August 17, 2011
August 15, 2011
Google acquires Motorola Mobility! One insider I spoke with...
One insider i spoke with a few months ago said one reason they split the company was that mobile wasn't making money and was "a drain on resources". The same insider also said Motorola Solutions, the other half, was highly profitable.
Still, it is a good move by google. I anticipate that this will bring down costs for Android handsets while increasing competition within the Smartphone arena. Despite lower smartphone prices, they are still too expensive and contribute to the current economic models for carrier services that are designed to maintain price amplification.
Traditionally Google have priced products cheaper than most of their competition and there no reason to believe this time will be any different. It is a good bet part of their plan includes becoming a new carrier, although this will not happen in the near future unless they plan to spend tens of billions, in the short term, on acquiring and building their own infrastructure.
Motorola Mobility has decades of mobile experience, an established, albeit, floundering distribution network and some of the best design pedigree in the space.
This is one to watch closely.
July 27, 2011
How Google+ turns the follower wars upside down
I found this quite interesting, and so will you! -Courtesy Mike Elgin, I encourage you to Circle +Mike Elgan
Twitter is like high school. The equivalent of being the popular captain of the football team or head cheerleader is to have a massive number of followers, but to be following very few. Some of the mega-celebrities, for example, have more than a million followers, but themselves are following like 12 people. Google+, however, which was built by math and computer nerds, turns that scenario upside down. If you think about it: Your potential reach on G+ is affected more by who you follow than by who's following you. Let me explain. The Extended circles button sends your post to all the people in your circles, plus all the people in their circles who have public follower counts on their profiles.
So if a mega-celebrity has been circled on Google+ by a million people, but themselves has circled only 12, then their posts will go to a million people, plus the 12, plus the people in the circles of those 12. But the theoretical maximum number of people who can be reached by the Extended circles button is 25 million. That's achievable if you follow 5,000 who each are following 5,000 people, assuming everyone is public with their follower lists. I can theoretically reach 25 million people, even if nobody is following me. If nobody is following me on Twitter, my tweets will reach zero people.
So the show-off celebrities who want to demonstrate effortless aloofness by following few, but attracting many, can still do that on Google+. But they'll have a much smaller reach than the person who follows a lot of people who also follow a lot of people.
Interesting.
Twitter is like high school. The equivalent of being the popular captain of the football team or head cheerleader is to have a massive number of followers, but to be following very few. Some of the mega-celebrities, for example, have more than a million followers, but themselves are following like 12 people. Google+, however, which was built by math and computer nerds, turns that scenario upside down. If you think about it: Your potential reach on G+ is affected more by who you follow than by who's following you. Let me explain. The Extended circles button sends your post to all the people in your circles, plus all the people in their circles who have public follower counts on their profiles.
So if a mega-celebrity has been circled on Google+ by a million people, but themselves has circled only 12, then their posts will go to a million people, plus the 12, plus the people in the circles of those 12. But the theoretical maximum number of people who can be reached by the Extended circles button is 25 million. That's achievable if you follow 5,000 who each are following 5,000 people, assuming everyone is public with their follower lists. I can theoretically reach 25 million people, even if nobody is following me
My account has been suspended, what do I do?
If your Google profile account has been suspended Google's own Natalie Villalobos has outlined the steps to appealing the suspension. (FULL DISCLOSURE: My own account was NOT suspended, that is my real name and I've had my Google profile for more than two years-Darrel Sukhdeo)
Hi everyone,
We've seen some complaints regarding profile suspensions, and I want to let you know how to solve this problem. Typically this problem occurs when you edit your name in a way that we no longer accept. In these situations, you may find that your name requires review to confirm that it complies with our Community Standards. You’ll be prompted to request a review during the sign-up flow, this will lead to it being reviewed by our team. After 24 hours, your profile will either be live or require further appeal. To request further appeal, click on the link to our appeal form from your Google Profile. Here, you can provide additional information to support the claim that you are using a name in compliance with our policy. Once you file the second appeal your profile will be handled via 1-to-1 communication with Google.
To ensure the success of your appeal, please make sure you are adhering to our Community Standards: http://www.google.com/support/profiles/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1228271
In particular, Google Profiles no longer support mixed character language (for example Chinese and English) in a name, symbols in names (included periods), and nicknames. Google services support three different types of use when it comes to your identity: unidentified, pseudonymous, identified. Google Profiles is a product that works best in the identified state. This way you can be certain you’re connecting with the right person, and others will have confidence knowing that there is someone real behind the profile they’re checking out. For this reason, Google Profiles requires you to use the name that you commonly go by in daily life (both online and offline).
Note: Once your profile has been suspended, you cannot move it out of the suspended state by any means other than appeal. Deleting your profile and then creating a new profile will merely allow you to continue the appeals process that was started with your previous profile.
Natalie, Community Manager for the Google+ project. I encourage you to Circle Natalie.
Hi everyone,
We've seen some complaints regarding profile suspensions, and I want to let you know how to solve this problem. Typically this problem occurs when you edit your name in a way that we no longer accept. In these situations, you may find that your name requires review to confirm that it complies with our Community Standards. You’ll be prompted to request a review during the sign-up flow, this will lead to it being reviewed by our team. After 24 hours, your profile will either be live or require further appeal. To request further appeal, click on the link to our appeal form from your Google Profile. Here, you can provide additional information to support the claim that you are using a name in compliance with our policy. Once you file the second appeal your profile will be handled via 1-to-1 communication with Google.
To ensure the success of your appeal, please make sure you are adhering to our Community Standards: http://www.google.com/support/profiles/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1228271
In particular, Google Profiles no longer support mixed character language (for example Chinese and English) in a name, symbols in names (included periods), and nicknames. Google services support three different types of use when it comes to your identity: unidentified, pseudonymous, identified. Google Profiles is a product that works best in the identified state. This way you can be certain you’re connecting with the right person, and others will have confidence knowing that there is someone real behind the profile they’re checking out. For this reason, Google Profiles requires you to use the name that you commonly go by in daily life (both online and offline).
Note: Once your profile has been suspended, you cannot move it out of the suspended state by any means other than appeal. Deleting your profile and then creating a new profile will merely allow you to continue the appeals process that was started with your previous profile.
Natalie, Community Manager for the Google+ project. I encourage you to Circle Natalie.
July 25, 2011
Hangouts: 9+ Creative uses for Google+ Hangouts
As I predicted a few weeks ago, Google+ Hangouts is driving usage stats for G+ and seems to be growing exponentially. One group is trying to set the longest G+ hangout ever which is now well over 4 days of a continuous hangout kept going by scores of people. Hangouts is also being used in many other creative ways. I stumbled upon a cooking hangout recently and was tickled by the variety of live feeds. Yesterday a friend posted a concert Hangout conducted by +Daria Musk, I checked it out for a bit. Other unique ways Hangout is being used include Teaching, Meditating together, language learning/practice, press conferences, job interviews, customer service and as I mentioned in a previous posting home surveillance. I expect that by the time GooglePlus is opened to all the Google+ team would increase the number of users per session.
One limit set to Hangouts by Google is the number of G+ users who can Hangout at once, which I think is around 10, but many people have got around that by Live streaming the Hangout on Broadcast platforms like Ustream, JustinTV and Veetle. Hangouts open in a new window and with just a few clicks you are hanging, provided those you invite respond in a timely fashion. Many folks on Google+ have been scheduling Hangouts and asking people to "Register" in advance either by commenting on their post, adding their name to Google Calendar or on a website. I feel the best ways to register people for a Hangout is via a public Google Calendar or if you want more information from them, create a Form using Google Docs. You can open your Hangout to the Public, just your Circles, just a few Circles or Just a few friends (provided they are in your Gmail Contacts) exactly as you do when posting to your Stream.
Read more about creative uses for GooglePlus Hangouts here: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-9-creative-uses-for-google-hangouts-you-didnt-think-of-2011-7
One limit set to Hangouts by Google is the number of G+ users who can Hangout at once, which I think is around 10, but many people have got around that by Live streaming the Hangout on Broadcast platforms like Ustream, JustinTV and Veetle. Hangouts open in a new window and with just a few clicks you are hanging, provided those you invite respond in a timely fashion. Many folks on Google+ have been scheduling Hangouts and asking people to "Register" in advance either by commenting on their post, adding their name to Google Calendar or on a website. I feel the best ways to register people for a Hangout is via a public Google Calendar or if you want more information from them, create a Form using Google Docs. You can open your Hangout to the Public, just your Circles, just a few Circles or Just a few friends (provided they are in your Gmail Contacts) exactly as you do when posting to your Stream.
Read more about creative uses for GooglePlus Hangouts here: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-9-creative-uses-for-google-hangouts-you-didnt-think-of-2011-7
July 23, 2011
Google+ Hangouts being used to remote monitor the home
In a genius move one Google+ user is remote monitoring his newborn baby at work using a google+ hangout. +Frances Haugen of the team responsible for Google+ posted today that her colleague at Google Sf, Thomas Stromberg, has set up a persistent Google hangout using a netbook at his house to view the baby's crib. Ms. Haugen Said "{this is a} Great example of applying Google+ in ways we didn't plan for!"
Google Hangouts is a feature that allows users to hangout LIVE via video and/or voice simultaneously from anywhere in world. One person is trying to set the record for the longest continuous Google+ Hangout, currently (Sat. July 23, 2011, 7PM EST) it's been running for more than 4 days! that's over 48 hours of folks talking about all things Google+ and so much more. It's being kept alive by a rotating group of people from all over the world numbering 169 at this time. They have also innovated past Google's limit of the number of people in one hangout by live streaming the Hangout via this Ustream channel: http://www.hangoutongplus.com/
July 22, 2011
Google+ see fastest growth in History with 20 Million users in 3 Weeks
I have seen my Stream and Circles of friends steadily grow on Google+ during the two weeks I've been using Google's new social networking platform. Today the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google Plus has reached 20 Million users in just 3 short weeks. Usage is also widespread across the globe where we see early adopters in large numbers in India, the United kingdom, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Taiwan and France among other countries.
Another thing I noticed is that I spend much more time on Google+ than Facebook, and maybe the newness factor is driving this usage, but I can honestly say that it is so much easier to use when compared with Facebook. For instance, like Facebook, Google+ has notifications (also RED) so you can see all new updates to friends, comments, messages and posts, but unlike Facebook, Google+ allows you to expand the specific thread right within the notifications panel (UI), that is pretty revolutionary! This is better. It allows you to continue whatever you were doing without the hassle of toggling between a bunch of pages.
July 15, 2011
Crossing the Chasm for Google+, what's the magic number?
Whilst it is still too early to predict much regarding Google+, I anticipate that Live Hangouts and Huddles will drive sustained participation. right now early adopters are driving growth, but until Google+ crosses the chasm we won't be able to predict anything. That however poses a huge question, what number would constitute crossing the chasm? Facebook and twitter has set the bar extremely high, Facebook was not first to market but Twitter was first. Google is the market leader in search, digital advertising and many online productivity apps.
These and many other factors will determine that number, it could be 150 Million users, or 189 million or 220 Million, many will say 100 Million worldwide users. Determining that number has become a science for consumer electronics, so marketers know exactly what they need to do to reach that number, not so much in an unpredictable world of social networking platforms where there are many more failures than successes. To be sure, whatever the number, getting there will take a very flexible and highly responsive strategy from the Google+ team. In my opinion, beating Facebook, or killing fb as some have suggested, is not part of Google's objective, but building Google+ to function similarly as fb functions (and thus capitalizing on established habits), is a clear indication that they want to encourage significant G+ adoption. This, I think, is the main factor that will help Google+ to cross the chasm.
These and many other factors will determine that number, it could be 150 Million users, or 189 million or 220 Million, many will say 100 Million worldwide users. Determining that number has become a science for consumer electronics, so marketers know exactly what they need to do to reach that number, not so much in an unpredictable world of social networking platforms where there are many more failures than successes. To be sure, whatever the number, getting there will take a very flexible and highly responsive strategy from the Google+ team. In my opinion, beating Facebook, or killing fb as some have suggested, is not part of Google's objective, but building Google+ to function similarly as fb functions (and thus capitalizing on established habits), is a clear indication that they want to encourage significant G+ adoption. This, I think, is the main factor that will help Google+ to cross the chasm.
July 14, 2011
My first login to Google+
I must say I was quite excited to recieve an invatation for Google+, I could not wait so I asked a group of friends, via Facebook, and +Jennifer Weiss responded. I immediately spent several hours trying everything, adding friends=creating Circles (so much easier than facebook) and sending invitations. I logged in using my main Gmail account and immediately saw the familiar Gmail navigation bar at the top with a new tab containing a "+" sign followed by my name! (on a side note, I highly recommend that you create a Gmail account, for the simple reason that it gives you instant access, once you're logged in, to virtually all Google products, like Picasa, Search, YouTube, Maps, Calendar, Documents, Photos, SketchUp, Reader, etc.) On the right side of the navigation bar my full name is still there but two new boxes appeared, the first with a zero in it (Later I found out it is for notices and turns red with the number of notices, the second was bigger and is a share box, allowing you to post a comment to your stream from anywhere including gmail. You would then find an icon with your profile photo. Click on it and a drop down menu gives you access to your Account Settings, Profile, Privacy and Circles. The Tools icon comes next and it is configured for Google+ with tabs for Help, settings, Feedback and your web history.
At first glance it is so clean! Not busy or "pushing" compared to Facebook. The Masthead contains the Google+ logo, four Icons and the ubiquitious search box. The Icons are Home, Photos, Profile and Circles. There are three columns below the Masthead. In the middle is the "Stream", it contains the posts from ALL your Circles (you can also view the stream from individual Circles, more on that to come) and allows you to "+1" which is equivalent to "Like" on Facebook. You can also share and comment. At the top of the left column is your profile photo and your name, then a Welcome button followed by a Stream hyperlink and a list of your top 5 Circles witha further option to add 'more'. Below the Circles is the Sparks link (later I will explain how to add Sparks) and this is followed by your Gmail contacts-with the full functionality and notices of Google contacts.
In the right column you will find an abridged list of the folks you've added to Circles, suggestions for people to add to your Circles, followed by the Hangout link (you definitely want to learn this), an option to add your mobile device and a hyperlink to Invite people. In that order. Thats it. All clean on a white background, uncluttered and very pleasing on the eyes.
At first glance it is so clean! Not busy or "pushing" compared to Facebook. The Masthead contains the Google+ logo, four Icons and the ubiquitious search box. The Icons are Home, Photos, Profile and Circles. There are three columns below the Masthead. In the middle is the "Stream", it contains the posts from ALL your Circles (you can also view the stream from individual Circles, more on that to come) and allows you to "+1" which is equivalent to "Like" on Facebook. You can also share and comment. At the top of the left column is your profile photo and your name, then a Welcome button followed by a Stream hyperlink and a list of your top 5 Circles witha further option to add 'more'. Below the Circles is the Sparks link (later I will explain how to add Sparks) and this is followed by your Gmail contacts-with the full functionality and notices of Google contacts.
In the right column you will find an abridged list of the folks you've added to Circles, suggestions for people to add to your Circles, followed by the Hangout link (you definitely want to learn this), an option to add your mobile device and a hyperlink to Invite people. In that order. Thats it. All clean on a white background, uncluttered and very pleasing on the eyes.
Welcome to Google+ for Dummies!
Google+ (Google Plus) is the new social networking app by Technology giant Google, Inc. It is still in active development and as such they are releasing accounts on an invite only basis. You can also register to receive an account when they open access to everyone. Although no release dates have been announced, they are slowly granting more invitations to current account holders, allowing access to more people everyday.
Over the next few months we will post a constant stream of tips, how-to-dos, news, reviews and announcements for everything regarding Google+ and so much more. Register to recieve email updates from this blog.
Over the next few months we will post a constant stream of tips, how-to-dos, news, reviews and announcements for everything regarding Google+ and so much more. Register to recieve email updates from this blog.
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