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Receptional Internet Marketing29 JUL 2010 13:09:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/6471?ns=guardian&pageName=Mapping+Google%27s+legal+issues%3AArticle%3A1432727&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Google+%28Technology%29%2CInternet%2CTechnology%2CDigital+media%2CMedia&c5=Digital+Media%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Jul-29&c8=1432727&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Technology+blog%2CPDA+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGoogle" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">New map pinpoints where web giant faces lawsuits</p><p>Ever wondered what it's like to be an internet company operating multiple products built on the philosophy of openness and sharing?</p><p>This map of lawsuits faced by Google shows just what comes with video-sharing sites, street mapping services and internet search.</p><p>Competitive analysis firm <a href="http://www.aqute.com" title="Aqute Intelligence">Aqute Intelligence</a> are behind the map, referencing each litigation placemark to a news article.</p><p>The Aqute research director, James Macaonghus, explains the motives behind the map: "We created this map a couple of weeks ago. There's a few countries where the services have been blocked so they're blank.</p><p>"The point we're trying to make is that as Google gets more powerful it's coming up against more legislature and they've got a lot of balls to juggle at the same time. We'll update on a regular basis and keep up as long as the issues keep arising."</p><p>Of course, the map does not take into account <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/29/google-streetview-information-commissioner" title="investigations by information officers">investigations by information officers</a> in the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Canada, the Czech Republic and Italy. And it should be remembered that legal action is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/17/business/worldbusiness/17iht-antitrust.5.7539436.html" title="par for the course">par for the course</a> for most multinational technology giants.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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29 JUL 2010 09:44:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/7894?ns=guardian&pageName=Google+Wi-Fi+data+capture+cleared+by+Information+Commissioner%3AArticle%3A1432599&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Google+Street+View+%28Technology%29%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CPrivacy+and+the+media%2CDigital+media%2CMedia%2CPrivacy+%28News%29&c5=Digital+Media%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CMedia+Weekly%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Jul-29&c8=1432599&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGoogle+Street+View" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Ruling that gathering of personal data by StreetView mapping cars did no harm described as 'farcical' by privacy campaigners</p><p>The Information Commissioner has ruled that Google is unlikely to have collected "significant amounts of personal data" with its StreetView mapping cars.</p><p></p><p>The decision was described by privacy campaigners <a href="http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/" title="Big Brother Watch">Big Brother Watch</a> as "farcical".</p><p></p><p>The independent information watchdog has been looking at the data collected by Google to see whether it infringes personal privacy, and has now judged that there is "no evidence as yet that the data captured by Google has caused or could cause any individual detriment".</p><p></p><p>In a statement to the press, the Information Commissioner's Office said: "While Google considered it unlikely that it had collected anything other than fragments of content, we wanted to make our own judgment as to the likelihood that significant personal data had been retained and, if so, the extent of any intrusion.</p><p></p><p>"The information we saw does not include meaningful personal details that could be linked to an identifiable person. As we have only seen samples of the records collected in the UK we recognise that other data protection authorities conducting a detailed analysis of all the payload data collected in their jurisdictions may nevertheless find samples of information which can be linked to identifiable individuals.</p><p></p><p>"However, on the basis of the samples we saw we are satisfied so far that it is unlikely that Google will have captured significant amounts of personal data.</p><p></p><p>"There is also no evidence as yet that the data captured by Google has caused or could cause any individual detriment. Nevertheless it was wrong to collect the information. We will be alerting Privacy International and others who have complained to us of our position. The Information Commissioner is taking a responsible and proportionate approach to this case. However, we remain vigilant and will be reviewing any relevant findings and evidence from our international counterparts' investigations."</p><p></p><p>Google is facing investigations around the world – <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jun/22/google-wifi-crime-privacy-international" title="including in the UK">including in the UK</a> – for its interception of personal data about home wireless networks, taken from the company's StreetView mapping cars. The search giant admitted to inadvertently intercepting extracts of personal data in May.</p><p></p><p>The Big Brother Watch director, Alex Deane, described the findings as a "whitewash". Speaking to the Guardian, he said: "This decision is little short of farcical. Information commissioners all around the world are investigating Google's Wi-Fi intrusion. In Britain alone, our commissioner has whitewashed the company's wrongdoing.</p><p></p><p>"The Metropolitan police are currently investigating Google over this very issue. If the allegations against Google merit an investigation by the police, who have to consider the criminal standard of fault, how can those allegations not be said to merit an investigation by the ICO?</p><p></p><p>"The ICO has really let British people down. We deserve better from those who are given the responsibility of protecting our privacy."</p><p></p><p>The ICO came in for criticism earlier this month from the pressure group Privacy International, which requested an investigation into Google's actions by the Metropolitan police. Speaking at <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/21/privatised-big-brother-tory-mp" title="a public debate on Google and privacy">a public debate on Google and privacy</a>, the Privacy International director, Simon Davies, accused the office of being "both spineless and gutless" in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/20/information-commissioner-war-google" title="its approach">its approach</a> to the issue.</p><p></p><p>Google was unavailable for comment when contacted.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google-street-view">Google Street View</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/privacy">Privacy & the media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/privacy">Privacy</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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28 JUL 2010 19:37:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/36344?ns=guardian&pageName=Rise+of+Android+helps+Carphone+to+beat+City+forecasts%3AArticle%3A1432496&ch=Business&c3=Guardian&c4=Carphone+Warehouse+Group+%28Business%29%2CAndroid+%28technology%29%2CiPhone%2CTelecommunications+industry+%28Business+sector%29%2CTelecoms+%28Technology%29%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CBusiness&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Graeme+Wearden&c7=10-Jul-28&c8=1432496&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Business&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FCarphone+Warehouse" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Demand for smartphone based on Google's Android operating system drives Carphone sales up by 3.7%</p><p>Strong demand for smartphones based on Google's Android operating system has helped Carphone Warehouse to report sales growth ahead of City expectations.</p><p>Speaking after Carphone announced a 3.7% jump in sales to £794m for the last quarter, chief executive Roger Taylor said Android had made big strides during 2010 and was likely to keep driving sales through the rest of the year. "This time a year ago we would have been saying that the smartphone demand was mainly for the iPhone and the BlackBerry, but we've seen a real advent of Android in the last three to six months," he said.</p><p>Most of the large handset makers now offer Android phones, such as HTC's top-end Desire handset and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, giving customers a wide range of platforms to choose from. "We've been waiting for years for this situation to arrive, and it finally has," Taylor said.</p><p>But while smartphone sales are booming, fewer people are signing up for more basic handsets, leading to a 1.1% drop in Carphone's total number of mobile phone customers. Data released this week by GfK showed that one in 10 contract handsets sold in Britain now run Android, with sales up by 300% since the start of this year.</p><p>Android's success in the smartphone space is a direct challenge to Apple's iPhone. Taylor declined to say how sales of the two compared, saying that iPhone demand had also been strong during the quarter. He also denied that the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/16/apple-iphone-4-fix-free-bumper" title="well-documented problems with the iPhone 4's antenna">well-documented with the iPhone 4's antenna</a> had affected sales. "We're seeing an incredibly low return rate for the iPhone 4," he insisted. "It's an over-hyped concern."</p><p>Analysts had expected Carphone's sales to grow by 2%, and shares in the company rose by over 6.7% to 230.5p today. Analysts at Credit Suisse said it was a "robust performance".</p><p>Carphone said it still expects to increase like-for-like retail sales by up to 3% for this financial year as a whole. Taylor said tablet computers such as Apple's iPad, which launched this year, will help to drive revenues. "All the big consumer electronics companies are launching tablets ... it's a really competitive environment," he said.</p><p>Best Buy Europe, Carphone's joint venture with US retail group Best Buy, has now opened three UK stores. Taylor said the initial customer response had been very encouraging, although he also conceded that there is a lot of work to do to build the Best Buy brand in Britain. Credit Suisse said that there could be up to 10 Best Buy stores in the UK by next March.</p><p>Carphone also appeared to be more optimistic about the state of the UK economy, with Taylor saying he did not expect to see a double-dip recession this year.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/carphonewarehousegroup">Carphone Warehouse</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/android">Android</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/iphone">iPhone</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/telecoms">Telecommunications industry</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/telecoms">Telecoms</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/graemewearden">Graeme Wearden</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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28 JUL 2010 09:07:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/84073?ns=guardian&pageName=Google+vs+Facebook%3A+Google+fights+back+with+gaming+social+network+plan%3AArticle%3A1432072&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Google+%28Technology%29%2CFacebook%2CMedia%2CDigital+media%2CGames+%28Technology%29&c5=Digital+Media%2CMedia+Weekly%2CCorporate+IT%2CGames&c6=Jemima+Kiss&c7=10-Jul-28&c8=1432072&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=PDA+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGoogle" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Facebook: it's the world's biggest website, by some calculations, and fast overtaking Google as the technology poster child of our time. But don't underestimate Google, which is reportedly working on a new social networking project to try and rival Facebook's domination in the space.</p><p>Social networking is one area where Google has failed to get traction, at least in the English-speaking world. It owns Orkut, which is big in Brazil and India - but where Facebook is starting to close in on their market share, according to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/jul/08/facebook-international-growth">comScore</a>. Buzz, Wave, Friend Connect - none have quite made the impact Google would have liked, though worthwhile experiments. So what's next?<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronescobar/2177443238/"><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2095/2177443238_a619fe991e.jpg" alt="The 'Real' American Soldier by Aaron Escobar ♦ (the spaniard)â„¢." width="460" /></a><br /><em>Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/aaronescobar/">Aaron Escobar ♦ (the spaniard)â„¢</a> on Flickr. <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">Some rights reserved</a></em></p><p>Google has been talking to games firms about integrating their games as just one part of a new social networking service, reports the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703292704575393531040685308.html?mod=rss_whats_news_technology">Wall Street Journal</a>. Disney's newly acquired Playdom, Electronic Art's reasonably newly acquired Playfish and Zynga have all been approached; and if the latter looks ripe for acquisition, you won't be surprised that Google recently invested a significant chunk in the firm.</p><p>Chief executive Eric Schmidt would not comment on the service this week but said "the world doesn't need a copy" of Facebook. The world might not need that, but what Google needs is a copy of the most advertiser-friendly parts of that and, as the Zynga investment shows, Google is keen to move in on one of the web's hottest - and most profitable - growing markets of casual gaming. As WSJ says, a Google offering would also be good news for developers worrying over over-dependence on Facebook. </p><p>Games are an important traffic generator which substantially increase the amount of time users spend on sites - ultimately good for the host site because of associated advertising and the developer, who. with the right game can attract a large audience. But as Facebook's audience and its advertising network continues to grow, it presents an increasingly serious threat to Google. </p><p>Expect relations to grow more aggressive between the two.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/facebook">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/games">Games</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jemimakiss">Jemima Kiss</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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26 JUL 2010 23:05:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/31427?ns=guardian&pageName=Letters%3A+Real+risk+for+children+in+location+services%3AArticle%3A1431442&ch=Technology&c3=Guardian&c4=Foursquare%2CTwitter+%28Technology%29%2CFacebook%2CBebo%2CLocation+based+services%2CTechnology%2CSocial+networking%2CSocial+media%2CMedia%2CChild+protection+%28Society%29%2CSociety%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CYahoo+%28Technology%29&c5=Society+Weekly%2CDigital+Media%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CMedia+Weekly%2CCorporate+IT%2CFamily+and+Relationships%2CChildren+Society&c6=&c7=10-Jul-27&c8=1431442&c9=Article&c10=Letter&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FFoursquare" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Leo Hickman and the Guardian deserve to be congratulated for drawing attention to the emergence of a whole raft of internet-based personal location services (<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/23/foursquare" title="">How I became a Foursquare cyberstalker</a>, G2, 23 July). As Hickman showed, this new breed of online applications has the potential to be truly spooky.</p><p>Anyone collecting or broadcasting data about someone else's physical whereabouts should be obliged to observe the very highest standards of data security, yet Hickman's piece reveals some extremely slipshod work. However, the otherwise excellent story overlooked one angle. Because every location service I know of, including Foursquare, is paid for by advertising it means the apps are free to the end user, available for download by anyone who can click a mouse. That includes children. Ofcom's research has shown that around one in five children between the ages of eight and 12 are already getting away with lying about their age to create profiles on Facebook, MySpace or Bebo. Can we look forward to one in five children blithely linking location services to their social networking profiles, adding yet another and qualitatively new layer of risk? I suspect other stalkers who will surely follow in Hickman's steps will not have the same benign intent.</p><p>Just because a thing becomes technically possible it does not mean every online business should stampede towards it, and indeed some are not doing so. More credit to them. There is or ought to be an ethical dimension to business. Google and Yahoo should give a lead and immediately drop their personal location products (Latitude and FireEagle) and promise not to reintroduce them until they have a way of keeping kids off the premises.</p><p><strong>John Carr</strong></p><p><em>Secretary, </em><a href="http://www.chis.org.uk/" title=""><em>Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety</em></a></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/foursquare">Foursquare</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/twitter">Twitter</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/facebook">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/bebo">Bebo</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/location-based-services">Location based services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/socialnetworking">Social networking</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/social-media">Social media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/childprotection">Child protection</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/yahoo">Yahoo</a></li></ul></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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26 JUL 2010 15:32:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/85253?ns=guardian&pageName=IBM+faces+two+competition+inquiries%3AArticle%3A1431308&ch=Business&c3=Guardian&c4=Regulators%2CIBM%2CEuropean+commission+%28News%29%2CEuropean+Union+%28News%29%2CMicrosoft+%28Technology%29%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CSoftware+%28Technology%29%2CLaw%2CTechnology%2CBusiness%2CIntel+%28Technology%29&c5=Policy+Society%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Richard+Wray&c7=10-Jul-26&c8=1431308&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Business&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FRegulators" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">• Complaints from software makers triggers investigations<br />• European market for mainframe computers is worth €3bn</p><p>EU regulators have begun two investigations into IBM, the world's largest computer services firm, following accusations the American company has been abusing its dominant position in the market for mainframe computers. The European market for mainframe computers and software was worth €3bn (£2.5bn) last year. If the investigation finds that IBM abused its position in the market it could face a multimillion-euro fine. The investigations, one of which was sparked by a series of complaints over the past 18 months, come after the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/may/13/intel-european-commission" title="EU slapped a record €1.1bn fine on chip maker Intel">EU slapped a record €1.1bn fine on chip maker Intel</a> last year and completed <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/02/microsoft" title="its long running investigation into Microsoft">its long running investigation into Microsoft</a>. Earlier this year the commission began <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/24/google-monopoly-probe-european-commission" title="a preliminary anti-monopoly investigation into Google">a preliminary anti-monopoly investigation into Google</a>, examining its power in the online search and digital advertising markets.</p><p><a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1006&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en" title="In a statement">In a statement</a>, the commission said its first investigation into IBM follows complaints by software vendors T3 and Turbo Hercules, and focuses on IBM's alleged tying of mainframe hardware to its mainframe operating system.</p><p>The second is an investigation begun on the commission's own initiative of IBM's alleged discriminatory behaviour towards competing suppliers of mainframe maintenance services.</p><p>Mainframe computers are used by many large companies and government institutions to store and process critical business information. It is estimated that the vast majority of corporate data worldwide resides on mainframes.</p><p>IBM is alleged to have engaged in illegal tying of its mainframe hardware products to its dominant mainframe operating system. The complaints contend this shuts out providers of other technology which could enable users to run critical applications on non-IBM hardware.</p><p>In addition, the Commission has concerns that IBM may have engaged in anti-competitive practices with a view to cornering the market for maintenance services, in particular by restricting or delaying access to spare parts for which IBM is the only source.</p><p>The initiation of proceedings does not imply that the commission has proof of infringements. It only signifies that the commission will further investigate the cases as a matter of priority.</p><p>In a statement, IBM hit back saying "certain IBM competitors which have been unable to win in the marketplace through investments in fundamental innovations now want regulators to create for them a market position that they have not earned".</p><p>The company said that the accusations made against IBM are being driven by some of IBM's largest competitors, lead by Microsoft who want to further cement the dominance of their own products "by attempting to mimic aspects of IBM mainframes without making the substantial investments IBM has made and continues to make".</p><p>"In doing so, they are violating IBM's intellectual property rights," the company added, saying it intends to cooperate fully with any inquiries from the EU. "But let there be no confusion whatsoever: there is no merit to the claims being made by Microsoft and its satellite proxies. IBM is fully entitled to enforce its intellectual property rights and protect the investments we have made in our technologies.</p><p>"Competition and intellectual property laws are complementary and designed to promote competition and innovation, and IBM fully supports these policies. But IBM will not allow the fruits of its innovation and investment to be pirated by its competition through baseless allegations."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/regulators">Regulators</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/ibm">IBM</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/european-commission">European commission</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/eu">European Union</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/microsoft/">Microsoft</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/software">Software</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/intel">Intel</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/richardwray">Richard Wray</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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26 JUL 2010 13:20:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/22161?ns=guardian&pageName=Android+phone+sales+triple+this+year%3AArticle%3A1431225&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Android+%28technology%29%2CTechnology%2CMobile+phones+%28Technology%29%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Jul-26&c8=1431225&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FAndroid" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Sales of Android phones have risen by more than 300% this year, new figures show</p><p>Sales of Android phones have risen by more than 300% from the beginning of 2010, with one in 10 contract handsets sold in the UK now running Google's mobile operating system.</p><p>Android's share of the UK mobile contract market grew by 10.2 percentage points from the first quarter of 2010 to the second quarter, from 3% to 13.2%, new figures from <a href="http://www.gfkrt.com/" title="retail watcher GfK">retail watcher GfK</a> show.</p><p>From the beginning of 2010, most of the UK's major mobile operators have started selling a number of hotly-anticipated mobile devices running Google's Linux-based software. The HTC Desire and HTC Legend are among other devices lauded by critics.</p><p>Just last week, Samsung launched <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/jul/23/samsung-give-away-free-phones-twitter" title="a direct marketing challenge">a direct marketing challenge</a> to the Apple iPhone with its Android-powered Galaxy S device.</p><p>Many mobile operators were unable to keep up with demand for the HTC Desire when it launched in the UK in April this year. HTC, the Taiwanese manufacturer of many devices running Android, posted a 41% global sales increase for the first six months of 2010, with figures from April, May and June reflecting record sales, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10525509" title="according to the company">according to the company</a>.</p><p>In the same period, mobile devices running "advanced" operating systems – defined as those able to run independent compatible applications – grew in the contract market from 55% to 66.7%. Figures available from June show mobiles with advanced operating systems now representing 73.5% of the contract market.</p><p>"The figures suggest an increasing number of consumers are now asking for Android handsets by name," said GfK analyst Megan Baldock. "Operating systems are no longer simply a by-product but a key selling point in their own right."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/android">Android</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/mobilephones">Mobile phones</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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22 JUL 2010 15:50:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/52511?ns=guardian&pageName=Google%3A+FTC%27s+proposals+to+help+newspapers+would+hurt+journalism%3AArticle%3A1429741&ch=Media&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Aggregators+%28Media%29%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CDigital+media%2CUS+press+and+publishing%2CPress+and+publishing%2CMedia%2CTechnology&c5=Press+Media%2CDigital+Media%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CMedia+Weekly%2CCorporate+IT%2CMarketing+Media&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Jul-22&c8=1429741&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Media&c13=&c25=PDA+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FMedia%2FAggregators" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Search giant makes strongly worded case against government agency's suggestions for tightening law on aggregation</p><p>The future of US online news could be stifled by proposals put forward by the Federal Trade Commission to protect journalism, Google has warned.</p><p>In its 20-page response to the FTC's discussion draft, the search giant argues that the proposals, far from working towards a sustainable future for the future of news and online journalism, "not only hurt free expression, but also the very profession of journalism".</p><p>"Innovating to create products and services that consumers want to pay for is the only way to guarantee long-term subscription revenue growth, and none of the policy proposals are designed to foster that kind of innovation," it <a href="http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2010/07/business-problems-need-business.html" title="says">says</a>.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/offices.shtm" title="FTC">FTC</a> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/business/media/24ftc.html" title="announced">began examining the impact of the internet on journalism</a> in May 2009, hosting <a href="http://daggle.com/ftcs-journalism-internet-age-workshop-feature-murdoch-huffington-1495" title="discussions">discussions</a> with publishing executives, professors and internet companies. It issued its <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/32171948/New-FTC-Staff-Discussion" title="47-page report">47-page draft report for discussion</a> a year later. Final recommendations are likely to follow.</p><p>Among the <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/32171948/New-FTC-Staff-Discussion" title="other suggestions"> suggestions</a> the FTC puts forward is the idea of exemptions to competition laws that would enable news organisations to collectively limit the ability of websites to aggregate their content. These exemptions would also make it easier for multiple publishers to move behind a unified paywall. Google said adopting either notion would be a "significant mistake, as a matter of public policy and as a matter of fairness".</p><p>The FTC also suggests that copyright law could also be expanded to limit the right of aggregators to republish reported facts within a specific time period, a change known as a "hot news" exemption.</p><p>The response from Mountain view is: "Facts, hot or cold, cannot be protected by copyright since there is no author of them."</p><p>Google goes on to quote John Temple, former editor, president and publisher of the <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com" title="Rocky Mountain News">Rocky Mountain News</a>, the US newspaper that <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/27/goodbye-colorado/" title="fell victim to the challenges of the digital age">fell victim to the challenges of the digital age</a> in February last year, as saying:</p><blockquote><p>"Being a great newspaper isn't enough in the Internet era. You have to know what business you're in. We thought we were in the newspaper business. Working on the web, you need to think of now and forever. At a newspaper, people largely think about tomorrow. Thinking about tomorrow isn't enough any more.<br />"If newspapers would spend more time trying to understand their customers instead of focused on their own internal issues [...] they're more likely to be successful. That's a hard switch for traditional manufacturing operations like newspapers to make."</p></blockquote><p>A hard switch, maybe, but Google is sanguine as ever, concluding:</p><blockquote><p>"Through all of the initiatives we describe above, and more to come, Google continues to work with publishers to find ways to ensure that journalism survives and thrives on the web. We remain optimistic about the future of journalism: the fourth estate is too crucial a part of a functioning democracy, and the Internet too powerful a medium, for journalism to die in transition to a web-first approach. News organisations have more readers than ever, more sources of information than ever, more ways to report and tell stories than ever, and more potential ways to generate revenue than ever. Journalism will change, but the free market and free society will ensure that it won't die."</p></blockquote><p>Here is Google's full document:</p><p></p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/aggregators">Aggregators</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/us-press-publishing">US press and publishing</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pressandpublishing">Newspapers & magazines</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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21 JUL 2010 15:54:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/65666?ns=guardian&pageName=How+fragmented+is+the+Android+market%3F+Google+isn%27t+quite+saying%3AArticle%3A1429167&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Android+%28technology%29%2CTechnology%2CMobile+phones+%28Technology%29%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Charles+Arthur&c7=10-Jul-21&c8=1429167&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Technology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FAndroid" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Data from the Android developers site suggests that lots of phones are running 2.1 - but there's something missing from what we're being told which may mean it's exaggerated</p><p>How fragmented is the Android platform? Google knows. And it's quite interesting. The problem is that it's not quite ready to tell us in detail. Only with winks and nudges.</p><p>The chart above comes from data on its <a href="http://developer.android.com/resources/dashboard/platform-versions.html">developer site</a> about versions accessing the Android Market for apps. A point to note: there's only one Android device out there which is running 2.2 (aka "Froyo"), and that's the Google Nexus One. Which has been discontinued.</p><p>However, some of the other phones can be upgraded to 2.2; it will be interesting to see what sort of timescale there is on that. </p><p>But what must be encouraging for the folks at Google, and Android developers, is that 2.1 is so dominant in that pie chart. (There's a tiny fraction, 0.3%, consisting of "incompatible versions" - not sure what those would be.) </p><p>Because certainly the biggest threat - and the biggest problem - for Android developers is platform fragmentation. Old version of Android can't run apps that target more recent versions, though old apps can run on the new platform. (Think of it as being like Windows. Sort of.) But the later Android versions have all sorts of features that you don't get on the others. (You can see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#Update_history">version feature comparison on Wikipedia</a>.)</p><p>The timings of the version releases:</p><p>1.5: 30 April 2009<br />1.6: 15 September 2009<br />2.1: 12 January 2010<br />2.2: 20 May 2010</p><p>That means that this chart covers just one year (roughly).</p><p>The notable things that 2.2 has that 2.1 hasn't? <strong>Adobe Flash 10.1 support <em>[corrected]</em>; "remote wipe"; Wi-Fi hotspot function; voice dialling over Bluetooth</strong>. So now the question is how soon operators (particularly UK operators) will be pushing 2.2 out to Android customers. The suspicion is that the answer is "not soon", given that 2.1 only just made its way (via an over-the-air - OTA - update).</p><p>And be wary - very wary - of trusting these graphics as really indicating the preponderance of Android versions out there. What we <strong>don't know</strong>, because these graphs don't show us, is:</p><p>- <strong>whether</strong> people with newer versions of Android are more likely to access the Android Market (that would push the share for newer versions upwards: and it seems likely, since I'd be very surprised if Nexus Ones really were 3% of all Android phones sold)</p><p>- <strong>what proportion</strong> of Android apps are written for what version of Android. Although Android apps are forwards-compatible (ie if it's written for 1.5, it will run on 1.5 and every successive release), you'd certainly be put off visiting the Market if you went there once on a 1.5 or 1.6 phone and found that pretty much everything required a later version: you wouldn't go very much more. That would also push the numbers towards the later versions, and make it look like the more recent versions are doing better. (If you know any data about what proportion of apps in the Market target which version, do tell us in the comments.)</p><p>Here's how the access has changed, according to Google. But again, the same uncertainties prevail: how many? Are people put off? What's the real growth?</p><p>True, Android sales have accelerated this year and 2.1 is getting more prevalent. But that comparatively big chunk of 2.2 accesses indicates, to me anyway, that <strong>this is a distorted picture</strong> of what handsets out there are truly running.</p><p>Of course Google could help us to dispel this all by publishing how many accesses there actually were, and how many downloads. Whereas Apple likes throwing out numbers from the App Store, which gets lots of people going "ooo!", the problem is that there's nothing much to compare it with. Come on, Google, get into the game. You said there were 160,000 activations per day. Now tell us about Android Market transactions. It's the least you could do. </p><p>Well, that, and pushing the network operators and/or handset makers to push out version 2.2.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/android">Android</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/mobilephones">Mobile phones</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charlesarthur">Charles Arthur</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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21 JUL 2010 13:04:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/32640?ns=guardian&pageName=Fight+%27privatised+Big+Brother%27%2C+urges+Tory+MP%3AArticle%3A1428999&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Data+protection+%28Govt.%2Findustrial+use+of+data%29%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CPolitics+and+technology%2CInternet%2CTechnology%2CDigital+media%2CPrivacy+and+the+media%2CSocial+networking%2CMedia%2CPrivacy+%28News%29%2CConservatives%2CPolitics&c5=Digital+Media%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CFamily+and+Relationships&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Jul-21&c8=1428999&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FData+protection" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Parliament not doing enough to investigate privacy invasion by internet companies, Rob Halfon tells debate</p><p>A "very dangerous shift" towards a "privatised version of Big Brother" is on the horizon if UK authorities don't wake up to the invasion of privacy by internet companies, an influential Tory MP has warned.</p><p>In a debate about Google and privacy hosted by the pressure group <a href="http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/" title="Big Brother Watch">Big Brother Watch</a>, Rob Halfon, who is the Conservative MP for Harlow, said he believed there are many cases of privacy invasion by internet companies yet to be uncovered, and that parliamentarians need to be much more alive to the issue.</p><p>Google is facing criminal investigations around the world – including in the UK – for its interception of personal data about home wireless networks, taken from the company's StreetView mapping cars. The search giant <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/15/google-admits-storing-private-data" title="admitted to accidentally intercepting extracts of personal data">admitted to accidentally intercepting extracts of personal data</a> in May.</p><p>"The problem with Google and other big internet companies is that, despite having produced great technological advances, they have forgotten that people are individuals too," Halfon told Tuesday's debate. "We're getting into a situation where – just as we're starting to get rid of the previous government's surveillance society – we're now replacing it with another one: dare I say it, a privatised kind of surveillance society."</p><p>Halfon pointed to allegations of companies "trawling Facebook looking for customers saying negative things … that's something worthy of the secret police. If this happened in Soviet Russia you could quite understand it."</p><p>While pointing out that he's not against private companies, the MP said more needs to be done to protect the individual: "I suspect there's a lot of privacy encroachment going on which is yet to be uncovered and that these are just a couple of stories we've just seen in the media. The reason I believe there should be an inquiry into the role of the internet and its relationship to individual liberty is because there is so much going on under the surface, tracking what we do on the internet, tracking what we say on the internet, all for commercial purposes.</p><p>"There's danger that no one will have any privacy whatsoever. And this time the threat is not from the state, it's actually private companies who have acquired the right to photograph what goes on in people's gardens. That is a very dangerous shift because we will be living, dare I say it, in a privatised version of Big Brother. That's the scenario slowly creeping up upon us."</p><p>The Metropolitan Police <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jun/22/google-wifi-crime-privacy-international" title="aunched a criminal investigation into Google">launched a criminal investigation into Google</a> last month on the request of <a href="http://www.privacyinternational.org/" title="Privacy International">Privacy International</a>, which alleges that the search company carried out "criminal interception of wireless communications content," constituting an offence under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and the Wireless Telegraphy Act. Last month, Halfon put forward an <a href="http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=41267&SESSION=905" title="Early Day Motion">early day motion</a> formally requesting a House of Commons debate on "the new threat of a surveillance society".</p><p>So far, 24 MPs have signed Halfon's Commons motion, with the most prominent of them being the former shadow home secretary <a href="http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/david_davis/haltemprice_and_howden" title="David Davis MP">David Davis</a>.</p><p>In May this year, the UK's information commissioner said he <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/20/information-commissioner-war-google" title="didn't want to "declare war"">did not want to "declare war"</a> on Google over its breach of the Data Protection Act by collecting data about home wireless networks - despite Germany, Spain, France and Italy all launching investigations under the same European legislation.</p><p>The commissioner's reaction was criticised by both Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, and Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, Deane saying: "If an investigation is warranted to the criminal standard – I'm not saying anyone's guilty of anything so far – how can you possibly say our information commissioner should not have been looking into what was going on in this company?</p><p>"That's why I think our information commissioner has been asleep on the job, on that point. His international fellows have really put him to shame. We've got to make sure not only the people responsible for the technology are awake but also the watchdogs are awake."</p><p>Davies went further, saying the commissioner's office is "both spineless and gutless", adding: "That, unfortunately, has been the legacy of the office for a long time."</p><p>Sarah Hunter, Google's head of UK public policy, attended the event but was restricted in what she could say by ongoing legal proceedings. Hunter did say Google had taken on board privacy concerns that have arisen in the past six months and that concerns expressed at the debate would be relayed back to colleagues, adding: "The answer to a lot of these concerns is finding ways to give people control over their own personal data – that's got to be at the heart of solving this conundrum.</p><p>"I think Google, or any of the responsible internet companies, understand the concerns that are expressed - how could we not be? I don't think it's true to say Google top brass don't get this. I think the last six months have been a real … I think everyone's noted it, shall we say. I think we are very mindful of the challenges that the internet poses as a whole.</p><p>"At the heart of solving those challenges, we think, is giving people control over their data - giving people the capacity to both take their information away from the services, and to give people the real sense of what their information is being used for, because I don't think the internet as a platform works on an everyone-opting-in-on-every-service basis."</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/data-protection">Data protection</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/politics">Politics and technology</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/privacy">Privacy & the media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/socialnetworking">Social networking</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/privacy">Privacy</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/conservatives">Conservatives</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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21 JUL 2010 08:55:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/62368?ns=guardian&pageName=Google+Energy%27s+big+green+power+purchase%3AArticle%3A1428852&ch=Environment&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Renewable+energy+%28Environment%29%2CWind+power+%28Environment%29%2CEnvironment%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology%2CEnergy+%28Environment%29%2CEnergy+industry%2CBusiness&c5=Business+Markets%2CEnergy%2CEthical+Living%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Todd+Woody+for+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fgrist.org%2F%22%3EGrist%3C%2Fa%3E%2C+part+of+the+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fenvironment%2Fnetwork%22%3EGuardian+Environment+Network%3C%2Fa%3E&c7=10-Jul-21&c8=1428852&c9=Article&c10=&c11=Environment&c13=Guardian+Environment+Network+%28series%29&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FEnvironment%2FRenewable+energy" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Google backs wind energy with 20-year renewable power purchase</p><p>Google is officially in the green energy business. The search giant announced on Tuesday that its Google Energy subsidiary signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy. Google will begin buying 114 megawatts of electricity from an Iowa wind farm on July 30.</p><p>Google, of course, cannot directly use the clean green energy generated by the wind farm; that power goes into the local grid. So Google Energy will sell the power on the regional spot market, where utilities and electricity retailers go to buy power when demand spikes and they have a shortfall. Google will use the revenue from spot market sales to buy renewable energy certificates (RECs) which will offset its greenhouse gas emissions. </p><p>Many companies buy RECs in an attempt to be carbon neutral, obtaining them from third-party brokers. But by purchasing RECs directly tied to the renewable energy it is also buying, Google is getting a bigger bang for its buck.</p><p>"By contracting to purchase so much energy for so long, we're giving the developer of the wind farm financial certainty to build additional clean energy projects," Urs Hoelzle, Google's senior vice president for operations, <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/reducing-our-carbon-footprint-with.html">wrote on a blog post</a> Tuesday. </p><p>"The inability of renewable energy developers to obtain financing has been a significant inhibitor to the expansion of renewable energy," he added. "We've been excited about this deal because taking 114 megawatts of wind power off the market for so long means producers have the incentive and means to build more renewable energy capacity for other customers."</p><p>In a statement on its site, Google also noted that its motivations for signing long-term renewable energy contracts are not entirely altruistic. </p><p>"Through the long term purchase of renewable energy at a predetermined price, we're partially protecting ourselves against future increases in power prices," the company stated. "This is a case where buying green makes business sense."</p><p>It remains to be seen how big a green power purchaser Google will become. (The company has also invested directly in a wind project built by NextEra Energy, the biggest American wind power producer.) </p><p>But Dan Reicher, Google.org director of climate change and energy programs, told me earlier this year that finding clean ways of powering Google's massive data centers led in part to the establishment of Google Energy.</p><p> "This interest in procuring green electrons is part of what's driven Google Energy," he said.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/renewableenergy">Renewable energy</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/windpower">Wind power</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energy">Energy</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/energy-industry">Energy industry</a></li></ul></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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19 JUL 2010 07:12:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/40624?ns=guardian&pageName=Google+calls+quits+on+Nexus+One+handset%3AArticle%3A1427896&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Google+%28Technology%29%2CMobile+phones+%28Technology%29%2CTechnology&c5=Technology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Jul-19&c8=1427896&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Technology+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGoogle" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Google has called time on US sales of its flagship Nexus One device, two months after <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/16/android-google">pulling the plug </a>on direct sales through its website.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mackarus/4345881668/"><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4345881668_9ef1365036.jpg" alt="Google Nexus One-7 by mackarus." width="460" /></a><br /><em>Photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/mackarus/">mackarus</a> on Flickr. <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">Some rights reserved</a></em></p><p>Sales of the Android-powered device had been disappointing since its US launch at the beginning of the year, the unconventional initial point of sale - <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/nexus-one-changes-in-availability.html">online-only</a> - putting many customers off. The web store "remained a niche channel for early adopters," admitted Google vice president of engineering in a blog post, adding: "It's clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone".</p><p>Although the Nexus One will be a disappointing setback for Google, the device widely-heralded as a market challenge to the Apple iPhone, work on the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/15/google-open-apps-mobile-world-congress">Nexus Two</a> will only be hastened.</p><p>Google's end-of-the-line news was announced in a <a href="http://googlenexusoneboard.blogspot.com/2010/07/update-nexus-one-changes-in.html">blogpost</a> on Friday, when all eyes were locked firmly on Cupertino with Apple's iPhone 4 showdown. </p><p>The Nexus One will continue to be sold through Vodafone in Europe, despite <a href="%20http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/14/google-mobile-phone-launch-delay">stumbling belatedly</a> into a competitive market. Developers will still be able to get their hands on the phone, though the web store will discontinue shipping to Europe.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/mobilephones">Mobile phones</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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19 JUL 2010 06:00:
<p>See how top media figures have fared in the MediaGuardian 100 since its launch in 2001</p><br/><p style="clear:both" />
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19 JUL 2010 05:56:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/68482?ns=guardian&pageName=Sergey+Brin+and+Larry+Page+%7C+MediaGuardian+100+2010%3AArticle%3A1420438&ch=Media&c3=Guardian&c4=MediaGuardian+100+2010%2CSergey+Brin+%28Media%29%2CLarry+Page+%28Media%29%2CDigital+media%2CMedia%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CGoogle+Wave%2CGoogle+Street+View+%28Technology%29%2CSearch+engines%2CInternet%2CTechnology&c5=Digital+Media%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=&c7=10-Jul-19&c8=1420438&c9=Article&c10=Profile%2CResource&c11=Media&c13=Media+100+2010+1-100%2CMedia+100+2010+1-10%2CMedia+100+2010+top+10+under-40s&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FMedia%2FMediaGuardian+100+2010" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Search giant Google's founders slip off the top spot as it suffers challenges over copyright, privacy and Chinese censorship</p><p><strong>Job:</strong> co-founders, Google; president of technology, Google (Brin), president of products, Google (Page)</p><p><strong>Age:</strong> 36 (Brin), 37 (Page)</p><p><strong>Industry:</strong> digital media</p><p><strong>Turnover:</strong> $23.65bn</p><p><strong>Staff:</strong> 19,835</p><p><strong>Salary:</strong> $1 (each)</p><p><strong>Worth:</strong> <a href="http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html" title="">$17.5bn</a> (each)</p><p><strong>2009 ranking:</strong> 1</p><p>Sergey Brin and Larry Page created the <a href="http://www.google.com/webhp" title="">global search engine of choice</a> and one of the most powerful companies in the world.</p><p>The Google co-founders' mission, along with <a href="http://www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html" title="">not being evil</a>, was to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/22/google-icons-of-the-decade" title="">"organise the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful"</a>. In the process they became <a href="http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_The-Worlds-Billionaires_Rank.html" title="">two of the richest</a> people on the planet.</p><p>Google has diversified far beyond its search engine roots, taking on Apple's iPhone with its <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/10/google-android-outsells-apple-iphone" title="">Android mobile platform</a> and Microsoft with its <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/04/web-browser-market-shares" title="">Chrome browser</a> and operating system. Then there is Google Mail, Docs, Maps, Books and video with the YouTube subsidiary it bought for $1.65bn four years ago. Coming soon: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/21/google-tv" title="">Google TV</a> and, possibly, a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard-adams-blog/2010/apr/13/google-tablet-apple-ipad-android" title="">rival to Apple's iPad</a>. You can even <a href="http://www.googlestore.com/googlesearch.aspx?filter=[gscategory:%20wearables]" title="">buy the T-shirt</a>.</p><p>The dominant player in the search advertising market, Google <a href="http://www.nma.co.uk/news/google-annual-profits-up-by-54/3009027.article" title="">made profits of $6.52bn</a> last year on the back of revenues of more than $23bn. All this without creating any content of its own – the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/23/google-street-view-data-protection-cleared" title="">controversial Street View aside</a>. Rupert Murdoch accused them of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/09/murdoch-google" title="">"kleptomania"</a>.</p><p>So why, after two years as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/11/sergey-brin-larry-page-mediaguardian-100-2009" title="">No 1 in the MediaGuardian 100</a>, have Brin and Page been knocked off the top spot by Steve Jobs?</p><p>Partly it is a result of the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/jun/08/apple-ipad-search-appletv" title="">phenomenon that is Apple's iPad</a> (and the iPhone and iPod before it). Partly it is a result of the growing pains that Google has experienced over the past 12 months (although Apple is</p><p>now experiencing a few of its own.)</p><p>And partly it is because, in the shape of Facebook, it faces its <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/09/facebook-google-news-search" title="">most serious challenger</a> to date. Mark Zuckerberg's brainchild <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/mar/15/facebook-passes-google-share-us" title="">unseated Google as the most-visited website in the US</a> earlier this year, and poses a powerful threat to its dominance of the search market.</p><p>Social media is an area where Google has admitted it was <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/19/google-twitter-partnership" title="">caught cold</a>; its own social media application, Google Buzz, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/17/google-buzz-schmidt" title="">suffered embarrassing privacy issues</a> on launch, while its instant messaging service Google Wave <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/mar/19/google-wave-ripple" title="">failed to make many, well, waves</a>.</p><p>Google has faced criticism over copyright (<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/09/rupert-murdoch-google" title="">back to Murdoch again</a>), concerns over <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/18/google-destroy-wi-fi-networks" title="">privacy</a> and a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/23/authors-opt-out-google-book-settlement" title="">bitter backlash from authors and publishers</a> over its controversial programme to digitise millions of books.</p><p>It is also being <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/24/google-slave-to-the-algorithms" title="">investigated by the European Commission </a>over claims by its rivals that it has acted anti-competitively.</p><p>Three senior Google executives were found guilty in an Italian court of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/24/google-video-italy-privacy-convictions" title="">violating the privacy of a child with autism</a> after a video of him being bullied was posted on Google Video, and the company's reputation suffered a battering after it agreed to censor its search results in China – a decision that has <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/09/google-china-licence-renewal" title="">since been reversed</a>.</p><p>But if Google, which invests a huge amount of time and money <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/17/google-sergey-brin" title="">into research and development</a>, is feeling the strain then it is <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/google-juggernaut-rolls-on-1947316.html" title="">not reflected in its bottom line</a>. First-quarter profits in 2010 were up 35% year on year to $1.9bn, with revenue up 23% to $6.7bn.</p><p>It is the first time since 2006 that Google has not been represented at the very top of the MediaGuardian 100, the company's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/jul/09/mediatop1002007.mondaymediasection" title="">topping the poll in 2007</a>.</p><p>Brin and Page, who met at Stanford University in 1995 <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/05/google.google" title="">founded Google three years later in a garage in California</a> rented to them by Brin's future sister-in-law. Schmidt joined the company in 2001, and by 2006 the verb "to google" entered the Oxford English Dictionary.</p><p>The pair earn a <a href="http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1288776/000119312510049091/d8k.htm" title="">token $1 salary each</a> last year and did not take a bonus. Worth an estimated $17.5bn each, they can afford it. Brin and Page will <a href="http://paidcontent.org/article/419-googles-brin-and-page-to-sell-off-shares-give-up-voting-control/" title="">give up their majority control</a> of the company in five years' time, selling 10m shares worth (at today's prices) $2.5bn each. They will still control 48% of the voting stock, but their hold on the company will be over.</p><p>Brin and Page put 1% of the company's annual profits into Google.org, their "technology driven philanthropy arm", and have invested heavily in alternative energy research. Moscow-born Brin has also invested heavily – $5m – to secure a seat on the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/11/google.spacetechnology" title="">inaugural Soyuz space tourist flight</a> to the international space station.</p><p>Brin is more sociable than Page, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/04/google-ken-auletta" title="">according to the pair's biographer, Ken Auletta</a>, and Schmidt, who <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/aug/03/google-chief-schmidt-resigns-apple-board" title="">quit Apple's board</a> because of the increasing competition between the two companies and is two decades older than them, "often plays the role of grown-up".</p><p>Auletta <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/04/google-ken-auletta" title="">recounted a meeting</a> between Brin and Page and the media mogul Barry Diller, which may not have gone entirely as the latter anticipated. Brin arrived late on his Rollerblades and Page was more interested in typing on his handheld device. "Is this boring?" asked Diller. "No, I'm interested. I always do this," said Page. "Well, you can't do both," said Diller. "Choose." "I'll do this," replied Page, and carried on tapping.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediaguardian-100-2010">MediaGuardian 100 2010</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/sergeybrin">Sergey Brin</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/larrypage">Larry Page</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google-wave">Google Wave</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google-street-view">Google Street View</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/searchengines">Search engines</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li></ul></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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18 JUL 2010 23:05:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/69282?ns=guardian&pageName=Steve+Jobs+topples+Google+founders+in+MediaGuardian+100+power+list%3AArticle%3A1427746&ch=Media&c3=Guardian&c4=MediaGuardian+100+2010%2CSteve+Jobs+%28Technology%29%2CLarry+Page+%28Media%29%2CSergey+Brin+%28Media%29%2CRupert+Murdoch+%28Media%29%2CApple+%28Technology%29%2CGoogle+%28Technology%29%2CNews+Corporation+%28Media%29%2CMedia%2CTechnology&c5=Press+Media%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=John+Plunkett&c7=10-Jul-19&c8=1427746&c9=Article&c10=News&c11=Media&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FMedia%2FMediaGuardian+100+2010" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">Apple chief rises to top spot after success of 'game-changing' iPhone and iPad, while Rupert Murdoch is back up to fourth<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediaguardian-100-2010">Read the full MediaGuardian 100</a></p><p>Google is not used to coming second. But after three years at the top of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediaguardian-100-2010" title="Media Guardian's countdown of the 100 most powerful people in the media">MediaGuardian's list of the 100 most powerful people in the media</a>, the co-founders of the internet search provider have been toppled by the man who gave the world the iPhone and the iPad, Steve Jobs.</p><p>It is the first time the Apple chairman and chief executive has topped the annual list, which is published for the 10th time today. Jobs took the number one position despite a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/16/apple-iphone-4-fix-free-bumper" title="">backlash over technical issues</a> with the latest model of the iPhone. It remains to be seen whether the negative publicity will affect long-term sales of the mould-breaking smartphone, and the chances of Jobs hanging on to the top spot in next year's list.</p><p>"The iPhone was a game-changer and the iPad is set to rewrite the media landscape," said the panel of seasoned media watchers who put together this year's MediaGuardian 100.</p><p>The Google co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, took the runner-up spot, one place ahead of the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, who has endured a difficult year and faces an uncertain 12 months ahead. Will the Conservatives ‑ who have the highest new entry in this year's list, the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt ‑ be as tough on the corporation in government as they were in opposition? On Friday Hunt accused the BBC of "extraordinary and outrageous" waste in recent years, and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jul/17/bbc-licence-fee-cut-hunt" title="">said the BBC licence fee could be cut</a>.</p><p>A resurgent Rupert Murdoch, after two years of decline in the MediaGuardian 100, bounced back to fourth position ‑ leapfrogging his son James ‑ on the back of his decision to put up paywalls around the online content of the Times and Sunday Times. "Paywalls are going to be the big story of the year," was the panel's verdict. "The whole of the newspaper industry is watching."</p><p>The phenomenal growth of social media merited top 10 places for the Facebook founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, and Evan Williams, co-founder and chief executive of Twitter.</p><p>Another digital media player, Mark Rock, who founded the sound-sharing application Audioboo, was among the highest new entries, one place ahead of Erik Huggers, the BBC executive responsible for the iPlayer.</p><p>Simon Cowell rose to his highest ranking after another strong year for Britain's Got Talent and the X Factor, and his money-spinning deal in the US. It is a sign of his importance to ITV that Cowell is four places ahead of the broadcaster's new chief executive, this year's second highest new entry, Archie Norman.</p><p>Other entries include Chris Evans, who returned to the list for the first time since 2007 on the back of his record-breaking BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, and Julian Assange, of the global whistleblowing service Wikileaks.</p><p>The Sun editor, Dominic Mohan, made the list for the first time, as did Sam and Dan Houser, the brothers behind the best-selling Grand Theft Auto games. Another strong year for BSkyB saw its chief executive, Jeremy Darroch, make the top 20 for the first time.</p><p>There were also high-profile casualties from last year's MediaGuardian 100, including the Today presenter Evan Davis, X Factor judge Cheryl Cole, and Jonathan Ross, who <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jul/17/jonathan-ross-bbc-final-show" title="">bade farewell to the BBC</a> at the weekend after nine years presenting his BBC1 chatshow and 11 years hosting the Saturday morning show on Radio 2.</p><p>Ross was replaced at number 100 by another famous television name coming to the end of a long run this year: Big Brother.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediaguardian-100-2010">MediaGuardian 100 2010</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/stevejobs">Steve Jobs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/larrypage">Larry Page</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/sergeybrin">Sergey Brin</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/rupert-murdoch">Rupert Murdoch</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/apple">Apple</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/news-corporation">News Corporation</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/johnplunkett">John Plunkett</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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29 JUL 2010 13:09:
<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.8/6471?ns=guardian&pageName=Mapping+Google%27s+legal+issues%3AArticle%3A1432727&ch=Technology&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Google+%28Technology%29%2CInternet%2CTechnology%2CDigital+media%2CMedia&c5=Digital+Media%2CMedia+Weekly%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT&c6=Josh+Halliday&c7=10-Jul-29&c8=1432727&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost&c11=Technology&c13=&c25=Technology+blog%2CPDA+blog&c30=content&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FGoogle" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">New map pinpoints where web giant faces lawsuits</p><p>Ever wondered what it's like to be an internet company operating multiple products built on the philosophy of openness and sharing?</p><p>This map of lawsuits faced by Google shows just what comes with video-sharing sites, street mapping services and internet search.</p><p>Competitive analysis firm <a href="http://www.aqute.com" title="Aqute Intelligence">Aqute Intelligence</a> are behind the map, referencing each litigation placemark to a news article.</p><p>The Aqute research director, James Macaonghus, explains the motives behind the map: "We created this map a couple of weeks ago. There's a few countries where the services have been blocked so they're blank.</p><p>"The point we're trying to make is that as Google gets more powerful it's coming up against more legislature and they've got a lot of balls to juggle at the same time. We'll update on a regular basis and keep up as long as the issues keep arising."</p><p>Of course, the map does not take into account <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jul/29/google-streetview-information-commissioner" title="investigations by information officers">investigations by information officers</a> in the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Canada, the Czech Republic and Italy. And it should be remembered that legal action is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/17/business/worldbusiness/17iht-antitrust.5.7539436.html" title="par for the course">par for the course</a> for most multinational technology giants.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/google">Google</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/digital-media">Digital media</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/josh-halliday">Josh Halliday</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div><p style="clear:both" />
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