Editor’s Note: Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)
Google considering turning self-driving cars into a ‘robo-taxi’ service (The Independent UK)
Although Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s self-driving cars have been a technological success the search-giant have had difficulty finding a method of getting the vehicles into mainstream use. However, new reports now suggest that the company is considering using their vehicles to create an autonomous ‘robo-taxi’ service. The self-driving vehicles would pick-up and drop-off passengers without human intervention, and would presumably be paired with a mobile application.
Is Google a plus for content marketing? (The Guardian)
Which is the best social media network for marketing endeavours? Google+, the newest of the major social media platforms, has a small market share relative to Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), but an article on Moz notes a correlation between Google +1s (the equivalent of Facebook “Likes”) and search rankings, prompting speculation over whether Google+ activity is more beneficial than its rivals for promoting web content:
Open Secret About Google’s Surveillance Case No Longer Secret (The Wall Street Journal)
The Justice Department recently won a court battle to keep an Internet company from talking about federal demands for user data, arguing that even disclosing the company’s name would damage national security.’ But then, after months of arguments, the department appears to have been foiled by its own redaction process, which left the name “Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)” on one page that was posted Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Google blocks Chromecast app that let you stream your own videos (The Verge)
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) hasn’t provided a clear answer on whether Chromecast will eventually let users stream their own local videos and music to the TV screen. But if early updates for the $35 dongle are any indication, the company doesn’t want third-party developers trying to deliver that functionality. The most recent Chromecast update has broken support for AllCast, an Android application that previously allowed users to stream their personal media to a TV. AllCast (also known as AirCast thanks to a trademark dispute) could play back files stored in a phone’s gallery, Dropbox, or Google Drive. Developer Koushik Dutta accomplished the feat by reverse engineering the Chromecast’s code. He’d released several betas of the app, even planning a release on Google Play, before Google’s latest software update broke things — “intentionally” in Dutta’s opinion.
Google Glass app that reads human emotions could be used to help improve the lives of people with autism (Mail Online)
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Glass software that analyzes facial expressions and vocal patters to help the user determine a person’s emotional state has the potential to change the lives autistic people. Autism is often marked by difficulty understanding how others feel, so the engineers at Menlo Park, California-based firm Sension have the idea of using their emotion reading software to help.
Google’s secret buy sign (CNBC)
