A couple of bits of news today concern European legal action against US Internet giant Google. However, they couldn't be further apart regarding their validity.
First we got the news that Google is joining an exclusive club, which includes the likes of Microsoft and Google, and is coming under the EC spotlight to see if any of its business practices are anti-competitive. Intriguingly, Microsoft seems to be the primary driver behind the complaint to the EC and the issue is whether Google is unfairly moving its competitors down the list of search results.
It's right and proper that Google comes under this scrutiny. I've read some comments that Google is not a monopoly because there is choice, but regardless of choice, once a company comes to own the vast majority of a market - however fairly it got there - a special set of rules apply and it has to do more than other companies to show it is not harming competition.
A contrastingly ridiculous ruling came from an Italian judge who held individual Google employees liable for a nasty video posted on Google in 2006. The precedent this sets is for all content hosting platforms - such as Blogger, on which this is written - to be liable for all content uploaded onto them. It's obviously not viable for host platforms to individually vet all content before it's uploaded, and thus absurd to hold them responsible for it.
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Thursday 18 February 2010
Bored in Barcelona
So, we were on the plane back from mwc and they said there was a strange smell in the cockpit. They decided to turn back and everyone shat themselves til we landed.
Now it's 1am and I'm still in a queue waiting to put on another flight. BA really arsed this up.
Now it's 1am and I'm still in a queue waiting to put on another flight. BA really arsed this up.
Monday 15 February 2010
Queuing at MWC 2010
The first day of mwc 2010 has so far been a succession of queues for press events, first for Intel/Nokia and now Microsoft.
Still, I've managed to get the loan of a Google nexus one so I'm playing with that while I wait.
It's excellent for accessing Google cloud services but the touch screen takes a bit of getting used to and the home screen seems to have gone mad.
Still, I've managed to get the loan of a Google nexus one so I'm playing with that while I wait.
It's excellent for accessing Google cloud services but the touch screen takes a bit of getting used to and the home screen seems to have gone mad.
Thursday 11 February 2010
Keeping up with the Joneses
It used to be having the latest gadget, but among the technorati status is defined by how many clever new bits of software you're currently playing with. If you're not using Dump, the new cloud app that lets you chronicle whenever go to the toilet and share it with your virtual social circle then you clearly don't get social networking.
The mobile phone industry is currently obsessed with social networking as a demand driver, but how many people older than 25 have a) the time to constantly update their 'friends' about what they're doing/thinking, let alone keep track of everyone else, and b) give a shit anyway?
Dan Lyons - also known as The Fake Steve Jobs - wrote something recently for Newsweek, in which he lamented the launch of Google Buzz as yet another needless social networking site he feels compelled to try out for fear of being accused of not 'getting it'.
"Then came Google Wave, and again I signed up, but as far as I can tell nobody is actually using Google Wave, mostly because nobody can figure out what it does or how it works, so that it exists only as a catnip toy for new media wanker-pundits who love it because it gives them something to blather on about, plus it provides them with yet another weapon in their arsenal of things that can be used to make lesser folks, like me, feel yet more guilty and left behind. ," he said in his story.
Very amusing and a good point.
The mobile phone industry is currently obsessed with social networking as a demand driver, but how many people older than 25 have a) the time to constantly update their 'friends' about what they're doing/thinking, let alone keep track of everyone else, and b) give a shit anyway?
Dan Lyons - also known as The Fake Steve Jobs - wrote something recently for Newsweek, in which he lamented the launch of Google Buzz as yet another needless social networking site he feels compelled to try out for fear of being accused of not 'getting it'.
"Then came Google Wave, and again I signed up, but as far as I can tell nobody is actually using Google Wave, mostly because nobody can figure out what it does or how it works, so that it exists only as a catnip toy for new media wanker-pundits who love it because it gives them something to blather on about, plus it provides them with yet another weapon in their arsenal of things that can be used to make lesser folks, like me, feel yet more guilty and left behind. ," he said in his story.
Very amusing and a good point.
Wednesday 10 February 2010
Funny images
Friday 5 February 2010
Qualcomm's marketing goes into overdrive
Of all the companies involved in the mobile Internet ecosystem, the most proactive right now appears to be Qualcomm.
Not only is it flying legions of journalists to every press event it can think of, it has even taking out no less than three ads during the Super Bowl.
It's clearly going big on promoting its mobile TV technology to American football fans, not only is FLO TV sponsoring video clips on NFL.com, it's even doing product give-aways on blogs.
Not only is it flying legions of journalists to every press event it can think of, it has even taking out no less than three ads during the Super Bowl.
It's clearly going big on promoting its mobile TV technology to American football fans, not only is FLO TV sponsoring video clips on NFL.com, it's even doing product give-aways on blogs.
Microsoft responds
Microsoft has responded to the Dick Brass op-ed here, but it's pretty much just a PR damage limitation job.
The blog post details a few innovations that claim to contradict some of Brass's assertions, but it's a carefully worded post that avoids sounding in any way petulant or confrontational.
The blog post details a few innovations that claim to contradict some of Brass's assertions, but it's a carefully worded post that avoids sounding in any way petulant or confrontational.
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