MG Siegler, writing for Pandodaily: This also presumably means they’ll be suing Microsoft and trying to bring down the H.264 video codec — which, by the way, Google created a competitor to (WebM) out of fear that someone would come along one day and try to enforce patents that would kill the H.264 video codec. How’s that for a mind fuck? Indeed. Make sure you read his whole piece. Good read.
There has been some recent news in the last month that I want to talk about. Google announced several weeks ago the new Google+ infected search results, where they attempt to shove as many aspects of Google+ in front of the user, whether the user wants it or not. This goes against something Google has said they never would do, for years and years – polluting their own search results with preferences of their products over competitors. Back in the late ’90s and early ’00s this is the exact reason many people switched to Google in the first place. All of ther competitors pulled bullshit such as this, and Google being the “good guy” did not. Zuckerberg and his monstrosity has them so scared…
Google got caught with its hand in the cookie jar. Stefan Magdalinski, writing for Mocality: Since October, Google’s GKBO appears to have been systematically accessing Mocality’s database and attempting to sell their competing product to our business owners. They have been telling untruths about their relationship with us, and about our business practices, in order to do so. As of January 11th, nearly 30% of our database has apparently been contacted. … I did not expect to find a human-powered, systematic, months-long, fraudulent (falsely claiming to be collaborating with us, and worse) attempt to undermine our business, being perpetrated from call centres on 2 continents. The news coming out these days about Google is all sunshine and peaches, huh? Make sure you read Stefan’s…
MG Siegler, writing on ParisLemon.com: Apple, for all the shit they get for being “closed” and “evil”, has actually done far more to wrestle control back from the carriers and put it into the hands of consumers. Google set off to help in this goal, then stabbed us all in the back and went the complete other way, to the side of the carriers. And because they smiled the entire time they were doing it and fed us this “open” bullshit, we thanked them for it. As Marco Arment put it: Remember when Google argued for net neutrality? They’ve been pretty quiet about it recently. If you read anything on the web this month, for me, please read MG’s post. I agree with him…
First, Eric Schmidt says this: Whether you like ICS or not, and again I like it a great deal, you will want to develop for that platform, and perhaps even first. And then I see this: Yeah, I’ll get right on that whole developing for Android thing.
Brian Shih, former Project Manager of Google Reader who left google back in July 11: It’s almost as if Google wants to demonstrate that, yes, they don’t really get platforms. Instead of improving the G+ API to support Reader as a fully functional 3rd party client (a la Twitter), they’ve instead crippled the product under the guise of improvements.
Yesterday, on the Google Reader blog, it was announced that Google Reader would be losing its friending, following, shared links, likes and starred items. In place of these, they will be adding integrating Google Reader with Google+ social features. You’ll be forced to manage these features via Google+ Circles, and will be forced to share your posts via Google+. Friends will be forced to see your shares via Google+. Nevermind if you & your friends do not use Google+. Or like it. I could write at length about why the current Google Reader social functions work better than how they will work with Google+, but someone has already done that for me. Courtney Stanton, writing on Here Is A Thing: I’m not going to…
I must have missed this when it was linked to a month or so ago on the tech blogs but the images were so compelling I felt the need to post. Andrew Warner posted a before and after shot of Android phones prior to 2007, before the first iPhone, and after 2007, once Apple’s design was public. The difference is night and day.
Matthew Guay, writing at App Storm: While Facebook and Twitter have tweaked their design and added new features over time, Google+ includes a beautiful design and an incredible amount of features from day 1. With extra touches such as the Huddles video chat and an option to download your Google+ data, it’s easily a step beyond what we’ve come to expect from social networks. That said, the birrage of features can be overwhelming, and Twitter’s 140 character simplicity seemed refreshing after spending a morning in Google+. Look for a guest appearance by yours truly.
John Gruber writing at Daring Fireball: This is a fundamentally different vision for the coming decade than Google’s. In both cases, your data is in the cloud, and you can access it from anywhere with a network connection. But Google’s vision is about software you run in a web browser. Apple’s is about native apps you run on devices. Apple is as committed to native apps — on the desktop, tablet, and handheld — as it has ever been. Google’s frame is the browser window. Apple’s frame is the screen. That’s what we’ll remember about today’s keynote ten years from now. I think John has the best “big picture” take on yesterday’s announcements.