The internet major, Google, is phasing out its internal use of Microsoft Windows operating system due to security concerns, which arose mainly after its China operations were hacked, a media report has said.
The report by the UK daily 'Financial Times', citing several Google employees, said the internet giant is "phasing out internal use of Microsoft's ubiquitous Windows operating system because of security concerns."
The directive to move to other operating systems had begun in January at Google, after its Chinese operations were hacked.
The move can effectively end the use of Windows at Google, which employs more than 10,000 workers internationally, the report added.
"We're not doing any more Windows. It is a security effort," FT quoted a Google employee as saying.
Another google employee said that many people have been moved away from Windows PCs, mostly towards Mac OS, following the China hacking attacks.
New people hired at Google are now given the option of using Apple's Mac computers or PCs running the Linux operating system.
In early January, some new employees were still being allowed to install Windows on their laptops, but it was not an option for their desktop computers, the report added.
Windows is known for being more vulnerable to attacks by hackers and more susceptible to computer viruses than other operating systems.
In addition to being a semi-formal policy, employees themselves have grown more concerned about security after the China attacks, the report said citing an employee.
Showing posts with label google. Show all posts
Showing posts with label google. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Google stops censorship in China
Google Inc closed its China-based search service and began redirecting Web searchers to an uncensored portal in Hong Kong, drawing harsh comments from Beijing that raised doubts about the company's future in the world's largest Internet market.
Google said it intends to continue research and development in China, as well as maintain a sales staff there, even after closing Google.cn and rerouting traffic to the unfiltered search site in Hong Kong.
The decision comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington over a range of issues, from Internet freedom to the yuan exchange rate, economic sanctions on Iran and U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan.
China reacted to Google's move by saying the Internet search giant was "totally wrong" and had "violated the written promise it made on entering the Chinese market," signaling a tough line over the dispute.
Analysts said it was possible Google's plans for other services in China, such as its Android smartphone software, could be endangered by this move, which moves the burden of censoring Google search results to Chinese authorities.
"We don't see this as reducing tension. We see this as increasing or ratcheting up tension between the two parties," said Colin Gillis, analyst at BGC Financial. "You sort of make China look like the bad guy and you think you're going to be selling Google phones? Good luck, we'll see how that goes."
Google had declared in January that it would stop censoring search results in response to what it said was a sophisticated cyber attack that it traced to China and increasing limits of freedom of expression during the past year.
"Figuring out how to make good on our promise to stop censoring search on Google.cn has been hard," Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond wrote in a blog post on Monday.
"We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement," he said.
For the average mainland Chinese, the rerouting of search queries to google.com.hk is unlikely to make much difference unless they can get around government-imposed firewalls that block searches for sensitive topics like the Dalai Lama.
WHITE HOUSE DISAPPOINTED
The White House said it was disappointed that Google and the Chinese government were unable to reach an agreement that would allow the Internet company to continue operating its search services in China.
Mike Hammer, spokesman for President Barack Obama's National Security Council, said the United States opposes censorship and is committed to Internet freedom, but stressed that the White House did not anticipate this issue would cloud relations between the two nations in other areas.
"The U.S.-China relationship is mature enough to sustain differences, and while we seek to expand cooperation on issues of mutual interest with China, we will candidly and frankly address areas of disagreement," he said.
China represents an important growth opportunity for Google, which has seen its growth slow in mature markets like the United States and Western Europe, even though it generates only a small portion of its nearly $24 billion annual revenue.
While Google is the world's top search engine, it held only an estimated 30 percent share of China's search market in 2009, compared to home-grown rival Baidu Inc's 60 percent. Google's decision on Monday, therefore, won't have an immediate impact on earnings, analysts say.
Shares of Google, which have fallen more than 6 percent since it announced plans to stop censoring search in China in January, closed Monday's trading session down $2.50 at $557.60. Shares of Baidu, which have soared more than 40 percent during the same timeframe, finished up $10.07 at $579.72.
SINCE 2006
Google has operated Google.cn in the mainland since 2006, and employs about 600 employees in China, with roughly half working as engineers.
The company acknowledged that the ultimate size of its sales team in China will partly depend on the ability of mainland Chinese users to access the Hong Kong site.
"Google is attempting to get around that self-censorship by operating search out of Hong Kong. But we've seen the Chinese government restrict access to other countries before and I don't necessarily see why that necessarily changes by going to Hong Kong," said Kaufman Brothers analyst Aaron Kessler.
China censors the Internet by requiring domestic operators to use filters to screen out banned images and words, and also operates a "firewall" to frustrate users trying to access overseas websites that are deemed unacceptable.
Reuters reporters in Beijing were automatically taken to google.com.hk from google.cn, and when they tried to search that site for sensitive words such as dissident "Liu Xiaobo" or "Dalai Lama," the search results are blocked.
Google said its decision to re-route traffic to an uncensored Hong Kong site in simplified Chinese that is specifically designed for users in mainland China is "entirely legal."
A former British colony, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China and enjoys more freedom, including an uncensored Internet, than mainland China.
But Google acknowledged that the Chinese government could at any time block access to the services, which include Google search, news and images.
Google said it intends to continue research and development in China, as well as maintain a sales staff there, even after closing Google.cn and rerouting traffic to the unfiltered search site in Hong Kong.
The decision comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington over a range of issues, from Internet freedom to the yuan exchange rate, economic sanctions on Iran and U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan.
China reacted to Google's move by saying the Internet search giant was "totally wrong" and had "violated the written promise it made on entering the Chinese market," signaling a tough line over the dispute.
Analysts said it was possible Google's plans for other services in China, such as its Android smartphone software, could be endangered by this move, which moves the burden of censoring Google search results to Chinese authorities.
"We don't see this as reducing tension. We see this as increasing or ratcheting up tension between the two parties," said Colin Gillis, analyst at BGC Financial. "You sort of make China look like the bad guy and you think you're going to be selling Google phones? Good luck, we'll see how that goes."
Google had declared in January that it would stop censoring search results in response to what it said was a sophisticated cyber attack that it traced to China and increasing limits of freedom of expression during the past year.
"Figuring out how to make good on our promise to stop censoring search on Google.cn has been hard," Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond wrote in a blog post on Monday.
"We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services, including users in mainland China, yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement," he said.
For the average mainland Chinese, the rerouting of search queries to google.com.hk is unlikely to make much difference unless they can get around government-imposed firewalls that block searches for sensitive topics like the Dalai Lama.
WHITE HOUSE DISAPPOINTED
The White House said it was disappointed that Google and the Chinese government were unable to reach an agreement that would allow the Internet company to continue operating its search services in China.
Mike Hammer, spokesman for President Barack Obama's National Security Council, said the United States opposes censorship and is committed to Internet freedom, but stressed that the White House did not anticipate this issue would cloud relations between the two nations in other areas.
"The U.S.-China relationship is mature enough to sustain differences, and while we seek to expand cooperation on issues of mutual interest with China, we will candidly and frankly address areas of disagreement," he said.
China represents an important growth opportunity for Google, which has seen its growth slow in mature markets like the United States and Western Europe, even though it generates only a small portion of its nearly $24 billion annual revenue.
While Google is the world's top search engine, it held only an estimated 30 percent share of China's search market in 2009, compared to home-grown rival Baidu Inc's 60 percent. Google's decision on Monday, therefore, won't have an immediate impact on earnings, analysts say.
Shares of Google, which have fallen more than 6 percent since it announced plans to stop censoring search in China in January, closed Monday's trading session down $2.50 at $557.60. Shares of Baidu, which have soared more than 40 percent during the same timeframe, finished up $10.07 at $579.72.
SINCE 2006
Google has operated Google.cn in the mainland since 2006, and employs about 600 employees in China, with roughly half working as engineers.
The company acknowledged that the ultimate size of its sales team in China will partly depend on the ability of mainland Chinese users to access the Hong Kong site.
"Google is attempting to get around that self-censorship by operating search out of Hong Kong. But we've seen the Chinese government restrict access to other countries before and I don't necessarily see why that necessarily changes by going to Hong Kong," said Kaufman Brothers analyst Aaron Kessler.
China censors the Internet by requiring domestic operators to use filters to screen out banned images and words, and also operates a "firewall" to frustrate users trying to access overseas websites that are deemed unacceptable.
Reuters reporters in Beijing were automatically taken to google.com.hk from google.cn, and when they tried to search that site for sensitive words such as dissident "Liu Xiaobo" or "Dalai Lama," the search results are blocked.
Google said its decision to re-route traffic to an uncensored Hong Kong site in simplified Chinese that is specifically designed for users in mainland China is "entirely legal."
A former British colony, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China and enjoys more freedom, including an uncensored Internet, than mainland China.
But Google acknowledged that the Chinese government could at any time block access to the services, which include Google search, news and images.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Google might close Chinese operations by April
U.S. internet giant Google Inc. might close its operations in China next month after a row over a hacking attack that apparently originated in China, a state media report said on Friday.
The Shanghai-based China Business News quoted an executive with an unidentified advertising agency linked to Google as saying the US firm had decided to “pull out” of China from April 10.
The newspaper also quoted an unnamed China-based Google employee as saying the company might announce its decision on Monday.
The report did not say if any withdrawal would involve only the closure of Google’s main Chinese website or include the ending of other operations in China.
Last week, the Chinese government warned Google that it would have to “bear the consequence” if it went ahead with a threat to stop censoring search results in China, which has strict government controls on the internet.
It was not clear if the two sides had held talks since Google announced plans in January to review its operations in China.
The Wall Street Journal quoted Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt as saying last week that the company was in “active negotiations” with the Chinese government, but Chinese officials declined to confirm that any talks had taken place.
Google’s Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond, announced in January that the company planned to stop self-censoring its Chinese search engine even if that meant abandoning China’s market.
The Shanghai-based China Business News quoted an executive with an unidentified advertising agency linked to Google as saying the US firm had decided to “pull out” of China from April 10.
The newspaper also quoted an unnamed China-based Google employee as saying the company might announce its decision on Monday.
The report did not say if any withdrawal would involve only the closure of Google’s main Chinese website or include the ending of other operations in China.
Last week, the Chinese government warned Google that it would have to “bear the consequence” if it went ahead with a threat to stop censoring search results in China, which has strict government controls on the internet.
It was not clear if the two sides had held talks since Google announced plans in January to review its operations in China.
The Wall Street Journal quoted Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt as saying last week that the company was in “active negotiations” with the Chinese government, but Chinese officials declined to confirm that any talks had taken place.
Google’s Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond, announced in January that the company planned to stop self-censoring its Chinese search engine even if that meant abandoning China’s market.
Google teams up with Intel, Sony for TV project: Report
Internet search engine giant Google has teamed with Intel and Sony to develop Google TV, a platform for bringing the web into the living room via televisions and set-top boxes, says a media report.
The Google TV project has been underway for several months and is based on its software Android, which is available in some smartphones, The New York Times reported.
The effort would help Google and Intel to extend their dominance of computing to television, an arena where they have little sway. For Sony, which has struggled to retain a pricing and technological advantage in the competitive TV hardware market, the partnership is an effort to get a leg up on competitors, it added.
Spokesmen for Google, Intel and Logitech declined to comment, while a Sony spokesman said he was not familiar with the project, the daily said.
According to the publication, the partnership would make it as easy for TV users to navigate Web applications, like the Twitter social network, as it is to change the channel.
In addition, the report said that three companies have tapped Logitech, which specialises in remote controls and computer speakers, for peripheral devices, including a remote with a tiny keyboard.
The Google TV project has been underway for several months and is based on its software Android, which is available in some smartphones, The New York Times reported.
The effort would help Google and Intel to extend their dominance of computing to television, an arena where they have little sway. For Sony, which has struggled to retain a pricing and technological advantage in the competitive TV hardware market, the partnership is an effort to get a leg up on competitors, it added.
Spokesmen for Google, Intel and Logitech declined to comment, while a Sony spokesman said he was not familiar with the project, the daily said.
According to the publication, the partnership would make it as easy for TV users to navigate Web applications, like the Twitter social network, as it is to change the channel.
In addition, the report said that three companies have tapped Logitech, which specialises in remote controls and computer speakers, for peripheral devices, including a remote with a tiny keyboard.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
'Facebook beats Google for visitors '
Social-networking star Facebook surpassed Google to become the most visited website in the United States for the first time last week, industry analysts showed.
Facebook's homepage finished the week ending March 13 as the most visited site in the country, according to industry tracker Hitwise.
The "important milestone," as described by Hitwise director of research Heather Dougherty, came as Facebook enjoyed a massive 185 per cent increase in visits in the same period, compared to the same week in 2009.
By comparison, visits to search engine home Google.com increased only nine per cent in the same time -- although the tracker does not include Google property sites such as the popular Gmail email service, YouTube and Google Maps.
Taken together, Facebook.com and Google.com amounted to 14 per cent of the entire US Internet visits last week, Dougherty said.
Google has been positioning challenges in recent months to Facebook and the micro-blogging site Twitter by adding the social-networking feature Buzz to its Gmail service.
In what could signal an escalating battle between Facebook and Google, the leading social-networking service celebrated its sixth birthday earlier this year with changes including a new message inbox that echoes Gmail's format.
Facebook boasts some 400 million users while Gmail had 176 million unique visitors in December, according to tracking firm comScore.
Facebook's homepage finished the week ending March 13 as the most visited site in the country, according to industry tracker Hitwise.
The "important milestone," as described by Hitwise director of research Heather Dougherty, came as Facebook enjoyed a massive 185 per cent increase in visits in the same period, compared to the same week in 2009.
By comparison, visits to search engine home Google.com increased only nine per cent in the same time -- although the tracker does not include Google property sites such as the popular Gmail email service, YouTube and Google Maps.
Taken together, Facebook.com and Google.com amounted to 14 per cent of the entire US Internet visits last week, Dougherty said.
Google has been positioning challenges in recent months to Facebook and the micro-blogging site Twitter by adding the social-networking feature Buzz to its Gmail service.
In what could signal an escalating battle between Facebook and Google, the leading social-networking service celebrated its sixth birthday earlier this year with changes including a new message inbox that echoes Gmail's format.
Facebook boasts some 400 million users while Gmail had 176 million unique visitors in December, according to tracking firm comScore.
Friday, March 12, 2010
U.S. city renamed ‘Google’
The U.S. city of Topeka has been temporarily renamed ‘Google’ in a bid to host the search giant’s trial of a new super fast broadband network. The Kansas city capital will unofficially be called as “Google, Kansas — the capital city of fibre optics” during March.
The company previously invited nominations of towns and cities to participate in the experiment that would provide up to 500,000 people with ultra high speed broadband at speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second — 200 times faster than the average UK speed of 5 mb/s. Mayor William Bunten backed the idea, proposed by a local activist, to help boost its chances of taking part in the trial.
“The City of Topeka welcomes the opportunity to participate in this unique technological experiment, if selected as Google trial community, to benefit our citizens in providing all opportunities to access Internet Technologies,” The Telegraph quoted a statement on the council’s website as saying.
Mr. Bunten added: “We’re having a good time of it. There’s a lot of good things that are going on in our city. It’s just a little different, and will probably bring some attention.” Dan Martin, a Google spokesman, added: “People are hungry for faster speeds and improved Internet access.”
The company previously invited nominations of towns and cities to participate in the experiment that would provide up to 500,000 people with ultra high speed broadband at speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second — 200 times faster than the average UK speed of 5 mb/s. Mayor William Bunten backed the idea, proposed by a local activist, to help boost its chances of taking part in the trial.
“The City of Topeka welcomes the opportunity to participate in this unique technological experiment, if selected as Google trial community, to benefit our citizens in providing all opportunities to access Internet Technologies,” The Telegraph quoted a statement on the council’s website as saying.
Mr. Bunten added: “We’re having a good time of it. There’s a lot of good things that are going on in our city. It’s just a little different, and will probably bring some attention.” Dan Martin, a Google spokesman, added: “People are hungry for faster speeds and improved Internet access.”
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Google to digitize old books from Rome, Florence
Google said on Wednesday it will scan up to 1 million old books in national libraries in Rome and Florence, including works by astronomer Galileo Galilei, in what’s being described as the first deal of its kind.
Officials from Google and the Italian culture ministry said it was the first time Google Books and a culture ministry have had such a partnership.
Culture Ministry official Mario Resca, says the deal will help save the books’ content forever and noted that the 1966 Florence flood ruined thousands of books in the Tuscan city’s library.
He said digitizing books from before 1868 will help spread Italian culture throughout the world.
Google will cover the costs of the scanning of the books, all of them out—of—copyright Italian works, including 19th—century literature and 18th—century scientific volumes.
The Italian libraries already had embarked on their own project to put their collections online, and so far digital catalogues of some 285,000 book titles and other information have been created.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Google, Dish Network test TV search service
Internet search engine giant Google is testing a new TV programming search service with satellite television operator Dish Network Corp., a move that would allow users to find content from television and the web.
Attributing to people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported Google is testing a new TV programming search service with Dish Network Corp.
The report said the service, which runs on TV set-top boxes containing Google software, allows users to find shows on the satellite TV service as well as video from websites like YouTube.
It also allow users to personalise the line-up of shows.
With this, Google moves deeper into a crowded field of companies, large and small, that have been trying for years to marry the web and TV and their business models — from rivals Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. to the makers of TV and set-top boxes.
According to the publication, both companies declined to comment on the plan.
In addition to the test with Dish, Google has been talking to a range of other television service providers and hardware makers, prodding them to use its Android-based technologies to offer a broader range of programming, a more personal experience and ads, it added.
Attributing to people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported Google is testing a new TV programming search service with Dish Network Corp.
The report said the service, which runs on TV set-top boxes containing Google software, allows users to find shows on the satellite TV service as well as video from websites like YouTube.
It also allow users to personalise the line-up of shows.
With this, Google moves deeper into a crowded field of companies, large and small, that have been trying for years to marry the web and TV and their business models — from rivals Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. to the makers of TV and set-top boxes.
According to the publication, both companies declined to comment on the plan.
In addition to the test with Dish, Google has been talking to a range of other television service providers and hardware makers, prodding them to use its Android-based technologies to offer a broader range of programming, a more personal experience and ads, it added.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Internet abuzz after Chilean earthquake
News of the Chilean earthquake, one of the largest recorded over the last 100 years, sent millions around the world online in search of information and ways to help.
The social networking site Twitter (http://twitter.com) was abuzz a mere minutes after the earthquake struck.
On Twitter, which has developed into a key means by which both individuals and news organisations seek first-hand accounts of breaking events, thousands flocked to the hashtags #Chile, #earthquake, and #tsunami. Hastags are the means by which Twitter users organize messages - or “tweets” - around particular topics.
The best way to follow topics on a particular hashtag is to visit Twitter’s advanced search site (http://search.twitter.com/advanced) and type the topic or hashtag into the “This hashtag” text box. Then click Search, and every recent tweet containing that hashtag will appear.
Followers of the hashtag #Chile provided links to up-to-the-minute news about the disaster, while those following the hashtag #earthquake concentrated on well-wishes and news about the potential after-effects of the historic quake. Reports of impending tsunamis around the Pacific Ocean sent legions to the hashtag #tsunami, where forecasts and first-hand reports from Hawaii and other endangered regions dominated conversation.
Hoards also flocked to the tweets of Elliot Yamin (http://twitter.com/ElliottYamin), a former contestant of the popular American Idol television show, who was in Chile at the time of the quake. Yamin’s tweets gave followers a sense of the magnitude of the disaster.
“Complete and utter chaos on the streets,” Yamin wrote. “No power.
... my heart is beatin outta my chest ... tsunami warning.” Hours later, fans and followers were relieved to hear that Yamin was safe. “I’m totally calm now,” the star wrote. “Got blankets from our rooms, and we’re all huddled on the street, no aftershocks for a while.” After the Haitian earthquake, Internet users quickly became used to donating to relief organizations either online or through their mobile phones. Unfortunately, there were more than a few scam artists on the prowl, too, seeking to take advantage of the world’s generosity.
In an effort to head off such deception, many of the major relief organizations quickly mobilized online. The Red Cross began accepting donations through its International Response Fund (http://bit.ly/9FR5Tw), while Save the Children asked for donations through its Children’s Emergency Fund (http://bit.ly/9cXGzV).
AmeriCares set up a Chilean Earthquake Fun web site (http://bit.ly/avqkWc).
Google, too, quickly published a Crisis Response page (http://www.google.com/relief/chileearthquake), through which people could safely donate to the Chilean relief efforts of reputable organizations including UNICEF and the American Red Cross.
Google launched a Person Finder tool on its Crisis Response page.
Person Finder provides a way for those looking for loved ones and those who might have information about those loved ones to connect.
Click “I’m looking for someone,” type a name, and Person Finder will provide a list of people. Click one of the names, and a profile page appears, offering places to leave messages or provide descriptions. Click “I have information about someone,” type a name, and Person Finder provides a way for you to enter what you know about that person’s whereabouts.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Google India to host its Developer Fest in Hyderabad and Pune
Google India is organising DevFest 2010, a developer conference, in Hyderabad on February 27 and in Pune on March 3.
Google DevFest would be a one-day developer gathering of in-depth, technical sessions on how to build the next generation applications with open web technologies, including Google products and services, the search engine said in a statement.
It would also include presentations by partners such as Lepton Software, Impetus Technologies and OrangeScape that have built solutions on Google APIs.
Google DevFest would focus on sharing latest offerings for Google developers that include: App Engine, Maps APIs, Chrome Extensions, Orkut APIs and the new HTML standard which has already been adopted by a wide variety of browsers.
Google DevFest would be a one-day developer gathering of in-depth, technical sessions on how to build the next generation applications with open web technologies, including Google products and services, the search engine said in a statement.
It would also include presentations by partners such as Lepton Software, Impetus Technologies and OrangeScape that have built solutions on Google APIs.
Google DevFest would focus on sharing latest offerings for Google developers that include: App Engine, Maps APIs, Chrome Extensions, Orkut APIs and the new HTML standard which has already been adopted by a wide variety of browsers.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Buzzing into the private space
If your life is abuzz with privacy worries right now, you are probably one of those who signed up for Google Buzz after its launch on February 9. Less than two weeks since its birth, Buzz has already seen what the collective ire of the online community looks like.
After a public apology from Buzz’s product manager Todd Jackson and promises of “major improvements,” the real issue at stake seems the nature and relevance of online privacy in an increasingly connected world.
On the day of the launch, Mr. Jackson wrote on the official Google blog that apart from following specific people whose posts one wants to see, Buzz “recommends posts from people you’re not directly following, often ones where your friends are having a lively conversation in the comments.”
Monetising user data
It went on to say that besides checking out buzz from people you’re following, the location-aware mobile version will allow you to see nearby buzz from the people around you.
That, in a way, explains Google’s approach to social networking. Aggregate data from various sites, initiate conversation around it and maximise the ability to monetise user data.
It also shows what can go wrong when you inject private contacts into a public stream.
Explaining the integration with Gmail inbox and pre-existing contacts, Google in an email response said: “Even people who want to keep their inbox focused on professional correspondence might discover that it is beneficial to share articles about what’s going on in their industry.”
But that doesn’t explain why publishing one’s frequent contact list on Gmail wasn’t ‘opt-in;’ or why Google Reader, Picasa and GChat posts must automatically become part of one’s Buzz stream for all the world to see.
Modifications
Google quickly responded with modifications in all those areas. One can also delete Buzz using the tab in the ‘Settings’ page, which wasn’t available during launch. But it happened only after user outrage, only after the empire struck back.
Corporate take-over
Somewhere along the way, the online social movement has slowly turned into a corporate take-over, from Facebook’s Beacon to Google’s Buzz. From being virtual watering holes where people could meet up, social networking sites are increasingly moving towards monetizing means infringing on privacy — without consent.
There is a serious problem with any algorithm determining who my closest friends are using a frequently contacted list.
After all, it was the community that created @replies; it created the hash-tag interface; it sustains the amazing expanse of virtual identities, and only it can decide what the future will look like.Friday, February 19, 2010
Yahoo-Microsoft deal set, taking aim at Google
U.S. and European regulators have cleared the long-discussed Internet search partnership between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc., enabling the rivals to form a tag team as they try to mount a more serious challenge to Google Inc.
The government approvals announced on Thursday anointed an alliance that Microsoft and Yahoo proposed nearly seven months ago after years of flirtation and often contentious negotiations.
Microsoft first approached Yahoo about working together in late 2006 and again in 2007. In 2008, Microsoft launched a hostile bid to buy Yahoo in its entirety, only to withdraw the $47.5 billion offer in exasperation.
Microsoft is counting on the 10-year deal with Yahoo to provide more muscle as it tries to counter Google’s domination of the lucrative Internet search market. The companies make money by charging advertisers to pay to have their links appear when people search for certain terms.
While gaining access to Yahoo’s Internet search audience and advertisers is bound to help, it could still prove to be too little, too late.
The U.S. Department of Justice and European Commission had no problems with Microsoft and Yahoo working together largely because Google is so far ahead of them in the lucrative Internet search market.
Microsoft has been making some minor strides in the United States since it overhauled its search engine and renamed it Bing last summer. But the progress has primarily come at Yahoo’s expense.
It’s going to take a while before all the pieces of the complex Microsoft-Yahoo deal will be in place. The companies hope Microsoft’s technology will be ready to start processing search requests that people enter on Yahoo’s U.S. site by the end of this year. But getting everything ready around the rest of the world is expected to take until 2012.
Yahoo figures to make more money from the deal because it allows the company to keep 88 per cent of the revenue from search ads on its website during the first five years, while Microsoft absorbs most of the expenses. Yahoo estimates the partnership eventually could boost its annual operating profit by $500 million. The financial gains aren’t expected to start flowing to Yahoo until next year.
To start, Yahoo will get $150 million from Microsoft to help offset its expenses for the transition to a new technology. The payments will be made in instalments, with the first checks due before April.
Microsoft will also take on about 400 of Yahoo’s 13,900 employees, with the first transfers expected to take place this year.
“Although we are just at the beginning of this process, we have reached an exciting milestone,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said. “I believe that together, Microsoft and Yahoo will promote more choice, better value and greater innovation to our customers as well as to advertisers and publishers.”
Even though Microsoft’s technology will be steering things, Yahoo insists its search results and advertising won’t be identical to what’s served up on Bing. Yahoo can still shape the presentation of the results.
“This breakthrough search alliance means Yahoo can focus even more on our own innovative search experience,” said CEO Carol Bartz.
The government approvals announced on Thursday anointed an alliance that Microsoft and Yahoo proposed nearly seven months ago after years of flirtation and often contentious negotiations.
Microsoft first approached Yahoo about working together in late 2006 and again in 2007. In 2008, Microsoft launched a hostile bid to buy Yahoo in its entirety, only to withdraw the $47.5 billion offer in exasperation.
Microsoft is counting on the 10-year deal with Yahoo to provide more muscle as it tries to counter Google’s domination of the lucrative Internet search market. The companies make money by charging advertisers to pay to have their links appear when people search for certain terms.
While gaining access to Yahoo’s Internet search audience and advertisers is bound to help, it could still prove to be too little, too late.
The U.S. Department of Justice and European Commission had no problems with Microsoft and Yahoo working together largely because Google is so far ahead of them in the lucrative Internet search market.
Microsoft has been making some minor strides in the United States since it overhauled its search engine and renamed it Bing last summer. But the progress has primarily come at Yahoo’s expense.
It’s going to take a while before all the pieces of the complex Microsoft-Yahoo deal will be in place. The companies hope Microsoft’s technology will be ready to start processing search requests that people enter on Yahoo’s U.S. site by the end of this year. But getting everything ready around the rest of the world is expected to take until 2012.
Yahoo figures to make more money from the deal because it allows the company to keep 88 per cent of the revenue from search ads on its website during the first five years, while Microsoft absorbs most of the expenses. Yahoo estimates the partnership eventually could boost its annual operating profit by $500 million. The financial gains aren’t expected to start flowing to Yahoo until next year.
To start, Yahoo will get $150 million from Microsoft to help offset its expenses for the transition to a new technology. The payments will be made in instalments, with the first checks due before April.
Microsoft will also take on about 400 of Yahoo’s 13,900 employees, with the first transfers expected to take place this year.
“Although we are just at the beginning of this process, we have reached an exciting milestone,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said. “I believe that together, Microsoft and Yahoo will promote more choice, better value and greater innovation to our customers as well as to advertisers and publishers.”
Even though Microsoft’s technology will be steering things, Yahoo insists its search results and advertising won’t be identical to what’s served up on Bing. Yahoo can still shape the presentation of the results.
“This breakthrough search alliance means Yahoo can focus even more on our own innovative search experience,” said CEO Carol Bartz.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Google's virtual Trans-Siberian rail journey
It is the world’s most famous train journey, beginning in Moscow and ending in the dingy Pacific port of Vladivostok. Along the way are Russia’s most picturesque vistas: Siberian rivers, the elegantly curving Lake Baikal, and the hazy Barguzin mountains. There is also a lot of steppe.
But for those who always dreamed of travelling on the epic Trans-Siberian railway, but never quite managed to stir from the sofa, help is at hand: a new website that takes you on a virtual tour of the 9,203km route.
The multiplatform portal by Google Russia and Russian railways allows you to watch the view in real time as it unfolds from the train’s window. Simultaneously you can plot the locomotive’s virtual progress eastwards on a Google map, looking at the satellite view or tracking the actual terrain and mountains.
The video footage covers the whole six-day journey. You can choose different sounds to accompany it: the rumble of wheels, sugary Russian pop tunes, or the evocative playing of a balalaika. Alternatively, you can listen to readings (in Russian) of Leo Tolstoy’s 1,400-page War and Peace or Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls.
“We wanted to show the beauty of our country. The Trans—Siberian railway is Russia’s unique calling card. The idea was to bring the journey to people who may have thought about doing the trip but who never got round to booking it,” Alla Zabrovskaya, a spokeswoman for Google Russia, told the Guardian.
Asked what her favourite view was, she said: “Baikal. It made a big impression on me. It was a beautiful day when the video was shot, with brilliant sun and blue sky.
“Looking at the landscape is a very good way of relaxing.” The website, which launched last Thursday, had received “an avalanche” of positive reviews from all over the world via Twitter, she said.
Train fans can watch all 150 hours of the epic journey, which starts in Moscow, trundles past suburban orange tower blocks, and goes on through 12 Russian regions and 87 cities. For virtual travellers, of course, there is no need to queue for the loo or shower, and no danger of sharing a cabin with an omnipresent snorer. (The downside is that you don’t get the scalding black tea served in a silver-leaf and glass holder.) Alternatively, you can hop on and off, skipping to the highlights and diving into Russia’s rarely visited far east. The website also offers a virtual guide, DJ Yelena Abitayeva, who gives a three—minute tour of key cities if you click on a red TV icon.
She starts off in Moscow and ends up on Russky Island, one of the furthermost points of Russia’s sprawling empire.
In Ulan-Ude — six time zones from Moscow, and close to the Mongolian border — Yelena shows off a giant statue of Lenin’s head. She visits a Buddhist temple and spins some prayer wheels. In the background a cow wanders across the road as a Lada drives past.
Filming took place in August 2009, during Russia’s scorching summer, and was a major logistical feat. Two video crews were involved, shooting out of the window as the train rattled across half of Europe and most of Asia. Instead of the usual six days to reach Vladivostok, the camera team took 30 days, filming only in daylight and staying overnight in towns along the way.
“This project is very special. We want to demonstrate how unusual and fascinating Russia really is and how much it can offer to a devoted tourist. I know few people who travelled along the Trans-Siberian railroad but I am sure that a lot of people feel enthusiastic about this trip. That’s why we hope that this project will become the starting point not only for the virtual, but for real trips across Russia,” said Konstantin Kuzmin, the marketing director of Google Russia.
The project isn’t entirely without its flaws. The Moscow Times noted that “the simulated clickety-clacking of wheel over jointed track can become monotonous after a while”. But the paper also praised the site for cleverly showcasing Google’s latest technical advances, including the geo-tagged video allowing the trip to be plotted on a map in real time, and “the new YouTube support for ultra-high-definition video”.
Russian railways said yesterday (16FEB) that the Trans-Siberian Express remained extremely popular with foreign tourists, who make up 80% to 90% of its passengers. A one-way non-stop ticket costs 6,509 roubles (GBP145) for a basic seat, and 17,500 (GBP388) to 19,800 roubles (GBP440) for a bed in a shared carriage. Special tourist trains allowing you to stop off along the way cost more. Cheaper, and far easier, of course, to do it from home.
But for those who always dreamed of travelling on the epic Trans-Siberian railway, but never quite managed to stir from the sofa, help is at hand: a new website that takes you on a virtual tour of the 9,203km route.
The multiplatform portal by Google Russia and Russian railways allows you to watch the view in real time as it unfolds from the train’s window. Simultaneously you can plot the locomotive’s virtual progress eastwards on a Google map, looking at the satellite view or tracking the actual terrain and mountains.
The video footage covers the whole six-day journey. You can choose different sounds to accompany it: the rumble of wheels, sugary Russian pop tunes, or the evocative playing of a balalaika. Alternatively, you can listen to readings (in Russian) of Leo Tolstoy’s 1,400-page War and Peace or Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls.
“We wanted to show the beauty of our country. The Trans—Siberian railway is Russia’s unique calling card. The idea was to bring the journey to people who may have thought about doing the trip but who never got round to booking it,” Alla Zabrovskaya, a spokeswoman for Google Russia, told the Guardian.
Asked what her favourite view was, she said: “Baikal. It made a big impression on me. It was a beautiful day when the video was shot, with brilliant sun and blue sky.
“Looking at the landscape is a very good way of relaxing.” The website, which launched last Thursday, had received “an avalanche” of positive reviews from all over the world via Twitter, she said.
Train fans can watch all 150 hours of the epic journey, which starts in Moscow, trundles past suburban orange tower blocks, and goes on through 12 Russian regions and 87 cities. For virtual travellers, of course, there is no need to queue for the loo or shower, and no danger of sharing a cabin with an omnipresent snorer. (The downside is that you don’t get the scalding black tea served in a silver-leaf and glass holder.) Alternatively, you can hop on and off, skipping to the highlights and diving into Russia’s rarely visited far east. The website also offers a virtual guide, DJ Yelena Abitayeva, who gives a three—minute tour of key cities if you click on a red TV icon.
She starts off in Moscow and ends up on Russky Island, one of the furthermost points of Russia’s sprawling empire.
In Ulan-Ude — six time zones from Moscow, and close to the Mongolian border — Yelena shows off a giant statue of Lenin’s head. She visits a Buddhist temple and spins some prayer wheels. In the background a cow wanders across the road as a Lada drives past.
Filming took place in August 2009, during Russia’s scorching summer, and was a major logistical feat. Two video crews were involved, shooting out of the window as the train rattled across half of Europe and most of Asia. Instead of the usual six days to reach Vladivostok, the camera team took 30 days, filming only in daylight and staying overnight in towns along the way.
“This project is very special. We want to demonstrate how unusual and fascinating Russia really is and how much it can offer to a devoted tourist. I know few people who travelled along the Trans-Siberian railroad but I am sure that a lot of people feel enthusiastic about this trip. That’s why we hope that this project will become the starting point not only for the virtual, but for real trips across Russia,” said Konstantin Kuzmin, the marketing director of Google Russia.
The project isn’t entirely without its flaws. The Moscow Times noted that “the simulated clickety-clacking of wheel over jointed track can become monotonous after a while”. But the paper also praised the site for cleverly showcasing Google’s latest technical advances, including the geo-tagged video allowing the trip to be plotted on a map in real time, and “the new YouTube support for ultra-high-definition video”.
Russian railways said yesterday (16FEB) that the Trans-Siberian Express remained extremely popular with foreign tourists, who make up 80% to 90% of its passengers. A one-way non-stop ticket costs 6,509 roubles (GBP145) for a basic seat, and 17,500 (GBP388) to 19,800 roubles (GBP440) for a bed in a shared carriage. Special tourist trains allowing you to stop off along the way cost more. Cheaper, and far easier, of course, to do it from home.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Iran bans Gmail
Iran has banned Google’s Gmail service from the country, saying that it was launching a state run alternative to the popular web-based email site that would “build trust between people and the government”, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The paper said on Wednesday the move was announced by Iran’s telecommunications agency, but that it was unclear whether it had yet had an effect on the availability of Gmail in Iran.
The Gmail ban comes amid high tension between the government and the opposition, with the regime increasingly tracking the efforts of opposition supporters on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The report said that Gmail is one of the most popular of the western mail services in Iran, especially among young people who are among the strongest supporters of the opposition.
Google had no immediate comment on the report.
The paper said on Wednesday the move was announced by Iran’s telecommunications agency, but that it was unclear whether it had yet had an effect on the availability of Gmail in Iran.
The Gmail ban comes amid high tension between the government and the opposition, with the regime increasingly tracking the efforts of opposition supporters on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The report said that Gmail is one of the most popular of the western mail services in Iran, especially among young people who are among the strongest supporters of the opposition.
Google had no immediate comment on the report.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Google plans to launch store for online business software
Internet giant Google Inc is planning to launch a store for selling online business software, a media report says.
Attributing to people briefed by the company, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) stated, “Google Inc is preparing to launch a store selling online business software that integrates with its Web services, enlisting software developers in its battle against Microsoft Corp.”
The people in knowledge of the development said the store would sell business software designed by outside developers to integrate and add capabilities to Google Apps, such as enhanced security features or the ability to import contacts.
Google Apps provides web-based email, word-processing and spreadsheet functions.
“Google could announce the new store — a revamped version of its Solutions Marketplace site that features third—party programs — as soon as March,” the report said.
Google eventually plans to allow customers to purchase its partners’ software through the site, taking a cut for itself and sharing some revenue with developers, WSJ attributed the report as saying.
Moreover, Google would allow users to quickly access their purchased applications through the menu at the top of their screens within Gmail or Google Docs, it added.
According to Google, more than two million businesses are using the paid or free version of Google Apps.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Google’s Internet bus reaches Jaipur
Google’s Internet bus, meant to take the benefits of the Internet to the common man, began its journey in Rajasthan on Tuesday.
“The bus will travel across nine districts of the State in one month and provide Internet experience to the people of the State,” Sanjay Jain, project director, Google India, told a press conference here. “This endeavour will provide an opportunity to the emerging Internet users to experience and understand the power of Internet.”
“The bus, equipped with computers and Internet facilities, focusses on the themes of information, communication, entertainment and education. It will travel through Jaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Pali, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Sikar districts,” he said.
The bus would have informative contents in both English and Hindi to help the users understand how the Internet could be used for all of their needs, Mr. Jain said.
Beginning its journey from Chennai in February last year, the bus has reached out to more than 4,60,000 people, visiting 70 cities across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. “This year, it will travel across Hindi-speaking States in north India in the next couple of months,” Mr. Jain said.
“The bus will travel across nine districts of the State in one month and provide Internet experience to the people of the State,” Sanjay Jain, project director, Google India, told a press conference here. “This endeavour will provide an opportunity to the emerging Internet users to experience and understand the power of Internet.”
“The bus, equipped with computers and Internet facilities, focusses on the themes of information, communication, entertainment and education. It will travel through Jaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Pali, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Sikar districts,” he said.
The bus would have informative contents in both English and Hindi to help the users understand how the Internet could be used for all of their needs, Mr. Jain said.
Beginning its journey from Chennai in February last year, the bus has reached out to more than 4,60,000 people, visiting 70 cities across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. “This year, it will travel across Hindi-speaking States in north India in the next couple of months,” Mr. Jain said.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
China tells Google to obey laws after exit threat
Google must obey China’s laws and traditions, Beijing said on Tuesday, an indication officials won’t budge in negotiations after the search giant threatened to pull out of the country if Internet restrictions aren’t relaxed.
The comments from Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu were the first from Beijing that referred directly to Google Inc. since it threatened to shut down its China-based site over censorship and alleged e-mail hacking.
“Foreign enterprises in China need to adhere to China’s laws and regulations, respect the interests of the general public and cultural traditions and shoulder corresponding responsibilities. Google is no exception,” Mr. Ma said.
Google’s announcement on January 12 that it might quit the huge Chinese market shocked the international business community and cheered many free-speech advocates.
The Chinese government imposes strict Internet controls that communist leaders believe they need to protect their monopoly on power. Beijing blocks access to Web sites abroad run by human rights groups and dissidents and material deemed subversive or pornographic.
Google said last week it is hoping it can persuade the Chinese government to agree to changes that would enable Google.cn to show uncensored search results. If a compromise isn’t worked out within the next few weeks, the company intends to shut down its search engine and pull out.
Google has said it would hold talks with the government over the issue. Mr. Ma told a regular news conference he did not know if any talks had been held.
A pullout would be awkward for China. Chinese and foreign businesses rely on Google’s e-mail, maps and other services based abroad, which could lead to disruptions if authorities try to retaliate for a Google withdrawal by blocking access to its U.S. site.
Chinese filters blocked Google’s main site outright in 2002. Scientists pleaded that they needed it to find information online, and the government of then-President Jiang Zemin relented and eased access.
Google said last week that a sophisticated attack in December from China targeted the Mountain View, California-based company’s infrastructure and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China sent an e-mail on Monday to its members warning that reporters in at least two news bureaus in Beijing said their Gmail accounts had been broken into, with their e-mails surreptitiously forwarded to unfamiliar accounts. One of the accounts belonged to an Associated Press journalist.
Mr. Ma said China strictly prohibits computer hacking in any form.
The head of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba - in which Google rival Yahoo Inc. has a significant stake - said on Tuesday that foreign companies such as Google should not pull out of the Chinese market.
“It is easy to give up, but one must hang on,” said Jack Ma, chief executive of the Alibaba Group, commenting on the challenges in China.
“China will set the rule of game in the 21st century, and businesses must not go to the mainland for the profit motives only but rather to take part in setting the rules,” Mr. Ma told a business conference in Taipei, Taiwan.
Yahoo closed its offices in China several years ago when it sold much of its business to Alibaba Group. Yahoo retains a 39 percent stake in Alibaba, which represents one of Yahoo’s most valuable assets.
China’s online population has soared in recent years to 384 million people, bigger than the entire population of the United States. Google.cn, set up in 2005, trails local rival Baidu Inc., with a 35 percent market share to Baidu’s 60 percent.
The comments from Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu were the first from Beijing that referred directly to Google Inc. since it threatened to shut down its China-based site over censorship and alleged e-mail hacking.
“Foreign enterprises in China need to adhere to China’s laws and regulations, respect the interests of the general public and cultural traditions and shoulder corresponding responsibilities. Google is no exception,” Mr. Ma said.
Google’s announcement on January 12 that it might quit the huge Chinese market shocked the international business community and cheered many free-speech advocates.
The Chinese government imposes strict Internet controls that communist leaders believe they need to protect their monopoly on power. Beijing blocks access to Web sites abroad run by human rights groups and dissidents and material deemed subversive or pornographic.
Google said last week it is hoping it can persuade the Chinese government to agree to changes that would enable Google.cn to show uncensored search results. If a compromise isn’t worked out within the next few weeks, the company intends to shut down its search engine and pull out.
Google has said it would hold talks with the government over the issue. Mr. Ma told a regular news conference he did not know if any talks had been held.
A pullout would be awkward for China. Chinese and foreign businesses rely on Google’s e-mail, maps and other services based abroad, which could lead to disruptions if authorities try to retaliate for a Google withdrawal by blocking access to its U.S. site.
Chinese filters blocked Google’s main site outright in 2002. Scientists pleaded that they needed it to find information online, and the government of then-President Jiang Zemin relented and eased access.
Google said last week that a sophisticated attack in December from China targeted the Mountain View, California-based company’s infrastructure and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China sent an e-mail on Monday to its members warning that reporters in at least two news bureaus in Beijing said their Gmail accounts had been broken into, with their e-mails surreptitiously forwarded to unfamiliar accounts. One of the accounts belonged to an Associated Press journalist.
Mr. Ma said China strictly prohibits computer hacking in any form.
The head of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba - in which Google rival Yahoo Inc. has a significant stake - said on Tuesday that foreign companies such as Google should not pull out of the Chinese market.
“It is easy to give up, but one must hang on,” said Jack Ma, chief executive of the Alibaba Group, commenting on the challenges in China.
“China will set the rule of game in the 21st century, and businesses must not go to the mainland for the profit motives only but rather to take part in setting the rules,” Mr. Ma told a business conference in Taipei, Taiwan.
Yahoo closed its offices in China several years ago when it sold much of its business to Alibaba Group. Yahoo retains a 39 percent stake in Alibaba, which represents one of Yahoo’s most valuable assets.
China’s online population has soared in recent years to 384 million people, bigger than the entire population of the United States. Google.cn, set up in 2005, trails local rival Baidu Inc., with a 35 percent market share to Baidu’s 60 percent.
Google creates centralized missing people finder for quake-hit Haiti
Web search giant Google has created a centralized search system for tracking down people missing in the Haitian earthquake, the company announced Monday in a blog posting.
The new platform incorporates the major people search services that sprang up in the U.S. media in the days following the devastating temblor. However though news sites like CNN and The Miami Herald and The New York Times all collected similar information, people may not find each other if they’re looking in the wrong places online.
The new service overcomes that problem and is built to easily integrate into other media sites to become the central trove of information about missing people and those looking for them.
Google’s missing people finder — available in English, French and Creole — was developed in under 36 hours by Google engineers “in consultation with the U.S. State Department,” according to details distributed by the company.
The international community was bracing for a possible death toll between 1,50,000 and 2,00,000 from the strong earthquake, according to U.S. Lieutenant General P.K. Keen, who is in command of U.S. military relief efforts.
Google reacted swiftly to the disaster updating its Google Earth application with up-to-date imagery soon after the earthquake struck in order to help aid organizations assess the damage.
The new platform incorporates the major people search services that sprang up in the U.S. media in the days following the devastating temblor. However though news sites like CNN and The Miami Herald and The New York Times all collected similar information, people may not find each other if they’re looking in the wrong places online.
The new service overcomes that problem and is built to easily integrate into other media sites to become the central trove of information about missing people and those looking for them.
Google’s missing people finder — available in English, French and Creole — was developed in under 36 hours by Google engineers “in consultation with the U.S. State Department,” according to details distributed by the company.
The international community was bracing for a possible death toll between 1,50,000 and 2,00,000 from the strong earthquake, according to U.S. Lieutenant General P.K. Keen, who is in command of U.S. military relief efforts.
Google reacted swiftly to the disaster updating its Google Earth application with up-to-date imagery soon after the earthquake struck in order to help aid organizations assess the damage.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
US to serve demarche to China on Google
Observing that China needs to explain about internet freedom, the Obama Administration on Saturday said it would serve a formal demarche to the Chinese Government over the spat with Google.
The Internet search engine has alleged Chinese attempts to "limit free speech on the Web", and threatened to stop cooperating with Chinese Internet censorship and consider shutting down its operations in China.
"We need to hear now from the Chinese," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
"We are anxious to hear from them. I think Google will keep us apprised on their next steps as it relates to China as well," he said.
"We will be issuing a formal demarche to the Chinese Government in Beijing on this issue in the coming days, probably early next week," the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley, said.
"It will express our concern for this incident and request information from China as to an explanation of how it happened and what they plan to do about it," Crowley said.
The State Department official said the US will continue to talk to China on this issue.
"It touches on things that are very important to us: Internet freedom, network security and human rights," he said.
The Internet search engine has alleged Chinese attempts to "limit free speech on the Web", and threatened to stop cooperating with Chinese Internet censorship and consider shutting down its operations in China.
"We need to hear now from the Chinese," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
"We are anxious to hear from them. I think Google will keep us apprised on their next steps as it relates to China as well," he said.
"We will be issuing a formal demarche to the Chinese Government in Beijing on this issue in the coming days, probably early next week," the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley, said.
"It will express our concern for this incident and request information from China as to an explanation of how it happened and what they plan to do about it," Crowley said.
The State Department official said the US will continue to talk to China on this issue.
"It touches on things that are very important to us: Internet freedom, network security and human rights," he said.
