Google « regulation2point0

Tail Wags Dog

September 9th, 2011

Still wondering why Google spent $12.5 billion and risked antitrust scrutiny in buying Motorola — at best, a come-back kid in the hypercompetitive world of smartphones and tablets? Wonder no more: Google is already using patents it obtained in the deal to defend an ally, handset maker HTC …

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Do No Evil: That Counts for the FTC as well as Google

July 1st, 2011

We’re of two minds about the Federal Trade Commission’s decision to open a wide-ranging antitrust investigation of Google. On the one hand (minds, hands…hey, at least we know we’re mixing metaphors), that’s the FTC’s job. Google is a very big, sometimes dominant, player in a lot of IT markets, so …

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Apple’s iCloud and the Dilemma of the Walled Garden

June 25th, 2011

“The Cloud” is certainly the buzz-phrase du jour as the behemoth IT companies rush to offer remote storage “in the cloud” for everything from document files to home videos. You get the convenience of easy access to the stuff on a variety of devices in a variety of places. They …

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Cyberwar with China? More Likely, the Enemy Will Be Anonymous

June 6th, 2011

The Pentagon says that cyberattacks may be interpreted as an act of war – thereby allowing Washington to respond to serious transgressions with military force. Or, as one military official more plainly put it, “If you shut down our power grid, maybe we will put a …

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Don’t Pass the Ketchup... Please

May 21st, 2011

Everybody agrees that distracted drivers are bad drivers, whether the source of the distraction is a cell phone or a Double Whopper with Cheese. The issue is what to do about it.

The Economist suggests that distracted driving should be treated like drunk driving with a mix of tough …

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Apple v. Google on Privacy

May 9th, 2011

Scott Cleland of the Precursorblog.com argues that Apple and Google have different incentives to respect the privacy of their customers. He correctly points out that Google makes its money from advertising, while Apple thrives on selling trend-setting gadgets like iPhones and iPads (Note to self: Did someone forget …

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The Mutual Appreciation Society

April 22nd, 2011

When you think about it, the match was inevitable. Washington needs Facebook – and Facebook needs Washington.

Start at the back end. President Obama hosted a town hall meeting on Facebook today because there is probably no more effective way to attract (positive) attention from under-forty-somethings. No suprises there. What may …

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What’s Good for Google…

April 14th, 2011

In spite of opposition from Expedia and other big online travel agencies, the Department of Justice announced that it would allow Google to acquire ITA, a company that makes software for travel search and reservations. The critical question (from our perspective, anyway) is whether the purchase …

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First, Do No Harm

March 10th, 2011

The more things change, well, the more things change.

Google’s Android – the newcomer in the Darwinian market for mobile operating systems just two years ago – has leapt past both RIM’s Blackberry OS and Apple’s iPhone OS to take the lead as the most-used platform for smartphones in …

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Open v. Closed

March 6th, 2011

Open software platforms, like Google’s Android, are all the rage. And for good reason: they offer a faster route to building an applications portfolio. But they are no panacea: Android had a scare recently where it was invaded by some third-party apps bearing malicious code. Will one platform …

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regulation2point0

Tail Wags Dog

Do No Evil: That Counts for the FTC as well as Google

Apple’s iCloud and the Dilemma of the Walled Garden

Cyberwar with China? More Likely, the Enemy Will Be Anonymous

Don’t Pass the Ketchup... Please

Apple v. Google on Privacy

The Mutual Appreciation Society

What’s Good for Google…

First, Do No Harm

Open v. Closed

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