Feeling Lucky

Introducing Google Buzz: Now We Know Why Google Wanted Yelp So Badly

So it's true: Google is diving into the world of social media, aiming to create a rival to Facebook and Twitter, and they're doing it by enhancing Gmail in some pretty significant ways. Let's go through it.

The new Gmail service, dubbed "Google Buzz," is similar to Facebook and Twitter, but offers some new and eye-opening features. There are five major products for Gmail in general, and three geared specifically around mobile Internet devices. First the five Gmail products:

Google to Announce Its Own Facebook/Twitter Clone?

Google (GOOG) is hosting a major press conference that just started, after a 15-minute technical glitch. The company is reportedly announcing that it's planning to use Gmail to roll out a new social media product to rival Facebook and Twitter. As usual, Google's execs are stringing along the intro ("Let's take a walk through time and space"), but you can watch it live here. We'll update you with more details as they unfold.

Google Makes Nice With Nexus Customers

It's no secret that Google's (GOOG) new Nexus One smartphone has been something of a bust. Not least to the embarrassed engineers at Google, who were reeling from a chorus of customer complaints just days after the January launch. Now the company's trying, however belatedly, to do something about it.

Nexus One Picks Up Key Endorsement

In the form of none other than Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux. Although, we have to admit, it's an odd one.

Torvalds is the Salinger of programmers; he's famously cranky and anti-social. So naturally he hates cellphones and the constant pressure to be available, and he's hardly likely to embrace any smartphone. But it was the Nexus One apps that won him over, particularly the Tom Tom clone navigation service.

Et Tu, Google?

Yesterday's Super Bowl violated two key laws in Silicon Valley: Google (GOOG) never advertises, and tech companies that blow a wad on Super Bowl commercials wind up dead in 12 months. Yes, the company that lets its product speak for itself decided to dump a ton of money letting the world know that there's this thing called Google, and you should really check it out. And it didn't showcase its new phone or a Web browser or any other emerging product, but the search engine itself.
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Apple Bans "Android" From App Store

Looks like whatever mushy love used to sparkle between Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL) has definitely withered on the vine. First there was Google's effort to move into Apple markets like smartphones and Web browsers.
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Justice Deals Another Blow to Google Books

Even as the National Security Agency has begun working with Google (GOOG) to protect it from Chinese hackers, another arm of the federal government just dealt a serious blow to a major Google project.
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Google Apps Wants To Run Your Work Phone

As business managers increasingly use their smartphones to access their company's data, the enterprise versions of office software has been under increasing pressure to allow administrators to manage access to sensitive information remotely. The Windows Mobile phones and the iPhone both offer the capacity to remote-deploy security services if you have access to Microsoft Exchange server or MobileMe, respectively.
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Nexus One: The Reboot

It's been less than a month, but Google (GOOG) has already announced key upgrades to the Nexus One, its less-than-stellar Android smartphone. You may have heard about the rising chorus of complaints that the Nexus One's 3G connectivity was spotty, and that Google was mighty slow in responding to customer concerns.
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Google Apps: Open for Business

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google (GOOG) is planning to launch a new app store, designed to create and sell enterprise enhancements to its Google Apps line of cloud-based word-processing and spreadsheet software.

Steve Jobs on Google: "Bullshit"

If you're the sort who believes anonymous sources peddling scurrilous gossip (and who isn't?), Wired's got a tasty bit of oh-no-he-didn't for you.
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Eric Schmidt Speaks Out on China

Aside from a few brief remarks at the earnings-report conference call, Google (GOOG) Eric Schmidt hasn't exactly been expanding upon his company's announcement that it intends to end censorship at its Chinese search engine. Today at Davos, Schmidt spoke up again, and appeared to offer an olive branch to the Chinese authorities, even as he reiterated the company's stance.

Will the Apple Tablet Destroy Google?

Some people think so. Enter Silicon Alley Insider's Alan Warms, who argues that the Tablet and the app-as-content-entry-point may irrevocably change the dynamics of the Web itself.

Does Google Book Search Destroy Culture?

Whenever law professor Lawrence Lessig writes something about Google (GOOG), attention must be paid. Before jumping over to Harvard, he founded Stanford's Center for Internet and Society and used to sit on the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. No one has been thinking more about the intersection of law and communication technology more than the good professor.

Larry and Sergey Dump Shares

Google (GOOG) co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are moving to sell 5 million shares apiece of their own company, Dow Jones reports. The move would reduce their ownership of the company from 18 percent to 15 percent, and reduce their combined voting power from 59 percent to 48 percent. The two men have long planned to do this, and in fact it's common practice for company founders to slowly diversify their holdings over time.