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Filed under: Business, Developer, Internet, Features, Web services, Google, Googleholic, web 2.0

Googleholic for January 22, 2008


Welcome to Googleholic - your bi-weekly fix of everything Google!

This edition covers:
  • Google reworks Adsense, again... and again
  • Blogger users can use Blogger url as OpenID
  • Google still bidding for the 700 Mhz spectrum in FCC auction
Google reworks Adsense, again... and again
Much commotion ensued after Google Adsense decided that publishers who send referrals from outside of North America, Latin America, or Japan would be retired. This in addition to announcing that several referral bonuses were to be discontinued made for quite a bit of a storm in the blogosphere. Google, hearing the outcry of the community, quickly made some amendments: as long as the referral is located within North America, Latin America, or Japan, it does not matter where the publisher is located. But still, no more bonuses.

Read more →

Filed under: Internet, P2P

The $1.77 trillion FCC fine for Comcast - Official inquiry begins

Comcast, you're fineLast week, news broke that Comcast may be paying a steep FCC fine to the tune of $1.77 trillion dollars for throttling peer-to-peer traffic such as BitTorrent. Yesterday, Comcast confirmed that it has received official word that it is under the investigation of the FCC, but an FCC spokesman would not confirm the letter, saying that "Enforcement Bureau communications of this type were not to be made public," according to Multichannel News.

If you had hopes that Comcast is going to be held responsible for even a fraction of that $1.77 trillion, think again. Although it made some ripples in the blogosphere, Comcast will most likely wiggle out of this one just fine. Apparently, FCC policies aren't exactly formal "rules" and as such are flexible when it comes to "network management."

So what does Comcast say? Naturally, that they are in accordance with FCC policies since "reasonable network management is necessary for the good of all customers." In other words, it's fine if we throttle your BitTorrent connection since it's for the good of all. Wonderful. They are probably going to resolve this all over a cup of coffee anyway. "Oh that neutrality thing? Yea, you know, peak times, things get busy, networks need to be managed - always have to keep in mind the common good, right?"

[via paidContent.org]

Filed under: Business, Google

Chances are, Google Phone won't show up at the Verizon Store

As Google and Verizon are locked in a tiff over the way 700 MHz radio spectrum is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, it looks less and less likely that we're going to see the forthcoming Google Phone at wireless retail stores when it finally hits the market. Google contends that the licensee of the radio spectrum should be forced to sell "unlocked" devices, therefore permitting open applications on their network, a move which would certainly benefit Google and other powers whose bread and butter is mainly software.

Verizon, on the other hand, argues that they don't need to make unlocked phones available, since it's possible to get unlocked phones from other sources. Google's response? Big carrier retail sells 95% of the phones in North America, so arguably less than 5% of available phones are unlocked and open. Google, of course, isn't accustomed to having access to just 5% of the market these days. Nevertheless, the spectrum license reads as follows (quoted from Google's public policy blog):

"[Licensee] shall not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of their customers to use the devices and applications of their choice."

It's a clash of business models. Verizon makes money by selling applications they control. Google makes money by giving applications away and monetizing the mindshare they gain by doing so. Wireless is a wild frontier for somebody like Google, because the power brokers in the cellular industry don't want to compete with new players from other spaces, like a search engine company.

Bottom line, it doesn't look like the Google Phone is going to be on Verizon's store shelves, and something tells me Google isn't about to start a retail chain of its own.

Filed under: Business, VoIP

FCC says VoIP providers are just like other telecoms


If you happened to be in the offices of Vonage, Packet8, SunRocket, or any other VoIP provider today, you most likely were witness to some high-fives and knuckle-taps by their top executives. The reason for that is that the FCC has ruled/declared/said that VoIP providers should be treated the same as your friendly neighborhood telecom which, according to one FCC honcho, means that VoIP-ers will be able to get access to the local phone company's lines, especially those designated for long distance.

What does this all mean? Really not a whole lot at this point, but the fact that the FCC says that VoIP providers should be treated the same as other telecoms may induce more consumers to jump ship from their local phone provider and go VoIP. Chairman Kevin Martin says this will increase competition when it comes to the phone service market. However, we'll have to see a greater increase in consumers opting for broadband internet access before this decision will have some real impact to it.

Filed under: News, VoIP

Skype asks FCC to open up cell phone networks

SkypeSo you've got that fancy new smartphone, and you've got an unlimited data plan from your wireless provider. What's the first thing you want to do? Install Skype for Windows Mobile and start making cheap international phone calls over your data connection without paying exorbitant service fees for international calls.

Okay, maybe that's not the first thing, but it's up there. Unfortunately, most mobile service providers include provisions in their end user agreements that prevent customers from using their data plans to make VoIP calls. Well, it looks like Skype is hoping to change that.

The company filed a petition with the FCC on Wednesday asking the commission to make wireless companies drop that restriction. Apparently back in the 60s, the FCC enacted rules allowing customers to hook pretty much any device up to their telephone as long as it didn't hurt the network. This was a reaction to the AT&T monopoly at the time. Nowadays, as telcos continue buying each other out, we're getting closer and closer to monopoly territory, making me think Skype's got a good case. That, and it'd be really cool if they win.

[via Engadget]

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

View more Time Wasters

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