Those looking to photo-bomb Google’s Street View will have a bit farther to travel: the 360-degree panoramic mapping service is heading for the Amazon river. READ MORE
Google has reached a $500 million settlement to close the books on charges from the federal government that the search giant hosted U.S. advertisements for Canadian pharmacies known to be fraudulent. READ MORE
While many of us have been focused on Google+ and its challenge to Facebook, little attention has been given to what this means in terms of SEO, says PowerReviews SVP of sales and marketing, Cathy Halligan. She notes that Google+ isn’t just a challenge to Facebook in the social networking space, but is a reflection of how Google views—and uses—user-generated content (UGC). READ MORE
If you haven’t figured out why you keep hearing about Google+, there’s good reason the newest social network is hanging on. Defining “what’s the big deal,” after polling Google+ users, Mashable Founder and CEO Pete Cashmore wrote a piece for CNN in which he comes up with “10 Things it Does Better:” READ MORE
Google has begun launching a new badge program for celebrities, public figures, and others who have been added to many circles, to verify their identities on Google+. READ MORE
Could this be the first step in moving all magazines to digital tablet-format? Google released a free iPad app called Google Catalogs, which allows users to window shop familiar glossy print publications that were previously exclusive to print magazines, such as Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, L.L. Bean, and others. READ MORE
If you come across something called “Google++” run the other way. In a sign that the new social network really has arrived, Google+ has its first malware: A trojan masquerading as an Android Google+ app under the name Google++. Fortunately, it’s not found in the Android Market, but must be downloaded from another site. READ MORE
The Google/Facebook rivalry reached a new low this week when Google released a video showing how Google+ invites posted by Facebook users failed to show up on their friends’ news streams, even though more innocuous messages, such as “hey!” appeared without a glitch. Vic Gundrota, SVP of social business for Google posted about it on Google+–where else?–and several commenters reported the same problem. READ MORE
The competition between Facebook and Google+ may come down to little animated birds, virtual farms, and Scrabble-like word games. READ MORE
Follow these tips from OPEN Forum to turn your company’s website into a professional homepage that makes a great first impression. READ MORE
