Who’s Top of the Google+ Charts? Britney, of Course

Who’s Top of the Google+ Charts? Britney, of Course

"Everyone who’s been hoping and praying for a Britney Spears comeback all these years, you finally have your wish…well, kind of. While the former pop princess may not be back to her days of musical ubiquity just yet–personally, I’ve not liked anything she’s done since “Toxic,” but that’s just me–she has just taken the top spot…of Google+ users.

PCMag has noticed that, through some strange twist of Internet fate, Spears has overtaken Google CEO Larry Page as the most-followed person on Google+, having gathered almost 800,000 followers in just over four months.

If the pairing of Spears and Page seems like an odd combination, the remaining cast filling out Google+’s five most followed accounts further illustrates the weird mix of mainstream and tech celebrity that apparently appeals to the fledgling social network’s userbase: Following Page, the next most followed account belongs to Snoop Dogg, followed by Mark Zuckerberg and then, unexpectedly, Tyra Banks.

Google hasn’t revealed how many active users Google+ currently has–the service passed 40 million sign-ups last month–but judging by this list, I’m much more interested in seeing some kind of demographic study of who’s on there…and whether they actually know that it’s 2011, and not 2001. "

in Time

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Latest Android phone

Latest Android phone

"Samsung Electronics unveiled the first smartphone running on Google's latest version of the Android operating system, which combines software used in tablets and smartphones, as they step up competition against Apple.

The global launch of the Galaxy Nexus kicks off in November and comes as competition intensifies between Samsung and Apple Inc to win market share in the booming tablets and smartphones industry.

Samsung and Google introduced the high-end model at an event in Hong Kong, after delaying the launch last week as a tribute to the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Apple is Samsung's biggest customer for microprocessors.

"This will be our strategic product for year-end holiday season, as (Apple's) iPhone 4S just came into the market," JK Shin, president and head of Samsung's mobile communications business, said in a pooled report with reporters ahead of a packed product launch in Hong Kong.

This also marks the first major rollout from Google since it announced plans in August to acquire Motorola Mobility Holdings for $12.5 billion.

The deal had raised concerns among hardware makers that Google may favor Motorola over other handset vendors such as Samsung, HTC and LG Electronics Inc that rely on the free software.

Google's Android mobile software -- already the world's most-used smartphone platform -- powers 190 million devices, up from 135 million in mid-July.

The latest version of Android, named Ice Cream Sandwich, is designed to unite tablet and smartphone platforms, potentially attracting more application developers and consumers to the Android camp, which has fewer applications available than Apple's.

Samsung, the top seller of Android phones and the biggest challenger to Apple, said the phone will have access to more than 300,000 applications and games, versus over 425,000 apps from Apple's App Store. (...)"

in Reuters

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Google buys Zagat

Google buys Zagat

Google buys Zagat to vie with OpenTable, Yelp

"Google Inc has bought popular dining ratings authority Zagat, adding a valuable brand to its content offerings and bolstering its push into the rapidly growing local commerce market.

Local commerce offers services such as finding a discount from a nearby store, or a review of a neighborhood eatery, and the world's No. 1 search engine plans to compete in this market against Yelp and OpenTable.

The deal, for which Google did not provide financial information, gives it valuable content about restaurants, hotels and nightclubs that can be paired with its popular online maps and mobile search services.

Google needs to provide more than just directions to consumers seeking information about restaurants and other local businesses, said Marissa Mayer, Google's VP of Local, Maps and Location services, in an interview with Reuters on Thursday.

"It's also (about) getting them a sense of the place. A sense of what to expect," said Mayer. "Zagat reviews, in a few short lines and a few scores, gives you a great sense of a place very quickly when you're on the go."

The move is part of Google's push to adapt its online services for a world in which consumers increasingly access the Web on mobile phones such as Apple Inc's iPhone and rely on social networking services such as Facebook to get information from friends.

Last month, Google announced plans to acquire mobile phone manufacturer Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. The deal, if approved by regulators, will allow Google to produce its own line of smartphones based on its Android software. (...)"

in Reuters

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