October 29th, 2009

Google Maps Navigation: The newest feature on Android

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 9:54 pm

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Google Inc., Google Maps, Google Maps Navigator, Speech Recognition, Internet, Telecommunications, Emerging Technologies, Garett Rogers

Google Maps Navigator is a feature on the newest Android 2.0 devices like Motorola’s new Droid. The application basically makes the GPS device you currently use in your car useless.

The features Google has packed into this application are better than most anything you would find on a typical Garmin or TomTom — it’s hooked up to the internet, so it’s got incredible power — and potential.

Google Maps Navigator lets you program your destination by typing, using natural language. Since the device is hooked up to the internet, you don’t need to be exact — that’s because Google is usually smart enough to figure out what you mean by itself. A good example they gave in the video was the voice command:

“Navigate to the museum with the King Tut exhibit, in San Francisco”

Try programming that into your Garmin, and see what you get. Of course, there will be challenges with some people’s voices — but Google has been collecting voice data and building a world class speech recognition engine through services like 1-800-GOOG-411.

Another really cool feature is real-time traffic information. This is available on some other devices — but usually for a cost. Android 2.0 gives you this feature for free, along with the rest of the application.

While driving, you can easily see if there will be delays on your way — and if so, it makes it easy for you to re-route as well.

Though the application is free, you will probably want to pick up the Navigator car dock for $29 bucks. Based on what I’ve seen though, it’s definitely worth it.

October 27th, 2009

Use Google Voice with your existing phone number

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 7:42 pm

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Google Inc., Phone, Voice, Telecom & Utilities, Text Messaging/SMS/MMS, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Online Communications, Garett Rogers

Google now gives users of a subset of Google Voice features if they want to simply use their service without getting a brand new “Google Number”. Mobile phone users can now forward incoming calls to their “Google Voice” mailbox rather than the one hosted by their carrier.

The features available to these users basically includes voicemail, and the ability to make low-priced long distance phone calls, according to the official Google Voice blog.

• Online, searchable voicemail
• Free automated voicemail transcription
• Custom voicemail greetings for different callers
• Email and SMS notifications
• Low-priced international calling

For those of you who want to use Google Voice to its full potential — you’re going to have to take the plunge and get a brand new number. The features, if you choose to go this route, are much more interesting and useful:

• One number that reaches you on all your phones
• SMS via email
• Call screening
• Listen In
• Call recording
• Conference calling
• Call blocking

Once Google fully supports number portability, perhaps they will be able to allow users to simply use one of their existing phone numbers with the full service — but I’m not going to hold my breath for that just yet.

Will you be using the new voicemail service from Google Voice?

October 24th, 2009

Google Music: What if...

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 9:04 pm

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Google Inc., Music, Garett Rogers

So, Google’s rumors of “Google Music” have found their way onto the internet again — at first glance, it looks like a very basic music preview tool: Nothing groundbreaking.

But, let’s also take a look at what it could be — and why I’m a bit excited to see what actually happens on the 28th of this month. A few things will potentially happen around the same time — and when combined, have the potential to be something worth writing home about.

1) Google is going to launch Google Muisic on October 28th. As far as we know right now, this is simply an easy way to preview songs before Google redirects you somewhere to purchase them.

2) Motorola Droid phone (using Android 2.0) will be released on October 28th too. Hmm… what if Motorola and Google are teaming up to take on the iPhone’s iTunes application — giving users the ability to download music over the air?

3) Vevo is set to be launched sometime “later this year” according to reports dating back to April. What’s Vevo? It’s the service being created by Google and Universal Music which will let users watch music videos and such — nobody really knows exactly what it’s going to be though, so why not bundle this in with the other two?

What do you think? Could these things all be related? Let’s hear what you think in the TalkBack!

October 21st, 2009

Google announces Social Search with Twitter

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 9:07 pm

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Google Inc., Social Search, Twitter Inc., Business Structures, Search, Web 2.0, Finance, Internet, Garett Rogers

Today at the Web 2.0 Summit, Marissa Mayer announced Google’s partnership with Twitter to bring the search engine real-time search results. Just hours before Google announced the partnership, Microsoft released their own Twitter search tool on Bing.

Instead of being simply a way to search tweets, Google is planning to improve their existing search results by incorporating real-time observations. Here is an example Marissa gave in the official blog post:

The next time you search for something that can be aided by a real-time observation, say, snow conditions at your favorite ski resort, you’ll find tweets from other users who are there and sharing the latest and greatest information.

This new feature isn’t available yet (whereas Bing made their Twitter search available immediately after their announcement). Google says it should be ready in “the coming months”.

October 20th, 2009

Free WiFi from Google - On airplanes

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 1:23 am

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Google Inc., Internet, Wireless LANs, Wi-Fi, Wireless And Mobility, Garett Rogers

For a couple months, Google is set to give away wireless internet access on Virgin Airlines in the United States beginning November 10th.

Whether it’s using Gmail to confirm an airport pick up time with your brother, doing some last minute gift shopping for your niece on Google Product Search or searching Google.com for a good sweet potato pie recipe before touchdown — we hope this makes it a bit easier to stay connected with family and friends while you’re up in the air. — Google Blog

Free internet on planes is one thing that I’m sure people at one time have wished existed. Not only do most flights have no internet, but opening your computer with WiFi turned on is a huge mistake if you listen to the warnings they give you pre-flight. Now that I think about it, does this type of thing actually interfere with airplane communications still?

October 16th, 2009

A billion streamed videos per day, $0 in bandwidth costs

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 6:49 pm

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Google Inc., Video, Corporate Communications, Network Technology, Marketing, Networking, Garett Rogers

Google recently told us that they have reached the one billion videos per day mark, but are still quite tight lipped over the actual cost of the service. It’s hard to imagine that streaming a billion videos per day would be cheap — but in Google’s case, some say that it might actually be closer to free.

How is this possible? Years ago, Google bought up a bunch of dark fiber — which cost a lot of money at the time. Turns out that it was basically a one-time investment that is the key to making YouTube success viable. Of course the hardware that supports the fiber isn’t cheap — and is still subject to maintenance which isn’t free.

Google is basically in a position with this service now where traffic is an asset, not a liability like with most other sites that deal with streaming video. Let’s hear what you think. Can Google’s bandwidth costs for YouTube actually be free?

October 13th, 2009

Invitations coming soon to Google Voice

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 10:19 pm

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Google Inc., Voice, Federal Government, E-mail Providers, Cloud Computing, Telecommunications, Government, Internet, Garett Rogers

In the midst of the battle with AT&T over Google Voice, Google is forging ahead without spending any time worrying about what the FCC might decide after their investigation.

If you are a user of Google Voice, you will begin finding invitations in your account within the next few weeks. You can use these to help your friends and family sign up for the service. This is pretty much the exact same type of invitation system that Gmail used when it was first launched.

October 11th, 2009

Newsmakers: Be careful what you wish for

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 8:05 pm

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Google Inc., Garett Rogers

At the World Media Summit, Tom Curley and Rupert Murdoch took turns bashing Google over their klepto antics and ruthless news stealing behavior. They have been stealing their content for too long, and it’s about time they paid up.

The truth is, they can prevent Google from stealing from them any time they want — but they don’t. They simply whine and complain about how Google uses their content for Google News, and makes huge profit from it (though I haven’t been able to find a single advertisement on Google News anywhere).

Why would they complain? I am willing to bet Google has been their main source of traffic for a really long time. This is the classic “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” situation that has the potential to severely backfire.

Imagine this: Instead of Google waiting for News Corp and the AP to modify their robots.txt file to make Google ignore them, Google does it themselves. I think Google should call their bluff and remove them from the index completely. That would surely stop their complaining, right?

October 10th, 2009

Google defends itself as FCC asks for more information

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 11:04 pm

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: FCC, Google Inc., Phone, Federal Government, Telecom & Utilities, Government, Garett Rogers

Google is obviously annoyed with the fact that AT&T is stirring the pot, and in their words, using “regulatory capitalism” to block or slow down innovation. This is turning into a fairly heated debate, and is getting more interesting all the time.

Google defends its position of being a web-based service that simply enhances existing phone lines, rather than being a phone service itself. This isn’t how AT&T sees it though — if they are forced to pay the inflated termination rates in these rural areas, Google should too.

Instead of arguing if Google should be required to follow the rules, maybe it’s time for the FCC to put a stop to the underlying issue — the high fees being charged by rural areas in partnership with sex lines and “free” conference calling services.

What do you think? Should Google be forced to play by these rules? Or should they be exempt because they are simply a web-based service that enhances existing phones lines?

October 8th, 2009

OH Canada! You've finally got Street View

Posted by Garett Rogers @ 7:55 am

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Google Inc., Privacy, Canada, Government, Security, Garett Rogers

After what seems like an eternity, Google has finally released Street View in several major centers across Canada. A big reason for the delay is the Canadian government’s privacy concerns over the service.

It’s yet to be seen if the actual launch of Street View in Canada will spur a lot more debate over privacy, but for now, it’s great to see one of the more interesting Google services cross the border.

Now if they could only figure out how to launch Google Checkout and Google Voice in Canada too.