Apple introduced the iPhone today (you can read more about that at Apple Watch, and get my very long op-ed on it at InsideMicrosoft), and joining Steve Jobs onstage for about a minute was none other than Google CEO and Apple board member, Eric Schmidt. Schmidt was there to announce that Google Maps and Google search would be built into the iPhone. Photos from Engadget, as well as these quotes:
Steve Jobs
“From google what we have on the phone is google search built right into the browser and google maps. We’ve been working closely with them.. it’s my pleaseure now to introduce Dr. Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO.”
Eric Schmidt:
“I’ve had the privilege of joining the board and there’s a lot of relationships… if we merge the companies we can call it Applegoo — but I’m not a marketing guy. You can actually merge without merging. Each company should do the absolutely best thing they can do every time, and he’s shown it today.”
“We can take the enormous brain trust of the Apple team and the open protocols of companies like google and put them in an environment for end users. From a gooogle perspective we’ve pushed very hard to partner with Apple and working with many many different data service, — Steve showed a little bit. It comes together seamlessly. This is the first of a whole new generation…”
“Steve, my congratulations to you, this product is going to be HOT.”
January 9th, 2007
Posted by
Nathan Weinberg |
Apple, Google Maps, Services, Search, General |
2 comments
The Googlejet blog has a pretty original idea: Why not send a cut of brand name AdWords ads to the brand owner?
To explain: Google’s always been worried about companies taking out advertisements on AdWords using or targeting brand names, and with good reason: They’ve been sued over it more than once. AdWords advertisers want to use brand names, such as advertising on searches for the names of competitors, or ads saying they are better than the other guy, but most brands would rather not allow that, and have used their lawyers to prove their point.
So, as the blog suggest, why not give the brand owners some incentive to let anything go. Give a percentage or a set fee from brand-using AdWords ads to the brand owner, giving them a good reason to allow the ads to continue. Not only would the brand owner gain from the ad, money that could be used on its own ad campaigns, and it would effectively be an ad-cost discount for the brand owner; but it would be a dis-incentive for the advertiser to use brands, since every ad against a competitor actually puts money in the competitor’s pocket!
It’s a gutsy idea, one I’d love to see Google try to implement. Obviously, it could only happen if the brand owner agreed beforehand to participate, but it could add a new spin to advertising on Google. It also solves a major problem for Google: A huge and increasing percentage of searches on Google (some estimate 75 of the top 100 search terms) are brand names, searches that are very hard to monetize.
(via Digg)
January 9th, 2007
Posted by
Nathan Weinberg |
AdWords, Advertising, General |
one comment
Amit Agarwal reports that Google has released version 6 of its 3D modeling software, the free Google Sketchup and the not-as-free $495 Google Sketchup Pro (which is a free upgrade for purchasers of most previous paid Sketchup versions). While the new version still does not have support for Windows Vista (curious, with Vista coming out in a mere three weeks), it does have a bunch of new features.
The coolest new feature has got to be its ability to create a 3D model from a photograph. While I won’t be able to test this out (the Vista thing, again), it is obvious how much easier and convenient the program can be if you can take a picture of your house and start with that, saving a lot of time in the beginning of your project. Other new features include themed styles, watermarks (for branding or logos), atmospheric haze (for realism), 3D text, and more natural native support for Google Earth and the 3D Warehouse.
There’s more info on the new features at the Sketchup website, which is currently unavailable. You can still download the software from Google, though.
Am I the only person who thinks Google bought Sketchup, at least in part, so people would accidentally write “Google’s Ketchup”?
January 9th, 2007
Posted by
Nathan Weinberg |
SketchUp, Products, General |
5 comments
