Google-palooza 2006

For a long time I've been looking for the company that would come along and finally pull American Media into one super-appliance. A one stop shopping for movies and TV. What-I-wantism rules the electronics game and what *I* want is one box that does everything. Computer/Television/Movie Theater/Phone/Security System... the works. Bill Gates has it in his house. Why not me? I expected Microsoft to be the provider of this miracle device, but it looks like the new front runner is Google.

In a 1/1/06 article of the LA Times Google is hailed as having the following items ready for unveiling:

Google will unveil its own low-price personal computer or other device that connects to the Internet.

Sources say Google has been in negotiations with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., among other retailers, to sell a Google PC. The machine would run an operating system created by Google, not Microsoft's Windows, which is one reason it would be so cheap — perhaps as little as a couple of hundred dollars.

Super-cheap computers with a Google OS? Partnering with Wal-Mart? You get Wal-Mart selling your computers for $150-$200 each and watch how fast the Google OS takes over the average-joe market!

Bear Stearns analysts speculated in a research report last month that consumers would soon see something called "Google Cubes" — a small hardware box that could allow users to move songs, videos and other digital files between their computers and TV sets.

That's the first step. If the "Google Cubes" marry existing media with existing computers, then the stage is set for our Media Utopia of one-stop-shopping. I bet the Google Cubes will work really really good on those Wal-Mart sold Google PCs!

Content producers wonder whether Google's push into video search will unravel the economics that make Hollywood hum. If viewers can find and legally download an episode of "Seinfeld" through Google, will that cut into cable and network television's profits?

And what if Google, after equipping cities, starting with San Francisco, with Wi-Fi wireless technology, starts to offer pay-TV service for free?

I get a warm glow just reading the line "unravel the economics that make Hollywood hum." If Google can pull this off (Maybe team with TiVo for user interface software) and make watching TV like browsing the web, then it will forever change television. Think TiVo, but with *everything* recorded. You can go back and watch entire seasons of shows you've missed. You can web-search the entire broadcasted catalog of "Ancient Mysteries with Leanard Nimoy" and just watch the ones you really like. (I prefer the Bigfoot/Yeti episodes personally.)

With the super-growth in home theater technology (I saw an ad in Entertainment Weekly for a digital projector for making literally a home theater) this brings the movie industry into it as well. Why pay $10 a ticket and $20 for popcorn and a coke if you have movies at your fingertips? Think Netflix without the snail mail aspect. Pay your monthly fee and watch it "on demand" anytime.

In a way this screams Evil Corporate Monopoly... One company taking over a market, and to include Wal-Mart just makes me wince. However, if any company could do this right it's Google. I don't say that because I believe Google is some sinless corporation that does no wrong. I say that simply because Google does things right. The name has become synonomous with "Searching the Web" because they did it right. If you use any sort of free web mail, you noticed that your "allotted space" increased exponentially a few months back. That was because of the introduction of [url=https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=mail&passive=true&rm=false&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F%3Fui%3Dhtml%26zy% 3Dl

Or maybe Microsoft will just buy them out.

They are bitter rivals, GOOG will not accept a MSFT share buyout and a Hostile Takeover is not possible with GOOG's current share structure. A class shares have 10 votes for every 1 share(and the majority of those are controlled by company insiders), MSFT could get some influence in GOOG by buying a whole crapload of Class B shares but it would be a waste of money on MSFT's part. With the recent choice of AOL to choose GOOGs bid over MSFTs the first MAJOR battle between these two companies have concluded with GOOG the clear winner. AOL will now never use MSFT search with GOOG holding a 5% stake in the company. GOOG just gets bigger and bigger but alas nothing lasts forever. Another company could come and make GOOG look just as dated as GOOG did to Yahoo.

I like Google though, Their corporate culture is topnotch. Did you know they actually require their staff to choose their own project to work on for 1 business day per week? The logic there is that they believe their employees are much better equipped to handle the creation of Killer Appz, they cannot be planned for but must emerge from a open-minded and creative enviroment. I hope more companies make this manditory as well. Also another reason why they do it is they think that their employees productivity will go up if they are working on something they actually want to work on . I'm not ready to call Google evil yet, I can't even call them a Monopoly as the Search and Advertising game is very volatile but I will be watching them closely.

[edit on 3-1-2006 by sardion2000]

[edit on 3-1-2006 by sardion2000]

Why people think Google search is great is beyond me.

Why they think Gmail is great is beyond me.

Why think think every useless application Google puts out is great is beyond me.

Google is not evil. Only by how THEY define evil.

"Evil," says Google CEO Eric Schmidt, "is what Sergey says is evil."

So an example of this would be?

In May, Anita Roddick, the outspoken British founder of the Body Shop, blasted Google in her blog for yanking a text ad for her site. Google's explanation: Roddick had called actor John Malkovich a "vomitous worm" in her blog, violating a Google policy against accepting ads for sites that are "anti-" anything. After Roddick protested, Google offered to reinstate the ad in exchange for a promise from Roddick that she would remove the Malkovich reference from the first page of her site. When she refused, Brin had a decision to make: Should he give in and accept Roddick's money, or stand by his principles? He chose his principles.

Sergey says !!!!!!!

They can shut you out of adsense just because you do not make them enough money per month. I guess that is not evil.

www.wired.com...

Google has the best terms and conditions I have ever seen. Its a shame few people actually read them.

Originally posted by Dulcimer
Why people think Google search is great is beyond me.

Why they think Gmail is great is beyond me.

Why think think every useless application Google puts out is great is beyond me.

---Its the best search engine out there, and very user friendly.
---gmail...didn't win me over, I have an account, but I stick with my good ol' hotmail, because I dont ever want to use a service where I cant delete what I want gone.
---they do put out some good applications, and usually the price tag on it is nothing. google Earth is pretty cool, google maps is better then the old champ mapquest, the google toolbar I havn't used, but it seems like every program I download these days has a little checkbox on it asking me if I want to install it...along with what I was installing. and theres google desktop, which I do have, and I have to say...thats a nice feature to have, if your looking for a misplaced song or pic or whatever...just type it in and it will find it, and other things on your computer that were close to what you typed. The feature is just way smarter then the windows search program.

I to have read some about google going into the pc making business. and I'd say they have a shot...I mean Microsoft has been taking its very sweet time on making a new OS, which will come out in the fall of 06'...and if google can release theres before microsoft releases there new one then it would definiatly take a big chunk from MS sales.

personally...I would like to buy a computer for 200 bucks...hell I'de probably pick up two.

The only thing Google has going for them is tons of cash from their ad programs. Which is genius.

But when the competition starts making a dent in sales, watch that stock plummet to the depths of no return.



Most of the applications they have put of have been programs or services from companies they have bought out.

I would really like to see Google put out some webhosting or something like that nature. That would be very cool.

I have to admit I use the google toolbar.

Google doesn't just sell ads. They have business products, as well.

www.google.com...

Most people don't know this.

I"m telling ya. 2006 is the year Google takes over. If it costs the same per month to order HBO or to download from Google...

Google to offer new video download service - WSJ
Thu Jan 5, 2006 5:53 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc is to allow users of its site to buy videos from content partners in an upgrade to its video-search service, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The newspaper said Google will announce its plans to allow consumers to buy television shows or other videos that can be downloaded onto their computers at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Friday.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal said Google is likely to unveil partnerships related to the new service with CBS Corp. and the National Basketball Association.

The report also said Google planned to introduce a software package with offerings from Google and other companies that users can download and put on their computers. The Wall Street Journal said the bundle is to be called Google Pack.

A representative for Google could not immediately be reached for comment.

Goog le to offer new video download service