This seems like a natural integration move by the Glass team, one that makes effective use of the listening capabilities of the device as well as its potential interaction with the environment around it. Google will sell stereo headphones with Glass to completely integrate the user into the listening experience. It’ll function through the command “Play Music,” and will include a spotify-like mp3 service to stream the files for you on demand. It will be important to see what this means for both the music industry, as well as streaming services more broadly. Could this launch a new competitor to Spotify?
Tag: google
Google’s Android 4.4 Prominently Features Search
Much like the mildly-successful Facebook Home before it, Google Android’s new KitKat operating system prominently features Google Search and Google Plus integration. What used to be the home app is now just the home screen – the home screen is now, again like Facebook, pushing users deeply into the Google ecosystem from the get-go. It’s a bold play from Google, particularly in light of how users balked at Facebook Home’s over-the-top homescreen. As well, in light of continued privacy and spying issues users might be skeptical. At the end of the day, though, it’s Google; consumers have a knack for trusting them, so the brand name might overrule concerns.
Google Helpouts Sells Expert Advice Over Video Chat
Playing off of their similarly-named chatting service ‘Hangouts,’ Google announced a product called Helpouts, which is a video-based, online ecosystem of, well, helping out other individuals. Users can pay for the expert advice of professionals in the fields that people want help in, on a one-on-one basis. Partners include Sephora, Kitchit, and HomeAdvisor. It plays into notions of the shared economy and the DIY movement, but through a paywall. For a company like Google this service isn’t that big of a step forward in a purely technological sense, but it could mean genuine help and success for those working on projects in their own homes, while also encouraging Google users to step out of their comfort zones with more confidence.
Google Glass Gets Accessory Store
Google not only announced a big hardware upgrade to Glass, but they also announced an accessory store for the device. It’s only accessible to early adopters of the device at present, but it has items like extra cables and chargers, extra earbuds, and a new version of Glass itself. It’s not quite market-ready, as prices are still fairly high, but it’s an early indication of the ways in which Google will be monetizing and customizing Glass for the average consumer.
Motorola Aims To Win Over iPhone Users
Motorola is trying to woo Apple users by letting them migrate their iCloud data onto the Moto X. Not only can users customize their devices, now they can import all of their contact and calendar data from the iCloud onto the new device, through Google. So for users whose lives are embedded deeply within Apple’s ecosystem, it could be a convenient way to maintain their data without loyalty to one type of phone. According to executives, there are more plans to try to break into Apple’s smartphone market, so expect more news on this front in the near future.
AOL Beats Google In Video Ads Served
In September, AOL bought Adap.tv. While it might not have seemed a massive deal at the time, in the same month AOL surpassed Google as the company serving the most online video ads in the U.S. AOL ran 3.72 billion video ads to reach 50% of U.S. online video viewers, as opposed to Google’s 3.24 billion and 36% spread. The secret behind the win is the Adap.tv deal. The firm accounted for 84% of the video ads attributed to AOL. Adap.tv’s exchange fills ads for many publishers, including AOL itself. That said, Google continues to dominate in terms of audience size, thanks to the company’s massive reach into YouTube and other corners of the Internet.
Aviate Is The Google Now For Apps
There is no shortage of data and content at your fingertips. In fact, that’s the very problem a slew of companies are solving for, none more than Google. Google Now, for instance, learns from your behaviors and preferences to surface relevant information from itinerary to contacts before you even look for it. It’s a trend known as anticipatory computing and it’s here to stay.
In fact, a new Android app, Aviate plans to create a dynamic homepage for mobile that will surface relevant apps based on your behavior and environment. Entering your local gym for instance, opens your fitness tracker and plugging in your headphones starts your Spotify playlist, and so on. If brands are going to be successful in the future, content and experiences need to anticipate consumer interests in the same manner.
Google Will Use User Reviews & Photos For Ads
Google’s new Terms of Use provide for the company to utilize – and sell – user information from all Google products in order “to offer endorsements” of products. It means that Google can scrape comments and ratings from users and sell them to companies as endorsements for their products, for explicit use in digital advertising. The policy will feature users’ names, comments, and photos beside things they’ve liked, followed, reviewed, or otherwise favorably interacted with. Last time this issue surfaced, users balked at the practice, and Instagram and Facebook were sued for trying to do it. Will Google face the same level of scrutiny? Only time will tell.
New Google Chrome Beta Bakes In Web Payments
Google announced the release of Chrome 31 beta, with new features that include web payments. What this means, practically speaking, is that users can now fill out online forms with very little effort. Web developers can access the browser’s autocomplete information through a new function that allows the user to pick existing payment data stored within the browser itself. They can also enter new details through a browser-provided interface, such as Google Wallet. The same system exists for Android, Chrome OS, and future Mac versions. So this means that it’s very likely that we’ll see Google Wallet begin to really step up its e-commerce game as this beta is rolled out universally.
Hulu Comes To Chromecast
When Google Chromecast initially came out, its options were limited: there were few apps that supported the technology. Now, Hulu has put itself in direct competition with Netflix by offering a new app that lets Chromecast owners stream Hulu Plus content to their TV’s. Like Netflix, Google Play, and Google Chrome before it, the Hulu app allows users to tap a button on any mobile screen to cast the video up onto the TV. Hulu’s version, though, has a custom remote control with play, pause, and a 10-second rewind, with caption options built into the casting service. The next likely addition will be HBO Go, meaning that if you can get your hands on one of the devices, cordcutting is already that much easier – and cheaper.
