Published March 17, 2010
Google begins shipping Nexus One in Canada, Verizon version soon expected, smartphone war intensifies
Google today announced the availability of its flagship Nexus One smartphone on the AT&T network and on Rogers Wireless in Canada.
The company is offering the Nexus One directly to consumers for use on either of the two networks for $529, without any telecom subsidy in sight at least for now. There is no comment from the two carriers as to whether or not they would subsidize the device.
The Nexus One is currently offered exclusively through T-Mobile in the U.S. priced at $179 on a two-year term.
Google originally announced it intended to offer a version of the Nexus One for use on the Verizon network by spring 2010. Reports today indicate the Verizon version could launch on March 23, 2010.
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Published March 09, 2010
Microsoft Corporation today launched a redesign of its popular Internet portal MSN.com.
The company has updated the site with a far more simple and clean design, along with new social networking features that display information from various social networks you set up such as Facebook and Twitter. A new featured called TrendWatch was also implemented, which essentially scans Twitter for local news content.
The company has also now implemented full Facebook support.
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Published February 10, 2010
Iranian protest at UN Plaza in San Francisco June 2009
The Iranian Communications Agency has formally announced it has banned Google’s popular email service Gmail.
The Iranian government said the ban would be “permanent”. The agency said the country would develop its own national email service for citizens to use.
During the botched Iranian elections last summer, the government blocked a number of social networking websites, including Facebook. The government later banned Twitter as protesters organized rallies through Twitter and published tweets including video of events amid the government crackdown on the protests.
The latest Gmail ban comes as the government warns people to refrain from participating in anti-government protests, one of which is scheduled tomorrow. More protests are scheduled on February 11, the day marking Islamic Revolution celebrations.
Update: Reports are coming in that there are SMS interruptions
Published February 10, 2010
The world’s top Internet search and online advertising company, Google, today announced an experiment project to develop and build ultra-speed Internet fiber optic networks capable of downloading at 1 gigabits per second.
Google says the purpose of the network is to “make Internet access better and faster for everyone,” and to give developers the necessary tools to create highly innovative technologies yet to be developed. Google’s ultimate goal for the networks is to lead to next generation apps, new deployment technologies, and more openness when it comes to selecting providers.
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Published January 26, 2010
Apple recently decided not to approve Google’s Voice application, citing the application altered the main functions of the iPhone.
Today, Google has released an enhanced mobile version of Voice at http://m.google.com/voice, which is powered by HTML5 that now brings new premium features to the iPhone.
Most people who use Google Voice want to use it to consolidate all their telephone numbers into one primary one. One of the best features is now the ability to set your outgoing calling number to your Google Voice number on your iPhone. It will now be easier for your friends to adopt your Google Voice number, as they’ll always see your Google Voice number. You can also send and receive free text messages from Google Voice.
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Published January 20, 2010
Google has announced that YouTube will make popular movies from the Sundance Film Festival available for rental through its website starting January 22 until the end of the month for $3.99 each movie accessible for 48-hours. Movies include “Homewrecker”, “One Too Many Mornings”, among other popular films.
This marks the first time YouTube offering paid movie rentals. Google plans to expand the program, making more movies available, especially from smaller scale filmmakers.
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Published January 20, 2010
Apple Computers has been engaging in talks with Microsoft Corp. to change the default search engine found on the iPhone from Google search, to Microsoft’s Bing search.
The information comes from a source familiar with the discussions on condition of anonymity.
The rivalry between Google and Apple is intensifying, not necessarily in online search directly, but in online mobile advertising. As a record number of people begin adopting online browsing with their mobile phones as web browsers become easier and actually usable, the trends indicate traditional Internet advertising is heading towards online mobile advertising.
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Published January 19, 2010
Google cancels launch of new phones in China as Beijing relationship intensifies
With launch events scheduled for this Wednesday in Beijing to launch two new Android powered Google handsets, Google has confirmed today that the company would “postpone” the launch, giving no explanation.
Google spokeswoman Marsha Wang made the announcement today and did not elaborate further, other than to say that the launch had been postponed.
The news comes as Google threatened to stop censoring Chinese search results and to entirely cease operations in China after sophisticated cyber attacks on Google’s infrastructure aimed at compromising trade secrets and compromising confidential information, including email messages from Chinese activists, allegedly originated from Beijing.
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Published January 15, 2010
New Apple U.S. patent applications suggest the Cupertino-based company is developing software and hardware to regulate electricity to devices around your home to help you better manage and lower your monthly hydro bill.
The Intelligent Power Monitoring patent would allow you to allocate electricity to connected devices on your computer such as printers, your iPhone, BlackBerry, and other mobile devices and peripherals that charge. According to the patent application, users would also be able to schedule power-charging times and automatically set the more energy-intensive devices to hibernate to conserve energy. The energy allocation would be handled by the Intelligent Power Communications Port (patent no. 20100007473).
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Published January 12, 2010
The AP removed from Google News after licensing talks break down, more publications could end their Google partnerships
The search giant has confirmed that it would no longer publish news articles from The Associated Press, after what appears to be a breakdown in licensing talks.
Google first started indexing and using AP content from the first licensing agreement set in the summer of 2007.
The news comes as other content providers such as the Wall Street Journal have threatened to block Google from indexing, using, and providing their content.
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