Tag Archives: Google

Google’s Social Problem? The Brand Name Google

It is well known that Google does not get social.

I just saw a post on Hackernews speculating Google’s Facebook killer is built on top of Google Profile. If it is, I predict it will be Dead on Arrival.

Why?

It has a the name and domain Google strapped to it.

Just take a look at Buzz, Wave, Latitude,  Picasa (is it supposed to be social?) etc.

There is one common denominator about Google’s successes; YouTube, Blogger, Android and Chrome. They all have this feel of independence. Not being tied to that thing we use for our email and search.

Yes, they with the exception of Chrome are all acquisitions*

I do not know if it is the feeling that what we do there will be mixed with our email or our activities will me sucked into Google search automatically. There is always that thing that does not make it feel right.

So what should they do?

Give YC/TechStars $1million to fund a ‘Google social’ batch. After 6 months, pick the top 3 and roll with them.

 

*As I typed that sentence, I just realised everything good from Google (with the exception of search, email and Chrome) is an acquisition.

I am Oo, founder of GBEDU.FM where I hope to make sense of this business of music. I once tried to kill the business card with OnePage.

Sergey’s New Title.

It is no longer news that there has been a reshuffle at the helm of Google.  While most of the world has focused on the change of CEO duties from Eric to Larry, I think the most significant change is Sergey’s. He is now co founder.

What being Sergey returning to  co founder status means is that Google is ready to become a startup again, willing to give risky projects a real fighting chance. Hello Google Wave.

If anyone was to have this role, it had to be Sergey. Just look at the way he dresses. Eric once defined evil as what Sergey says is evil (the mindset of the idealistic startup founder). It is no surprise that he was the champion of Wave and Buzz.

So from now on, Google’s ‘projects’ will now be treated as startups and will be permitted to be more risky and not judged as projects in fully blown companies.

With Google Me and Google Offers launching soon, I think Google needs this shakeup if those projects are not to go the way of Latitude, Buzz, Places, Wave etc.

Welcome back to the startup life Sergey.

PS: I cannot help but wish that Jerry Yang will do same in Yahoo!

I am Oo, founder of GBEDU.FM where I hope to make sense of this business of music. I once tried to kill the business card with OnePage.

My Android problem and a case for proprietary over opensource. (UPDATED: With solution)

Update: My good friend (Dan Monsieurle Aka Mled) commented with the solution. Just try signing into the YouTube app with the account you want to sync and  it will automatically add it to the list of your accounts. Kapish!

The best solution is almost always the easiest.

Omachonu Ogali, I guess it was Google’s problem after all. (For those that don’t understand, see comments below :)

Update ended.

I got my Motorola android phone a little while ago and I am encountering my first problem which is making me really really angry and here is why.

I just launched my new startup Lotaar which has brought with it the need to create my new email address. I tried doing the sensible thing of adding the email account to my Motorola milestone and it gave me an error.

“Can’t establish a reliable data connection to the server.  This could be a temporary problem or your SIM card may not be provisioned  for data services. If it continues, call Customer Care.”

Ha! call Google customer care? I have a better chance of grabbing launch with Barack Obama than getting anyone at Google on the phone.

So I did the sensible thing and Googled for a solution. To my chagrin I discovered that the problem I am having has been around for about a year and more annoying is the fact that the scores of complaints  on the Android forum have gone ignored!

OpenSource vs. Proprietary Software.

Although I really really value open source but this problem I am having is the strongest argument proprietary software has against open source. When there is a problem, there is no one to hold responsible! Now, I do not know how open source Android is, but I know there are too many people that are in charge. So now I have this problem, who do I turn to? Motorola? Google? Android Foundation?My Telecoms provider? (in my case I did not by from a mobile service provider but many people complaining did.)

So for the next few days, I will be cut off using email with my mobile while I ponder a way out. If I was in a large organization the costs will be greater. I now appreciate much more the value of Microsoft and their proprietary software. If it was a problem with them, it would have been solved by now.

As Windows Mobile 7 comes out, they should make  strong selling point out of, “If you have a problem, you know where to turn to”

I am Oo, founder of GBEDU.FM where I hope to make sense of this business of music. I once tried to kill the business card with OnePage.

What does Google Predict when You Search? No, Nigeria is Not a Geographical Expression!

Nigeria is

When you type a search into Google, it tries to predict what you might be searching for. Previously, I had assumed that the predictions were based on the most frequent searches made. What I really want to know is this, do people actually think Nigeria is a geographical expression? I made a video of other searches on Nigeria and Nigerians and they are not quite complementary. So my question is this, how are the predictions made?

I’d also like to know some of the hilarious ones you have seen. If you are not Nigerian, what does Google say about your country and its people? You can Check out ‘English people are’ to start with :)

You can see more hilarious (I think) results on Sugabelly’s blog.