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Google Heads into the Cloud with Google Drive

efindlow — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:36:32 +0000

You may remember a post I wrote a couple of months ago about cloud storage. (For those of you who need a refresher, you can read that article here.) At the time, there was nothing but speculation about if and when Google was going to get into the cloud storage game. Well, the wait is almost over, now that a number of tech blogs have uncovered leaks that suggest Google will launch Drive next week. So what does this mean for Google users?

Well, many of you probably already use services like Amazon Cloud, DropBox, or SugarSync. So unless Google offers a radically different interface or service, chances are the main advantage to Google Drive will be that Google has so many apps and services that you may use on a regular basis, it will be easier to sync all of your documents without having to use a third-party service. Also, Google Drive is rumoured to be offering 5GB of space for free, which is larger than DropBox’s 2GB and equal to Amazon’s Cloud Drive. But it is rather attractive to be able to save Gmail attachments directly to the cloud or edit Google Docs on your desktop without additional synchronization apps. And of course, if you are already using Gmail or Google+ or an Android smartphone, why not use Google Drive? There is also rumoured to be a Drive mobile app which will allow users to share links directly with people instead of as attachments, which could be quite useful.

We won’t know for sure the specs and features of Google Drive until Google officially announces them, but the speculation this past week certainly seems more concrete than in the past. With the cloud storage market becoming increasingly saturated, it’s no wonder that Google would like a piece of the pie. The next few months are sure to bring some interesting changes to the cloud.

Google Search Plus Your World: A Closer Look

efindlow — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:58:25 +0000

I know we have been talking about changes to Google+ quite a lot over the last few weeks, but the changes Google has made are pretty significant and deserve to be looked at closely. There are a few aspects of Google+ Search Plus Your World that we are going to examine in more detail.

As mentioned in previous posts, when you are logged into Google+, you now see not only conventional search results but personalized results as well. You will be able to get results based on items and data that have been shared with you through the Google+ social network. This includes information from Google+ posts and photos, as well as Google Picasa photos. This allows you to get search results that are potentially more relevant to what you are trying to find, and also allows Google to collect more information about you in order to better tailor advertising to you. These personal results are all things that you could have searched for on Google+ before, they are now simply integrated to your regular Google search.

One concern with Google Search Plus Your World is that people will now potentially be searching for even more private results than they previously did. This is the reason why Google decided to encrypt searches made from a secure connection when you are signed into your Google account. By encrypting searches, no one else can see what you are searching for and what sites you click on. Unless, of course, you are an advertiser. While website publishers used to receive referrer data from Google, telling them what searches were made before a customer clicked on their site link, with the new encryption service that was rolled out in October Google ceased to provide this data. Google advertisers, however, still have access to referrer data which has angered a number of publishers who rely on referrer data to ensure they can increase traffic to their sites.

One of the advantages for Google with the new search is that they can more heavily promote Google+. In addition to your new personalized results, Google offers you suggestions when you type in the search box. These suggestions are increasingly biased toward Google+, including Google+ profiles for your friends. This is handy when you are trying to find someone with a common name, since the first result will probably be the person you already have in your contact list. In addition to people you already know, Google+ is promoting other Google+ members, which may lead to your further integration into the Google+ social network. Also, along the right side of the search page, Google now offers you People and Page suggestions from Google+ based on your interests.

These changes are obviously all geared toward promoting Google+ and its social network over, say, Facebook or Twitter. As people become more accustomed to these changes, it will be interesting to see how Google+ will grow and whether other social networking sites will adapt to challenge the search engine. For more information, check out the article at Search Engine Land.

Say Goodbye to Real Estate Agents!

MJ — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:34:42 +0000

A couple of months ago, I was involved in witnessing how the purchase of a condo went and what it entailed. I had to deal with a Real Estate, which was standard procedure for anyone involved in the home buying process. Although there are pros and cons to going with a Real Estate Agent, the fact is the business of selling homes is changing. This can undoubtedly be attributed to the presence of the Internet. What used to be impossible to obtain without the help of an agent is now available with the click of a mouse. A myriad of information is now available online.
Home appraisal values, for example, used to only be available to individuals within the real-estate industry. This has changed. Sites now have access to private databases, making instant estimates of a property’s value available and obtainable to virtually anyone interested. Additionally, Zoocasa has partnered with a major property valuation company and has made the availability of local market information available to anyone possible. Individuals can enter any address in the country and by the provision of details (ie. number of bedrooms and/or baths), individuals can get an instant price estimate. This is great for homeowners as well, as it provides a realistic indication of the value of their home.
This industry will evolve online. As it does, more services will be available. Zoocasa’s appraisal site (where “Zoopraisals” are available), for example, helps consumers with specific portions of a deal. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the evolution of this industry online is that sites such as Zoocasa don’t charge for appraisals. Rather, it makes money by what the internet does best – ads! It charges real estate agents fees to have their ads pop up along with the data.
The presence of websites like these represents the weakening position of real estate agents, which is great news for any potential buyer. After all, can you really justify paying your agent commission, which often costs about 5% of the value of the home?

The Internet of Things

MJ — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:41:09 +0000

Technology has evolved at an exceptional speed. Nowadays, a car is more than just a vehicle, it’s an intricate computer system, controlling things like the audio-visual system or the rear-facing camera that assists with reversing. Lost are the days where OnStar was the only roadside-assistance service. Now with virtually any smartphone a myriad of functions can be performed. The automobile has now, more than ever, been integrated with the Internet. This is just one example of how an idea, which has been around for over a decade, is becoming reality. The Internet of Things is finally becoming real!
The Internet of Things, first discussed in 1999, represents the idea that Internet connectivity might spread beyond the devices we’ve traditionally used, such as computers, laptops, and now smartphones. Objects are becoming more interactive and are communicating with the Internet. It is interesting to see this concept get manifested in both high-tech ways and simple ways. Even more interesting is society’s willingness to adapt and accept these ways. More and more individuals are shopping online and we will continue to see an increase in the number of individuals using NFC/Google Wallet to pay for things. If you don’t believe me, think of the following examples:

Existing networks – wireless networks and wi-fi-enabled devices are extremely common. We can see the use of these networks through the increase in tablet and cell phone usage. In addition, the Nike+ running shoe, for example, contains a sensor that sends information about your running pace to your Apple iPod.
Scanned codes – QR codes have grown in popularity and can be frequently seen in stores, on billboards, or through advertisements. QR codes link a real thing to the information world and virtually any object can have a distinct code.
NFC (near-field communications) – provides ways for devices, such as a smartphone, to wirelessly read information from a tag on an object, just by being in close proximity. This unleashes an endless way to track inventory or to provide individuals with ways to learn about a product. NFC technology is also turning smartphones into virtual wallets.

The Evolution of Voice Assistants

MJ — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:17:03 +0000

Siri for the iPhone 4S may be the primary reason why many are upgrading to the newest iPhone. If you don’t have the latest iPhone, don’t worry, as virtual assistants are not limited to the iPhone 4S. If you have another Smartphone, you may want to check out the following:

Vlingo (Android & iOs, free) can do numerous tasks, such as: sending texts and emails, voice dial, search the web, find local businesses, get directions, update Facebook and Twitter, check in to Foursquare, etc. An InCar edition is available for hands-free voice command while driving.
Iris (Android, Free, Beta) currently only responds to questions, whether fact-based (conversions, sports or history facts, etc) or personal (When asked if it wants chips, the reply is “No, chips make me fat”).
Speaktoit (Android, Free) can perform numerous actions, including, but not limited to: opening apps, updating Facebook and Twitter, getting directions and local weather, etc.
DragonGo! (iOs, Free) offers a huge range of voice-activated features, such as downloading apps, searching for books, locating local businesses and upcoming events, retrieving directions, sports scores and local weather. It is integrated with a number of websites, so you can command it to “Yahoo Sports for Kobe Bryant.”
VoiceActions ($4.99, iOs) can send text messages and emails, answer questions (both factual and conversational), request to play music by a certain artist, launch and search various browsers, get directions, set reminders, translate between English and French, as well as making calls.

Blackberry Service Restored….Almost

MJ — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:35:36 +0000

For the past 3 days, anyone using a Blackberry smartphone will have experienced issues pertaining to their email and messaging service. Today it seems like the problems have been resolved.
“I want to apologize to all the BlackBerry customers we’ve let down,” Mike Lazaridis told a conference call with reporters this morning, shortly after releasing the same apology on YouTube. Lazaridis has been in charge of overseeing the restoration of service, while co-CEO Jim Balsillie has been reassuring enterprise customers and carriers.
This is a step in the right direction, but it seems like some users in Canada and various locations in Europe might still encounter some problems. Mike also promised to conduct a full investigation about the problem but failed to give assurances that this won’t happen again.
Is this public apology enough or what steps will Blackberry need to take in order to keep their now unhappy customer base satisfied, while restoring the reputation that has been built over the last 12 years.

The Evolution of Online Shopping

MJ — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:24:56 +0000

If you think back five years ago, did you do online shopping? The majority of people were uncomfortable with the idea of inputting their credit card online, for fear of identity theft or fraud. These days, it’s rare to find individuals who aren’t comfortable with purchasing goods online, especially with the rise and popularity of online secure checkouts, such as PayPal. Even with the rise of streaming and app purchases, consumers are more and more willing to use the internet to make purchases. Online shopping is a huge industry. Amazon reported $34 billion in e-commerce sales last year, while Wal-Mart earned $6 billion. With Amazon’s focus on its release of its tablet, this is giving room for another company to take the throne to become the next technology giant. It has been reported that Wal-Mart has put together a team of 70 developers, computer engineers and researchers – @WalmartLabs – in an aggressive attempt to position itself at the forefront of social and mobile commerce. It is expected that within the next two to three years, there will be a definite blur between offline and online shopping. The trend is expected to be that products viewed both online and offline will offer information such as: who else likes this product, what are the reviews, the people who bought this product what else did they buy. Wal-Mart is attempting to provide one experience for both online and offline shoppers. The search for all goods, whether electronics or fashion, will have to be perfected. The largest focus of @WalmartLabs’ will be creating what has been deemed a “social genome.” Facebook has emphasized the social existence and discount sites has revolutionized social buying. It is expected that consumers will demand that social media is incorporated in their shopping experience, both online and offline. @WalmartLabs is planning to launch something similar to an in-store Twitter in the next three to four months. This will allow customers to tweet about what they like, or what’s on sale. Additionally, they can ask where something is or a question about a product, and an associate will answer. Shopycat, a Facebook application, uses social media profiles and comments to generate gift ideas, will launch in the US right before Christmas. It will help give you ideas that will make purchasing gifts easier. Buzz created via social media will give Wal-Mart information about “it” items – i.e. when they should stock products related to basketball. The company can look at buzz generated on social media and this will be an indication of when to stock these products. It will be interesting to see how Wal-Mart revolutionizes the online shopping experience. Remember that this retail hegemony was one of the first to implement and perfect one-stop shopping.

Picking the Best Name Could Be Your Golden Ticket

MJ — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:08:11 +0000

It was recently reported that the top two ways to earn money online in 2011 is through 1) mobile app development and 2) purchasing domain names. Let’s explore the potential of purchasing domains. Yesterday, I read that RealEstate.com recently sold for 8.25 million! This made me wonder what the price tag was for some of the most expensive domain names. I found that:

Insure.com, sold to QuinStreet for $16 million in 2009.
Sex.com, sold for $12-$14 million in 2006.
Fund.com, sold for $9.99 million in 2008.
Porn.com, sold for $9.5 million in 2007.
Business.com, sold for $7.5 million in 1999.
Diamond.com, sold to Ice.com for $7.5 million in 2006.
Beer.com, sold for $7 million in 2004.
Israel.com, sold for $5.88 million in 2004.
Casino.com, sold for $5.5 million in 2003.
Toys.com, sold to Toys ‘R Us for $5.1 million in 2009.

The “.xxx” domain was approved earlier this year. Huntingmoon.com is currently holding an auction for domain names, which ends on October 6th. There are 888 domain names up for sale, with “sextape.com” having the largest reserve price of 2.5 million. The above stats show you how much money can be made with the selection and purchase of the right domain name.

Here is a list of sites you can purchase domains from:

Boxcar – a new website where domain names are available for purchase at a low prices.
Flippa – a well known site for domains, where you can purchase entire websites.
GoDaddy & GoDaddy Auctions – a great site to purchase domains. GoDaddy Auctions hold auctions for domains.
SnapNames – purchase domains which have just expired.
Sedo – a site where you can buy and sell domains, for a small cost.
BrandStack – sells mostly logo designs. Many designs come coupled with a domain.
NamePros – huge community of individuals buying and selling domains.
Facebook Marketplace – you can purchase anything on here, including domain names.
eBay – buy it now or auctions for domain names.

Have any thoughts for domain names I should purchase? Share your ideas!

How Chrome Has Changed

MJ — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:21:59 +0000

There are a variety of reasons why you should be using Google Chrome – speed, simplicity, security, and the variety of add-on features it has. On Friday, Google released an update for Google Chrome – Google Chrome 15 Beta, which I encourage you to download. The most visible change is the redesigned tab page. Users have the ability to switch your default to have all your apps centered in the new tab. Users can navigate between most visited sites and bookmarks with a series of sections on the bottom of the screen. There is a new “bookmarks” entry as well. Additionally, users can synchronize the Address/Search bar history across multiple installations. Google Chrome 16 Dev has multi-user support, where users have the ability to log onto a single instance of Chrome with different accounts.
Currently, you can download apps, extensions, and themes from the Chrome Web Store. Although there aren’t a huge amount of Chrome apps available, this will soon change, making this function extremely beneficial. Google has recently pushed offline versions of Gmail and GDocs, which is also extremely beneficial and practical for users.
If you are interested in downloading the most recent version of beta, click here.

The Evolution of Commerce Online

MJ — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:38:09 +0000

eBay announced that it’s new commerce platform called X.commerce, aka X.com, will aim at connecting a variety of online and offline services for merchants. This will range from and include: sales, payments, financial management tools, etc. This is the fourth addition to the company, which umbrellas eBay Marketplaces, PayPal, and GSI Commerce.
The technology, known as “X.fabric,” aims to be an open platform for all companies. X.commerce resembles an e-commerce operating system, like Windows or iOS – with eBay, PayPal, Magento and GSI
A company called Outright is assisting with the build. Currently, they already assist small businesses with online accounting management, in addition to aggregating data from merchants’ accounts on PayPal and eBay. Today, Outright is one of the top apps on the eBay Marketplace. With the new platform, customers will “be able to connect with PayPal, eBay and other applications, such as inventory management systems, with just one set of API’s.”
The biggest benefit will be to merchants, who will be able to integrate offline and online commerce efforts. What does this mean? For merchants wanting to launch a mobile app, for example, the platform would enable the merchant to plug the app into existing data such as store inventory, prices, special deals, etc.
Further details are suppose to be unveiled by eBay during October Innovate Developer Conference.