Google WebM Open-Source Web Format Makes Youtube Videos Load Faster
Google announced in May 2010 the upcoming public release of the new open-source WebM web format. This very generous act is very impressive since Google spent $124.6 Million to buy On2 Technologies only last February. On2’s video-compression codec VP8 is the world’s leading and Google’s decision to buy it was the first step to making the royalty-free and open-source version of it now called WebM. Google combined the VP8 codec from On2 with the existing open-source Ogg Vorbis audio codec to create the WebM format. Google WebM was perhaps a part of the company’s preparation for the release of Google Voice Call in Gmail.
Google Voice Call (Gmail PC-to-Phone Call) Hits 1 Million Calls on Its First Day of Launch!
The Google Voice project has gone a long way from just simple voice call recording. Skype geeks must be trembling already because the new Gmail Voice Call feature, Gmail’s just-released PC-to-Phone calling, did a blockbuster debut. Americans and Canadians did more than 1 million calls right on the first trial day of Gmail’s calling feature. This achievement is already a sign of good times coming for Gmail users. Google Buzz and Orkut miserably failed but Gmail’s new VOIP is a certified instant hit!
Google Voice and Chat Update: Make Free Calls with Gmail Voice Calls
Google Voice and Chat in Gmail has an upgrade. Internet behemoth Google is once again flexing its muscle by updating Google Voice and chat functions in Google Mail. The company announced today that Gmail users can now enjoy free unlimited voice calls to landline and mobile phone numbers in the US and Canada. Check your Gmail accounts and you will see the Free Voice Call feature is already enabled! You only need to install the Google Voice plug-in extension for the Call option to your Gmail account and off you go to make free voice calls in select countries!
Apple is the Biggest Tech Company in the World, Beats Google and Microsoft in Stocks
Fourteen years after Steve Jobs went back to Apple Inc., he can finally say today that he finally fulfilled his promise to make Apple great again. Back in 1996, the company was near-bankruptcy and Steve Jobs had to take over Apple as CEO in 1997 to save it from total destruction. It’s pretty ironic that Jobs turned to Bill Gates for help 13 years ago, Microsoft bought $150M worth of non-voting Apple stocks to help the struggling company survive. Just like the Apple iPad ad-campaign slogan, it’s Magical! From its lowest stock value of $3.00 in the late 90′s, Apple’s stock is now valued at around $237.45 per share!
Google Me Social Networking Platform is Being Developed According to Ex-Facebook CTO
First it was Digg.com founder Kevin Rose who started the rumor that Google has been recruiting people to create their new social networking platform tentatively called Google Me. This social networking site is rumored to compete (and probably destroy) Facebook, which recently added Face Detection Technology as a new feature. He hinted that he was approached by Google headhunters to join their team. Now this tale is further being hyped up because Adam D’Angelo, former Chief Technology Officer of Facebook, has also publicly declared on his social networking website, Quora, that Google is really working on putting up Google Me with many people already involved in the project. D’Angelo called Google Me “a top priority project” that is being modeled on Facebook. It is not Orkut 2.0, Google is building this project from the ground up.
Google Me Social Networking Site: Google Joins Zynga Games vs Facebook
Google Me, the next-gen social networking from the internet sensation, Google, is actually real. A source close to Zynga officials has leaked that advertising behemoth Google secretly invested at least $100 million dollars to Zynga last month. While both Google and Zynga refused to confirm this rumor, multiple sources have confirmed this deal. Another source said Google itself and not its investment arm, Google Ventures, invested between $100 to 200 million to the world’s biggest social gaming company. This undercover move is apparently in preparation for the launch of Google Games later this year or early 2011.
Nexus One Superphone Sold Out at Google’s Web Store!
Only three days ago, I wrote about Google’s decision to stop selling and manufacturing the Nexus One smart phone once their current inventory sells out. Well, bad news for those of you who failed to act quickly. I just checked out Google’s web shop and I can confirm to you all that the Nexus One android phone has already sold out! Google received a shipment of Nexus One Superphone only last week and I guess thousands of people promptly bought them all.
Last batch of Nexus One phones sold out. Google stops selling it!
Google to Stop Selling Nexus One, Vodafone in the UK and KT in South Korea Remaining Sources
This is disappointing. Perhaps discouraged by the low sales statistics of Google Nexus One from their online store, Google announced that they will soon stop selling their own branded Android phone. The company has received the last shipment of this smart phone from HTC this week. Google plans to stop selling it once their inventory is sold-out. Company executives have already previously confirmed that they have no future plans to make the Google Nexus Two or any other smart phone model, EVER.
Nexus One Production and Sale to be Discontinued by Google After Disappointing Sales Figures
Android Market Has the Most Free and Cheapest Mobile Phone Apps, Tops Competing Apps Stores
While Apple’s iTunes Market is under siege by a group of hackers, analytics company Distimo released its latest survey showing Google’s Android Market enjoying a wide lead as top app store for most free apps on catalog. The Android Market also takes the cake for having the most affordable pay-to-use apps. Sure, Apple’s app store may still be the most profitable and have the most number of apps but the Android Market is enjoying a meteoric rise. More and more people are opting to buy Android OS-enabled smartphones because majority of Android apps are either free or sell for very cheap prices. See Destimo’s survey chart and you will understand why the Android Market is becoming more attractive than other app stores.
Destimo Survey Shows Android Market has the most free apps
Google to Open Online Music Store to Compete With iTunes
The Wall Street Journal reported that online advertising giant, Google is in deep negotiations with major music labels regarding its planned music store opening later this year. Sources familiar to these negotiations said Google is also scheduled to open a subscription-base music service on 2011. Actual release date of the Google Online Store was not revealed but we’re sure to watch out for it. The company has made attractive proposals to the music industry leaders but up to now no agreements have been signed.
The Future of Online Music Might be Google-branded