustainable jobs for their employees. The company participates in several green initiatives including energy audits and the use of green building materials and competitive programmes contrast with each other to become a greener Office team.

In addition, Google said that he now added its first LEED certified building in the Googleplex in mountain view, California.

LEED, which stands for "leadership in energy and environmental design", is an internationally recognized certification program for rating of green buildings. Google says this is not his first LEED building, but this is the first in the Googleplex.

New achievement was awarded LEED platinum for Interior renovation, which is a healthy building materials and methods, says Google. The company currently has 4.5 million square feet of building space across the world, which he hoped would soon earn LEED certification.

Other green building practices used by Google include:

Heating to prevent material containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other known toxins that may cause damage to human health by using materials free of living building challenge red list materials and chemicals ConcernPushing EPA construction industry to adopt a more transparent practices when it comes to labelling of construction materials and require suppliers to meet transparency requirements through the Pharos ProjectInvests in the most effective, cooling and lighting systemsPerforms the regular energy conservation and water auditsImplements measures and develop the best practicesUses of renewable sources of energy, where feasible (as these solar panel)

Google launches an internal program of sustainable achievement of pit teams against each other to earn points based on their Office Green performance, measuring your green cleaning programmes, water use and waste management strategy.

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Google launches music blog to remind people that the beta version of Google music still exists

MG Siegler wrote to TechCrunch since 2009. It covers web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, in fact all. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch he covered various technology beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, mg attended the University of Michigan. He had previously lived in Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where ... ? Read More

Music beta, remember? It is an online music locker service that Google unveiled at i/o in May. However, the keyword in the title is still very much "Beta" is in no way ready for prime time. OK, maybe it's a little unfair, running is simply cannot provide much. New feature today hopes to keep people interested while they work to make it better.

Magnifier is the site of a new music discovery, Google has launched today as a compliment to the beta version of the music. But let's be clear, this is a blog (it even runs on Google's Blogger platform). Every day, the blog will be updated with "song of the day" that can be added to your music a beta account with one click.

This is great, you can't knock free music. But the Magnifier is still one of the core incompetencies music Beta: there is no way to purchase music. To get the music in the beta version of the music, you should upload their own MP3s. Magnifier Now offers the second way, but again, this is only a few songs that Google has acquired the right to give away for free. Presumably they continue negotiations with labels and rights owners to be able to include music store or streaming music service, but this is clearly not ready to go yet.

And until it is ready to go, music beta will not be close to resembling "iTunes killer" or even Amazon MP3 competitor. Both of these services offer easy ways to browse and purchase new music. In the meantime, other services like Pandora, MOG and the advent of radio, Spotify just beginning in the United States-at the other end with music streaming.

Google says that the Magnifier is a way to "reignite your passion for music, but it seems more about reminding people that there is a beta of music. These transactions may not be soon enough for the service.

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Google gives Android App inventor of a new home at the MIT Media Lab

Jason Kincaid currently works as a writer at TechCrunch. He grew up in Danville, California and later moved to Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, where he studied biology with a minor in "society and genetics". You can contact him at jkincaidtc@gmail.com (it has other addresses too, so don't worry if you have another). ? Read More

In July 2010, Google announced a great educational project called App inventor. Goal? Give programmers a pretty easy way to create their own applications on the Android platform, using the drag-and-drop to add pre-written "pieces" of the code. He has was inspired to study the language scratch, but with an Android.

I ran the platform through its paces soon after its launch, attempting to build some basic applications of my own. It was rough. He was not even close to an easy to use. But it was fun and he's obviously had a lot of potential in a learning environment. A year later, approximately 100 000 persons are using the platform, many of them in the field of education.

Unfortunately last week hack education broke the news that Google is going to shutting down the App inventor, despite the fact that it has received significant traction with the teachers. Apparently this was part of the Google CEO Larry page disk make Google more focused company, which includes assassinations from Google Labs.

Today, Google has some better news: he announced that the inventor of the App is live in the framework of the new MIT mobile learning centre that will be placed in the famous MIT Media Lab and the App inventor creator Hal Abelson and other MIT Professor Eric Klopfer, Mitchel Resnick (both of which were also an important role in the creation of the project).

I really like the inventor of the App is a good introduction to programming, and he also gets students used to programming with mobile devices in mind, which is clearly going to be a big deal, go ahead. And I am glad that MIT agreed to take the torch from Google and save it.

However, I think it's quite funny that Google announced App inventor and then killed him (at least as an internal project) only a year after its launch. There is no way this was a serious burden for the company in terms of resources. And if Google intends to work with one of the universities in the framework of the project, why not do this from the very beginning?

Android is still very early in his life, and some children who cut their teeth on the App inventor want to dive even deeper into the platform. Anyway, I think Google should consider putting more resources into making the App inventor more intuitive, expanding its functionality and then run additional learning tools to help students make the transition by using the drag-and-drop interface to Java and/or HTML5.  I hope that is exactly what will happen at the Massachusetts Institute of technology. But I wonder why Google does not find it necessary to see it through.

Here's an excerpt from Google's post, which was written by Hal Abelson, Professor of computer science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of technology:

App inventor for Android is a programming system that makes it easy for students to create mobile applications for Android smartphones — currently supports a community of about 100 000 teachers, students and hobbyists. Through these new initiatives at the MIT Center for mobile learning inventor App will connect to the Prime research at the Massachusetts Institute of technology in educational technologies and MIT'S long record of creation and support of open source software.

Google first launched the App inventor internally in order to move forward with speed and focus and transformed it to the point where he began to gain critical mass. Now, his influence can be compounded by cooperation with top academic institution. MIT Inventor of the App will adopt enriched studies with greater opportunities to influence the educational community. In a sense, the inventor of the App is now full circle, as I actually initiated the inventor of the App by Google, offering it as a project during my sabbatical with the company in 2008. The main code for the application of inventor Eric Klopfer laboratory and inspiration from Mitch Resnick zero project. The new Center is an excellent example of how industry and academia can effectively work together to create change, thanks to technology, and we look forward to what we can do next, however.

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Google brings video Movie Rentals for Android phones

Google video app, official video player for Android market rolling film was updated to run on smartphones running Android. Earlier application is only supported on Android 3.0 (hundred), operating system, Android tablet.

Last update is not compatible with all Android phones, however, only those who use the two latest versions of Android for Smartphones: Android 2.2 (Froyo) and Android 2.3 (biscuit).

When the application is installed on the phone with Android, you'll have access to both its own products from Android market, as well as any personal videos stored on your phone. In my case as I don't currently have any rentals on my device, in the section "My Rent" includes a list of "Top Rentals" instead.

It seems that this application is designed to work with the updated version of the Android market. When you are in Google video, click on the icon a small market on the top right on the main screen automatically opens the movies section within a complete application, Android market, provided that you have installed the latest version. This version has not made it for all Android phones yet, we hear. (For what it's worth, I got the update via a separate APCS across some time ago Forum XDA developers. yet another reason why I love Android!).

If you don't already have an updated app market, and you don't want to dig around for the file, Chipmunk AIC, you just can rent videos from the online version of the Android market instead.

As he did on the tablets, the updated app allows Smartphone stream movies via Wi-Fi or "pin", which allows you to download the movie to your phone for offline viewing. Rent a movie is good for 30 days, but once you start playing, you only have 24 hours to finish it.

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Google adds Google + posts his social search results, Ho-Hum

Alexia Tsotsis currently works at TechCrunch as a writer. She is also a blogger who attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. She majored in writing and art, moved to New York shortly after the end of the work in the entertainment industry and media. After four years of his life in New York and to attend courses in New York. ? Read More

Step, which is almost inevitable in an overall strategy to Google from the possible integration of Google + in most if not all Google products, search engine, announced that he will now be including publicly shared Google + posts in the "social search".

Ultimately, users will see their Google + account "Blah Blah is common on Google" if they are looking for a keyword that matches with something that is posted on someone publicly in one of their Google + circles. As someone who rarely paid attention to my "social search" results before I pretty meh about how this is useful.

But, as the "social search" results already include Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn and Quora, this is not earth shattering step. In fact, as pointed out by search engine land Danny Sullivan service already can live and what we see today is just a public announcement about it.

Google said that they will be rolling function over the next couple of days. That I really got my fingers crossed that is return real time Google search.

Update: after receiving confirmation from Google, Danny Sullivan is responsible, "it's new. Posts you share on Google + now appear and rank better. Previously only you share other posts will be. "

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Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and money in the world of information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers many ...

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Google unveils chrome native client, the next generation of Web applications to follow?

MG Siegler wrote to TechCrunch since 2009. It covers web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, in fact all. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch he covered various technology beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, mg attended the University of Michigan. He had previously lived in Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where ... ? Read More

For well over a year now Google hyping up something called a native client. This open source technology, which allows Web browser for running compiled native code. In other words this potential missing link between native applications and Web applications. And now finally getting baked into chrome.

As Google notes on their Chrome blog today, the latest beta version of chrome (version 14) has its own built-in client. Their implementation allows for c and C++ code to run inside a Web browser while maintaining security, which offers Web technologies like JavaScript.

Google Writes:

Native apps client use pepper, a set of interfaces that provide c and C++ bindings to HTML5. As a result, developers can now use their native code libraries and experience to deliver portable, high performance Web applications.

This work was a long time coming. He was in May 2010 that Google first started talking about their own client to Google i/o Conference. This past February, Google notes that own the customer becomes closer to reality when they announced a new SDK for developers to play around with this year, the i/o operations, the company once again the hope that it will be ready this year in the future of chrome.

While the native client, an open source project, it was heavily driven by Google. Not only do they have done much native client work by themselves, but they have already done most of the work for Peppers plugin API (PPAPI), which is the development of the Netscape plugin API (NPAPI), which the latest versions of Web browsers (except IE, of course, has its own technology). PPAPI offers better performance than an NPAPI PLUGIN, which is the key to improving your client work.

All this can add up to the next generation of Web applications, if the developers take advantage of the native client. Intensive code will now be executed on the local machine (native code) during in real time in the browser. This should lead to more Web-based gaming, media, etc.

Google also notes that the Web audio API is part of the 14 Chrome beta, this will also help with the development of immersive gaming done through your browser.

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Google chrome is based on open source Web browser chrome, which is based on Webkit. By chance he was announced prematurely on September 1, 2008 and is scheduled to ...

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