Google CEO Talks Up Synergy Between Mobile, Local, Social Networking

It doesn't take much insight to predict that Google will, sometime relatively soon, be making new moves in the location based services area.

Google already has made major and successful investments in mapping, local search, mobility, geo-location and navigation, for example. It also has made investments in location-based services that haven't gotten traction.

CEO Eric Schmidt recently has been talking up the synergies between mobility, local search and social networking.

“Foursquare and Gowalla are pretty impressive," says Google CEO Eric Schmidt. "They show you the power of mobile,social and local,” Schmidt said.

“Google will play in that market in a lot of ways,” Schmidt added.

http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/lbs-roundup-foursquare-improves-its-looks-google-hints-at-gowalla-acquisition-8289/

Video Mashup About Google Verizon Net Neutrality Talks

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Google CEO Schmidt: "People Aren't Ready for the Technology Revolution"

Some people like the ability to remain anonymous on the Internet, while others are not so sure. Most of the bad behavior that happens on the Internet is "anonymous" in terms of its source.

Given the increased use of the Internet for criminal or anti-social purposes, it isn't too surprising that governments would want some way to track "anonymous" users.

"The only way to manage this is true transparency and no anonymity," says Eric Schmidt, Google CEO. "In a world of asynchronous threats, it is too dangerous for there not to be some way to identify you."

"We need a [verified] name service for people. Governments will demand it," he says. At some level, it is hard to disagree.

Google CEO Schmidt: "People Aren't Ready for the Technology Revolution"

LightSquared Gets First Customer

LightSquared, the Harbinger Capital venture planning to build a nationwide wholesale Long Term Evolution network, has found its first customer. Airspan Networks, a provider of connectivity to utilities for their smart grid efforts, says it will resell some of LightSquared spectrum to utilities.

LightSquared’s Proposed 4G Network Gets a Smart Grid Customer

Best Buy to Launch its Own Tablet PC

Best Buy’s CTO Robert Stephens says the firm is going to sell its own branded tablet PC. There are no details about operating system or who the manufacturer is. Some will note that it looks like an HP Slate. That would suggest a nine-inch screen.

Best Buy’s CTO Tweets Out Pics Of A Rocketfish Tablet

Mobile Internet Very Popular in China

For many people in China, the mobile Web is the Web. Not only do many homes in China not have (or need) landlines for voice communications, but also they don’t require hardwired Internet access for their fix of the Web.

With mobile phones, everything they need is in the palm of their hand.

The majority of consumers (54 percent) use their devices for applications including email, gaming and music, while 36 percent used their phones for text, SMS and voice only. Another 10 percent said they used their phones for calls only.

Mobile consumers in China also have surpassed their American counterparts when it comes to using the devices to access the Internet.

About 38 percent of Chinese mobile subscribers access the Internet from their mobiles, compared to 27 percent of American mobile subscribers. That is not so surprising since many Chinese consumers only access the Internet from their mobiles.

Mobile Internet More Popular in China than in U.S. | Nielsen Wire

Android Making a Breakout Move?

Android devices collectively have done something significant in the smartphone market. Since March 2010, Research in Motion market share has dropped and Android share has exploded.

As RIM supports a family of devices, sold across carriers, as does Android, the comparison is instructive.

Whatever else the results may be, they indicate a fairly-dramatic shift in end user demand from QWERTY keyboards and email centric behavior to touch screens and web activity.