V/Speak » Google

Why I Will Be Killing My Land Line

David Veneski — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:13:29 +0000

One word. Google.

Facebook ‘Places’ launches…

David Veneski — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:29:13 +0000

Anyone see the irony in this image? If I were Google, I’d be a ‘little’ bit upset with the name of the service (for the uninformed, see: Google Places). The supposed ‘Foursquare killer‘ has launched – another great example of Facebook letting others pioneer technology and then implementing a ‘copy exact’ model to a significantly larger user base. One difference? Your friends can ‘check you in’ if you allow it. That could have some interesting implications and you better really trust your ‘friends’ on Facebook to be considerate when showing you at a venue you might not be comfortable with.

Looking at the social graph tonight, I’m not sure this is quite out of beta. Only available in the United States (Foursquare – International), and many users are getting the ‘Fail Whale’ of Places – meaning… ‘This service will be available in your region soon’ note when they try to check in.

Their advantage – adoption. As ReadWriteWeb says on it’s Twitter feed:

“once I see Places, probably all my friends are on FB, only a few use 4sq. for visibility, it’s an obvious choice”

Sadly, I think they’re right. Personally, I’m still a believer in Foursquare – but I’ll probably use Places as well.

Googlebooking Your Local Business

David Veneski — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:22:28 +0000

It’s no secret that location is quickly becoming one of the key decision points when it comes to marketing to an ad receptive demographic. The newest trend is on the mobile platform – ala Foursquare and Gowalla. However, the offline practice is still very relevant (think the Zagat and it’s restaurant ratings – side note – they just integrated with Foursquare this year). Web based companies are starting to make it more relevant and more ubiquitous with their signage in local businesses. Yelp was one of the first in the growing the trend of sending out stickers to local businesses that integrate an offline analog experience with your favorite social network. Google was quick to follow with their ‘Favorite Places‘ decals. Facebook continues the trend of letting others pioneer and then swoop in to dominate an established practice due to the sheer size of their user base. Who wins moving forward? Mashable bets on Facebook.

“…one decal will prevail and we tend to think Facebook’s more than 400 million userbase and the value of an instant Fan will make Facebook’s offering especially appealing to local business owners.”

I tend to agree. In this case, size does matter.

Google ‘Replays’ Real Time Search

David Veneski — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:28:36 +0000

Today, Google announced that they are adding a great new feature to their real time search capabilities – the ability to ‘replay’ a moment in time in Twitter, via it’s Twitter search capabilities, to see what people were saying on Twitter at any given moment – literally, to the minute. For now, Tweets are being indexed back to February of this year – however, according to ReadWriteWeb, they will soon be able to index back to early 2006. The power of the internet ‘archive’…What a great way to find out how, when, and by whom news was broken on the social graph…

A Video Insight On Google – Don’t Be Evil

David Veneski — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:56:27 +0000

This was passed along to me this morning by a trusted contact who has a keen eye for interesting tidbits on the Net… Our own Any Grove gets a mention, being quoted as saying “Google is a company on steroids, with a finger in every industry”. He couldn’t be more right – we’re seeing that every day.

April Fools – Google Style

David Veneski — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:37:04 +0000

At the beginning of March, there were several stories published by major news networks, around how one town in Kansas renamed itself (temporarily) ‘Google, Kansas’ in an effort to claim one of the few spots available for the beta version of Google’s Fiber Network. That did not go unrecognized by Google, and today they exacted their ‘revenge’ by renaming their campus and homepage as an April Fool’s joke. Well played Google, er ‘Topeka’.

Is Google Trying To ‘Own’ Mobile?

David Veneski — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:05:06 +0000

In short – yes, and it is becoming more and more obvious everyday. In fact, yesterday, with the release (courtesy, Mashable) of Google Buzz they made a very strategic move that not only shows their interest in your social behavior but brings a tidy package to your mobile experience as well. AdAge has an article from the beginning of the year that shows the steps they are taking to be the dominant leader in this space – and it is a 360 degree approach. Google is not interested in one aspect of the equation, rather, they are intent on owning the landscape – from device, through service, and by application (if you are a doubter, watch the video below). This quote says it best:

“Now imagine this (it’s not hard): Google is your go-to source for almost all of your interdependent needs when you are out and about, not just mobile phone needs, but “mobility“ needs. It’s the device you use, the search engine that helps you find things, the map that tells you how to get there and the coupon you use to get a discount at a preferred restaurant or local shop, all in one seamless experience. ”

ZDNet’s Dion Hinchcliffe has a robust, and sharp analysis of Google Buzz that is definitely worth the read.

Google Pays Attention To Your Social Circle

David Veneski — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:42:13 +0000

Today a trusted media partner sent me a note about a Google search he had done on Starbucks during his business trip to Seattle. The subject line of the email: “Starbucks” search results & you! wow… Curious, I opened the email to find a screen shot of what his search result delivered. Interestingly enough – there is a new feature in Google’s search results that I had not seen before. That feature (in Beta, of course) delivers results for your search from people in your social circle. I know for a fact that this partner reads my blog from time to time and has it delivered as an RSS Feed to his iGoogle account. Google recognizes that, and delivers a search result based on that connection. Nice job Google – closing the loop on keyword search and your personal social graph. I’m impressed.

The Value Of A Google Employee – $1.34M

David Veneski — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:58:20 +0000

Simply…wow. From Silicon Alley Insider:

“According to revenue generated per employee, around $336,000 per quarter, or about $1.34 million per year on an annualized basis.”

Billboard Advertising and Cloud Computing

David Veneski — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:20:47 +0000

When I think of Google, I envision everything they do centering around an online presence – including the way they promote their goods and services. Very rarely do I look for an advertisement promoting Google’s wares in an offline environment – not in a magazine, newspaper, or TV – and certainly not on a billboard?!! Well – that all changed recently… Yes – Google has gone traditional in promoting their new Enterprise web-based suite of messaging and collaboration applications. Interesting approach, and not the first time they have gone offline to attract users to their cloud applications, as reported by BrandWeek today. Here’s the curious thing - if you take a good hard look at how the message is displayed on a the billboard, there are less than 140 characters AND a short url. Coincedence or foreshadowing of a future ‘Google App’?