Google unveils revamped version of Google TV

Google unveiled a revamped version of its Google TV service on Friday, bringing new features aimed at making the product easier-to-use and more appealing to consumers.


The new 2.0 version of Google TV provides new tools for recommending movies, TV programs and online videos to TV viewers, and makes it easier for software developers to create new apps for the television screen.

Google TV -- which currently comes built-in on certainSony Corp television models and on Logitech International set-top boxes -- allows consumers to access online videos and websites on their TVs, as well as to play with specialized apps such as video games. 

Google does not disclose how many users it has for Google TV, which was launched with great fanfare last year. But some analysts say that version 1.0 of the product has been a flop. 

"The fire they were trying to start never even got a spark," said Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey. 

The $299 price for the least-expensive Google TV device was too high, said McQuivey (Logitech has since reduced the price of its device to $100). And the fact that many of the television networks, perhaps sensing a threat from Google, blocked the Web-based versions of their shows from being accessible on Google TV devices created confusion among consumers, he said. 

For Google, which generated 96 percent of its revenue from advertising last year, television represents a significant opportunity for expansion. According to industry research firm IDC, television advertising in the U.S. this year is expected to be a nearly $70 billion market. 

Having a foothold in the living room could also be important for Google as the lines between traditional media and the Internet blur and as Google moves to bolster the rich trove of amateur videos on its YouTube website with professionally-produced content.  

Google+ opens to Google Apps users

Google+ is now open to users of Google Apps, the tech giant's suite of cloud-based business application.

Google's new social network will work a bit differently for those using Google+ with a Google Apps account versus a personal Google account. 

For one, Google Apps users will be using email addresses that are tied to their workplace  whether abusiness or an educational institution -- to get onto Google+. As such, Google is allowing businesses to have administrative control over all Google+ accounts integrated with Google App accounts.

"Because you're signing up for Google+ with your corporate email address, your Google Apps administrator retains the right to access your Google+ data and modify or delete it at any time,"Google said in a suggestion of text to send out via email that Google Apps users who want to use Google+ for work too. Google does advise that businesses "edit based on your organization's policies," so it's up to a business as to how they handle this ability.

Google also said that it would soon roll out a migration tool that will allow users with a personal Google+ account to move them over to a Google Apps integrated Google+ account.

"With this tool, you won't have to rebuild your circles, and people who've already added you to their circles will automatically be connected to your new profile," Ho said. "We expect this migration option to be ready in a few weeks, so if you'd like, you can go ahead and get started with your Apps account today and merge your connections once the tool is available."

 

Google To Shut Down Buzz Service

Google on Friday said it plans to shut down Buzz. "In a few weeks we’ll shut down Google Buzz and the Buzz API, and focus instead on Google+," said Google product vice president Bradley Horowitz in a blog posting. "While people obviously won't be able to create new posts after that, they will be able to view their existing content on their Google Profile, and download it using Google Takeout."

Google announced the closure of a few other services as well. In January, it will shut down Code Search, a service that let people search for open-source code. Google will also close Jaiku, a Twitter-like service it acquired in 2007.

Google is also shutting down the University Research Program for Google Search, which offered API (application programming interface) access to Google's search results for researchers.

The announcement follows another in early September about a number of other services that Google would shut down, including Aardvark, Fast Flip, Sidewiki, Image Labeler and others.

Steve Jobs profile in comic book

A comic book on the life of Apple's former chief executive Steve Jobs is being released.

Bluewater Productions are releasing a special edition e-book of the 32-page comic titled "Steve Jobs: Founder of Apple".

It will be available to buy on the NOOK and Kindle from Thursday next week, with the print edition due for release at the end of October.

Bluewater has said a portion of the profits from both issues to the American Cancer Society

No web browsing from Kindle Touch 3G

Amazon has officially confirmed that the next-generation Kindle Touch 3G won't include full web access.