HP toying with Android for netbooks

Computer manufacturer HP is reportedly considering using Google Android as the operating system for a line of netbooks. The Wall Street Journal published a story today stating that HP is testing Android for netbooks, working to see if the popular mobile platform can be a reliable OS on it’s mini-laptops. Multiple sources revealed to the Journal

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HP toying with Android for netbooks

Local flavor for Google Suggest

Since the launch of Google Suggest last August , you may already be used to the magic feeling of getting real-time suggestions just after typing a few keystrokes — that is, if you’re searching on Google.com. But what if you’re doing a search on Google in the U.K., India, Ireland or Australia? Today we’re happy to announce the international launch of Google Suggest. We’ve localized our suggestions to account for various cultural and local factors to offer suggestions that look familiar to our users. For example, English users in different countries will get suggestions that feel natural: If you type [liver] in the U.K. , you’re probably a Liverpool fan (but in the U.S. you’ll get more suggestions about liver diseases): In Australia , typing [kan] will offer suggestions about Australia’s most famous animal: In India , where the mobile phone market is exploding, it’s no wonder that typing [no] leads to: In Ireland , there are [pubs] everywhere: While in the Maldives , typing [ato] leads to: Google Suggest now covers 155 domains in 51 languages. Special thanks go to the Suggest team in Israel for their hard work in making this a reality. So go ahead and start using Google Suggest wherever you are, and enjoy the special flavor of local suggestions. Posted by David Kadouch, Product Manager

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Local flavor for Google Suggest

Analytics in Latin America

If you run an e-commerce site or use AdWords to direct traffic to your business’ webpage, chances are you’re interested in knowing what visitors to your site are clicking on, what content interests these potential customers and what avenues brought them there. The more you know about how people engage with your site, the better you are able to design successful advertising campaigns to help grow your business. In Latin America, online advertising is growing as more and more small businesses initiate an online presence and publicize their efforts through search and display advertising. But less than 5% of web properties throughout Latin America rely on analysis tools to improve their website’s performance. Last week, our offices throughout the region hosted several Analytics-themed events to give agencies and other clients a better look at several Google measurement tools that provide people with the means to analyze their site’s flow of data, interest and readership in order to build a better advertising campaign. In Mexico City, advertisers got together to learn about Insights for Search , Ad Planner , YouTube Insights , Analytics , Sitemaps and Website Optimizer , as well as DoubleClick tools. Presentations were designed to give companies an in-depth look at the Google tools that can be helpful for planning their marketing budgets during an economic downturn. Being able to measure data on what content interests people and where consumers are searching for information can help advertisers be more selective about how they invest ad budget. Since the great majority of consumers go online for information before making a purchase, the goal of the seminar was to familiarize advertisers with tools that can increase the reach of their campaigns, while giving them a better idea of what works and what people are searching for. Meanwhile, our Analytics guru Avinash Kaushik visited São Paulo and Buenos Aires to speak to clients about web analytics and how to make the most of online marketing through analyzing metrics (check out his recent post on bounce rate for related information). Avinash made web analytics fun and accessible with colloquial comparisons (referring sites as ‘BFFs’), and demonstrated how to optimize a website’s performance with changes in color and layout, among other things. He was accompanied by Google’s Latin America managing director Alexandre Hohagen, Brazil’s country manager Alex Dias, and Argentina’s country manager Adriana Noreña at a succession of events revolving around web metrics and website optimization. The response and interest from customers and agencies to all of these events was indicative of the huge need for metrics and the ability to track ROI for their marketing investments, especially during these difficult times. For more information on Google Analytics tools, check out the Google Analytics Blog , the Website Optimizer Blog and the Conversion Room blog . Posted by Alfonso Luna, Marketing Director, Latin America

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Analytics in Latin America

10 Apps to Think Twice About Buying

Since the Android Market began letting developers cash in on their creations, worthy paid apps have slowly trickled onto G1’s across the U.S and U.K. However, quite a few Android apps are decent but not worth the price. Even worse, some apps are just plain ridiculous and pointless. Knowing which apps are worth your money can

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SlideMe: an interesting Android Market alternative

Earlier this month, I posed this question: should Android developers form their own app store as an alternative to the Android Market? It turns out they already did with SlideME.org, though not to address my original point of targeting dev phone owners. Still, SlideME has emerged as an intriguing second option for distributing Android applications. Though

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SlideMe: an interesting Android Market alternative

Rumor: Vodafone to make the HTC Magic available May 1

According to yet another Android related rumor, it looks like Vodafone has plans to launch the HTC Magic on May 1. The details that come along with this report are pretty light. So far, it has been mentioned that the Magic will launch as the HTC Magic Pioneer and that users will be able to

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Rumor: Vodafone to make the HTC Magic available May 1

Huawei’s Android phone (once again) rumored for a Q3 2009 T-Mobile release

The rumors surrounding the upcoming availability of the Huawei phone have been circulating for several months now, in fact we already mentioned it way back in February. However it seems that this is one rumor that just will not go away. The latest reports are coming courtesy of TmoNews who are stating that a “trusted

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Huawei’s Android phone (once again) rumored for a Q3 2009 T-Mobile release

Android tethering apps pulled from Market

Google has reportedly pulled tethering apps from the Android Market.  According to at least one developer, who contributed to the WiFi Tether for Root Users app, Google are citing their distribution agreements with carriers as the prompt for removal: “Google enters into distribution agreements with device manufacturers and Authorized Carriers to place the Market software client application for the Market on Devices. These distribution agreements may require the involuntary removal of Products in violation of the Device manufacturer’s or Authorized Carrier’s terms of service” Google Developer Distribution Agreement That agreement, when taken with T-Mobile’s terms of service  that do not permit tethering, has given Google reason to pull the software from official distribution.  It’s a decision that has raised more questions over just how “open” the Android platform is: “Android phones are supposed to be released for other carriers in the future, right? Does this mean that apps in the Market have to adhere to the ToS for only T-Mobile, even when other carriers sign on? Will all apps have to adhere to the ToS for every carrier that supports Android phones?” Seth, WiFi Tether for Root Users contributor Given that Android-based devices are already available unlocked, it seems unfair that those users – who may be with carriers that permit tethering, or have already paid for the functionality – should not have access to the software.  In addition, some of the apps reportedly banned do not solely offer carrier tethering (e.g. sharing the cellular data connection via USB or WiFi) but Bluetooth tethering, where the cellphone acts as a bridge between a WiFi broadband connection and a Bluetooth-equipped device that lacks its own WiFi. One potentially unwelcome outcome could be carrier-specific versions of the Android Market, where users would have only partial access to the full app catalog depending on what their carrier allowed. [Thanks Andon!]

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Android tethering apps pulled from Market

HuaweiPhone

Ok, not really; but with only one awkwardly angled picture to go off of, we can’t help but think it looks like the other guy. Specifications about the phone are scarce, but what is rumored , for now at least, is a delicious 5 mega pixel camera and a 3.5mm head jack. That’s right, no need for a cumbersome adapter! With the recent FCC approval of UMA on the HTC Magic (aka G2) we can only hope this will be included in Huawei’s yet unnamed phone. No firm release date has been announced, just the vaguely stated “Q3 2009”. For the time being, the rumor is that the phone will carry another company’s brand name, much like T-Mobile’s current HTC phones are branded T-Mobile. [Via TMOnews ]

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HuaweiPhone

Google’s newest venture

Today we’re excited to announce Google Ventures , Google’s new venture capital fund. This is Google’s effort to take advantage of our resources to support innovation and encourage promising new technology companies. By borrowing the best practices of top-tier, financially focused venture capital firms and bringing to bear Google’s unique technical expertise and brand, we think we can find young companies with truly awesome potential and encourage their development into successful businesses. At its core, Google Ventures is charged with finding and helping to develop exceptional start-ups. We’ll be focusing on early stage investments across a diverse range of industries, including consumer Internet, software, clean-tech, bio-tech, health care and, no doubt, other areas we haven’t thought of yet. Central to our effort will be our fellow Googlers, whom we view as a critically important resource to help educate us about potential investments areas and evaluate specific companies. Economically, times are tough, but great ideas come when they will. If anything, we think the current downturn is an ideal time to invest in nascent companies that have the chance to be the “next big thing,” and we’ll be working hard to find them. If you think you have the next big idea, or if you just want to to learn more, please see our website at www.google.com/ventures . Posted by Rich Miner and Bill Maris, Managing Partners, Google Ventures

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Google’s newest venture

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