Google is to launch a new cloud storage service called ‘Google Drive’ next week, according to reports.
People will be able to pay for more storage, but prices are not yet known, Read Write Web reported.
It is expected to allow users to put their files into Google Drive and access them on their desktop, mobile phone or tablet. The report stated that the service will work on Mac, Windows, Android and iOS – all via drive.google.com.
Watch out, Facebook. Google is making its own game for Google+ … and it involves maps.
Yesterday, the company released a video of the new game, which takes advantage of its Google Maps product. The video shows a cube with a map overlay. A small blue ball travels through the map based on the spinning and tilting of the cube. Judging by the video, it seems players will have to move through the map, hitting certain destinations to collect points along the way. When a destination is hit, a small piece of information about the place pops up, then you can go on to your next.
Google introduced games to its social network Google+ in August. Facebook, Google+’s major competitor, integrated gaming applications onto its platform long ago and has made a very successful business of it. In fact, Zynga, now a social gaming powerhouse with titles like Castleville and Farmville, recently debuted as a public company on the Nasdaq. Google+ didn’t wait the shadows for too long, however, and quickly attracted big gaming companies such as PopCap and Zynga to its own social network.
More at: http://venturebeat.com/2012/01/11/google-plus-maps-game/?obref=obinsite
Burberry isn’t wasting any time, getting knee-deep in all the social media it can find. Its Spring/Summer 2012 collection will be live-tweeted from the official Twitter account, and using the hashtag #Tweetwalk right before it hits the runway, in what has been dubbed the first ever Tweetwalk Show. Burberry will be taking full advantage of Twitter’s new gallery feature, where 500,000+ followers will be catching the very first glimpse of the collection, before anyone else – and that includes the people who are at the show in London’s Hyde Park.
Twitter isn’t the only social network that’s getting in on Burberry’s fashion firsts. Burberry has over 8 million fans on Facebook, and the entire show will be streamed in HD through the social network, as well as on the company’s own site, viewable on the iPhone and iPad.
The conference concluded with a focus on major merchants and explored their needs and wants for new payment types. Representatives from Walmart, 7-Eleven, Inc., Macy’s and SUBWAY Restaurants each explained how they were looking for reduced costs, reduced lines, reliability, security, easy implementation and low maintenance associated with any new payment mechanism they deploy. In addition, they want the system to include the ability to offer rewards and promotions near-store and in-store.
That’s a pretty tall order for any new payment solution. Are the merchants being unreasonable? After all, each has tens of thousands of POS locations to worry about, employee training, employee turnover, software changes to make, capital decisions on hardware, and so on. Looking at it from that perspective, one can see why these retailers are among the many that brought extra comfortable lawn chairs to the battlefield sidelines. Maybe it won’t be such a quick war after all.
