'Google Inc. is releasing its own Web browser in a long-anticipated move aimed at countering the dominance of Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer and ensuring easy access to its market-leading search engine. The Mountain View-based company took the unusual step of announcing its latest product on the Labor Day holiday after it prematurely sent out a comic book drawn up to herald the new browser's arrival. The free browser, called "Chrome," is supposed to be available for downloading Tuesday in more than 100 countries for computers running on Microsoft's Windows operating system. Google said it's still working on versions compatible with Apple Inc.'s Mac computer and the Linux operating system.' [AP]
Though it's not offering much in the way of higher salaries these days, media giant Viacom is offering New York staffers one perk: a revamped dining room/cafeteria space/whatever-the-classy-word-is-for-mess hall at their headquarters on Broadway. Now the space is 12,000 sq. ft and includes such bonuses as a "8-ft. by 8-ft. projection screen broadcasting MTVN Networks channels 24 hours a day" as well as a bocca ball light fixture(?). No word yet on the food stuffs, but that's not what the place is really for.
NEway, Viacom's revamp comes not a moment too soon, as it was desperately losing the unnecessarily elaborate Eating Space Awards, which we just made up.
But how does Viacom's new foodie digs compare to other media companies' digestive offerings? Let's check in on the free Skittles: CONTINUED »
Jackshaf is totes going to have his plans for boycotting the DNC /giant media clusterfuck foiled when the press shows up and is treated to Google's elaborate arrangements for bloggers. Google is setting up a two-story "camp" for bloggers covering the event in Denver next week, and for only 100 clams, even the most dubious news source can be treated like kings with a set-up that includes internet, "nap spaces," food and beverages, massages, "smoothies and a candy buffet."
The really incredible part of this story, however, is reminding us just how new this new media really is:
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After the Democratic National Convention, Google and Vanity Fair will team up for a joint invite-only party. Google wants in because it's trying to push its suite of web tools on to the political savvy. Vanity Fair wants in because it can get stars like Ben Affleck to show up to play Rock Band while giving Graydon Carter new editor's letter material.
From now on, let's have a rule that we'll stop using our DVRs and TiVos to skip commercials. That way, advertisers won't need to think of new ways to get our attention, like, oh, say, teaming up with Seth MacFarlane and Google to bring us a new web-series about Burger King. Like viral videos weren't enough of a "thing" already, now there will be a legion of frat boys quoting Whopper slogans and impressing girls with their archaic knowledge of the King.
What's with everybody and trying to protect their copyrights? On the heels of RedLasso caving to NBC and Fox's infringement lawsuit comes word two other major cases are making their way to the courts. The first involves the MPAA, a literally a four-letter word for movie pirates, which wants the websites FOMDB.com and MovieRumor.com shut down for persistently posting information on how to download movies illegally. The second involves litigation magnet YouTube, which is being sued by Italy's prime minister. CONTINUED »
Of course, Google thinks it can do Wikipedia better than Wikipedia. Enter Knol, debuting to the public yesterday, and operating incredibly slowly today, where articles are posted about specific subjects, and they're written by experts, whatever that means. The articles are — so clever! — called "knols," and so far most of them are health-related. And, to really set the project apart from its democratic counterpart, Google has teamed up with The New Yorker to allow authors to post a cartoon from the magazine to accompany their entries. Which means you can expect things like this: CONTINUED »
Back in the good old days of the Internet, when you Googled "dumb motherfucker," the first result you got back was a link to a store selling George W. Bush tees. It was the result of a "Google bomb," where crafty blogger types gamed Google's search engine algorithm by linking specific keywords to a single site, to juice up the chances anyone searching for those keywords would be pointed to the site they favored. There have even been contests to see who could come up with the most creative use of search engine optimization tricks to get various phrases linked to specific web addresses. But now, no fun Google — who has long frowned on the practice — says it's disabled the loophole entirely. CONTINUED »
Google's virtual world cross-over Lively — it's part Second Life, part chat room — is supposed to be a safe, fun space for Internet nerds to geek out over their latest obsession, whether it be the iPhone or some new limited edition action figure. It is not, as far as Google's original intentions would suggest, a place for Internet trolls to gather for live sex shows. Except that's what's been happening. CONTINUED »
It's certainly not our personal mission to make Google a cause célèbre, but we have a special place in our hearts for any company that challenges Nielsen Media Research, the bumbling audience analytics firm headed toward further catastrophe by David Calhoun, the former General Electric vice chairman. Google recently unveiled Google Ad Planner, a new framework that combines website metrics with media buying, which is supposed to replace the guesswork employed by companies like Nielsen and comScore, which use a complicated and mostly flawed mixture of audience panels and computer logging to tell clients how many people visit a website, and what type of people they are. Google, which collects metrics data itself, directly from websites that carry its tracking code, wants to challenge these industry leaders in a market they've long owned, and which media buyers have always had to rely on to know where best to spend their millions in ad buys. Except now that the service has debuted and the biggest media agencies have had a look, it appears Nielsen isn't in much danger of no longer holding clients hostage. CONTINUED »
You know who would've benefited from seeing this pair of creative ads for Porn Blocker software? Clinton Raymond McCowen, who's on trial in Florida for distributing porn that qualifies, prosecutors are arguing, as "obscene," that nasty over-the-line definition that means whatever the hell you're doing is not protected by the First Amendment.
(This is not to be confused with a similar obscenity trial underway in Los Angeles, where pornographer Ira Isaacs is defending his human-on-animal flicks, and where the Hon. Alex Kozinski recused himself after he was found out for posting some of his own borderline-acceptable porn on what he thought was a private web server.)
McCowen is on trial for producing group sex porn, raking in an estimated $1 million per year from 5,000 subscribers who pay $30/month for their orgy fix. (Also, prosecutors say paying the "actors" amounts to prostitution.)
What constitutes obscenity hinges on the Supreme Court's 1973 decision, which puts forth a 3-part test to determine if material is obscene based on "contemporary community standards"; that is, does the community think the material is obscene? And to argue that it's not, McCowen's attorney is turning to Google — and its cache of data on your search history. CONTINUED »
Need a place to cool off this summer? You could always visit one of those public pools, which are teaming with children's pee and, worse, children. Or you could turn to Google Earth, which will helpfully identify your neighbor's swimming pools courtesy satellites floating around the planet. Then, when you find one that's deep enough for canon balls, you can alert your friends on Facebook that you're planning a pool party at someone else's home, like these jerks in Britain. The technology is also helpful for locating trampolines, bouncy houses, and Slip'N'Slides that don't belong to you, too.
Apparently, tricking people into signing up for fee-riddled cell phone ringtone services does not sit well with some customers. Which is why search giant Google – which is sporting a brand new "fav icon" lately – is on the hook for letting advertisers attach the word "free" to their text ads, getting visitors to enter their mobile numbers, and then surreptitiously billing them for that hot new T.I. tone. And so comes the lawsuit, from a New Jersey woman who claims "Google accepts deceptive ads for ringtones in violation of its stated policy of only allowing ads for mobile content if the landing page 'clearly and accurately displays price, subscription, and cancellation information.'" [MP] And ya know, we're kinda all for this lawsuit; nobody should be tricked into paying for lame ringtones and phone wallpapers when they're advertised as free. (AT&T just paid $2.5m for something similar.) But we also have the same level of sympathy to those who see those awful television commercials advertising free ringstones, where half the screen is filled with unreadable fine print, and the other half is asking you to text "SXXXY" to 430459.
The real winner of the Democratic primary race? Google, which has collected about $2.8 million this year in ad dollars from Barack Obama's campaign. [ClickZ] True to form, Barry Diller probably doesn't care.
Cranky former Democrat Joe Lieberman last week called on YouTube to remove videos from what he called Islamic terrorist organizations. If they can keep The Daily Show clips off the site, why not calls for the end of the Western world?
YouTube has at last publicly answered the politico's request, and it reads something like this: Go away.
Funny, coming from a company owned by Google, which has no problem turning in its users when international authorities come calling. CONTINUED »
"An Indian man was arrested over the weekend for allegedly posting derogatory and vulgar content about Indian politician Sonia Gandhi on Google's social networking site, Orkut. 22-year-old Rahul Krishnakumar Vaid had posted his comments in an Orkut community called "I hate Sonia Gandhi" through an Orkut account associated with his Gmail account. With Google's help, local authorities were able to verify Vaid's identity and make the arrest.
"Vaid was charged under the Indian Penal Code as well as the Information Technology Act, according to expressindia. Perhaps surprisingly, the creator of the "I hate Sonia Gandhi" group was left alone, as hating prominent politicians is not illegal in India. Posting vulgar comments about that someone is, however, leading authorities to pursue Vaid.
"Google admitted today that it had forked over Vaid's information after it was requested by Indian law enforcement. A spokesperson for Google told IDG News Service that, while the company is committed to protecting user privacy, it must obey local laws and legal processes." [ArsT]
So this is sort of interesting. The first Google News result for "Sue Simmons," the WNBC anchor who let it fly during a live promo, is her apology: "I have to acknowledge an unfortunate incident : I used a word that many people find offensive. It was a mistake I made and I'm truly sorry." [Google News]
A whiny guy with a Twitter account who wasn't allowed to take a photo of a Google booth gets an apology from the search giant, and is dubbed a hero. BECAUSE HE WROTE ONE LINE OF TEXT ON THE INTERNET COMPLAINING. Are these the type of stories Forbes hopes to hunt down by hiring a new media reporter? [Forbes]
