Google Chairman Eric Schmidt responded to a prickly senate hearing by assuring senators that Google has “not cooked anything” to ensure better placement for Google products, reports Diane Bartz and Malathi Nayak.
Google
Google to shut down programs, focus on money makers
As part of an ongoing effort to concentrate its resources on fewer projects, Google has began shutting down a number of programs including Aardvark, which it bought last year for around US$50 million, reports Patrick Stafford.
Google+ is a goddam Trojan horse
Google+ may look like an social network service and act like an social network service, but it’s not. It’s bait.
Patents, governance and WMDs
The public has a right to expect that blatant misuse of monopoly power be addressed by active anti-trust/anti-competitive laws, writes Anna George, an adjunct professor at Murdoch University.
To Google, we are data fodder, and I am an unperson
Google’s “real names” policy, apart from being a shameless push to upgrade the company’s data mining capability and unbelievable boorish in execution, is nothing short of cultural imperialism.
Media briefs: More jobs go at Ten … Google & AP fund future journos …
Crikey enjoyed this interesting piece in Saturday’s Herald Sun on how the Melbourne’s Spring Fashion week is rolling out the red carpet for pregnant mums. But it was the accompanying photo that caught our eye…
Gauging public reaction to Google+
Amazing! Awesome! Interesting! Cool! These are some of the reactions Google+ is generating, but how many of them are from super net nerds? Laura Lippay attempts to diagnose how Google’s social media experiment is faring.
Why the campaign against anonymity is an attack on free speech
There’s a growing campaign against online anonymity from governments, corporations and even the media. It’s dangerous.
Free speech at risk as Google embroiled in ‘nym wars’
There’s a struggle going on at the moment between the world’s biggest internet company and its users over the right to be pseudonymous or anonymous online, writes Jason Wilson, an assistant professor in journalism at the University of Canberra.
In IT’s dance of the inflating elephants, Microsoft is stumbling
With moves like Google’s launch of their own social network Google+, the corporate elephants are now engaged in a highly-competitive dance around a massive pot of gold.
How safe is your privacy?
Apparently your privacy is safe in the hands of Australia’s mainstream media. It’s not, of course. Ask Pauline Hanson, John Della Bosca, Troy Buswell, David Campbell and innumerable celebrities.
Your complete guide to Google+
Google’s pre-launch beta testing period has attracted more than 10 million users. Many of Google+’s functions are simple but even advanced users can miss out on some of its nuances. Ben Pass presents an extensive guide.
Stilgherrian: there’s no way I’m handing over data to Google+
I’m no Luddite. But I flushed Facebook from my life more than a year ago because it simply wasn’t clear what they were up to. Google+ is really just Facebook with a Google logo.
Network effect to keep Facebook safe from Google move
Facebook, more than almost any other company, is a beneficiary of a global “network effect”.
If Facebook killed Myspace will Google+ kill THE social network?
Facebook is THE Social Network, right? Yeah, there was a movie. We all agreed! Last week. But not if the recently launched Google has launched Google+ (pronounced “Google Plus”) has anything to do with it.
Google unveils Google+
Google have taken a further step towards embracing social media with the launch of Google+, which encapsulates a range of tools aimed to loosen Facebook’s stranglehold of the market, reports Matt Warman.
Did Google strike a deal with Obama?
Google have denied that the Democrats have been granted special access to a new advertising initiative despite claims of the contrary made by a company sales representative, reports Byron Tau and Ben Smith.
Are we being gouged on delivery as well?
Not merely are Australians being ripped off by local retailers for internationally available goods, it costs more to deliver them.
Santorum’s presidential hopes face a sticky problem
Rick Santorum is running for president? Hah! The religious right of the Republicans might reckon they’ve found their man in this confrontationist conservative former senator from Pennsylvania, but did they check Google?
Google Chromebook: always online, always in the clouds
Google’s upcoming Chromebook laptop will use a browser-based workplace, be permanently connected to the net and store information using ‘the cloud.’ The Conversation’s Srikumar Venugopal explains.
Why Microsoft had to buy Skype
It makes strategic sense that Microsoft happily bought Skype for the rather inflated price of US $8.5 billion, says Robert X Cringely. Microsoft needed a new market — telecommunications, but more importantly it needed to stop Google from buying Skype.
Facebook busted trying to smear Google
Facebook recently hired a PR agent who has been quietly encouraging journos and bloggers to write anti-Google stories questioning whether Google’s new social media strategy violates people’s privacy.
Apple officially the world’s #1 brand
The annual BrandZ study of the world’s top brands has awarded the top gong to Apple, which is worth around US$153 billion. Google dropped to number two while IBM place at three and McDonalds at four, reports Goergina Prodgan.
Tired Microsoft delivers solid profits, for now
Microsoft’s online services have now clocked up 21 consecutive loss-making quarters.
Bartholomeusz: an Amazonian effort
The common denominator in the Amazon and Google results was that the increase in revenues significantly outstripped the increase in earnings.
