It's been a week since Microsoft went on the attack against Gmail, launching its "Scroogled" campaign portraying Gmail as a privacy monster that reads your emails for ad targeting purposes. How's that been working out? To date, the Microsoft-backed petition against Gmail's practices has gained about over 6,000 signatures -- equal to about 0.002% of Gmail's user base. The Petition To Nowhere At the Scroogled site, Microsoft invites people to sign an online petition. In the week it has been up, it's gathered about 5,600 signatures: That's hardly an overwhelming response, especially consider [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Features & Analysis | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Gmail | Google: Privacy | Legal: Privacy | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: Outlook | Microsoft: Privacy | Top News

Oracle has filed an appeal in its unsuccessful copyright and patent case against Google involving the Java programming language (specifically Java APIs). Oracle acquired Java when it bought Sun Microsystems several years ago. At trial, Oracle was basically shut out on all its claims. It appears that Oracle is only appealing the copyright portion of the case. The jury originally did find copyright infringement by Google, but also found that Google's selective use of Java in the Android OS constituted "fair use." Fair use is a defense against infringement. The judge in the case, William Al [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Android | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Legal | Legal: Copyright & Trademark | Legal: Patents

On Friday Google filed an "8-K" form with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which indicated that over the course of the coming year, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt will sell roughly 42 percent of his outstanding shares in the company. According to the filing: As of December 31, 2012, Eric beneficially owned approximately 7.6 million shares of Class A and Class B common stock, which represented approximately 2.3% of Google's outstanding capital stock and approximately 8.2% of the voting power of Google's outstanding capital stock. Under the terms of this trading p [...]

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Is it a symbol of the excesses of Silicon Valley wealth or a welcome source of new jobs and economic development? I suppose it depends on your perspective. However, the city of San Jose and its airport clearly see it as a welcome development and are prepared to approve a proposed $82 million, 29-acre private airport terminal for Google executives and their jets at Mineta San Jose International Airport. The terminal would be operated by Signature Flight Support, which provides corporate aviation services, and be constructed in partnership with Blue City Holdings, a company formed by Go [...]

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If at first you don't succeed, get negative once again, seems to be the game plan at Microsoft. Having attacked Google Shopping with a "Scroogled" campaign last November, Microsoft is back again. This time it goes after Gmail as an evil service that invades your email privacy, armed with polling data showing consumer concern -- and perhaps one valid point about an easier opt-out. The Microsoft Survey & Consumer Disapproval Microsoft commissioned a survey of over 1,006 adults in the US from Feb. 1-4, asking about email services that target ads based on the content of your email. You kno [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Features & Analysis | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: Gmail | Legal: Privacy | Microsoft: Business Issues | Microsoft: Outlook | Top News

Yahoo has announced that it will be working with Google. No, not on search-triggered advertising, Bing is still Yahoo's exclusive partner there; but, Google will non-exclusively provide contextual ads that will appear throughout Yahoo's properties and certain co-branded sites. The ads will come through AdSense for Content, with mobile ads provided by AdMob. In a blog post announcing the global relationship, Yahoo said, "By adding Google to our list of world-class contextual ads partners, we’ll be able to expand our network, which means we can serve users with ads that are even more meanin [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: AdSense | Google: Business Issues | Top News | Yahoo: Business Issues

For a time, it looked like Apple's $1 billion patent infringement verdict against Samsung would would rock the smartphone world. However, in the months since the landmark decision was handed down, it has proven to be little more than a symbolic victory. Courts and the US International Trade Commission have been loath to ban the import of Android devices regardless of infringement findings. Apple is thus left with its damages and the dubious, symbolic argument that its claims were vindicated by the courts. None of that means anything to the smartphone buying public. By duplicating the "tr [...]

Related Topics: Apple: iPhone | Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google: Android | Google: Business Issues | Legal: Patents | Samsung

Amid some lingering accounting confusion tied to the sale of its Motorola Home property, Google announced quarterly and full year revenues for 2012. Fourth quarter consolidated revenues (including Motorola) were $14.42 billion, which was an increase of 36 percent vs. last year and 8 percent over Q3 2012. For the full year 2012 Google made $50.2 billion vs. $37.9 billion a year ago. Summary highlights: Google revenues (minus Motorola Mobility) were $12.91 billion (89 percent of total revenue). That compares with $10.6 billion a year ago. Google owned sites were responsible for [...]

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Back from his trip to North Korea, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has posted a few thoughts on his visit. But far more interesting and revealing was the travelogue from his daughter Sophie, who accompanied him on the trip. Eric Speaks Of Isolation Schmidt posted about his visit on his Google+ page, saying North Korean technology is limited, the internet is supervised and that North Korea will find it increasingly difficult to stay isolated, concluding: As the world becomes increasingly connected, the North Korean decision to be virtually isolated is very much going to affec [...]

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Summarizing a report issued by the French government last week the New York Times says that France is considering a range of creative taxation schemes on US based Internet companies -- Google and Facebook in particular. France is trying to generate new revenues amid a challenging economic climate in Europe. Google and Facebook are seen by many European governments as "deep pockets." There's also a punitive quality to the various taxation proposals as well. France (among others) has been frustrated by what it sees as domestic tax avoidance by large Internet companies. It is seeking to c [...]

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Earlier today Google issued an accounting-related missive on its investor relations site that sought to correct a problem with financial analysts' earnings estimates for the company. Google will be reporting Q4 revenue numbers on Tuesday next week. Google is compelled to report revenues for the part of Motorola that it is selling (Motorola Home) separate from its general earnings. Here's what Google said: In accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), an entity is required to present the results of a business to be disposed as discontinued operations if the busine [...]

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According to the Guardian UK, Google has purchased a 2.4 acre property in the King's Cross and St Pancras station area of London. The company plans to build two buildings to consolidate its London operations into a single complex. Google currently has two London offices. The deal is reportedly worth £1 billion or roughly $1.6 billion. This follows similar moves in New York and Dublin, Ireland in the past few years. The King's Cross area has been revitalized over the past five years since the Eurostar train terminal opened at the St Pancras station in 2007. The area is now home to a [...]

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Fortune Magazine released their annual best companies to work for list, and Google is number one on the list again, four years running. Google took the number one spot because, as the magazine writes: The Internet juggernaut takes the Best Companies crown for the fourth time, and not just for the 100,000 hours of free massages it doled out in 2012. New this year are three wellness centers and a seven-acre sports complex, which includes a roller hockey rink; courts for basketball, bocce, and shuffle ball; and horseshoe pits. Facebook is not on the 100 list but Microsoft is and ranks number [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Business Issues | Google: Marketing

Google has tried its hand over the years at couponing and loyalty marketing. It has done so using a number of different approaches: Google Coupons, Google Offers, Google Offer Ads, Google Wallet and the now-defunct Punchd. Some of these programs have been directed toward small businesses and some more broadly to brands and national marketers. Now comes Zavers, a digital couponing and redemption solution for retailers and manufacturers. Zavers is aimed at large brands and national retailers and intended to help them create and distribute coupons and incentives online and streamline redemp [...]

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While the motivations behind Google Chairman Eric Schmidt's recently completed trip to North Korea remain unclear, he clearly upstaged his host, former New Mexico Governor and UN Ambassador Bill Richardson. Richardson was ostensibly there to help win or accelerate the release of a Korean-American, Kenneth Bae, being held in captivity. But Schmidt was the focus of much of the attention and coverage. Richardson said Schmidt was greeted like a "rock star" by the North Koreans. And while it was billed as a "private humanitarian mission," Richardson sounded like a US diplomat on an offici [...]

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Accompanying a delegation led by former New Mexico Gov. and UN Ambassador Bill Richardson, Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt arrived earlier this morning  in Pyongyang, North Korea. They were there on what was described by Richardson as "a private humanitarian mission." Richardson posted the following comment about the trip on his website: Governor Bill Richardson will travel to North Korea next week on a private humanitarian mission. The delegation will consist of former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, Dr. KA Namkung; Jared Cohen, Dire [...]

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Google walked away largely unhurt from yesterday's FTC antitrust investigation settlement, and in the 24 hours or so since that announcement, the online/marketing/tech industry has responded with mixed reactions. In a nutshell, the FTC settlement prevents Google from scraping third-party content for inclusion in its search results (what it used to do with content from companies like Yelp and TripAdvisor), requires Google to make it easier for advertisers to export campaigns to other platforms, and also requires Google to let competitors fair and reasonable access to its patents for "standar [...]

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Nevermind the underperforming stock price. Facebook employees are still happy enough to have voted the company the top place to work in 2013 in Glassdoor's fifth-annual Employees' Choice Awards. Overall, Facebook scored a 4.7 rating (on a 1-5 scale) and CEO Mark Zuckerberg got a 99 percent approval rating from his employees. This is the second time Facebook has come out on top of the list. It was number one on the 2011 list, then fell to third overall on the 2012 list, which was published late last year. Numerous tech companies scored well in the Glassdoor survey. Google ranked six [...]

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A few years ago it wouldn't have been all that strange to see Google and Apple working closely together on something like a joint patent initiative. Then the "thermonuclear" rift happened and the cacophony of bitter lawsuits. Indeed, in the wake of the global litigation between Apple and Google surrogate Samsung and the more direct (Google owned) Motorola-Apple lawsuits, it's very unlikely to see these two companies working together. Yet BusinessWeek reports that Google and Apple have teamed up to bid $500 million for bankrupt Eastman Kodak Co.'s patent portfolio: The two companies, c [...]

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Google announced they have dropped the free version of Google Apps For Business. Previously, Google Apps for Business had two versions: (1) A free version that mimicked the same feature set and size requirements of a free Gmail account. (2) A paid version with larger storage, better support and more features. Now, Google Apps for Business is only offering the paid version. I should note, those businesses using Google Apps for free can still use it for free. Google is not forcing existing users to the paid version but any new business trying to sign up today will not be able to g [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Accounts & Profiles | Google: Business Issues