Google Gems: February 5 to 9, 2024
February 13, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
Google tallied another bumper week of innovations, news, and management marvels. Let’s take a look.
WE HAVE OUR ACT TOGETHER
The principal story concerns Google’s “answer” to the numerous competitors for smart software. The Gemini subscription service has arrived. Fourteen months after Microsoft caught Googzilla napping near the Foosball table, the quantum supremacy outfit has responded. Google PR received accolades in the Wired article explaining Google’s monumental achievement: A subscription service like OpenAI’s and Microsoft’s.
And in a twist of logic, Google has allegedly alerted users of Gemini (the answer to MSFT and ChatGPT) not to provide confidential or personal data to a Gemini service. With logging, Google’s learning user behaviors, and users general indifference to privacy issues associated with any Web service — why is a special warning needed? “Google Warning: Do Not Divulge Confidential Info or Personal Data When Using Gemini” reports:
Users can also turn off Gemini Apps Activity to stop the collection of conversations but even when it is disabled, Gemini conversations continue to be saved for up to 72 hours to "maintain the safety and security of Gemini apps and improve Gemini apps."
Toss in Google human review and what do you get? A Googley service with a warning.
Google inspects its gems. Thanks MSFT Copilot. Good enough.
Second, Google has alleged been taking some liberties with data captured from Danish schools. (Imagine that!) The students use Chromebooks, and these devices seem to be adept at capturing data no matter what the Danish IT administrators do. For reference, see the item about confidential and personal data above, please. “Denmark Orders Schools to Stop Sending Student Data to Google” reports:
Also, given that restricting sensitive data processing on Google’s end will be hard, if not impossible, for municipalities to assure, there may be no practical way to adhere to the new policies without blocking the use of Google Chromebooks and/or Google Workspace.
Yes, the act is indeed together. Words do not change data collection it seems.
Third, Google published a spyware report. You can download the document from this link. In addition to naming the names of vendors with specialized tools, Google does little to explain why Android based devices are protected from these firms’ software. My thought is that since Google knows what these companies are doing, Google has been making its users and customers more secure. Perhaps Google’s management thinks that talking about spyware is the same as protecting users and customers. The identified vendors are probably delighted to receive free publicity. To Google’s credit it did test a process for protecting users from financial fraud. The report is highlighted with the news about more Chrome security problems.
Google management is the best.
PRODUCT GEMS
I don’t want to overlook Google’s ability to make meaning innovations.
Out of the blocks, I want to mention Google’s announcement that it will create an app for Apple’s $3,500 smart goggles. Google Glass apparently provided some inspiration to the savvy iTunes people.
A second innovation is Google’s ability to deliver higher quality to YouTube streaming video. The service requires paying more money to the Google, but that’s part of the company’s plan to grow despite increasing competition and cost control challenges. Will Google’s method work if the streamer has lousy bandwidth? Sure, sure, Google has confidence in its capabilities despite issues solely within the control of its users and customers.
A third innovation is that Google may offer seven years of updates to Pixel phone users. OnePlus management thinks this is baloney. Seven years is a long time in a Googley world. A quick review of the fate of the Google cache and other products killed by Google reminds one of Google’s concept of commitment. (One rumor is that killing the Google cache extricated Google from paywall bypass services.) The question is, “Will Pinpoint be a Googley way to get information from paywalled content. What is Pinpoint? The explanation is at a really popular site called Journalist Studio. Everyone knows that.
A fourth item repeats an ever more frequent refrain: Google search is meh. Some, however, are just calling the service broken.
Fifth, Google Maps are getting more features. Google Maps for Android mobiles can now display the weather. One may not be able to locate a destination, but one knows the weather.
Sixth, in a breakthrough of significant proportions, Google has announced a new Pixel variant which folds and sports a redesigned camera island. This is not a bump. It is an island obviously.
SERVICE PEARLS
Google continues it march to be the cable service for streaming.
First, Google suggested it had more than eight million “subscribers.” Expressed another way, YouTube is fourth among pay television services.
Also, Google has expressed a desire to get more viewer time than it has in the past.
For those who fancy Google-intermediated ads on Pinterest, that day has arrived.
COURT ACTIVITY
Google continues to be of interest to regulatory officials.
First, Google faces an anti trust trial in the US. The matter is related to the Google’s approach to digital advertising. Advertising, after 25 years of trying to diversify its revenue, still accounts for more than 60 percent of the firm’s revenue.
Second, Google paid to settle a class action lawsuit. The matter was a security failure for a now-dead service called Google Plus. How much did the Google pay? Just $350 million or a month of coffee for thirsty Googlers (estimated, of course).
What will Google do this week? Alas, I cannot predict the future like some savvy bloggers.
Stephen E Arnold, February 13, 2024
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