Google

Google more valuable than Apple – if you exclude cash

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 26, 2013

For years, the media has been keen to compare companies based on their market capitalization. The metric itself is pretty fluke, but it makes for nice headlines - especially if the topic of reporting is Apple. Earlier this year, for example, much noise was made about Apple passing the oil giant ExxonMobil to become the world's most valuable corporation by market capitalization.

Having said that, it really shouldn't be surprising big media is now reporting that the Internet giant Google recently "passed" Apple to become the world's most valuable technology corporation. The bold claim comes with a caveat: you have to stretch your definition of market cap and strip out some key metrics...

Apple enables direct Google Contacts sync in iOS 7

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 25, 2013

Google last September killed native sync for Contacts and Calendars on iOS devices. The announcement was part of Google's phasing out of Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync protocol in favor of CardDAV and CalDAV, which represent HTTP-based WebDAV client/server protocols for contact and calendar items, respectively.

Now, Apple actually adopted CalDAV and CardDAV with the release of iOS 4 nearly three years ago, but setting up Google Contacts sync on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices via CardDAV was anything but hassle-free.

With iOS 7, Apple appears to have implemented native Google Contacts sync. I'm guessing the feature works behind-the-scenes via CardDAV because it requires no setup and acts as a true two-way sync. It works like a charm, really, let me show you how...

Google updates Currents with new features ahead of Reader shutdown

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 24, 2016

Google's Flipboard-like Currents app thus far has failed to catch on with the general public, despite bringing magazine-like reading experience to mobile devices.

The problem is, Google's been updating Currents at a snail's pace. So, in an effort to pick up some of the lost steam, the Internet giant today pushed an update to the Currents iOS app which brings it on par with the recently-updated Android counterpart.

In addition to the same audio experience from the Android build that makes listening to audio clips more convenient, the iOS app is now a little bit prettier and comes with a few handy tweaks, like the way overdue pinch-to-zoom for photos and the useful vertical pagination reading mode...

iTunes U finally adopts pull-to-refresh thing

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 25, 2013

Although optimized for the iPhone 5, iTunes U - Apple's free download from the App Store - is still skeuomorphic, just like Find My iPhone, AirPort Utility and other Apple downloads not included as part of the stock iOS 7 experience. Though today's iTunes U 1.3.1 update doesn't get rid of the wooden bookshelf, the new versions does add several noteworthy features. Among them: the popular pull-to-refresh gesture to checks for course updates in the notepad...

Gartner: tablet shipments to jump 68% in 2013 amid PC slump

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 24, 2013

Research giant Gartner Monday released new figures confirming the growth of tablets and the decline of PCs are set to continue through 2013 and into 2014. However, the numbers point to a changing market for tablets and a potential rescue for ailing PC and laptop demand.

While the overall shipment of PCs, mobile phones and tablets is expected to rise by just 5.9 percent this year, PC shipments of both desktops and notebooks will slide lower by more than ten percent. Worldwide mobile phone shipments should increase a modest 4.3 percent while tablets lead consumer demand for mobility, shipments jumping by 67.9 percent this year, according to the research firm...

AOL joins RSS race, announces its own Google Reader replacement

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 21, 2013

Wow, it's never been a more exciting time to be in the RSS space. And who would have thought it would have taken the Internet giant announcing its popular Reader service is heading to the graveyard of technology?

And with the impending July 1 Google Reader shut down all but upon us, the market for RSS readers is bursting with activity like never before. Of course, RSS isn't going anywhere as there are a few dozen quality apps out there.

In addition, the likes of Digg, Flipboard, Feedly and many others are stepping in to fill the void with their own Google Reader replacement services. And now, you can put AOL on your list of upcoming Google Reader alternatives. You remember AOL, right?

Feedly opens RSS web app to everyone ahead of Google Reader shutdown

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2013

Following Google's disappointing announcement that its Reader service will be retired on July 1, after running for eight straight years, Feedly back in May announced work had started on a clone of Google’s RSS API to help user transition from Google Reader to Feedly.

Today, the startup shed more light on the subject by announcing a new Application Programming Interface (API) along with a lineup of first third-party apps that will leverage the Feedly Cloud platform. In addition, they've opened the Feedly RSS web app to everyone...

Forrester: iOS is shoppers’ platform of choice

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Owners of mobile gadgets running on Apple's iOS operating system are more likely to make purchases from their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and use their iDevices for product research. According to research firm Forrester, iOS owners are nearly one-third, or thirty percent, more likely to make purchases using their smartphone or tablet and fifteen percent more likely to research products, compared to Android users.

Although Apple's software is overwhelmingly chosen by shoppers, 96 percent of e-businesses planned to develop mobile applications for both Android and iOS. However, while companies such as Microsoft and others encourage developers to create apps for their platform, only very large companies intend to stray from the iOS-Android duopoly...

Google reveals plans to bring internet to the masses using balloons

Cody Lee ∙ June 15, 2013

Google's 'X' division has gained a reputation for making the seemingly impossible, possible. The not-so-secret lab is responsible for churning out a number of innovative projects, including self-driving cars and more recently, Google Glass.

Yesterday, the search giant unveiled X's next 'moonshot' venture called Project Loon. The idea behind Loon is to let loose a ring of balloons, outfitted with cellphone tower-like tech, in the sky in an effort to provide internet to the masses...

Google testimony helps Apple with e-book trial

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 14, 2013

So rarely do we see the complete dismantling of a witness in an otherwise dull tech trial. However, Apple's defense lawyer last week dissected a Google executive's claim of a conversation with publishers indicating Apple required they all sign on to an agency contract.

On the stand, Google's Thomas Turvey admitted a direct conversation with the publishers he earlier told the court likely never happened.

Not only does the testimony from Google's director of strategic partnerships make it appear the Apple rival is just out to get its competitor, but it throws a wet blanket on an antitrust case which up to yesterday was going the way of the Department of Justice.

However, the weighty issue of whether Apple's e-book agency pricing model restricted competition was overshadowed by the legal showdown and witness meltdown...

Google+ notifications will soon sync across devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

One of the annoyances about notifications in today's multi-platform world is the alert conundrum. We've all been there: an alert comes in, you act on it on one device and yet it doesn't clear on the other. And with apps constantly producing all sorts of notifications, managing these things across our gadgets is tricky, to put it mildly.

Matter of fact, you'd be right to argue that notifications tend to get a little out of hand, up to the point where they turn your daily computing into a nightmare.

Apple feels your pain: that's why it gave iOS 7 a new Notification Sync feature where reading a notification on your iPad automatically marks it as read on your iPhone, and vice versa, courtesy of iCloud. Google isn't standing still either: today, the search monster started rolling Google+ notification sync across the web, Android and iOS...

Apple says it owns one-fifth of e-book market

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Under questioning by U.S. government lawyers, an Apple executive testified that the company owns about 20 percent of the U.S. e-book market - double the figure many observers had assumed.

The surprising percentage was revealed as the head of the company's iBookstore service refuted government charges of conspiracy to set e-book prices.

During the sixth day of testimony in the Department of Justice's lawsuit against Apple, company director Keith Moerer said iBookstore grabbed twenty percent of e-book sales soon after opening, a figure it continues to hold. Additionally, he said iBookstore sales increased 100 percent in 2012 with more than a hundred million customers...