It is April first and the Internet is abuzz with April Fool’s Day pranks and chatter about the ones to look out for. Some people are using the web to protect and warn others and some see the web as a medium to discuss good ones to subject people to and finally, some use the web to conduct the prank. The most famous prankster on this day is Google. Every year, the web giant promotes a silly product or service as if it is 100% real and without fail, grabs the attention of unwitting participants and the cynics alike.

This year Google showed up with 2 pranks. Both are more clever than we’ve seen in recent years. 

The first prank is as simple as a job posting for an “Autocompleter.” As you type in the search box in Google, a complex algorithm is finding every combination of your letters to narrow the possibility of what you are searching for. Google has now posted a job for a human to do that. This job does not come easy though. One requirement that the applicant must possess is good typing skills - to the tune of being able to type 32,000 words per minute. See:http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/uslocations/mountain-view/autocompleter/index.html for the full job ad.

The bigger one is a new service they claim will be available soon. It is called Google Motion and it is the lovechild of Gmail and a Nintendo Wii. Gmail’s product manager, a paralanguage expert and a movement specialist all tell us how using your computer’s webcam along with pre-defined gestures will allow you to interact with your computer. Giving a hitchhiking like thumb toward your back is the obvious motion for a reply. Check out: http://mail.google.com/mail/help/motion.html to watch the video and sign up.

Just like every other year, the pranks are delivered with the professional design and apparent sincerity of true new service, but somehow, seem just outside the realm of possibility or sensibility. 

Many people on the web have come to look forward to Google’s yearly prank. It is fun to see this brand interact with its users and embrace a day like April Fool’s. Enjoy! Thanks Google!

Does this even need to be said? I guess it does

I meant to have this out before the new year hit, but alas, the hectic schedule of the holiday season got the better of me.

1. 3D TVs have been all the rage lately, from the perspective of the manufacturer. The price of the TVs, price of the glasses, limited content and the fact that you even need glasses have put a damper on sales. The good news is that the proliferation of 3D TVs have driven down the price of standard LED TVs.
   Prediction: 3D disappears this year until the technology is more affordable, usable and universal.
2. Microsoft capitalizes on the success that is the Kinect (the motion based gaming style for the Xbox 360) and ushers in a new era of gaming (that the Nintendo Wii barely scratched the surface of). Sony releases the Move for the PS3 which gives users something to hold, like the Wii but it is more precise than the Kinect. Users of both platforms are going nuts for these (especially the Kinect, due to its freedom).
   Prediction: More Xbox games show up in the purple case and the entire gaming experience moves towards hands free. You do what? Hold a controller still? Oh, and Steve Ballmer keeps his job.
3. Users are not only playing with the Kinect; they are ripping it apart. Scores of videos are appearing all over the web showing new uses for the camera/sensor system. Some are recreating images in live 3D renderings and others have created Minority Report style interfaces.
   Prediction: Tom Cruise and a pre-cog run through your backyard while you effortless copy files to pieces of glass with your hands. Interactive displays become a reality.
4. Apple’s release of a desktop app store shows 1 million downloads in the first day. Their photo editing program, Aperture, sells for $80 as opposed to the $199 retail price on the shelf.
   Prediction: A desktop app store shows up for Windows as well. Software inventories in retail locations begin to thin like the hair on Ballmer’s head.
5. Tablets are everywhere. First it was the iPad, followed closely by a slew of Android based devices. The battle is now over platform, operating system, and size. 
   Prediction: Many Android based tablets disappear leaving only the cream of the crop. Apple releases iPad 2 in the spring of this year.
6. Every year since 2007 Apple has shown us a new iPhone. 2007 and 2010 were the 2 biggest iterations. It nearly goes without saying that iPhone 5 will be announced at Worldwide Developers Conference with the release to follow in late June or early July.
   Prediction: The jump in feature set is better than from 3G to 3GS but not nearly as rich as the jump between the 3GS and the iPhone 4.
7. We are generating more and more data on a consistent basis. Storing and securing that data is becoming more difficult, even with the huge hard drives. Everyone needs redundant backups and accessibility.
   Prediction: Companies and products like Drobo, Netgear ReadyNas and HP MediaSmart drop in price to give redundant RAID arrays for home users and websites like Mozy and Crash Plan become more popular around the web.
8. Facebook is trying to hold onto its key players. It has been giving out tons of private stock options. The SEC requires them to stay below a certain number of people and shares before forcing them to disclose more details about their finances. Facebook has been holding just below that number.
   Prediction: Facebook can’t afford to stay there anymore. They break the cap, disclose their info, hold an IPO.

With the proliferation of social media, there has been one topic that shows up time and again. That’s privacy. We have seen major privacy issues and user complaints with Facebook and location-based services like Foursquare. The latest in the mix is Google with its Buzz service. 

Buzz, not unlike Twitter, is a microblog that is integrated into user’s Gmail inboxes. It was clearly an attempt compete with Twitter, however it was met with lackluster results over the fact that it is very plain, only accessible through the Gmail web interface and the face that it is enabled by default for all users. I am one person who used it very briefly after launch and quickly gave up, realizing I had no idea what all the buzz was about. Google wanted to capitalize on the product by allowing users to post updates that were more than a mere 140 characters.

Today, long time Gmail users who were involved with Buzz since the beginning have gotten an email from Google about the settlement of a class action lawsuit (email is posted below).

The long and short of it is that the lawsuit was filed shortly after the launch of the product by users concerned about their privacy. Google has settled with an $8.5 million fund going to an independent fund supporting organizations promoting privacy online. Google has also pledged to do more to educate users about the privacy controls that pertain to buzz.

Here is the email that went out to users this evening:

Google rarely contacts Gmail via email, but we are making an exception to let you know that we’ve reached a settlement in a lawsuit regarding Google Buzz (http://buzz.google.com), a service we launched within Gmail in February of this year.

Shortly after its launch, we heard from a number of people who were concerned about privacy. In addition, we were sued by a group of Buzz users and recently reached a settlement in this case..

The settlement acknowledges that we quickly change the service to address users’ concerns. In addition, Google has committed $8.5 million to an independent fund, most of which will support organizations promoting privacy education and policy on the web. We will also do more to educate people about privacy controls specific to Buzz. The more people know about privacy online, the better their online experience will be.

Just to be clear, this is not a settlement in which people who use Gmail can file to receive compensation Everyone in the U.S. who uses Gmail is included in the settlement, unless you personally decide to opt out before December 6, 2010. The Court will consider final approval of the agreement on January 31, 2011. This email is a summary of the settlement, and more detailed information and instructions approved by the court, including instructions about how to opt out, object, or comment, are available at http://www.BuzzClassAction.com

This may not apply to everyone and there will certainly not be compensation for everyone. However, this is a clear sign that companies are taking privacy seriously.

What’s up Apple’s sleeve?

Google CEO Eric Schmidt spoke at a keynote the other day and mentioned “a new definition of Google.” To see the search giant redefine themselves would be an impressive thing to watch. He used phrases like “quick, quick, quick” and “understand what you really want.” For some time now, Google has implemented predictive searching. As you type a drop down list would appear with possible search terms based on the letters you had already inputted. It was not much different than T9 predictive text we all used on cellphones before QWERTY keyboards arrived. Google instantly new what we were looking for and provided us with options as we went along. 

Two days ago, they released Google Instant which sounds like it would be the same thing described above. This update brings about a change, though. Now, when you type in search terms, rather than just showing a drop down box with possible phrases, it does a live search for web pages that meet your terms as you type them. These results are shown on the page below the search box.

Google claims this will save up to nine seconds per search. The announcement garnered immediate cheers and jeers from the industry. The live prediction is a big leap in how we search, but is it worth it? Google’s interface is famous for its simplicity. A white screen with a logo, search box and button is all you get until you submit. Now, your screen starts to fill with possible results as you type. Additionally, nearly every browser comes equipped with a search box next to your URL field box. How many people still go to www.google.com first and then search. 

Everyone is impressed with the speed. Schmidt’s “quick, quick, quick” is true, but the other quote about Google knowing what we mean is coming under attack. For example, if I’m going to search for “guns,” the moment I type a “G” I get a result and guess what it is – Google. Why on Earth would Google think I’m looking for Google if I’m searching fromGoogle? They don’t seem to know what I want until I get further along in typing my search terms.

This new product is being rolled out across the US with further expansion on the way. It has been all over the tech news since the announcement. I took time to play with it for the last two days and I am still waiting for the amazement to kick in. At the end of the day, this is a somewhat neat feature, but is lacking the “wow factor” we’ve come to expect from major announcements from major players in the industry.

Several months ago, there were reports of Google being hacked by, what everyone believed to be, the Chinese government. When the Gmail accounts of anti-Chinese government users and advocates for human rights of Chinese citizens came under fire, a battle had begun. China requires search results to be censored, amongst other forms of digital and Internet censorship.

During the last attack, Google attempted to affect political change by telling China to let them through uncensored or they would walk. Neither has happened.

This cyberwar is heating up once again. It was reported last week that Chinese Gmail users got hit by a phishing attack. Gmail.com and, even, Google Toolbars were sent to a cloned site that captured login credentials. It was a classic phishing scam and, although it was more in-depth in its scope, it was still poorly executed. The redirect sire had a plain IP address numbered URL. Anyone who has used the Internet should know the difference between seeing www.gmail.com and 16.55.195.200 in their browser.

FastCompany reported on this story and said, “this ISP phishing may be an attempt to create a sense of insecurity around Gmail, in an attempt to get Web user to stop trusting or using Google.”

It is an amazing time in technology when Silicon Valley can affect change in political climates or rattle a government to the point of a cyberwar. There is no proof that the Chinese government is truly behind it and the source remains shrouded in speculation.

What is clear is that as long as this continues, Google users and their data may be subject to more attacks or attempts. 

- WWDC tomorrow
- Google/Microsoft breakup
- New AT&T data plans 

It was always Bill Gates’ edict that Microsoft would have a PC on every desktop. Ubiquity was the key to their success, according to their business plans. This was very nearly achieved for many years. The open source movement never made a dent in the sales or presence of Windows based machines. Macs were all but dead except in schools and graphic design labs. Windows was the champion.

With this large presence comes the lack of innovation and redesign. The complacency of being unbeatable leaves room for error. Security has always been a highly talked about issue in the Windows platform. As these issues persist and alternatives arrive, Microsoft may be unseated as reigning king.

A move by Google last week proves that Microsoft is not only fallible but replaceable. Within Google, Windows machines are being phased out. The initial options are to use a Mac or Linux. While there are many factors leading to the purging of Microsoft products, security seems to be at the forefront.

As of January, users could still install Windows on their laptops but not on desktops without special approval. One Google employee was quoted as saying, “Getting a new Windows machine now requires CIO approval.” This move was in the works for some time as an effort to move its employees toward it’s own products but the pace has picked up rapidly since the attacks in China several months back.

Make no mistake, the attacks and the security risks inherent in Windows are the driving force here, but the stiff competition Microsoft poses to Google is playing a part. They compete in terms of email, web search and now the OS.

There is no public official policy nor a timeline for completion of the migration. New users get to chose from Mac OS X, Linux or Google’s own Chrome. New machine purchases follow the same rules. No word on existing Windows users, but from the tone within the company it won’t be long before they are Windows free. Many users are already using Mac and switched on their own after the China incident.

Steve Ballmer of Microsoft was asked how he felt about this and he was very clear that he is not worried and that the move on Google’s part means nothing detrimental to Microsoft or its Windows platform.

MIX10 is Microsoft’s 3-day conference going on in Las Vegas right now. It began yesterday and will end tomorrow. The title is “The Next Web Now” and will cover all the ways in which Microsoft can help you enter or stay in the web space appropriately. Some such examples are “Designing Corporate Web Sites using SharePoint 2010” or “Rapid WordPress design and Prototyping with Expression Web 3.” this is a very proprietary turn for Microsoft.

For all of its history, Microsoft went out of their way to avoid being labeled proprietary like Apple, Sony, or Adobe. Sony puts Memory Stick and only Memory Stick into all of their products. Microsoft built in support to read any media type. Apple controls the hardware and the software of all their machines. You cannot install Mac OS X on anything but a Mac computer (exceptions apply after hacking/tweaking). Windows will install on just about anything. Adobe created Flash (the animations and cartoons you see running around all over the web). Then they didn’t update it or make it efficient. Microsoft has embraced the HTML5 movement.

The reason for Microsoft’s apparent need to play nice with everything is driven by its real mission of total ubiquity. Bill Gates’ edict was “…a computer on every desk and in every home…” They have always, admittedly, been interested in quantity. They were also the only real player. In 2010, Mac OS X, the forthcoming Google Chromium, and any one of a variety of flavors of Linux are all contenders.

Microsoft needs to step up its game and it seems to be doing exactly that. The biggest change is coming from their approach to mobile computing and smart phone technology. This is a space in which Microsoft has not been real successful in the past. Windows based mobile devices or smartphones have been around since the dawn of that market competing with Palm handhelds when they were just the Pilot1000 owned by the now defunct US Robotics and when we still had something called a Newton.

Palm took the lead early on and, despite their best efforts, Microsoft could never seem to keep up. Part of the problem was that Windows Mobile (affectionately called WinMo) was the OS but the device could have been any number of models by any number of manufacturers, including Palm at one point. Every device was made to manufacturers’ specifications. Hardware ranged so greatly that there was no baseline standard and the performance of WinMo fluctuated to the point that it was nearly unusable on some hardware platforms without serious hacking by the experienced power user.

This biggest news at MIX10 is Windows Phone 7 (WinPho?). Their mobile platform is back with a new name and new rules. And the rules are better than the name, by a longshot. There are parts of the phone that leave a little something to be desired but by the time it gets released, that may all be fixed. In the meantime, what is Microsoft doing to ensure success - or at least help it along this time? Manufacturing of phones to run Windows Phone 7 is totally open, but the standards are not.

Everyone phone running this operating system must meet strict guidelines on the form factor (certain size, 3 buttons - start, back, bing), memory, processing power and almost most importantly - screen resolution.

They keynote 1 yesterday at MIX focused on this and development. More than anything it seemed to showcase the talents of Windows Phone 7 and how easy it is to develop for it (as long as you play by the guidelines). Microsoft pulled a page from Apple’s playbook and showed the Software Development Kit and the partners who have seen it early and then announced that the availability of it for home developers to start their own apps would be… immediately. Joe Belfiore wasn’t as charismatic as Mr. Jobs in his delivery but the lack of high-water jeans and black turtle neck was better.

Does this mean that Windows Phone 7 will be superior and knock everyone else off their pedestal? Probably not, but it will be a major player in a space that Microsoft has traditionally gone limp. Blackberry, iPhone and Android are already established, with Palm’s new WebOS in the back chugging along. 47% of Blackberry users said they would trade for an iPhone and an additional 32% said they would trade for an Android recently. Microsoft has a long road ahead.

Personal prediction: Windows Phone 7 puts surpasses Palm in less than a year leaving them floundering again. Android’s open source, non-advertising, tech for the masses mentality staves its commercial/consumer growth making Windows Phone 7 the owner of the 32% of Blackberry users that said they wanted an Android last week. iPhone stays dominant in the market. The remainder is split between Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry users. If we had to break it down, let’s say 40% to iPhone, 20% each to Blackberry and Microsoft. 10% to Android and the remaining 10% spread out across anyone else such as Palm’s WebOS and Samsung’s forthcoming entry into the smartphone market, etc. 

Kudos to Microsoft for identifying their issues and making an effort to fix them. The result in the eyes of the consumers remains to be seen.