Google

Real-life footage shows what it’s like wearing Google Glass

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 20, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1uyQZNg2vE

With speculation of Apple's growing interest in wearable computing and a smartwatch-like gadget the company's reportedly working on, it's worth remembering Google entered the space in a big way with last year's astonishing on-stage demonstration of its Android-driven augmented-reality eyewear, Google Glass. One of CEO Larry Page's moonshot projects, the Glass is still in its infancy, but watchers predict it will become the next big thing in wearable computing.

While only Google developers are allowed to buy the $1,500 sci-fi eyewear, Google is working on mainstreaming the technology in order to get even more people use its services all the time. And in doing so, the search Goliath has released new footage showing what it actually feels wearing the Glass.

In case you were wondering, everything you see has been captured through the Glass...

Apple spent less than $2M on D.C. lobbying last year, Google spent $18M

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Among the many moves monitored by tech company watchers is who is spending what money, where. Whether it be on R&D, acquisitions, or patent litigation, knowing where a company spends its cash is important to understanding its business.

A new report, for example, takes a look at how much each of the big tech firms spent on D.C. lobbying in 2012 (trying to influence politicians and their legislation to work in their favor). And surprise, surprise, Google spent more than everyone else...

Poll: which would you rather wear, an Apple iWatch or Google’s Glasses

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 18, 2013

Silicon Valley giant Google rightfully trusts tech enthusiasts will be falling over themselves to adopt its Android-driven Glasses, going as far to commission a pro to take a series of fashion photographs featuring beautiful, smiling models. Apple, on the other hand (pun intended), is said to be entering the wearable computing space with a smart watch-like gizmo believed to be conceptualized as your most intimate computer yet.

Google's bet is that advanced augmented reality features are enough to talk people into putting up with the unusual glasses dancing on their nose. And if iWatch talk is for real, then Apple must be thinking its users won't have a problem wearing a curved-glass watch around their wrist like some Dict Tracy copycat.

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle: some folks will readily adopt these wearable devices and others will wave them off as a function over form. Which brings me to today's poll: if you were forced to choose between the two, which one would you rather wear in public - Google's Glasses or Apple's iWatch?

Google to open standalone retail stores this year

Cody Lee ∙ February 15, 2013

Once a highly valued partner, Google has spent the last few years moving in on Apple's territory. It's done it in the computer space, with its Chromebook OS, and in the smartphone space with Android. And now it looks like it's preparing to do the same thing in retail.

A new report is out this afternoon claiming that the Mountain View company is in the process of building standalone retail stores in the United States, in an effort to get its products into more hands. And its flagship locations could be ready by the holidays...

Facebook now sends 180 million clicks to Apple and Google app stores

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 12, 2013

The social network Facebook has become such a behemoth in that space that it's now sending an astounding 180 million clicks to Apple's App Store marketplace and Google's Play Store for Android software. That's one of the nuggets from a speech Dan Rose, Facebook VP of partnerships gave at The Wall Street Journal-sponsored D: Dive Into Media.

He also touched on Facebook's mobile strategy and the social network's future prospects as it competes for our time with other popular mobile services...

Amazon beats Apple for best U.S. consumer reputation

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

More indications that Apple may be slipping in the eyes of some consumers. Internet retail giant Amazon.com now has the best reputation among U.S. corporations, Harris Interactive announced Tuesday. Despite Apple winning the poll in 2012, Kindle-maker Amazon grabbed the top spot this year - ironically cited for its emotional impact on consumers despite operating a completely virtual business.

The online retailer also topped Apple, Google, Disney and others in the products and services category. This result only highlights Amazon's increased brand image in tablets, music, movies and cloud computing, areas bringing it into conflict with Apple and other tech players...

The iPhone 5 rates fifth in US user satisfaction

Ed Sutherland ∙ February 11, 2013

Results of a new smartphone user satisfaction survey have some observers scratching their heads. Apple's iPhone 5 ranked fifth in the U.S., behind a number of Android devices from Motorola, HTC and Samsung. Due to Apple's past high ratings in customer satisfaction, the survey's findings prompted questions so far left unanswered.

According to a poll by OnDevice Research, Motorola's Atrix HD took first place in the U.S. user satisfaction scores, with the Motorola Droid Razr M, HTC's Rezound 4G, Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 and the iPhone 5 filling out the top five devices.

While Apple was named the top brand in overall mobile device satisfaction by U.S. consumers, Google ranked number two - even though it does not directly produce mobile devices...

Google paying Apple $1 billion annually in per-device iOS search fees

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2013

Analyst Scott Devitt of Morgan Stanley has estimated that Google pays Apple up to a billion dollars each year to be the default search engine choice on iOS. That's $1 billion in pure profit.

The two companies apparently have a per-device deal in place rather than a revenue sharing deal, he wrote in a report titled "The Next Google Is Google." The fee-based co-operation was agreed on in order to simplify accounting and it lets Apple collect upfront payments.

By contrast, Devitt estimates that Google pays around $300 million annually to Mozilla to be the default search engine for Firefox.

While one billion in traffic acquisition costs isn't much relative to Apple's $13 billion in holiday quarter profit, it ain't spare change either. Moreover, it just shows that Google is very much keen on having iOS users search the web using Google search...

Google testing own built Retina Chromebook?

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 6, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2dhMKSKGBg

Word on the street, based on a Google+ post by developer François Beaufort, is that Google is developing a Retina-fied Chromebook featuring a 2,560-by-1,700 resolution (that's four million pixels for those counting). Surprisingly enough, it would file as the first Google-built notebook as today's Chromebooks are built by Samsung, Acer and Hewlett-Packard.

For reference, Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display has a 2,560-by-1,600 resolution (2,880-by-1,800 on the 15-inch variant). Unlike the MacBook Pro, this so-called Chromebook Pixel will apparently have touch capabilities of some sort...

Gartner: more than half of mobile apps will be HTML5/native hybrids by 2016

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

A convergence of mobile trends is setting the stage for a day when more than half of the applications will support both HTML5 and native iOS/Android environments. That's the word from research giant Gartner, who predicts companies must support multiple platforms as well as native features, such as mapping, cameras and location-based services. Additionally, the researcher forecasts brand-name smartphone makers could be pushed out of the low-cost market as countries such as China and India produce home-grown alternatives priced as low as $50...

Kodak completes patent sale to Apple, Google consortium

Cody Lee ∙ February 2, 2013

By now, you've all likely heard about Kodak's patent sale. The one-time photography giant filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy last year, so it was forced to sell off a large chunk of its intellectual property to a consortium of companies to help pay off its debts.

The sale, which included over 1,100 digital imaging patents, was approved earlier this month by Judge Allan Gropper. And this week, Kodak announced that it had completed the deal, and it plans to exit bankruptcy within the next six months...

AAPL for a second time passes Exxon, GOOG hits new all-time high

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 1, 2013

Look, these things are not the be-all, end-all for business performance, but obviously market capitalization reflects investors' expectations concerning Apple's future performance. The iPhone maker last Friday hit a 52-week low and as a result ceded its top spot as the world's most-valued publicly traded corporation to the oil giant Exxon.

AAPL shares have slowly been recovering since and today has surpassed the oil conglomerate for a second time in after-hours trading. The Cupertino firm now leads Exxon with a $10 billion market cap difference, but is Apple's valuation sustainable in the long run?