New Google+ Features Target Businesses

In an effort to boost adoption of its Google+ social network, Google this week announced a slew of new features aimed at enticing business customers to use the service and "go Google."

Citing the success other Web-based Google Apps like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Drive have found amongst employers and their workers, Google Apps Product Management Director Clay Bavor detailed a slew of new Google+ features for businesses in an official Google Enterprise blog post.

"Like Google Apps, we think Google+ can help colleagues collaborate more easily and get things done – and get to know each other along the way," wrote Bavor.  

These new features include Gmail-integrated videoconferencing involving Google Docs and Google Calendar (turning Google "hangouts" into business meetings) as well as enabling private, intra-office Google+ posts. (Think Google’s version of Yammer, aka the Facebook for the workplace.) The clever thing here is that these "restricted posts" can't be reshared outside the organization. There are also new administrative controls to ensure that only the right people have access to.  

Google has already been testing these new features with a couple of businesses, including Kaplan Test Prep and Banshee Wines. The new features are available for free until 2014, but the company has not announced what the eventual pricing will be. Businesses already have to be signed up for the Google Apps business suite in order to use the new features.

Google says it plans to roll out more business features for Google+, "including a mobile version of Google+ for enterprise users and more administrative controls." The idea, apparently, is to encourage companies to "Go Google" and run their businesses in the cloud. Google+ hasn't been able to significantly challenge Facebook in the consumer social networking space, but the enterprise market is much more wide open. 

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Two Ways Samsung’s Court Loss To Apple Is Actually Good For Google

In the wake of Samsung’s $1.05 billion punch in the nose from Apple in their high-stakes patent trial, the general reaction seems to be that Samsung’s loss is also a major setback for Google and Android. That’s not necessarily the whole story. In some ways, Apple could actually be doing Google an unintended favor.

For the most part, Google’s statement to the press issued Sunday has been portrayed as if Google is running for the hills. But there is another way to interpret Google’s statement. Google is also sending a clear message to the Android community: it’s our way or the hard way.

Google’s statement is brief and to the point:

“The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don’t relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the US Patent Office. The mobile industry is moving fast and all players — including newcomers — are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don’t want anything to limit that.”

The emphasis about the core Android operating system is important, because it highlights the fact that many the features that were found to infringe on Apple’s iOS patents in the trial were features added by Samsung. That means they are not Google’s problem.

Google appears to be trying to walk a tightrope: support its stalwart vendor Samsung while not getting directly involved and possibly implicating Android itself as a patent violator. The end result is a statement that is predictably weak on both points.

But the broader message for smartphone vendors - and consumers - is that the Google way for Android is the best way to avoid further litigation woes. Google seems to be saying that if the Android vendors stick closer to the core Android operating system - and not try to add on so many of their own bells and whistles, they’ll be more likely to avoid the kinds of disasters that sliced 7% off Samsung’s market cap on Monday.

That’s not really altruism for Google: a more unified Android ecosystem would be a big win for the search engine giant. And this position is not without precedent; Google has been explicit about restraining vendor modifications to Android, even if its suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. According to a trial brief filed by Apple, Google had apparently warned Samsung that the design specs for “Samsung’s ‘P1’ and ‘P3’ tablets (Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 10.1) were ‘too similar’ to the iPad and demanded ‘distinguishable design vis-à-vis the iPad for the P3.’”

Samsung apparently didn’t listen or didn’t care. If the jury’s findings are upheld, they just got smacked in the face for their lack of attention to Google’s heads up.

Android has often been criticized for the fragmentation the open source platform undergoes every time a hardware vendor makes modifications to the core Android platform in order to differentiate itself from the vendor’s competitors. In addition to confusing Android users who switch brands, such modifications have made it difficult for application developers to write apps that work on all Android device/OS combos.

In the past, Google has had to shrug its shoulders and point to the openness of the Android platform as the cause. But now two factors are helping Google control such fragmentation.

First is Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility. Having a “home” platform for Android gives Google the ability to firmly call the shots for Android development on at least one major player in the mobile device market. Given past patent and copyright lawsuits, Google will work very hard to ensure that Motorola’s version of Android is as bulletproof as possible against such challenges. That design mission, coupled with Motorola’s own rather healthy patent portfolio, should be enough to hold off all but the biggest litigants.

Motorola’s “safe” platform could also serve as a beacon for other Android vendors: a version of Android that’s less vulnerable to lawsuits could be very attractive to Motorola’s competition, even if it means working more closely within Android’s core look and feel.

Second, while Google can’t be thrilled with Android’s name being dragged through the mud in various court cases, the payoff could be worth it. Android device vendors will either learn to conform more closely to the core Android design or risk finding themselves on the receiving end of Apple’s legal stick.

That makes Apple’s court victory a potential win-win for Google. Getting more core Android-compliant devices on the market should make the mobile operating system as a whole more attractive to app developers, which would make the overall ecosystem that much richer. And when Android vendors don’t play ball, they run the risk of being sued by a very aggressive Apple, while Google doesn't have to say a word.

Sure, court battles embroil Android in more mud-slinging - at least by proxy. But they’re less likely to affect Motorola products, which can be expected to use core Android.

Obviously, Google would rather see Apple back off and compete in the market rather than in the courtroom. But if court cases hand you lemons, getting a more unified Android vendor community out of this situation would definitely be a sweet glass of lemonade.

Top image courtesy of Pamela Robinson.

Lemonade image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Driven by breakthrough thinking and a wide-open sense of what's possible, Alcatel-Lucent delivers the world's most advanced technologies to companies all across the globe. Our driving motivation is to realize the potential of the connected world - by providing the technologies needed to turn networks into engines of sustainable economic growth, social development and opportunity. We provide a comprehensive suite of software solutions and services offerings designed specifically to meet the needs and demands of communication network operators and strategic industries. These solutions allow our customers to optimize network costs and quickly deploy innovative, value added products and services for their subscribers that increase loyalty and create new revenue streams. To learn more about how we're turning the network into a platform, visit http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/hln/network_evolution.php

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Grooveshark Makes Up With Google - Is It Too Little Too Late?

After a 16-month ban, controversial music streaming service Grooveshark is back on Google's Android platform. The shift represents a change of luck for the beleaguered company, who eagerly announced the news via email last night. Are things finally looking up for Grooveshark, or has the streaming music market moved on without it? 

The company apparently managed to convince Google that any piracy being committed in its name was done via third-party "rogue apps," which let users do less legally defensible thing like actually download the streaming tracks. Grooveshark says it worked with Google have such apps removed.

It's an interesting move for Google to make, since the search giant has been working to ingratiate itself iwth content owners, even going so far as to factor  copyright complaints into its search algorithms.

But Grooveshark still faces a decidedly uphill battle for longterm viability, at least in its current form. For one thing, it's being sued by all four major music labels in the U.S., each one claiming that Grooveshark encourages copyright infringement. Even though users can't download music directly from Grooveshark (without third party hacks, apps or plugins), the labels say that the site's model of allowing people to upload their collections and allow others to stream them violates copyright law. Grooveshark is also accused of actively encouraging users to upload infringing content, a charge the company denies. It was these copyright concerns that led both Google and Apple to pull the plug on the service's mobile apps.

Meanwhile, label-embraced streaming services like Rdio and Spotify are growing in popularity by the week. Those services have issues of their own (queasy indie artists and debates about royalty payouts), but they stand on firm legal ground and enjoy tight integrations with Facebook, which puts their products in front of millions of eyeballs. Even if it survives litigation unscathed, Grooveshark faces an increasingly competitive marketplace for streaming music.

"At the end of the day we are trying to build a business that gets the consumers to pay for music and not only expand the revenue pie but optimize the cost side of the label equation," Grooveshark PR Director Danika Azzarelli told ReadWriteWeb. "Getting the majority of the recorded music business to see the execution of our vision is one of our biggest challenges."

Then there's the issue of its exclusion from the biggest smartphone platforms in the world. Google booted the app from Android in April of last year, following in the footsteps of Apple, who yanked it from the official iOS App Store two summers ago (it's still available to jailbreakers). Grooveshark even saw its official Facebook page briefly deactivated due to a copyright-related takedown notice, although it was quickly restored.

To cope with its app store bans, Grooveshark developed its own in-browser Web app using HTML5. As Facebook's recent reversal on the HTML5 showed, the technology is not quite flawless yet. But for smartphone users addicted to Grooveshark's brand of all-you-can-stream music, the mobile-friendly design is a pretty good compromise in the absence of native apps. 

Now that Grooveshark is back on Android, the company is planning to revisit the issue with Apple, which pulled the app in response to copyright complaints made by Universal Music Group. There's no timeline on that yet, but users can expect an update on that front "very soon," Azzarelli said.

UPDATE: On Friday August 31, the Grooveshark app was again pulled from Google Play. We'll update this story as more information becomes available.

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Two Ways Samsung’s Court Loss To Apple Is Actually Good For Google

In the wake of Samsung’s $1.05 billion punch in the nose from Apple in their high-stakes patent trial, the general reaction seems to be that Samsung’s loss is also a major setback for Google and Android. That’s not necessarily the whole story. In some ways, Apple could actually be doing Google an unintended favor.

For the most part, Google’s statement to the press issued Sunday has been portrayed as if Google is running for the hills. But there is another way to interpret Google’s statement. Google is also sending a clear message to the Android community: it’s our way or the hard way.

Google’s statement is brief and to the point:

“The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don’t relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the US Patent Office. The mobile industry is moving fast and all players — including newcomers — are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don’t want anything to limit that.”

The emphasis about the core Android operating system is important, because it highlights the fact that many the features that were found to infringe on Apple’s iOS patents in the trial were features added by Samsung. That means they are not Google’s problem.

Google appears to be trying to walk a tightrope: support its stalwart vendor Samsung while not getting directly involved and possibly implicating Android itself as a patent violator. The end result is a statement that is predictably weak on both points.

But the broader message for smartphone vendors - and consumers - is that the Google way for Android is the best way to avoid further litigation woes. Google seems to be saying that if the Android vendors stick closer to the core Android operating system - and not try to add on so many of their own bells and whistles, they’ll be more likely to avoid the kinds of disasters that sliced 7% off Samsung’s market cap on Monday.

That’s not really altruism for Google: a more unified Android ecosystem would be a big win for the search engine giant. And this position is not without precedent; Google has been explicit about restraining vendor modifications to Android, even if its suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. According to a trial brief filed by Apple, Google had apparently warned Samsung that the design specs for “Samsung’s ‘P1’ and ‘P3’ tablets (Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 10.1) were ‘too similar’ to the iPad and demanded ‘distinguishable design vis-à-vis the iPad for the P3.’”

Samsung apparently didn’t listen or didn’t care. If the jury’s findings are upheld, they just got smacked in the face for their lack of attention to Google’s heads up.

Android has often been criticized for the fragmentation the open source platform undergoes every time a hardware vendor makes modifications to the core Android platform in order to differentiate itself from the vendor’s competitors. In addition to confusing Android users who switch brands, such modifications have made it difficult for application developers to write apps that work on all Android device/OS combos.

In the past, Google has had to shrug its shoulders and point to the openness of the Android platform as the cause. But now two factors are helping Google control such fragmentation.

First is Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility. Having a “home” platform for Android gives Google the ability to firmly call the shots for Android development on at least one major player in the mobile device market. Given past patent and copyright lawsuits, Google will work very hard to ensure that Motorola’s version of Android is as bulletproof as possible against such challenges. That design mission, coupled with Motorola’s own rather healthy patent portfolio, should be enough to hold off all but the biggest litigants.

Motorola’s “safe” platform could also serve as a beacon for other Android vendors: a version of Android that’s less vulnerable to lawsuits could be very attractive to Motorola’s competition, even if it means working more closely within Android’s core look and feel.

Second, while Google can’t be thrilled with Android’s name being dragged through the mud in various court cases, the payoff could be worth it. Android device vendors will either learn to conform more closely to the core Android design or risk finding themselves on the receiving end of Apple’s legal stick.

That makes Apple’s court victory a potential win-win for Google. Getting more core Android-compliant devices on the market should make the mobile operating system as a whole more attractive to app developers, which would make the overall ecosystem that much richer. And when Android vendors don’t play ball, they run the risk of being sued by a very aggressive Apple, while Google doesn't have to say a word.

Sure, court battles embroil Android in more mud-slinging - at least by proxy. But they’re less likely to affect Motorola products, which can be expected to use core Android.

Obviously, Google would rather see Apple back off and compete in the market rather than in the courtroom. But if court cases hand you lemons, getting a more unified Android vendor community out of this situation would definitely be a sweet glass of lemonade.

Top image courtesy of Pamela Robinson.

Lemonade image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Driven by breakthrough thinking and a wide-open sense of what's possible, Alcatel-Lucent delivers the world's most advanced technologies to companies all across the globe. Our driving motivation is to realize the potential of the connected world - by providing the technologies needed to turn networks into engines of sustainable economic growth, social development and opportunity. We provide a comprehensive suite of software solutions and services offerings designed specifically to meet the needs and demands of communication network operators and strategic industries. These solutions allow our customers to optimize network costs and quickly deploy innovative, value added products and services for their subscribers that increase loyalty and create new revenue streams. To learn more about how we're turning the network into a platform, visit http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/hln/network_evolution.php

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

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Two Ways Samsung’s Court Loss To Apple Is Actually Good For Google

In the wake of Samsung’s $1.05 billion punch in the nose from Apple in their high-stakes patent trial, the general reaction seems to be that Samsung’s loss is also a major setback for Google and Android. That’s not necessarily the whole story. In some ways, Apple could actually be doing Google an unintended favor.

For the most part, Google’s statement to the press issued Sunday has been portrayed as if Google is running for the hills. But there is another way to interpret Google’s statement. Google is also sending a clear message to the Android community: it’s our way or the hard way.

Google’s statement is brief and to the point:

“The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don’t relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the US Patent Office. The mobile industry is moving fast and all players — including newcomers — are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don’t want anything to limit that.”

The emphasis about the core Android operating system is important, because it highlights the fact that many the features that were found to infringe on Apple’s iOS patents in the trial were features added by Samsung. That means they are not Google’s problem.

Google appears to be trying to walk a tightrope: support its stalwart vendor Samsung while not getting directly involved and possibly implicating Android itself as a patent violator. The end result is a statement that is predictably weak on both points.

But the broader message for smartphone vendors - and consumers - is that the Google way for Android is the best way to avoid further litigation woes. Google seems to be saying that if the Android vendors stick closer to the core Android operating system - and not try to add on so many of their own bells and whistles, they’ll be more likely to avoid the kinds of disasters that sliced 7% off Samsung’s market cap on Monday.

That’s not really altruism for Google: a more unified Android ecosystem would be a big win for the search engine giant. And this position is not without precedent; Google has been explicit about restraining vendor modifications to Android, even if its suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. According to a trial brief filed by Apple, Google had apparently warned Samsung that the design specs for “Samsung’s ‘P1’ and ‘P3’ tablets (Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 10.1) were ‘too similar’ to the iPad and demanded ‘distinguishable design vis-à-vis the iPad for the P3.’”

Samsung apparently didn’t listen or didn’t care. If the jury’s findings are upheld, they just got smacked in the face for their lack of attention to Google’s heads up.

Android has often been criticized for the fragmentation the open source platform undergoes every time a hardware vendor makes modifications to the core Android platform in order to differentiate itself from the vendor’s competitors. In addition to confusing Android users who switch brands, such modifications have made it difficult for application developers to write apps that work on all Android device/OS combos.

In the past, Google has had to shrug its shoulders and point to the openness of the Android platform as the cause. But now two factors are helping Google control such fragmentation.

First is Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility. Having a “home” platform for Android gives Google the ability to firmly call the shots for Android development on at least one major player in the mobile device market. Given past patent and copyright lawsuits, Google will work very hard to ensure that Motorola’s version of Android is as bulletproof as possible against such challenges. That design mission, coupled with Motorola’s own rather healthy patent portfolio, should be enough to hold off all but the biggest litigants.

Motorola’s “safe” platform could also serve as a beacon for other Android vendors: a version of Android that’s less vulnerable to lawsuits could be very attractive to Motorola’s competition, even if it means working more closely within Android’s core look and feel.

Second, while Google can’t be thrilled with Android’s name being dragged through the mud in various court cases, the payoff could be worth it. Android device vendors will either learn to conform more closely to the core Android design or risk finding themselves on the receiving end of Apple’s legal stick.

That makes Apple’s court victory a potential win-win for Google. Getting more core Android-compliant devices on the market should make the mobile operating system as a whole more attractive to app developers, which would make the overall ecosystem that much richer. And when Android vendors don’t play ball, they run the risk of being sued by a very aggressive Apple, while Google doesn't have to say a word.

Sure, court battles embroil Android in more mud-slinging - at least by proxy. But they’re less likely to affect Motorola products, which can be expected to use core Android.

Obviously, Google would rather see Apple back off and compete in the market rather than in the courtroom. But if court cases hand you lemons, getting a more unified Android vendor community out of this situation would definitely be a sweet glass of lemonade.

Top image courtesy of Pamela Robinson.

Lemonade image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Driven by breakthrough thinking and a wide-open sense of what's possible, Alcatel-Lucent delivers the world's most advanced technologies to companies all across the globe. Our driving motivation is to realize the potential of the connected world - by providing the technologies needed to turn networks into engines of sustainable economic growth, social development and opportunity. We provide a comprehensive suite of software solutions and services offerings designed specifically to meet the needs and demands of communication network operators and strategic industries. These solutions allow our customers to optimize network costs and quickly deploy innovative, value added products and services for their subscribers that increase loyalty and create new revenue streams. To learn more about how we're turning the network into a platform, visit http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/hln/network_evolution.php

View the original article here

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