Google Apps to Cut Off Support to Older BrowsersWhile the elimination of support for Firefox 3.5 and earlier and Safari 3 and earlier won’t affect many users, the latest figures from NetMarketShare show that IE7 is still pulling 7 percent of the browser market. Beyond that, IE6, which Google dropped support for last year, is still claiming a healthy 10.36 percent, second only to IE8. All told, Google is eliminating support to 17.4 percent of the browser market merely by cutting off IE7 and below.

It’d be tempting to view this as a move by Google to slap at its rival Microsoft, but the announcement makes no pitch for users to switch to Google’s Chrome browser. Rather, it asks users to “get the latest version of [their] favorite browser.”

Instead, the announcement emphasizes the importance of the security and compatibility fixes offered in newer browsers, and for that, Google deserves some kudos. As the use of Web apps continues to grow, so too do the security and compatibility issues that Web apps bring, and using old browser versions exacerbates those vulnerabilities. It may be frustrating for some users to have to upgrade, but it’s a good thing for Web app providers to force a browser upgrade now and then, if only to keep users from suffering a security breach and to be able to leverage the best new technologies.

The Kogan Agora Laptop powered by Chromium OS goes on sale today for £269 in the United Kingdom and $349 in Australia and ships direct to customers next week.

Kogan’s Chromium OS Laptop is based on the popular Agora hardware, adds a Solid State Drive, lets users operate entirely in the cloud, and boots in 4.5 seconds.

Ruslan Kogan said the world-first product was testament to Kogan’s efficiency and agility.

“We’ve been able to beat the rest of the world to bring the first commercially available laptop running Google’s Chromium OS.

“Google’s Chromium OS is an open source project, making it a constant work in progress. This means the system will improve over time and new features and improvements will keep getting introduced by the open source community.

“While Chromium is still in its early stages, we know the operating system is innovative technology which represents the future of computing. It may take some getting used to for some to operate entirely in the cloud, but the massive benefits for the end user are driving acceptance of entirely web-based services.

“What we’ve found from talking to our customers is that many of them are already using cloud services without even realising it. They’re uploading photos to services like Flickr, storing all their contacts in Gmail, and even hosting files on DropBox.

“Loading up a laptop with Google’s open source software can be strange at first. However it’s clear that everyone from casual users to pros are embracing cloud services with all their personal computing needs.

“The real beauty is that no matter which Chromium powered computer you’re on anywhere in the world, it will appear exactly as you expect, tailored to your needs. Google is also working hard to ensure that Chrome integrates seamlessly with all Android based devices.

“Samsung and Acer announced Chromebooks based on Chromium OS last month, but we’ve beaten them to market. Kogan is the most agile consumer electronics manufacturer in the world. We react faster to market trends than anyone else.

“The first Kogan Agora Laptops powered by Google’s Chromium OS will be in customer’s hands next week and we’re very excited. Our business has already been operating entirely in the cloud for years!” Kogan said.

For more information on Google’s open source Chromium OS project, which powers the Kogan Agora Chromium OS Laptop: http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os

About Kogan

Kogan is a designer, manufacturer and retailer of consumer electronics. Kogan’s streamlined business model allows us to bring the latest and best consumer electronics and home appliances direct to the door of smart shoppers through kogan.com.au and kogan.co.uk. We engage our customers through our blog, Facebook and Twitter, and release new products based on the feedback we receive. We believe there is always a better way to create and deliver the technology people want.

+1 allows surfers to flag up content they approve of, and that content is then recommended to your friends and other connections. Initially its been limited to search results on Google’s own pages, but the idea has always been to promote it as an alternative to the Facebook “Like” button. What’s been unclear so far is when, exactly, that promotion would take place.

With Clearspring’s gaffe, however, and TechCrunch confirming that they were all set to be under Google embargo until later today, it seems the +1 spread is almost upon us. Whether Google can supplant the “Like”button remains to be seen, but given its dominance in search we wouldn’t be surprised to see it springing up alongside Facebook’s sharing tool across sites very soon.

As for where Google fits with those three key rivals, Schmidt says the search company has “tried very hard to partner with Facebook” and that the social network has “done a number of things which I admire.” He’s particularly keen on how Facebook handles user-identity, with the imminent +1 for websites launch described as “not directly” chasing the social network but obviously an attempt to build Google’s social strategy. Nonetheless, Schmidt says he takes the blame for Google’s slow reaction to online identity, saying he recently dug out a four year old memo saying the company must address the issue but that “I failed to do it.” “A CEO should take responsibility” he admits, “I screwed up.”

“I’m not sure what to say about Microsoft and Nokia” Schmidt demurred, questioned about the two companies’ partnership on Windows Phone, expected to lead to the first Nokia WP7.1 device in Q4 this year. “We would have loved and we would still love to have Nokia be an Android licensee.” As Schmidt sees it, one of the main challenges facing Windows Phone and platforms other than Android and iOS is developer investment: “many people do not have a third choice” to build apps beyond the Apple and Google platforms, since simply catering for those two is a considerable amount of work.

Meanwhile, a demo of Google Wallet revealed that, while it will initially demand an Android phone, Schmidt envisages it spreading to other platforms in the future. “Within a few years almost all of us will be using this mechanism” he claims, pointing to the fact that the necessary chip could be embedded in a sticker slapped on the back of any handset.

Questioned on Android and Chrome OS, Schmidt again said that the former is for touch devices and the latter is for keyboard devices like the upcoming Chromebooks. “There’s a possible merge point in the future” he admits, but right now they’re different devices. Similarly, while developers may be considering dropping specific iOS and Android app programs and instead looking to generic HTML5 apps, Schmidt thinks that would be premature: something many years away from now.

Finally, the Google chairman made a few comments about security, pointing out that Chromebooks would be more internet-protected thanks to the features in the Chrome browser. “You could also use a Mac instead of a PC” to be more virus-resilient, he quipped.

Surely profiting from a giant TV audience and some Lionel Messi brilliance, the ‘Dear Hollie’ ad is a reworking of the US’ ‘Dear Sophie’ marketing campaign. It captures real-life footage of a father tracking his daughter’s development from birth onwards, by using Gmail, You Tube and Google Maps to map milestones in her life. The American version has already pulled in nearly 1.2m views on You Tube in only three weeks.

It’s a sentimental 90-second offering, that will get even the hardest techie wiping a tear from their eye, and sees the Big G following Apple’s emotive style of advertising, most recently seen in the FaceTime ads.

Over the pond, Google have already used Lady Gaga to advertise their Chrome browser and it has also run ads during the SuperBowl, one of the most expensive advertising slots of the year.

It represents a new tack from Google in the UK, which has regularly advertised on print and billboard platforms, but has not tried to so obviously tap into the mainstream audience. This marketing push seems to be working as its Google’s Chrome Browser is steadily making up ground on Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, pushing 11% of the market, only three years from launch.

“Bedier and Google have misappropriated PayPal trade secrets by disclosing them within Google and to major retailers,” Bloomberg cites PayPal’s suit as saying.

Also named in the suit is Stephanie Tilenius, who also left her position at PayPal to go and work for Google. Tilenius supposedly breached her contract by recruiting Bedier and Bedier is thought to have hired away PayPal employees too.

Unnamed PayPal sources that spoke to GigaOm say Bedier, who previously led PayPal’s mobile payment and point-of-sale efforts, had access to information regarding technologies, strategies and partnerships for PayPal’s own venture. In fact, Bedier was apparently leading talks with Google regarding the possibility of PayPal becoming the prime payment option for Android and at the same time interviewing with Google for the mobile payments job. Assuming all this is true, it’s hard to see how Bedier would be able to keep that information separate from his work on a very similar product at Google. Throw in the fact that PayPal is supposedly preparing to make a “sweeping product announcement in the coming days relating to open commerce platforms and mobile payments” and it’s easy to see why they might be feeling a little peeved.

For its part, Google has said it will defend itself against the allegations.

“Silicon Valley was built on the ability of individuals to use their knowledge and expertise to seek better employment opportunities, an idea recognized by both California law and public policy,” Google spokesman Aaron Zamost is quoted as saying. “We respect trade secrets, and will defend ourselves against these claims.”