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Google

Submission + - Google TV Update Will Predict What User Wants to W (businessweek.com)

SharkLaser writes: Google is preparing an update for Google TV and one of the new features will predict what the user wants to watch. "The biggest challenge facing the content industry going forward is that in a world of unlimited choice, how do you actually bring the right content to the user? The software will eventually be able to track all the material people watch — including live programming and online videos — and offer recommendations on other content they might enjoy. We need to make it so that any time you turn on the TV we know what you want to watch" Google spokesperson said. No mention about "did you mean to watch this instead?" feature or how the device will save you from showing embarrassing programming when you have your friends or relatives over.
Google

Submission + - Google Employees Caught Up Lying To Businesses (techcrunch.com)

SharkLaser writes: Looks like Google is facing an another PR disaster, as an Kenyan startup Mocality, which operatores the country's largest online business directory, has caught Google employees lying to business owners. "Not long after Google helped kickstart a program to get Kenyan businesses online, the startup suddenly started fielding calls from Kenyan business owners with questions about a supposed partnership / joint-venture Mocality had set up with the Internet search and advertising giant". As the number of calls rose, Mocality got suspicious and set up a traffic monitoring system with a smart sting operation. They noticed that certain IP address was accessing all the business details on their site, so they started serving that IP address numbers that lead to Mocality's call centre instead of the real business owners. Soon Mocality found out that Google Kenya employees and Indian call centre employees working for Google were calling up businesses they found on Mocality and tried to get them to sign up for a competing product by lying about a supposed partnership with Mocality and spreading misinformation about Mocality's business model. On some of the calls Google claimed that Mocality is engaging in bait-and-switch practices to try and charge businesses later for their listings. Mocality says it has never and will never charge for listings.

Comment Re:Style? (Score 0, Offtopic) 128

Seems like they're following their own guidelines, though...

Decide for me but let me have the final say Take your best guess and act rather than asking first. Too many choices and decisions make people unhappy. Just in case you get it wrong, allow for 'undo'.

God do I hate it how often Google tries to fix my searches with their "did you mean to search this?" bs and just doesn't give me what I want to search.

Comment Re:free advertising? (Score 2) 128

Because Slashdot is an news aggregator with news taken elsewhere and summarized. Usually the submitters also base their summary on some specific article, and even though no one actually reads the linked articles, it makes it look like the submitter is sourcing their information from good reputable news sites like InfoWorld.

Comment Google admitting problem and trying to fix it (Score 3, Insightful) 128

It's good to see Google admit that large amount of Android apps aren't really standardly designed and suffer from huge fragmentation issues, both with hardware and design. It's just weird to see Google CEO saying there isn't such issue while at the same time the company is launching design guide to help fix some of the issues.

I think this is also part of a longer plan for Android's issues. I think Google is finally starting to see that the supposed freedom they gave to manufacturers and telcos backfired and resulted in fragmented hardware and non-standard design within apps and phones. I believe they will soon announce some similar guidelines and policy changes to try to get Android more together. Especially now that WP7 market share is starting to climb as a result of Nokia's new phones.

Comment Re:Clang/LLVM in FreeBSD (Score -1, Flamebait) 418

It's good they're getting rid of all GPL code, especially considering how GPLv3 restricts cooperation. GPL is practically destroying and giving bad name to all open source because of their draconian stance on ANY proprietary code. Companies are already afraid to use any open source code because they associate it with GPL.

Comment Re:Eric Schmidt, master of non-answers (Score -1, Troll) 431

I agree, Google is master of using feel-good words. They do it with everything, right from using "beta" in product names so that when people point out bugs, they can just say it's a beta! On top of that they when they ask users to install Chrome, instead of Yes and No they use soft words like "Let's try it out!" and "Maybe at some other time". They're a marketing company, they know how to play that game.

Comment Just playing with words (Score 3, Insightful) 431

The difference, as he explains it, is that differentiation means manufacturers have a choice, they're going to compete on their view of innovation, and try to convince consumers that their innovation is better than somebody elses whereas fragmentation is quite the opposite.

How is that different, and how is fragmentation quite the opposite? It's not. Fragmentation on Android is real problem. Of course Eric Schmidt is going to say it's not a problem, or that it doesn't even exist. Companies always deny problems. It's not a bug, it's a feature!

Comment Re:I'm honestly confused... (Score 1) 359

What does it matter? You don't need to pay anything before you see the patents. You just sign the NDA so you don't go around publicly talking about the specifics. After signing it you get to know all the patents and details and can examine if you're actually violating them, and if you pay or fight in court.

Comment Re:That's messed up ... (Score 1, Insightful) 359

So, Microsoft is getting paid for every Android device sold in the US ...

And people think the patent system isn't broken.

How does that mean the patent system is broken? Microsoft is just collecting royalties on technology they invented and developed. That is the entire reason patent system is established - so that other companies can use technology invented by other companies who would otherwise keep the details secret.

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