Category: Tech Buzz Page 9 of 10

Facebook Acquires WhatsApp

On February 24, 2014

February 24, 2014

Social networking giant, Facebook has acquired WhatsApp, a leading cross platform messaging company. The deal value of acquisition is pegged at $16 billion and payment would be made $4 billion in cash and $12 billion in shares of Facebook. Another $3 billion in RSUs will be granted to WhatsApp founders and their employees. The deal also includes $2 billion (One billion in cash and rest in shares) in case it gets shelved due to failure in obtaining necessary regulatory approvals.

As Facebook and WhatsApp work on the same principal of connecting individuals, it is suggested that the partnership would mutually benefit both parties. The remarkable success of WhatsApp of being the maximum used messenger service across the world is believed to increase the reach of Facebook in the longer run. As for Facebook’s benefit to WhatsApp, the former’s resources and history of being the most successful social networking site, will lead to the expansion of WhatsApp across the world. In the meanwhile, WhatsApp will continue to charge $1 after the initial free period of one year as it is currently doing.

It is estimated that the messaging volume on WhatsApp is almost equal to that of the combined telecom text messages across the globe. The messaging application adds to its count a whooping 1 million new members every day. Current statistics as per Facebook’s Blog are that over 450 million users use WhatsApp every month and out of those 70% are active daily.

WhatsApp, with its lean team of 32 engineers processes more than 50 Billion messages every day. To begin with, WhatsApp founders’ strategy was to provide ads-free messenger service that is fast, reliable and cheap. There are many messenger services but, WhatsApp supersedes them with advanced technology that facilitates deliverance of messages at lightning speed.

Though not on the cards yet, with WhatsApp in Facebook’s going for a merger, we can expect to see even better integration of messaging services with the social networking platform.

Introduction To Tablet Commerce

By centexitguy

On January 27, 2014

In Internet marketing, Tech Buzz

January 27, 2014

Commonly referred to as T-Commerce, Tablet commerce is without doubt the next big thing in the e-commerce landscape, catering to the ever-growing number of tablet users worldwide. With tablet shoppers accounting for 21% of all mobile traffic to retail websites, and this number expected to grow significantly over the coming year, it is understandable why e-commerce experts are viewing tablet commerce as a key aspect of their online marketing strategies. It is interesting to note that research shows that most of the aforementioned tablet users also own smart phones and PCs, but still preferred to shop using their tablets.

The high customer preference towards tablets can be attributed to their user-friendly interface, portability and accessibility, which explains why users are likely to reach out to their tablets to respond to a television advertizement. It is thus important for retailers to create tablet-friendly websites, and ensure a consistent experience for their users across multiple devices and screen sizes. Tablet-optimized websites need to leverage touch-screen technology, making for a smoother web-browsing experience for users.

Retailers who aim at trumping their competitors when it comes to tablet commerce, need to focus on providing richer content for tablet users, through apps that are engaging, unique, and innovative. The aim is to be able to make the most of all that tablets have to offer, right from audio recognition and page flipping to horizontal scrolling and gyroscope. The good news is that you do not necessarily have to modify the entire content on your website to cater to tablet users, but can just focus on ensuring an inspiring and interactive shopping experience on your website.

As a retailer targeting tablet users, you need to make the most of the unique opportunities that tablets offer for consumer interaction. These include videos, surveys, quizzes, and other interactive media that make it possible for users to connect with the products and services being offered. This goes a long way in inspiring users to buy, and also making them want to share their experiences with other users. The fact that tablets are constantly proliferating in size and features makes this an even more lucrative marketing venture for retailers with a futuristic perspective.

Tablet commerce is being viewed as a more effective marketing technique than social media and mobile commerce for retailers. The engaging commerce experience that tablets offers by far bypasses other platforms, making it the go-to option for successful retailers looking for new and compelling ways to engage potential customers.

Google Acquires NEST

By centexitguy

On January 17, 2014

In Tech Buzz

January 17, 2014

Search giant Google has left the online world in frenzy with its acquisition of NEST labs, which manufactures the Nest Learning Thermostat and the smart smoke detector, Protect; both of which have redefined what thermostats are capable of. The company, which was founded by two former Apple executives, Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, is popular for its intuitive products, which learn user behaviors and are capable of adjusting the temperature autonomously. The sale, which is expected to close within a few months, has been slated at $3.2 billion in cash.

Speculations are rife about how exactly Google intends to use NEST, as it seems that this move, when combined with Google’s language recognition abilities, could be Google’s way to enter the homes of the general public. This move is being seen as a “rocket ship” to the future, one that has the potential of transporting us into a future that we could only imagine so far. This could be a major step into realizing the vision of “conscious homes”, which could completely change the face of the world.

This is not the first time that Google has attempted to gain access to similar systems, the most recent being its own energy monitoring service. Sources reveal that Apple also showed interest in purchasing NEST, as a part of its wearable technology to counter Google Glass. However, Fadell was apparently only interested in a partnership with Google, or in remaining independent. Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, and now NEST, goes to show the belief that the company has in Apple’s vision.

Post acquisition Representatives for NEST maintain that privacy and user security has always been a prime consideration for NEST, and that is not expected to change. However, skeptics have a different view, as it is believed that with this move, Google, which has a history of compromising customer privacy for product sales, will get a closer view than ever into the activities going on behind closed doors of its users. This is a critical consideration for customers who use NEST’s products, since the company collects a wide range of information about their living habits. It remains to be seen if these users will continue to trust the company after its partnership with Google.

Google Mugshot Update

By centexitguy

On October 24, 2013

In Tech Buzz

October 24, 2013

The NY times article titled “Why Google Should Crack Down Harder On The Mugshot Extortion Racket” by Jonathan Hochman served as a “major spark” for Google’s latest update, the Mugshot update, according to Google’s head of search spam, Matt Cutts. The algorithm, which was released on Thursday, is Google’s attempt to take action against rampant mugshot sites, which are structured in a way that made them rank at the first position for search results of the names of people whose mugshots have landed on these sites.

These websites work by gathering information of convicted individuals from law enforcement websites and government databases, and publishing these arrest details and photographs on their landing pages. In most cases, the arrests do not lead to guilty charges or trials, but this information is not included on the mugshot sites. This leads to a paid unpublishing scam, since when the individuals in question search for their names on Google, and see these results coming up, they are often ready to pay huge amounts to bring them down. This procedure involves paying multiple “mugshot removing” websites amounts ranging from $30-$400 to have the information removed, which is a clear violation of the personality rights of these individuals.

The update is causing these mugshot sites to lose a huge amount of their traffic, and search results for names of affected individuals no longer include the mugshot sites. This comes as a huge relief for people who have their mugshots online, since this came in the way of everything, right from getting a job to renting an apartment. What was worse was that several people reported that their mugshots became available on several other mugshot sites after they paid to get them removed from one.

Google’s mugshot update will go a long way in giving these people, many of whom were found innocent, had charges dismissed, had committed a minor crime, or had their record expunged on completing a treatment program, a second chance at a normal life. Before the update, people had to worry about being tainted online long after they were declared clean by the law. Even though several states including Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Utah have been trying to pass laws against what is rightly described as the “Mugshot Extortion Racket”, most of these laws are still hanging midway, awaiting court rulings. Google has successfully managed to bring an end to the long wait, solving the problem in a single sweep.

What is Pay Per Gaze?

By centexitguy

On September 6, 2013

In Internet marketing, Tech Buzz

September 6, 2013

Google has recently been awarded the patent for its pay-per-gaze technology, which is capable of changing the face of technology in the years to come. This futuristic invention is designed to be used on a “head-mounted gaze tracking device”, which seems to be a perfectly fitting description for Google Glasses. Despite Google’s repeated assurances that users of Google Glasses will not have to worry about their experience being hampered by ads popping in their field of vision, the pay-per-gaze patent suggests otherwise. On the other hand, it is quite possible that the reason behind Google securing this patent could be to ensure that no other company tries to implement it on Google Glasses or similar devices.

In what is being described as “creepy” and “invasive”, this technology will be able to read people’s emotions through an image recognition algorithm, which shall track items viewed by creating a “gazing log”. This shall represent a goldmine of information for advertizers, who shall be able to know not just how long a user gazed at their advertizement, but also how he felt about it. The advertizers shall then be charged on a “pay-per-gaze” basis, depending on the number of people who gazed at their advertizement long enough. This system shall be applicable to advertizements across all mediums, including billboards, television advertizements, website banners, etc.

The patent shall be able to determine emotional responses to images viewed by tracking pupil dilation patterns of the users. Another feature covered in Google’s pay-per-gaze patent is the history search feature, through which the gazes of a particular user can be compared to their purchasing history. In other words, Google Glass shall be capable of tracking user purchases, including those made online as well as in the real world. This could be the Holy Grail of advertising, as it could track the influence of an advertizement, right through the final outcome of purchase.

Pay per gaze is being described as the next step in the ubiquitous pay-per-click advertizing system. Individual privacy in this gaze-tracking system will be protected by removing personal-identifying data from the information provided to advertizers. In addition to this, it is likely that users will be able to opt-out from having their gazes tracked. How this patent will change the face of advertizing, and whether at all, Google will choose to implement it in its augmented reality head-ware, remains to be seen.