It was only a matter of time, really, before Google positioned itself in the connected home market. Today, they’ve taken a huge step towards doing that with the purchase of Nest, one of the most consumer-facing, market-ready connected home technology companies: they already have a best-selling thermostat, and recently introduced the networked Protect smoke alarm. Conceivably, Google will interface the technology into its existing digital networks to make the connected home connected to Google. As Nest already has a best selling product, expect developments to come quickly with this purchase.
Tag: google
CES 2014: Consumers Now Wary Of Google, Facebook, Twitter
Consumers are significantly more wary of companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google, according to a study by McCann that was discussed at a CES panel led by Ad Age and IPG at CES. People are very sensitive about their private data, and when asked which companies are the greatest threat to the future of privacy 59% cited Facebook and 40% cited Twitter, while 32% responded with Google. These numbers represent a doubling from just one year ago, and it’s no surprise, given the important NSA revelations that have happened since that date.
What’s important to point out, though, is that people aren’t necessarily concerned with what might happen to the data immediately; they’re very concerned with what might happen in the near future as technology’s powers expand. As well, they’re concerned about what happens to their data on the back end, with respect to advertising, how data is bought, sold, and thereafter targeted; broad support was voiced for a Do Not Track system. The important takeaway, for both the advertising and technology industries, is that consumers are beginning to pay much more attention to their data and how its being used in an era of rapidly-advancing technology. Their trust is the foundation for much of these industries, and once it’s gone it will be very tough to win back.
CES 2014: Google’s Open Automotive Alliance Takes Shape With Audi Tablet
Yesterday, Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance, which promised partnerships with the likes of Audi, GM, and Honda, and lent credence to the theories that automotive dashboards are a new major target area for technological development. Google is trying to meet that gap with Android: there will be Android-powered dashboards in cars as well as improvements to Android smartphones geared toward making them more car-friendly. At press time yesterday, it was unclear what those developments would look like, but today we have a very concrete example: Audi’s Smart Display. Clocking in at 10.2 inches, it’s an Android tablet that lives in your car and is designed with passengers in mind. At this point, the tablet appears to act as an Android-based command center for everything in the car, from Wi-Fi connection to media, navigation, and even temperature settings. It’s designed to sustain crashes, and can withstand the high temperatures of being left in a boiling car all afternoon on a summer’s day. This is but one manifestation of the Alliance, and expect more deep Android integration into these vehicles in the coming days, months, and years. The era of the connected car may very well be a physical reality, finally.
Google Lets Advertisers Buy In Real Time
Google debuted a new way of buying ads based on viewability in real time, across its Display network. What this means, in practical terms, is that advertisers can target purchases based upon data about where their ad has been seen. The product works through a system called Active View, that leverages an algorithmic review of publisher websites to place ads in places where they are likely to be viewed; advertisers thereafter only pay for the ads measured as viewable according to the IAB/3MS standard: 50% of the ad visible on the page for one second or longer. We’ve seen the industry question CTR as a proxy for engagement for awareness campaigns which may move in favor of verified exposures. While we are quite a ways out, look to see if eye-tracking will be supplant viewability as a true metric of attention. Companies like Sticky think so.
Chromecast Now Supports Vevo, Songza, Others
Google’s Chromecast over-the-top smart TV solution has been gaining popularity since its release, but the limited stable of apps from familiar online content providers has been preventing a mass user-base from developing. Today Google announced the device’s support for 10 new third-party apps from companies like Vevo, Songza, and Plex. Plex is especially interesting, as it is quite popular with home theater enthusiasts, and thus could bring the Chromecast into more critical media serving applications. Be on the lookout for more Chromecast apps in coming months from similar vendors, because this is certainly not the last drop of apps for the device.
Google Turns Google+ Content Into +Post Ads
Google debuted a new type of monetization for Google+ with +Post ads, which lets companies turn Google+ posts into display ads. It would let even the most basic status updates be converted into ads, much like how companies use Facebook status updates as advertisements. The big difference is that companies can, with one click, run their status updates across Google’s 2 million site Display Network. In other words, most of the standard Internet browsing space could be fodder for corporate social statuses. It’s a bold, yet simple next step for Google, in its continued efforts to lure companies and users away from Facebook.
HBO Go Chromecast Support Arrives
Rumors of Chromecast support for the HBO Go app are now a reality, as both iOS and Android support wireless streaming of HBO content to the Chromecast device. Google announced that you can also cast from the Chrome browser, but streaming from Chrome simply casts the image onto the screen, whereas casting from mobile or tablet pulls the data from the cloud; that is to say, casting from Chrome relies on the computer’s resources, while casting from mobile or tablet pulls data from the Internet. It’s an interesting way of streaming content, and continues to prove the vitality and popularity of the new technology.
Google Wallet Reverts To Plastic
After pushing NFC as the future of payments, Google Wallet will now provide a plastic, prepaid debit card. The decision is a sign that NFC is being adopted at a slower rate than many anticipated as many consumers feel there is not that much friction involved in the current system of payments after all. That said, Square and Paypal have been instrumental in payments going mobile and recent entrant Coin is trying to connect all your cards to a single one managed via an app. Stay tuned as the payments race continues.
Google Launches Newsstand On Android
In a move to consolidate its assets within its platform, Google launched a unified Newsstand to combine subscriptions to newspapers and magazines with content from blogs, RSS feeds, and other sources. Though apps like Flipboard have dominated this space in the past, Google’s model works within the Android ecosystem, and features its now-familiar card view. As well, Google’s machine-learning comes into play, as tagged articles will prompt similar pieces to appear as related reading. Whether readers even want to get any news through newsstand apps is very much up for debate, though, and Google is risking creating something that might fall by the wayside, much like Apple’s iteration of the same concept.
In Favor Of YouTube Comments
Users have spoken in outrage (as they do with any major change to a a major platform) over YouTube’s recent changes to comments. Main changes include Google+ integration, improved moderation tools and the ability to post publicly or privately. Despite the complaints of some 90,000 who are petitioning, Memeburn makes a convincing argument on the why this is an improvement for YouTube. Among their most salient points are the fact that tying your comments to an identity promotes meaningful discussion–a far cry from the current state–and curation as the video owner and those in your circles are more visible. Brands should be in favor of this change (aside from the improved audience data) as YouTube has moved to become a more premium network a brand would like to associate with. While comments will likely drop as a result of this change, they will be more impactful. In the same way marketers have grown weary of the value of a like, they should adopt the same approach to comments or engagements.
