Welcome to another Four Eyes Friday! Today I’m attempting to show what might happen to media consumption in NZ in the near future, following trends in the US and taking into account the plethora of developments happening at Google. It might look like I’m a Google-freak, but Google are at the forefront of a lot of technology and if they’re not, well they’ll just but the company that is!
First up though, internet on the TV. It’s been talked about for a long time, and the new TiVO offering in NZ allows subscribers some online access, but nothing like what HDTV can now do in well-connected countries like the USA – as evidenced by this ad for a Vizio TV (screened during the Superbowl). And from this news of Tetris being available through satellite TV, it may not be long until you’ll be able to do on your TV, everything you now do on your PC (or Mac!).
So, what’s Google up to? First up, this week they launched BUZZ - a social networking application attached to G-Mail. In essence it looks very similar to Facebook, as it allows users to share status updates, photos, videos, etc. The main difference from Facebook is that it integrates directly with G-Mail (setting up friends lists from a G-Mail contacts list) and draws in content from other (Google-owned or affiliated) social sites – Flickr, Picasa, Twitter and more. And of course, there’s a mobile app too!
Official Google introduction video (scroll down). Detailed rundown on the launch.
So what’s coming next? Google’s recent patent filings indicate that software to improve ad targeting (geographic, content-based and behavioural) and delivery across multiple media will be a big part of Google’s plans. It sounds like Street View could be used as a virtual mall, with retailers paying for ads on their own buildings. Google loves patents. Last year they even managed to patent their (admittedly iconic) homepage design!
Google are also talking about technology that automatically translates phone calls between two people speaking different languages. Sounds great, but translation can be a tricky business, as Google themselves have found in the past.
And to finish, if you’d like to picture yourself skidding down an Olympic ski-run Google has even made that easier, with StreetView imaging of the Winter Olympics venues. Quite cool!
Googled out? I think I am. I’ll catch you next week!
Google = New World Order?
