The web let anyone publish anything, but Google let people find what they were looking for. The rise and rise of the world’s largest web media business is something we've tracked since testing out the early versions in the late 90s.

As search engines have become the connectors between marketing in any media and people finding what they’re after on the web, getting Google right has become critical for brands and the teams that support them. That’s why in this edition of Digital Intelligence we collated some of the recent stories our team were researching, packaging them into one bite-sized email you could forward on to your colleagues.

Let us know what you find useful - and if you’d like similar special editions on other topics.

Best from all here at Digital


Danny Meadows-Klue
Founder and Chief Executive
Digital Strategy Consulting

Top 10 search engines: UK
Sites ranked by visits for the week ending 22nd May 2010

Top 10 online video content sites: US
Google users viewed on average 94 videos each during the month of January 2010

Top 10 online video content sites: US
Google attracted 136.5 million unique viewers during the month of January 2010

Top 10 travel search terms: UK
Terms ranked by search clicks for the four weeks ending 10th April 2010

Top 10 travel websites: UK
Sites ranked by visits for the week ending 17th April 2010

Google adds more location tools to search
20 October 2010 - Google has added tools to the left-hand panel of its search results, letting users change location details. Google previously pinpointed a users’ location automatically, but the new tool lets users either change it completely or make it more specific, including by postcode. Keep reading...

Top UK brands: Internet firms Apple, Google and Facebook top list
19 October 2010 - Internet brands are now the closest to UK consumers’ hearts, with the three most popular brands in the UK coming from the web, according to a new survey. The latest Millward Brown celebrity and brand (Cebra) research revealed that Apple had the most buzz (a measure of how much a celebrity or brand is talked about) followed by Google, Facebook, X-Factor and Wii, highlighting the popularity of consumer technology. Keep reading...

Google beats forecasts as mobile business begins to pay off
18 October 2010 - Google, the search engine giant, registered a 32 per cent jump in profits, beating market expectations and highlighting the success of its emerging businesses. The internet giant posted net income of $2.2 billion (£1.4bn) after revenues rose 23 per cent to 7.3 billion US dollars (£4.6bn) in the third quarter of the year. Keep reading...

Google Price index offers alternative measure of inflation
13 October 2010 - Google has launched a new ‘Price Index’ tool, which will be based on the cost of goods sold online and could use real-time search data to forecast official figures. The Google Price Index could prove more accurate and up-to-date than official statistics due to the instant nature of the transactions measured. Keep reading...

Google’s ‘driverless’ cars complete US roadtrip - with a little help from humans
11 October 2010 - Google has developed cars that can drive themselves, testing seven such automobiles on 140,000 miles across the roads of America, in a move that could one day revolutionise the transport industry. Google said that the seven Google cars have driven 1,000 miles without any human intervention, apparently the 140,000 mile number includes occasional human control. These cars are a modified version of the Toyota Prius, and there is one Audi TT as well. Keep reading...

Google tests full-page previews in search results
07 October 2010 - Google is testing a preview pane tool that lets users see a sample of the pages returned in search results, before deciding to click through to their chosen site. When users hover over a search result, Google will display a preview of the entire website. Keep reading...

Google preps TV launch with media content deals
06 October 2010 - Google has secured new content partnership deals with media and internet companies, including NBC Universal's CNBC, Time Warner's HBO and Amazon, for its forthcoming Google TV service. Turner Broadcasting is working to optimise some of its websites for viewing on Google TV, including CNN and Cartoon Network, Google said on Monday. Keep reading...

Android apps ‘secretly sharing user data’
05 October 2010 - Some of the most popular apps written for Google's Android phones do not tell users what is done with data they gather, according to a new study. The research, conducted by a team of computer scientists from Intel Labs, Penn State, and Duke University chose 30 out of the 358 most popular Android apps that, when installed, ask for permission to get at location, camera and audio data. Keep reading...

Google buys BlindType to boost mobile touch typing
05 October 2010 - Google has acquired BlindType, a company that specialises in touch typing software for mobile devices, to boost company’s Android mobile operating system. The BlindType system aims to solve the problems of typing on small touch screens, buy creating self-learning technology that constantly adjusts to the user's 'perceived' keyboard and typing style. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Keep reading...

Google Street View comes to Antarctica
04 October 2010 - Google has launched its ground-level mapping service in the world's most barren continent - Antarctica. The move will allow Google users to navigate around the snow-capped mountains, coastline and icebergs of Antarctica - a place that few people ever get to visit in person. Keep reading...

Google launches image format WebP to rival JPEG
04 October 2010 - Google has launched a new image format, called WebP, which the company claims will result in smaller file sizes for commonly shared small image files, in a move that could threaten the dominance of the popular JPEG image format used across the Web. According to Google, photos and other images make up about 65 percent of all content accessed via the Web, and therefore all Web traffic. Keep reading...

Future of Search: Google boss sees ‘augmented humanity’
04 October 2010 - Google CEO Eric Schmidt has outlined his company's ideas for the future of search technology, where we are never lonely, never forget anything, never get lost, never run out of ideas, are never bored and never need to drive a car because it will drive itself. Speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco, Schmidt outlined a vision of the future where computers will be able to suggest useful information based on past preferences, the location of the user and the time of day. Keep reading...

Sony to launch first ‘Google TV’ set in October
02 October 2010 - Sony is to unveil what it bills as "the world's first internet television" on 12 October in New York, with built in support for Google’s much anticipated TV service. Running on the Android operating system, the TV will also support third party apps. Technology site Electronista adds that the device will have a full Chrome browser and Flash support. Keep reading...

Google launches new site to showcase its latest products
01 October 2010 - Google has launched a new website, called 'Google New’, showcasing its latest ventures, alongside information about all of its products. Google New brings together all the latest information about Google products including web search, Gmail, Google Earth and Google Maps. Keep reading...

YouTube wins Spanish copyright case
01 October 2010 - A Spanish federal court has dismissed copyright infringement charges against Google’s YouTube that could have brought the online video service to a halt by forcing it to monitor every piece of content. Keep reading...

AOL renews Google search deal for 5 years
01 October 2010 - AOL has renewed a search agreement with Google, continuing a decade-long partnership between the two online giants. The new five-year deal includes a revenue share on a per-search basis. AOL can also place its content on YouTube with both camps sharing ad revenue placed against the video. Keep reading...

YouTube tests live streaming
15 September 2010 - YouTube has begun to test its own-brand live video-streaming technology. Over two days the site is planning a trial in which four partners will get the chance to air live programmes. Keep reading...

Top 10 UK ad networks: 24/7 Real Media growing fast
13 September 2010 - 24/7 Real Media is the fastest growing ad network in the UK, while Google remains top in terms of visitors, according to new data. The research, from comScore, reported the top 10 ad networks based on their reach among UK internet users in July 2010. Keep reading...

Time spent online: Facebook overtakes Google in the US
13 September 2010 - US web users are spending more socialising on Facebook than searching with Google, according to new data from comScore. In August, people spent a total of 41.1 million minutes on Facebook, comScore said, about 9.9 percent of their Web-surfing minutes for the month. Keep reading...

Google debuts 'Instant' predictive search results
10 September 2010 - Google has launched 'Instant' search results, a new service that starts predicting results as soon as users begin typing. As internet users begin a word, Google’s homepage will move instantly to a page of results that is updated as each letter is typed. Keep reading...

Google TV coming to UK living rooms next year
09 September 2010 - Google is set to launch its much-anticipated TV service in the US over the next few weeks, while UK viewers will have to wait until next year. The service will let viewers in the US search and view content from TV providers, the Internet, mobile apps and their own personal content library via their TV sets. Keep reading...

Samsung debuts iPad rival Galaxy Tab
06 September 2010 - Samsung has unveiled its rival to the iPad with the Samsung Galaxy Tab, a new tablet PC using Google’s Android operating system. The tablet features a 7-inch LCD display and will run the latest Google Android 2.2 operating system, Froyo, at launch. It will be able to store up to 16 gigabytes of data internally and has a microSD slot that allows for an additional 32 gigabyte SD card. Keep reading...

Google in talks with music labels to create iTunes rival
06 September 2010 - Google is reportedly in negotiations with music labels on starting a music-download service that would allow mobile users to listen to songs wherever they go in an effort compete with Apple iTunes online music and video store. A report in Reuters cites ‘people familiar with the matter’, claiming Google vice president of engineering Andy Rubin, the executive behind the company's Android mobile operating system, wants to have the service ‘up by Christmas’. Keep reading...

Google debuts ‘priority inbox’ for Gmail to cut through e-mail clutter
01 September 2010 - Google has added a new tool called "Priority Inbox" to its Gmail service, designed to help people wade through their overflowing e-mail inboxes. The feature uses formulas developed by Google engineers to automatically figure out and highlight which incoming messages are likely to be the most important to each Gmail user. Keep reading...

Google takes on Skype with free web calls
01 September 2010 - Google has launched a new tool that lets its US-based Gmail users make free calls to one another via the web. The new feature increases the search giant’s competition with Internet phone providers like Skype. Keep reading...

Google displays ‘streaming search’ results as users type
01 September 2010 - Google is testing out a new ‘streaming search’ feature that displays search results to users as they type. The tool, which is being tested on a small group of users, takes the search giant’s existing autocomplete suggestions one step further. Keep reading...

Google hires 200 Ireland staff to boost location tools
24 August 2010 - Google is all set to hire 200 employees for Google Dublin office, as the search giant looks to expand its location services. Keep reading...

Google tests universal search for Gmail, Docs and Sites
20 August 2010 - Google is testing a universal search feature that will let users search their e-mail, presentations, spreadsheets and documents. Google Apps Search is a new Gmail Labs feature that "extends search with Google Docs and Sites results," according to the feature's description. Keep reading...

Google retains US Internet search share in July
20 August 2010 - Google's share of U.S. Internet searches was essentially flat at 71.4% in the four weeks ended Aug. 1 from a month earlier, according to new research. Among the top four categories, Bing notched strong growth across the board from a year ago, while Google's searches grew for automotive, shopping and travel, but fell 4% for health. Keep reading...

Google debuts voice search for Android phones
19 August 2010 - Google has released the latest voice based control applications for Android-based smartphones. The voice based action program aid users to direct commands to their smartphones and thus enables to write texts, e-mails and even find road directions. The application works with 12 commands including calling, texting, browsing and GPS navigating. Keep reading...

Google to buy visual search firm Like.com for over $100m?
17 August 2010 - Google is reportedly set to buy Like.com, a visual search and e-commerce firm, for more than $100m. Reuters quoted a report in Techcrunch saying that Google wants to experiment with a new kind of search technology that appears to be getting traction. Like.com, which was founded by Munjal Shah and Burak Gokturk in August 2004, raised nearly $50m and started applying computer vision and learning technology to online fashion purchases. Keep reading...

Google to integrate PayPal into Android phones?
16 August 2010 - Google has been in talks with PayPal about using the popular online payment system with its Android smartphone software. The talks between the search giant and the eBay-owned firm include utilising PayPal's mobile technology to collect payments for applications via Android smartphones. Keep reading...

Google Acquires Jambool And Social Gold
11 August 2010 - Google has reportedly acquired Jambool and Social Gold in a move to add expertise to is rumoured forthcoming new social network. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, Google has purchased San Francisco-based Jambool, along with its online payment system Social Gold, for $70 million. Keep reading...

Google buys social app maker Slide for $180m
10 August 2010 - Google has bought social widget maker Slide, for a reported $180m, as the search giant looks to expand into the lucrative apps market. The deal gives Google a team of developers with extensive social networking experience. Keep reading...

Microsoft 'may object' to Yahoo! Japan deal
07 August 2010 - Software giant Microsoft has said it is "evaluating its options" after Yahoo! Japan announced it is to move away from a deal with the firm and instead work with Google. As part of the new agreement, Yahoo! Japan will be able to utilise Google's search capabilities but the announcement of the deal came after Yahoo! Japan had already spoken about a potential team-up with Microsoft. Keep reading...

Google Wave to close down following lack of demand
06 August 2010 - Google Inc. will end development of its Wave service, which lets users share images and documents, because customers were slow to adopt the technology. Google launched the real-time web collaboration tool at its annual I/O developer conference last year. Keep reading...

Microsoft outcry as Yahoo Japan picks Google as search partner
28 July 2010 - Yahoo Japan has signed a deal to use Google for its search engine and search ad delivery system- sparking condemnation from its global search partner Microsoft. Yahoo Japan will continue to manage its own search page and search service. Yahoo Japan will also continue to run its advertising marketplace independent of Google. Keep reading...

Google woos social gaming firms to take on Facebook
28 July 2010 - Google is in talks with makers of popular online games in an effort to develop a social-networking service to compete with Facebook, according to a report. The Wall Street Journal reports that Google has been in discussions with top developers to offer their games on a new service it is building, according to people familiar with the matter. Keep reading...

Android phone sales up 350% this year in UK
27 July 2010 - UK sales of Android phones have more than tripled since the start of 2010, with one in 10 new contract handsets now running Google's mobile OS. Figures from GfK show that Android's share of the UK's mobile contract market rose from 3% to 13.2% from Q1-Q2 this year. Keep reading...

Google images attracts over 1bn page views per day
23 July 2010 - Google's image search is now receiving over 1bn page views each day. The search engine now has over 10bn pictures in its archive, which first launched in 2001 with only 250m. Keep reading...

Search ads boost Google's profit by 24%
19 July 2010 - Internet giant Google posted a 24 per cent rise in its second quarter profit to $1.84 billion, on the back of an overall recovery in demand for online advertising. The company had registered a profit of $1.48 billion in the second quarter of 2009. Google also saw its revenue grow by 24 per cent to $6.82 billion in the second quarter of this year, against $ 5.52 billion in the year-ago period, it said in a statement. Keep reading...

Google wins landmark Adwords copyright case
13 July 2010 - The European Court of Justice has ruled in favour of Google in a decision that could have wide-reaching implications for online advertising. Judges have confirmed that using other companies' names as online advertising keywords is not an infringement of European trademark law. This news will be a major boost to Google’s revenue-generating Adwords service. Keep reading...

Google gets lifeline in China: Govt. renews license
12 July 2010 - The Chinese authorities have renewed Google’s license to operate a website in the country, averting a potential shutdown of its flagship search page in the world's biggest Internet market. Keep reading...

Facebook killer "Google Me" confirmed by ex-CTO
30 June 2010 - Reports that Google is working on a Facebook competitor called "Google Me" have been confirmed by Facebook's former CTO, Adam D'Angelo in a blog post. Keep reading...

Google forced to stop redirecting China users to Hong Kong site
29 June 2010 - Google is to stop automatically redirecting users of its Google.cn site to its Hong Kong page, in a bid to secure renewal of the company's China service license. The move comes after the Chinese government said the company would lose its mainland Internet license, which expires Wednesday, if the tactic continued. Keep reading...

YouTube wins Viacom copyright case
24 June 2010 - In a landmark ruling, a judge has rejected a $1bn lawsuit brought by Viacom accusing Google of allowing copyrighted material on its YouTube service without permission. The US movie and television giant sued Google and YouTube for a billion dollars in March 2007, arguing that they condoned pirated video clips at the website to boost its popularity. Keep reading...

Google to take on iTunes with music download service - report
22 June 2010 - Google is reportedly developing a music download service to launch later this year, by a "cloud"-based subscription service in 2011. Dow Jones Newswires cites people familiar with the Internet giant's discussions with the music industry, saying the service will be tied to its search services. Keep reading...

Google takes on Rightmove, enters UK property market
17 June 2010 - Google UK has expanded into the UK property market by adding additional property search functionality to Google Maps. The service is being run in partnership with a number of estate agents, alongside Zoopla and Trinity Mirror. Tools which allow for detailed search for property went live yesterday on Google Maps. Keep reading...

Google faces backlash for homepage images
11 June 2010 - Google has come under criticism after introducing a background image on the search engine's homepage to promote its new customization features. The new look, featuring images from a number of established photographers, will run until the end of this week. Keep reading...

Google 'testing Twitter feeds on Adwords display ads'
4 June 2010 - Google is testing a new tool that integrates Twitter feeds into display ads on its popular AdWords system, according to a news report. ClickZ’s Douglas Quenqua reports that the online media giant has invited a few advertisers to test a new display-ad integration with Twitter. Keep reading...

Google bans staff from using Windows amid security worries - report
1 June 2010 - Google is reportedly phasing out the use of Microsoft's operating system amongst its staff due to security concerns. According to a report in The Financial Times, the search giant has already begun to migrate its systems to the Mac OS platform. Keep reading...
01/06/2010

Google lets viewers search via their TV sets
21 May 2010 - Google has officially unveiled its Google TV service in the US, which will enable users to search content on the web and download applications while watching TV. However, there are no plans for a UK launching in the near future. The service will let viewers in the US search and view content from TV providers, the Internet, mobile applications and their own personal content library. Keep reading...

Google reconsiders facial recognition technology following privacy outcry
21 May 2010 - Google is debating whether it should launch its new facial recognition technology after criticism about its privacy settings. Speaking at a developers conference, Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said the search giant is still debating whether to launch the recognition technology following criticism from privacy campaigners who raised fears that it would be an ideal tool for stalkers and identity fraudsters. Keep reading...

Google takes on Skype with Global IP buy
19 May 2010 - Google is buying Norwegian internet telephony company Global IP Solutions for $68m (£47.6m) to boost its online voice and video services. Global IP Solutions makes the underlying processing software for voice and video calls over internet networks that will help boost Google Voice and other IP telephony based services. Keep reading...

Google closes online store for Nexus One phone
18 May 2010 - Google is to stop selling its Nexus One smartphone through its Web store, marking a U-turn in the firm’s attempt to reshape the mobile-phone market by selling handsets directly to customers. The company said in a blog post it would make the phone available to consumers through wireless partners' existing retail channels. Keep reading...

YouTube ‘gets more viewers than all US TV networks combined’
17 May 2010 - Popular video sharing website YouTube is celebrating its fifth year this month and has another reason to celebrate: it generates two billion hits nearly every day. The 2 billion views of the site, which sports the slogan "Broadcast Yourself", is more than the combined total number of viewers of the US major television networks. Keep reading...

Google developing iPad rival - report
13 May 2010 - Google is working on a tablet computer to rival Apple's iPad, according to press reports. The Wall Street Journal reports that the web giant is collaborating with Verizon wireless, the largest US wireless carrier. Verizon Wireless chief executive Lowell McAdam told the Wall Street Journal that tablet computers are part of the "next big wave of opportunities." Keep reading...

Google imitates rivals with search results revamp
7 May 2010 - Google has updated the way it presents its search results, in a bid to make the information more relevant and simpler. The new layout includes features that are already being employed by its rivals such as Bing Yahoo and Ask. The changes include a touched-up logo, and a navigation panel on the page to refine queries with options to search specific categories such as news, images, blogs and video. Keep reading...

Google invests in firm that tries to predict the future
4 May 2010 - Google has invested in Recorded Future, a startup company that claims to be able to predict the future. Google Ventures, the company’s investment arm, and put forward an undisclosed sum to own a part of the Massachusetts-based startup. Keep reading...

Google Nexus One goes on sale in UK with Vodafone
27 April 2010 - Vodafone UK has become the first European operator to sell Nexus One, Google's first smartphone handset, with contract prices starting from £25 a month. Customers who pre-order online will be the first to get a Nexus One for free on a £35 monthly price plan (24 month), on April 30. The Nexus One will also be available via Vodafone stores and telesales. Price plans start from £25 a month on a 24 month contract. Keep reading...

Google updates local tools with photos inside businesses
21 April 2010 - Google is changing the name of its Local Business Center to Google Places adding new tools to help connect consumers with local shops, including photos of the interiors of buildings. The search giant is letting businesses in some cities buy Tags to make their listings stand out on Google.com and Google Maps, for $25 a month. Keep reading...

Google hires 800 following 'strongest growth in 18 months'
19 April 2010 - Google has seen its revenues rise 23% to $5.06 billion in the first quarter of this year, hiring some 800 new employees in the process. The search giant notched up its strongest growth of the last 18 months between January and March this year. Keep reading...

European broadband networks demand ad share from 'bandwidth hog' Google
14 April 2010 - Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom and Telefonica have called on Google to begin sharing ad revenues to networks. They claim that their networks are fast becoming "dumb pipes" for hosting the group's bandwidth-hungry technology, including YouTube, on their broadband use the internet search and advertising company pays the network operators little or nothing for carrying its content. Keep reading...

Google adds site speed to SEO ranking factors
13 April 2010 - Google is to incorporate website speed as a factor in how it ranks websites in search results. The search engine first revealed its plans to include speed as a ranking factor in its algorithm last December. Now website owners looking to improve their search engine optimisation strategies may need to look at how quickly their pages load as part of their digital marketing campaigns. Keep reading...

Google reveals further plans for ultra-fast broadband
1 April 2010 - Google has revealed further plans for its forthcoming high-speed fibre broadband network, and will announce the target market for the first tests by the end of the year. The initial trial will cover a group ranging from 50,000 to 500,000 people in the US. The project, first announced in February, will provide 1GB networks in targeted markets as a way of testing open broadband networks. Keep reading...

Google wins AdWords trademark case
26 March 2010 - A European court has ruled in Google's favour allowing advertisers using its AdWords system to use the names of other companies as search keywords. In a landmark ruling this week, the court ruled that this practice does not represent a trademark violation. The court also went on to say that Google's AdWords program is protected by a European law governing Internet hosting services. "This is important because it is a fundamental principle behind the free flow of information over the Internet," Harjinder S. Obhi, Google senior litigation counsel for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, wrote in a blog post. Keep reading...

Google redirects Chinese users to Hong Kong site to avoid censorship
23 March 2010 - Google has begun redirecting its Chinese users to its Honk Kong site, following an ongoing row with the government over the censorship of its search results. The move has met condemnation from the Chinese government , branding Google's decision as "totally wrong" and in violation of its promise to abide by Chinese laws. Keep reading...

Google to shut China operations in April?
19 March 2010 - Google will close its businesses in China in April, according to a report in China Business News, citing an unnamed local authorised agent of Google. The newspaper added that Google may announce details of its exit from China on Monday, the day after the company's staff are due to receive their annual year-end bonus, citing unnamed Google employees in China. Keep reading...

Google '99.9% certain' on China exit - FT
16 March 2010 - Google is close to an exit from China, following a feud with the country's government over censorship, according to a new report. The Financial Times quotes a source familiar with the matter that the search giant's proposed departure from China is now "99% certain" to go ahead. Keep reading...

Google takes Street View to more parts of UK
11 March 2010 - Google is set to launch its Street View service for many parts of the UK so far neglected by the service. When launched in the UK last year, Google Street View initially covered 25 towns and cities. Subsequently, further sites of interest were added, some of which were not accessible to Google's Street View car and were instead explored by the 'Google Trike'. Keep reading...

Murdoch mulling lawsuit against Google?
3 March 2010 - Rupert Murdoch has hinted he may issue a lawsuit against Google if it did not stop indexing content from his media empire.
In a recent interview with New York Magazine, a senior media executive claims Murdoch is ready to see the search giant in court. "He's pretty tightly wound up over Google and has been ready to sue them," the executive claims. "He doesn't trust them at all." Another unnamed executive from MySpace, the flagging social-networking site that Murdoch paid $580m for in 2005, claims Murdoch is ill at ease in the internet sphere. Keep reading...

Google buys photo editing site Picnik
2 March 2010 - Google has bought online photo editing suite Picnik, in a bid to bolster the capabilities of its existing image altering and photo-sharing software Picsa. Formed in 2005, Seattle-based Picnik works directly with online photo libraries such as Flickr (owned by Google's rival Yahoo), Facebook and Picasa web albums. Users can also upload files to the service and download them again when they are done. The 20-strong team will start working on Picasa, Google's online photo sharing service. Keep reading...

Italian privacy: Google officials convicted in video bullying case
1 March 2010 - In a landmark case, two managers and a former executive of Google have been found guilty of privacy violations by an Italian court. The ruling represents the first such conviction for employees of Google, and the internet giant has vowed to appeal the decision. The move could have wide-ranging implications for all websites in Italy that allow users to upload their own content. Keep reading...

Google to ditch Ad Manager for DoubleClick
1 March 2010 - Publishers using Google's Ad Manager system to control their sites ads will soon be moved over to DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP). Google said the move is designed to make the ad management process easier and faster for publishers. Google acquired DoubleClick in March 2008, and has since upgraded DFP to include a variety of new features. Keep reading...

Google buys online video firm On2
1 March 2010 - Google has completed its $125m acquisition of video compression specialist On2, as the internet giant looks to expand further into the growing online video market. The deal closed after gaining approval from On2 shareholders and was valued at $124.6m. The figure was about $18 million more than the value stated when the acquisition was first announced last year. On2 provides video compression technologies for mobile video, embedded devices, Adobe Flash Player and VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol). Keep reading...

Google predicts ad revenue shift from web to mobiles
18 February 2010 - Google chief executive Eric Schmidt predicted a massive shift of adverting revenues from the fixed web to mobile platforms similar to that from print publications to the internet. The change would happen because mobile advertising could be more precisely targeted, making it more effective, he said in a keynote at the Mobile World Congress, taking place this week in Barcelona. Keep reading...

Google's Gmail privacy challenge: 'private' contacts become 'public' social media friends?
12 February 2010 - Google is to make changes to the privacy settings on its new 'Buzz' social network amid concerns over privacy, after it emerged the network creates a profile for new users by drawing on their Gmail contacts. Early users of Google Buzz had complained that they found the settings too complicated, especially the ones that relates to privacy. Keep reading...

Google to build super-fast broadband network in the US
11 February 2010 - In its continuing quest to speed up the Internet, Google has decided to build what it calls "ultra high-speed" broadband networks in some parts of the US, the company announced. The fibre networks will deliver a huge 1GB bps (bit per second) connections to homes at prices that will be "competitive," the company said. Keep reading...

Google to launch instant speech translator for smartphones
8 February 2010 - Google is set to launch a new smartphone translator tool that will be able to hear speech and translate it instantly. The Times reports that the software would take the information learned from the company's text translation software, and Google's existing voice recognition tools for smartphones. Keep reading...

Google in China: Hackers, politics, strategy and new security patches for Internet Explorer
22 January 2010 - Google has stressed it wants to continue to have a strong presence in the Chinese market, following its threats last week to pull out of the country altogether, amid security concerns and a sweeping cyber attack. CEO Eric Schmidt spoke to analysts after the Q4 results were announced, saying Google remains "quite committed to being in China." But he reiterated that it would stop censoring its search results there, in "a reasonably short time from now. We like the Chinese people and our Chinese employees. We like the business opportunities there and we'd like to do that on somewhat different terms than we have." Keep reading...

YouTube seeks sponsor for first live sports coverage
20 January 2010 - YouTube is to begin streaming live cricket from India's premier league, seeking sponsors in the process. The move marks the video sharing site's first foray into live sport streaming, and is the result of a partnership between Google and Cricket's IPL (India Premier League). Keep reading...

YouTube tests online video rental market
20 January 2010 - YouTube is launching a video rental service, initially featuring five movies shown at this year's Sundance Festival, with plans to expand later in the year. The first five films for rent are "The Cove," "Bass Ackwards," "One Too Many Mornings," "Homewrecker" and "Children of Invention." The service will go live on 22 January and will only be available in the US. Keep reading...

Google and China: Hackers, government and a stormy 2010
19 January 2010 - Google plans to submit a formal request to the Chinese government "in the coming days" for information about the hacking attacks launched from the country. The world's most popular search engine said last week it was thinking of pulling out of China after a "sophisticated" attack on its network that resulted in theft of its intellectual property. Keep reading...

Google threatens to quit China over censorship rules
13 January 2010 - Google has announced that it will no longer abide by China's censorship laws, and may shut it's 'google.cn' website altogether, following a cyber attack aimed at gathering information on human rights activists.
In a company statement, David Drummond, Google senior v.p., corporate development and chief legal officer, said: "We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China." The search giant attributed its change in stance to cyber attacks from China on dissidents using its Gmail service and on companies. Keep reading...

France plans 'Google tax' on internet searches
11 January 2010 - France is planning a tax on search engine ad revenue to raise money to invest into creative industries weakened by the digital revolution. Besides Google, the tax would target other large operators in Europe such as Microsoft and Yahoo! whether or not their offices are in France. Google's European headquarters are in Ireland, but under the proposal, the operator would pay a levy every time a French internet user clicks on an advertising banner or sponsored link on its sites. The proposal is outlined in a government-commissioned survey, and forms part of the counties latest drive to regulate the internet, which has seen it enact some of the world's toughest anti-piracy legislation. Keep reading...

Google starts selling first-ever mobile handset 'Nexus One'
06 January 2010 - Google has finally launched its much-anticipated smartphone, Nexus One, which aims to rival Apple's iPhone. The device, made by Taiwanese company HTC, will be sold through Google's website from today and initially be available on T-mobile in the US followed by Vodafone in the UK in the first quarter of 2010. Keep reading...

Google Chrome now third most popular browser
04 January 2010 - Google's Chrome web browser has overtaken Apple's Safari to become the third most popular web browser, according to new research. The data, from Net Applications, puts Chrome in third place with 4.63% of the market, ahead of safari with 4.46%. Google's browser, which launched just over a year ago, still has a lot of ground to make up to match market leaders Microsoft's Internet Explorer (63%) and Mozilla's Firefox (25%). Chrome's 0.7 percent jump from November to December can partly be attributed to the beta launch versions of the Chrome Web browser for Mac OS X and Linux. Keep reading...

YouTube debuts own short URL service
01 January 2010 - YouTube has launched a new URL shortening service, putting the video sharing platform in direct competition with market leaders bit.ly and TinyURL. In a blog posting, Google engineering manager Vijay Karunamurthy announced youtu.be as a shortener for all YouTube video links, and nothing but YouTube links. Keep reading...
01/01/2010