The FTC Killed Google Reader

I suspected the kind of meritless FTC investigation of Google we saw the last 2 years, would end up killing services Google provided at no cost to users but which did not povide revenue.

Another Reason Google Reader Died: Increased Concern About Privacy and Compliance - Liz Gannes - News - AllThingsD: " . . . Nick Baum, one of the original Reader product managers who’s no longer at Google, noted that in the early days of the product there were “several millions” of weekly active users. In a conversation this weekend, Baum said, ”My sense is, if it’s a consumer product at Google that’s not making money, unless it’s going to get to 100 million users it’s not worth doing.” But Baum left the team in 2007 — before the rise of Twitter — and he notes Google never put the resources in to do things like help new Google Reader users find feeds to follow and parse the most interesting content from high-volume outlets. The irony, Baum said, is that if Google Reader were out seeking venture funding in Silicon Valley with its high-value audience, it most likely would have gotten it. “As a startup they would have been perfectly viable,” he said. Not to mention, startups don’t have to worry about compliance issues. “Someday someone will do something in this space that will work,” Baum said. “And maybe then Google will buy them.” (read more at link above)

Thanks a lot of FTC for killing (indirectly) Google Reader.


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Google Play offers ebooks, songs, and more

Google Play Offers Over 5M eBooks And More Than 18M Songs, One Year After Its Rebranding | TechCrunch: "The Google Play store now has over 5 million eBook titles, according to Google, up from the four million the company reported via its support site last year. The music store is at over 18 million tracks, a number which is just about on par with streaming services like Rdio. Apple has around 30 million tracks in iTunes be comparison, and Amazon has roughly 19 million, so just above Google Play."

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Google Reader dying but there are alternatives

First the bad news--
"We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months. (source: Google)"

and there are "workarounds"--

Google Reader is dying, but we have five worthy alternatives | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews: " . . .  Plugged-in types won't want to miss a beat once Google Reader sees its sunset, so getting familiar with these alternatives now could be key. Ideally, an RSS Reader should be available on both mobile devices and desktop machines, so we tried our best to focus on these types of services. That said, we also thought it important to mention a couple of services (at the bottom) that are only available on Android and iOS, simply because we know that they're viable alternatives, and more people than ever are reading on mobile devices these days anyway. Finally, when you're ready to make the jump, be sure to check out The Data Liberation Front's primer on exporting your Reader data using Google Takeout. Feedly (free)iOS | Android | Web . . . Google Currents (free)iOS Android"


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From Google - first steps SEO cheat sheet

From Google - "a first steps cheat sheet for just these folks. It’s a short how-to list with basic tips on search engine-friendly design, that can help Google and others better understand the content and increase your site’s visibility. We made sure it’s available in thirteen languages. Please feel free to read it, print it, share it, copy and distribute it! We hope this content will help those who are just about to start their webmaster adventure or have so far not paid too much attention to search engine-friendly design. Over time as you gain experience you may want to have a look at our more advanced Google SEO Starter Guide. As always we welcome all webmasters and site owners, new and experienced to join discussions on our Google Webmaster Help Forum." Read more at: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2013/03/cheat-sheet-for-friends-and-family.html

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Why more businesses are going Google Apps

Why more businesses are going Google Apps | ZDNet: " . . . the longer customers have been with Google Apps, the less likely they are to continue investing in Microsoft Office licenses — 64 percent of customers who have been on Google Apps for two-plus years said that they are minimizing further investment in Microsoft Office," BetterCloud wrote in its blog. This is partly generational: As more educational institutions use Google Apps as a tool, the less likely future workers are to be familiar with Office. . . ."


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Google Glass? You have to applaud the "vision"

Google Glass? You have to applaud their vision | Technology | The Observer: "This was interesting because it suggested a surprisingly wide awareness of something that – until recently – many people would have dismissed as a typical example of leading-edge uselessness. It's Google Glass, an R&D project aimed at developing an "augmented reality head-mounted display". It comes from the same Google lab that has produced the self-driving car and, in a way, belongs in the same category of insanely ambitious projects. But just as the car looks like becoming a reality, so too do the glasses. In fact, if you're a software developer and live in the US, you might just be able to acquire a prototype from the project's website, in return for $1,500 and some original ideas for applications of the technology."


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Introducing Google+ Sign-In - simple and secure, minus the social spam

Introducing Google+ Sign-In: simple and secure, minus the social spam - Google+ Developers Blog: "Managing your signed-in apps is easy too: visit plus.google.com/apps at any time, or open the new Google Settings app on Android. . . 2. Desktop and mobile are better together - Many developers offer web and mobile versions of their app, yet setting things up across a browser, phone and tablet is still a major hassle. Starting today, when you sign in to a website with Google, you can install its mobile app on your Android device with a single click."


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Google's war against account hijackers

An update on our war against account hijackers | Official Google Blog: "How Google Security helps protect your account - Every time you sign in to Google, whether via your web browser once a month or an email program that checks for new mail every five minutes, our system performs a complex risk analysis to determine how likely it is that the sign-in really comes from you. In fact, there are more than 120 variables that can factor into how a decision is made. If a sign-in is deemed suspicious or risky for some reason—maybe it’s coming from a country oceans away from your last sign-in—we ask some simple questions about your account. For example, we may ask for the phone number associated with your account, or for the answer to your security question. These questions are normally hard for a hijacker to solve, but are easy for the real owner. Using security measures like these, we've dramatically reduced the number of compromised accounts by 99.7 percent since the peak of these hijacking attempts in 2011."


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View the inside of a business

Google users in India can view the inside of a business on their computers or phones, accessible through a regular Google search--

Google gets down to business - The Hindu: "Google Inc. announced the launch of its Google Business Photos programme in India with the release of thousands of new indoor images of businesses. The global programme, which is part of its Maps project, typically offers users a virtual tour inside the businesses through interactive 360-degree imagery created using Street View technology. According to Google’s press release, the company worked closely with thousands of businesses to pilot this programme with restaurants, bars, retail stores, showrooms and boutiques. So, now Google users in India can view the inside of a business on their computers or phones, accessible through a regular Google search, Google Maps, and the Google+ local pages. What interested businesses can do is get their interiors captured and load the interface with images of displays on the storefront, such as business hours, rating details, credit cards accepted, and posted menus. These photos can help customers get a better sense of what a business has to offer and what sets it apart from others, the release explained."


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