Newspaper Article- Week 11

The article I choose to write about this week is entitled “It Knows Where You Are, and What You’re Looking For” It was published on the second of November in the New York Times Technology section and was written by Claire Cain Miller. The article is talking about this new site that allows you to log in and see where your friends are and what they are about to do or what they planning on doing. ig Web companies and start-ups alike are scrambling to create the best applications to allow users to search for surrounding businesses and events from a mobile phone. Loopt, a service that lets people find their friends on the go, is now entering the crowded field. On Tuesday, Loopt will introduce a new search service, Pulse, on its Web site. An updated application for Apple’s iPhone will be available soon. Mainstream search engines from Google and Microsoft already offer local business listings, and the popular user review sites Yelp and Citysearch have mobile phone applications. Smaller sites like NearbyNow and Metromix are also jumping into mobile search, which uses the GPS capability in many cellphones to figure out where a person is and show ads for nearby businesses. “Everybody’s got an eye on the mobile space and location as a central part of the search experience, but I don’t think there is some definitive app,” said Greg Sterling, an analyst on local mobile search. “It’s very elusive because it’s such an unwieldy segment.” Loopt aims to distinguish itself by making its service comprehensive. It incorporates feeds from 20 sources, including listings and review services like Zagat, Citysearch and Eventful as well as content sites like DailyCandy, Thrillist and The Village Voice. Pulse produces a personalized and ever-changing list of recommendations based on where you are, the time of day and Loopt’s own data on where you and your friends have been. It shows editorial descriptions and reviews from the partner sites and averages the ratings a business has received. Pulse also factors in more subjective factors, like which places are particularly popular with Loopt users at a given moment. That will help Pulse come up with recommendations that a site like Google might not, said Sam Altman, a Loopt co-founder. “One thing we’ve tried to do is strike a nice balance between purely algorithmic search and saying, “This is a brand-new and hot coffee shop that just opened in this city,’ ” he said. Pulse is a new direction for Loopt, which has been focused on helping people find friends who are nearby and checked into the service. Still, Ogilvy does not have many clients that are interested in location-based promotions, she said. “The issue with mobile right now is you don’t have a large enough audience size at the moment. That will change as the media channel grows.” Pulse will also share revenue with content partners like Citysearch. When a user reads a Citysearch review on Pulse and then clicks on the restaurant’s Web site, both Citysearch and Loopt will earn money. Yelp, one of the most popular sites for searching local businesses, is notably absent from Pulse. That is because Yelp was not convinced that Loopt would clearly show that its reviews and information came from Yelp, said Stephanie Ichinose, a Yelp spokeswoman. Mr. Altman said he hoped to cooperate with Yelp in the future. “I have huge respect for Yelp, and they’re probably the leader in the local content space right now, but I don’t think they’re better than everything else put together,” he said
I am not really sure which demographic this would be good for because I am a younger person and I would not be interested in my friends knowing my exact location every time I sign into my social networking site. The other thing I was worried about was what happens if you purchase the iPhone app and it never logs you off. Would your friends have access to your location that entire time? Honestly, I think this is really nice but who wants someone knowing where they are at all times??

Week 10- Newspaper Article

The article I choose to do this week is entitled “Google Steps into Another Market: GPS for Phones”. This article was published in the New York Times on October 28th and written by Miguel Helft. In a move that is likely to be seen as an attack on yet another industry, Google on Wednesday introduced a free navigation system for mobile phones that offers turn-by-turn directions. Analysts said that Google’s free service, if successful, could erode the sales of GPS navigation devices made by companies like Garmin and TomTom and of navigation services offered by cellphone carriers. Google has sowed bitterness in various business sectors by giving away products and services that others charge for, from digital voice mail to Web analytics tools. But during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday, Eric E. Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, said he didn’t think of the new service as disrupting an industry. Instead, he said it is a windfall for a consumer that was made possible by the increasing power of smartphones and the growing ubiquity of Internet access.After the briefing, Mr. Schmidt said he was not concerned that the new service would create new enemies for Google. “As long as you are on the side of consumers, you’ll be fine,” he said. The new service will be available as part of the latest version of Google Maps for Mobile, which will be released along the new version of Google’s Android operating for mobile phones, called Android 2.0. Separately on Wednesday, Motorola and Verizon Wireless were to unveil Droid, the first smartphone to be powered by Android 2.0. Google executives said that they hoped that the new Google Maps for Mobile with navigation capabilities would eventually be available on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. But they said it was up to the makers of those devices to decide whether to include the application. Google said that its turn-by-turn navigation system may be supported by ads in the future. To be sure, Google’s new service, which has long been expected, will not change the market overnight. Currently, 21 percent of American adults own a personal navigation device, and that market is expected to continue growing at 33 percent a year for the next five years, according to a recent study by Forrester Research. However, by 2013, phone-based navigation systems, which are more popular with younger users, will dominate the market, the study said. “People are going to be moving to the phone-based solutions, but if it is free, they are going to be moving even quicker,” he said. Currently many personal navigation devices cost from $100 t0 $300. Navigation services on mobile phones offered by carriers like Verizon Wireless or AT&T cost about $10 a month, though they are increasingly being bundled in packages that include other features. Anticipating the move to smartphones, device makers have been creating applications to run on them. TomTom, for instance, recently introduced an iPhone application that costs $100. The market for Google’s new system will be limited, at least initially, to the number of phones running Android 2.0. What’s more, Mr. Golvin said, many consumers prefer dedicated devices to phone-based systems, because they want to be able to carry on phone conversations as they drive. As mobile applications that exploit a user’s location become increasingly important, the underlying mapping data has become a valuable strategic asset. Google recently began creating its own digital maps in the United States, ending a contract with map data provider TeleAtlas, which is owned by TomTom. A year earlier, Google had chosen TeleAtlas to replace Navteq, a map data provider that Nokia acquired for $8.1 billion in 2007. Google and Nokia are rivals in mobile phone operating systems. Google executives said that the company’s navigation service is better than some rival systems because it is always connected to the Internet. It can, for example, provide live updates on traffic conditions and conduct searches for restaurants along the route. It also recognizes voice commands.
Some of the comments I have about this article is how Google is really becoming a monopoly in the technology industry. Google is starting to monopolize the navigation world. They are offering turn by turn directions for FREE! Eventually they say it will solely be supported when more advertisers get on board. One of the reasons I think this idea will soar is because the price is navigation systems is extremely high and that is all they offer. They do not offer all the things phones do. While on your phone you will be able to have a conversation and receive your directions. The only two questions I have are that will the ads that eventually solely support this perk; will they be annoying and distracting? Also will you have to have a certain running power on your phone to enable having a conversation and viewing directions simultaneously?

Newspaper Article- Week 9

The article i wanted to do this week is an article on the Associated Press website. It was published on October 22nd at 3:38 PM. It is entitled FCC votes begin crafting 'net neutrality' rules written by Joelle Tessler. The article states Federal regulators took an important step Thursday toward prohibiting broadband providers from favoring or discriminating against certain kinds of Internet traffic.
Despite the concerns of the telecommunications industry and the agency's two Republicans, the Federal Communications Commission voted to begin writing so-called "network neutrality" regulations to prevent phone and cable companies from abusing their control over the market for broadband access. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said regulations are needed to ensure that broadband subscribers can access all legal Web sites and services, including Internet calling applications and video sites that compete with the broadband companies' core businesses. "Internet users should always have the final say about their online service," Genachowski said. The FCC's two other Democrats voted to support his plan. The agency's two Republican commissioners voted merely to start the formal rule-making process, but said they have reservations about the substance of Genachowski's proposal. Republican Commissioner Robert McDowell said he remains unconvinced that broadband providers are engaging in widespread anticompetitive behavior that requires government intervention. The broadband providers insist they need flexibility, free from government intervention, to keep their networks running smoothly and prevent high-bandwidth applications such as streaming video from hogging too much capacity. They also warn that net neutrality regulations would discourage them from expanding and upgrading their networks. "We continue to hope that any rules adopted by the commission will not harm the investment and innovation that has made the Internet what it is today," Comcast Executive Vice President David L. Cohen said in a statement. But companies such as Google, Amazon.com Inc., eBay Inc.'s Skype and Facebook Inc. argue that without such rules, the broadband companies will become online gatekeepers that can prioritize their own online services or those of their business partners - and potentially put others at a disadvantage. That point was echoed by several key Democrats in Congress Thursday. "We need to ensure that special interests cannot erect toll booths on the information superhighway that impede the innovation that has helped power our economy and create jobs," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a member of the House subcommittee that oversees technology and the Internet. Genachowski's plan calls for the agency to formally adopt four broadband principles that have guided the FCC's enforcement of communications laws on a case-by-case basis. Those principles state that network operators must allow subscribers to access all online content, applications, services and devices as long as they are legal. The FCC relied on those guidelines last year when it ordered Comcast to stop blocking subscribers from using an online file-sharing service called BitTorrent, which is used to transfer big files such as online video. Comcast is appealing the decision, arguing that the agency doesn't have authority to mandate nondiscrimination rules, and a court ruling in its favor could undermine the current proceeding. The agency will also have to determine how to apply net neutrality rules to wireless networks, which face bandwidth constraints because of spectrum limitations. This was a very interesting article to me because the FCC is setting votes to begin crafting net neutrality rules. Several Democratic's agreed with the crafting of these new rules. The only problem i have with this is will it overload my computer with unnecessary ads. Will broadband become slower than its regular speed?

Newspaper Article- Week 8

The article I decided to write about this week is written by Saul Hansell and is entitled Nokia’s Net book Comes with Marathon Battery Life it was published in October 13th issue of New York Times newspaper. In this article is talks about how Nokia is entering the personal computer market with a small net book computer, the booklet 3g, which has specifications much like a : 3G, Bluetooth, GPS, and a headphone and microphone combined on one jack. It also has a good price if you sign up for a two-year contract for wireless data on AT&T: $299. If the contract is not purchased it cost $599 without the $60 monthly commitment. The actual Booklet, which will be on sale exclusively at Best Buy staring in mid-November, runs Windows 7. And like Apple’s Mac books, it is cut out of a single piece of aluminum. The absolutely most intriguing feature, however, is not common on laptops or cell phones: 12-hour battery life. Nokia is trying to carve out a premium segment in the net book market, which has largely seen a race to the bottom in prices. Best Buys current assortment ranges from $250-$500 for net books without a wireless contract and subsidy. AT&T offers three net book models with a contract for $200 each. AT&T’s best seller, the Acer Aspire, claims only three hours of battery life. One way that Nokia was able to extend the battery life was to use the slowest of Intel’s Atom processors. That raises the risk that the booklet, like other Atom-based devices, will be sluggish to use. Nokia is clear that you wouldn’t want to use the machine to play intensive video games or to do bridge engineering. But when I played with one at Nokia’s press conference in New York Wednesday, it seemed fast enough rendering complex Web pages and displaying YouTube videos. At the event, Glenn Lurie, the president of AT&T’s emerging device unit, said he understood that a $60 monthly data plain put the device out of the range of many potential consumers. He said that AT&T would introduce other data plans with lower prices before the end of the year, possibly including prepaid plans and those that charge users only for the days they are actually online.
I feel like the net book idea was very smart on someone’s part because it is very convenient for laptop users that are on the go. I use my net book when I travel mostly because it is so small and easily accessible. The only disadvantage to net books period are the lack of disc drive and battery life. Well Nokia has come up with a great invention because they have made a whooping twelve hour battery for their Booklet that will be release in mid-November. The disadvantage to the Booklet could be overcharging the battery and possibly ruining it. Also the one question I have is why haven’t they come out with a battery life of this sort for cell phones??

Week 7- Newspaper Article

The article I chose to write about today is an article entitled “YouTube Eases they way to more revenue.” It was published in the “New York Times” newspaper on October 6th. It really is exactly what the title says YouTube is a website/network that allows you to upload video either self made or otherwise onto the site. It has very low quality video but is so accessible and such widely known thus the popularity.
The article states that YouTube appears to be mastering the art of turning video piracy into revenue. The clips of television shows, music videos and other copyrighted content that gets uploaded to YouTube without permission were a source of tension between Google and Copyright owners. Within the last year, several companies stopped insisting that YouTube take down unauthorized clips. Instead they are choosing to claim the videos as their own and allowing YouTube to sell advertising when people watch them. The revenue is split between YouTube and the content owners. Also on October 7th it was announced that Media Company could upload new content into YouTube’s reference library of Copyright audio and video. With the help of Harmonic, Telestream, and Digital Rapids YouTube will be able to convert video and audio content into the digital file that allow media companies to transmit shows on broadcast TV, cable and internet. YouTube is not the first company to offer these amenities but the agreement with YouTube is significant, as the company accounted for 40% of all the online videos seen in the United States in August, according to comScore.
It really comes down to making money. Money is what makes the world go round. Everything runs off Money so it does not surprise me that they have found a way to sell advertisements to make money as if they are not making enough already. I think them allowing own companies to upload their own video they are make a great move. My question is what they will think of next??

Week 6- Newspaper Article

The article I chose to write about this week is a very interesting article that was written by Miguel Helft and published in The New York Times on September 30th. The title of the article is Google brings new options to Search. They are simply adding ways to slice and dice one of the most used search engines.
Yesterday Google introduced more categories to its “search options,” a feature that was introduced in May that basically allows users to filter results by time, type of result, and other criteria. It is said that the new search options allow users to filter for results Google found in the past hour, and for books, blogs and news. Google also added the ability to emphas9ize or de-emphasize shopping-related results. It will also allow users of its search history feature to see only results they have seen before, giving them a quick way to find a page they have already seen. It is said that all the new options were intended to give users a quicker way to get to the information they want. Google introduced a string of other new search features in the past week. On Friday, for instance, Google enhanced search snippets for some results, allowing users to jump directly to the information they were looking for inside a Web page. In a search for trans fats, for example, a user might see a Wikipedia entry and links to jump from the snippet directly into sections of the page that discuss the chemistry of trans fats, their presence in certain foods or nutritional guidelines. On Monday, Google began showing its popular hot trends directly on results pages for some of the most popular search keywords at a given time. And late Wednesday, Google added links to discussion forum entries to search snippets from sites that have such forums. For instance, a search for “getting from Rome to Florence” will return a result from a travel site, with links to discussion forum entries on that site that touch on the topic.
I think this will become a very helpful tool. Google is already one of the most used search tools and is known nationwide. I also think that Google will come across some problems and/or bugs if they have not already occurred. They might be overloaded with searches that are very specific or perhaps there might be a case where the user is too specific and has no results thus not being helpful at all. Overall, I feel that this is a great addition to the Google family.

Newspaper Article- Week 5

The article I choose to talk about today in an article I found on the Associated Press website on September 22nd entitled South Korea approves sale of Apples Iphone. I thought this article would be interesting because the Iphone was released in the United States on June 29th 2007; now move than two years later released in South Korea.
In the article it talks about how South Korea telecommunications regulator allowed Apple Inc. To sell the iPhone; in doing which will potentially shake up the cell phone market. Only two months before it was released to be sold in China. It took 5 commissioners to meet to allow this to become. They also stated that “The introduction of the Iphone has been keenly awaited in South Korea, where the handset market is dominated by Samsung Electronics Company, LG Electronics Incorporated, and other domestic manufactures. Although it was cleared to sell they have not set a release day. “Soon as possible” says Yeom Woo-jong a KT corporation spokesman. Apparently Apples Iphone is available in 90 countries or territories. One of the larger things in South Korea law requires companies that supply location based services to obtain government permission.
I found this article very interesting because Apple has some of the leading electronics and on the other hand South Korea and China have usually great electronics and a far more advanced than the states are in that aspect. I just found it awkward that they had obtained licensing to sell so late; two years after the original iPhone drop. I guess this just shows the demand of the product even after two years have passed. For an example in the United States every time a newer version; the Chinese or Koreans did not have this option. Also I felt this article was enlighting because I definitely didn’t know it was available in ninety countries. The real question I have is; when wi8l the iPhone be out done? When will something better come out and outshine the iPhone?