Microsoft today filed a formal complaint in Brussels accusing Google of curating a monopoly of the search market and unfairly promoting their own products. The chief concerns from Microsoft is the monopolization of YouTube indexing, the Android market, and Google advertising.
In Microsoft’s address to the public regarding this issue, “Adding our Voice to Concerns about Search in Europe,” six reasons are outlined:
- Google buys YouTube in 2006 – more restrictions for competition search engines (can only use text links) as the code or back-end is closed off.
- Google blocks Windows phones from YouTube’s metadata.
The highly anticipated Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opens in Las Vegas tomorrow. Sears’ Blue Blogger Crew will be covering the event, but what we really want to know is… what products might Google be planning to showcase?
Googlers are scheduled to speak on the topics below… and knowing Google there is likely to be a slew of product announcements during the presentations. What do you think they are likely to announce?
- Aaron Rothman, Display PM. “Digital Hollywod. Hypertargeting: Ad Networks, Ad Serving and Ad Targeting.”
- Seth Barron, Ad Programs Manager. ”Digital Hollywood. Contextual Media & Advertising: Transforming and Redefining the Relationship Between the Consumer, Advertising and Media Platforms.“
YouTube has just released a new app in the Android Marketplace called YouTube Remote. It pairs with Youtube.com/leanback, a web TV friendly interface, so you can use your phone to control what you are watching.
All you need to do is sign into Youtube.com/leanback on your desktop computer or web TV and also sign into Youtube Remote on your Android phone to activate.
The three biggest U.S. networks have blocked access to full-length episodes of television shows that are available for streaming on their websites, meaning anyone who bought a brand new Google TV this week is out of luck — for now.
Google is in talks with ABC, CBS, and NBC, trying to unblock access to the shows on their websites, content that is available on any other computer, regardless of monitor size, Reuters reported. Fox is reportedly considering a similar move, although Fox is feeling the sting of another defeat at Google’s hands, as Fox shelved its own news aggregation service.
Google TV’s website boasts, “Browse the whole web. Not just some of it. All of it.” Guess Hulu isn’t part of the web anymore.
Yesterday, Logitech debuted Revue, a $299 device that connects to your HDTV or cable box to run the Google TV software the combines television, search, the web, apps, and DVR.
Google confirmed that Hulu is blocked on Google TV, and will return the message, “Unfortunately Hulu is not supported on your platform. We apologize for any inconvenience.” So anyone hoping to get rid of cable or satellite and just rely on Google TV is out of luck.
More information has been coming out about Google’s big attempt to combine search, cable, broadcast television, the Internet, DVR, music, and apps. Here’s a quick overview of what we know about Google TV so far.
Optimizing Websites for Google TV
Will SEOs need to create a Google TV version of their sites? That’s a big question as we look over Google’s tips on optimizing websites for Google TV. Bigger text and images, easier navigation, and color choices are among their biggest suggestions.
With the much publicized launch of Google TV, all eyes are now on internet TV growth and how it will impact both areas, i.e. the web and the television business. Cisco issued its Visual Networking Index forecast through 2014 and gives a thorough idea of the role of video in the internet landscape to come. Read on.
Video Is Biggest driver of internet traffic
Video currently accounts for more than one third of overall consumer internet traffic and will edge towards the 40% mark at the end of this year, excluding P2P video file sharing.
They knew it would be big. Advertisers have invested massive sums to get hot spots during ABC’s finale of Lost on May 23rd and they were right to do so, according to various reports and studies following the airing of the six-year long series’ closing episode. According to research firm Nielsen, the finale gathered an average 13.5 million viewers.
Ad Engagement
A TV series finale usually brings advertisers 10-30% greater brand recall compared to what we could call ‘standard’ programming.
Google has lots going on lately and one of the things that sets Twitterland abuzz is the launch of the new Google TV service. Instead of having a TV screen on the one hand and a computer screen on the other hand, couch potatoes and geeks will finally be able to socialize… in front of a single, unified screen. Seriously.
