Google "Caffeine" Promises 50 Percent Fresher Results

Google's latest search indexing system, "Caffeine," promises search results that are 50-percent fresher than Google used to be able to provide under the old indexing system. In a world where real-time and near-real-time content is boosted by applications such as Twitter, that's important.

"Whether it's a news story, a blog or a forum post, you can now find links to relevant content much sooner after it is published than was possible ever before," the Google Blog notes. Google noted that faster indexing is needed in part because with the advent of video, images, news and real-time updates, the average webpage is richer and more complex, and user expectations simply are higher.

Searchers want to find the latest relevant content and publishers expect to be found the instant they publish.

The old index had several layers, some of which were refreshed at a faster rate than others; the main layer would update every couple of weeks. To refresh a layer of the old index, we would analyze the entire web, which meant there was a significant delay between when we found a page and made it available.

With Caffeine, we analyze the web in small portions and update our search index on a continuous basis, globally. As we find new pages, or new information on existing pages, we can add these straight to the index. That means you can find fresher information than ever before—no matter when or where it was published.

Caffeine lets Google index web pages on an enormous scale, processing hundreds of thousands of pages in parallel Caffeine takes up nearly 100 million gigabytes of storage in one database and adds new information at a rate of hundreds of thousands of gigabytes per day, Google says.

Tiered Access Pricing the Result of Google-Verizon Net Neutrality Deal?

Well, yes, in a manner of speaking, but probably only in the sense that "cable TV" or multichannel video entertainment services are sold.

Netflix and Epix Plan to Disrupt On-Demand TV

Start-up pay-TV channel Epix is in serious negotiations to give Netflix exclusive online rights to films from its three equity partners -- Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

The five-year arrangement would allow Netflix subscribers to watch movies such as Iron Man 2, Dinner for Schmucks and The Expendables on a streamed basis.

Netflix and Epix working on major digital partnership to shake up pay TV landscape

Dish Network Sub Losses Worry Investors

Dish Network shares fell more than 10 percent in early trading Monday Aug. 9, 2010, after the second largest U.S. satellite TV service provider reported a loss of 19,000 customers in the second quarter, a result that some investors feared could be a signal of future declines.

Dish Stock Plunges

Google’s Social Strategy Might Include Buying Jambool

Google continues to gobble up companies that will form the backbone of it’s new social strategy and the upcoming war with Facebook.

The rumor is that Google is buying Jambool for its "Social Gold" payment product.

Another Piece To Google’s Social Puzzle: To Acquire Jambool For $70 Million

Google and Verizon Reach Net Neutrality Agreement

In a move intended to break the current logjam over network neutrality discussions, Google and Verizon have reached their own agreement on network neutrality principles, and the compromise offers something for most key stakeholders.


The agreement enshrines "best effort" access as the mandatory form of service consumers are sold. Internet access providers could not apply their own packet priorities to legal traffic. You might assume this precludes creation of new quality-assured applications. The agreement, though, seems to preserve this option, but makes it an option only application providers can supply.


Application providers, on the other hand, could create quality-assured versions of their applications, while ISPs cannot. 


The agreement also exempts wireless networks from any of the rules, and allows ISPs to create new managed services (sort of like cable TV or satellite TV) that are not limited to best effort features. 


The companies agree that there should be a new, enforceable prohibition against discriminatory practices. This means that for the first time, wireline broadband providers would not be able to discriminate against or prioritize lawful Internet content, applications or services in a way that causes harm to users or competition.

In addition to not blocking or degrading of Internet content and applications, wireline broadband providers also could not favor particular Internet traffic over other traffic. That is a key provision. It means an ISP cannot favor its own video services over rival video services, for example.

The proposal, however, also would allow broadband providers to offer additional, differentiated online services, in addition to the Internet access and video services (such as Verizon's FIOS TV) offered today. Such "managed services" would not be traditional "Internet access" or "broadband access" services, but rather new and separate services.

The Google-Verizon proposal also includes safeguards to ensure that such new online services must be distinguishable from traditional broadband Internet access services and are not designed to circumvent the rules.

The FCC would also monitor the development of these services to make sure they don’t interfere with the continued development of Internet access services.

Wireless broadband is different from the traditional wireline world, so the proposal refrains from applying new rules to wireless networks and services.

The Government Accountability Office would be required to report to Congress annually on developments in the wireless broadband marketplace, and whether or not current policies are working to protect consumers.

Both firms agree also about enforceable transparency rules, for both wireline and wireless services. Broadband providers would be required to give consumers clear, understandable information about the services they offer and their capabilities.

The two firms also call for new ability by the FCC to enforce these openness policies on a case-by-case basis, using a complaint-driven process. The FCC could move swiftly to stop a practice that violates these safeguards, and it could impose a penalty of up to $2 million on bad actors.

Both firms support reform of the Federal Universal Service Fund, so that it is focused on deploying broadband in areas where it is not now available.

Both companies say they favor turning the Federal Communications Commission's "Internet Freedoms" principles into enforceable rules. Those principles, already in place, stipulate that consumers have access to all legal content on the Internet, and can use what applications, services, and devices they choose.

Both firms hope the agreement can serve as the framework for the FCC's broader network neutrality rules.

[75% Verizon LTE Converage by April 2012

Verizon Wireless is aiming to have at least 75 percent of the country covered by its new LTE network by April 2012. Like DOCSIS 3.0 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps service, the headline numbers are more about marketing platforms than volume end user demand.

But we ought to get ready for another ratcheting up of the headline speed wars as Clearwire and Sprint defend their fourth-generation network and Verizon touts its new offering, while AT&T and T-Mobile USA make their own claims about network quality or speed.

Verizon Wireless 2010/2011 Roadmap is all about Android and LTE