Google’s Smart Captioning Move
Posted on March 5, 2010 |
Google’s captioning initiative has now expanded to all uploaded English-speaking videos, with more languages to be added later this year.
By Guest Blogger Suzanne Robitaille
Ah, video and search. Frank Sinatra said it best: Try, try, try to separate them – it’s an illusion. Here’s proof of that: Speech Technology. This week, Google sealed the deal on video search capabilities for its YouTube portal, saying it would provide auto-captions for all of its uploaded videos using proprietary Google's Speech Technology.
Google’s initiative, piloted in November, began with a handful of partner channels including PBS, Stanford University and National Geographic. It has now expanded to all uploaded English-speaking videos, with more languages to be added later this year.
With this news, Google establishes itself as a frontrunner in the Internet programming space. As a company built on search, search, and more search, Google is now able to capitalize on its investment in speech-to-text technology to index videos, target advertising and create an actual profit margin for YouTube. In fact, video search is likely why Google acquired YouTube in the first place.
The bigger news is that auto-captions will have clear benefits for the deaf and hearing-impaired population, who now will be able to better understand dialogue on uploaded videos. Up to now, this group had to rely on the goodwill of YouTube users to manually add captions to their videos. A time-consuming process, most users didn’t bother to do so.
At a press conference on Thursday, YouTube says accessibility is a key goal for the years to come. Even as Google touts a serious business purpose for auto-captions – search -- it’s not hard to also believe in their commitment to making their products and services more usable for more of their customers.
Furthermore, Google is now removed from any ill will associated with Internet programming issues – such as the ones plaguing network and cable broadcasters. On March 17, the Federal Communications Commission will unveil a proposed broadband plan that is designed to ensure, or at least improve, equal access to Web TV and movie programming for people with disabilities, which could including requiring captions.
Meanwhile, a House congressional committee is mulling the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 that would make captions for the deaf and audio descriptions for the blind into law for Internet broadcasters. The bill is backed by nearly 240 disability organizations known as the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology.
TV broadcasters – unlike Google – already have transcripts available to them – either on paper or in the form of regular TV closed captions, which have been required for almost all programming since 1990. And ABC has publicly committed to captioning all long-form content – so the heat is on everyone else.
While YouTube videos are technically outside of the FCC’s realm, consumers don’t see it that way – and they shouldn’t. That makes Google’s auto-captioning move financially savvy, and buys them consumer altruism at a time when broadcasters are facing down a potentially ugly battle over access issues.
This post was written by guest blogger Suzanne Robitaille. Robitaille is the founder and publisher of abledbody.com, a website covering assistive technology issues. She is the author of The Illustrated Guide to Assistive Technology.
Android Doubles U.S. Market Share
Posted on February 9, 2010 |
Android operating system for smartphones has more than doubled its market share in the U.S. between September and December, according to comScore's survey of more than 30,000 consumers aged 13 and up.
Android's market share rose from 2.5% in September to 5.2% in December, while BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, Microsoft and Palm lost ground in the U.S. smartphones market, according to comScore. Developed by a consortium of companies lead by Google, Android has gained traction thanks to the introduction of a slew of new handsets that run it, including Google Nexus One and the popular Motorola Droid.
But while Motorola's new smartphones enjoyed good traction this fall, that didn't prevent the company from losing more market share in the fourth quarter, as sales of its cheaper phones slowed down further. The world’s largest handset maker, Nokia, lost share as well. The company said recently that it has gained share worldwide, but it’s still having trouble cracking the U.S. market.
Research In Motion, on the other hand, actually gained cell phone market share, as more Americans switched to smartphones and picked up popular handsets like BlackBerry Pearl and Curve, according to comScore. LG gained share as well.
The biggest gainer in handsets, though? Samsung, whose market share expanded from 20.4% of the U.S. market in September to 21.2% in December, according to comScore’s Feb. 8 report. Samsung has continued to come out with highly capable yet inexpensive phones that have been a hit at AT&T, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless. At Verizon, Samsung Omnia, a Windows Mobile-based smartphone, sells for only $10 after an online discount and with a two-year contract. The phone features a 5 Megapixel camera, a touch screen and full Web browser.
Google Improves Nexus One Customer Care
Posted on February 9, 2010 |
Google is taking steps to address customer support problems that cropped up soon after the release of its Nexus One, a phone that Google currently only sells online. On Feb. 8, Google began providing phone support in addition to existing efforts to solve problems through online forums.
Until recently, customers who had problems or questions -- and wanted to talk to a customer service representative -- had to call the phone’s maker, HTC, if their questions concerned the hardware. Or they had to call T-Mobile USA to inquire about service. Now, Google has begun also offering phone support for customers with questions on existing or pending orders, at 888-48-NEXUS (63987). It’s a small but important step toward making consumers comfortable with buying phones online vs. through carriers, as they normally do today.
Flurry: Google Sold 20,000 Nexus Ones In First Week
Posted on January 13, 2010 |
Google sold 20,000 units of its new Nexus One smartphone in the first week since the phone was introduced on Jan. 5, estimates Flurry, which tracks applications loaded onto new mobile devices.
At first glance, that may not seem like much. Apple sold 1.6 million iPhone 3GS devices in the first week. Motorola sold 250,000 Droid handsets in the first week they became available last November. But here's a difference: iPhone carrier AT&T and Droid carrier Verizon Wireless have spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting the devices in their TV ads, on the radio, and online. Google and its partners, T-Mobile USA and HTC, have spent virtually no money on advertising the Nexus. Google has promoted the phone on its search page. For a phone promoted and sold exclusively online, Nexus One has likely done quite well.
The unit volume may also have been affected by some stumbles, as Google and its partners figure out the best way to sell phones online. Some Nexus buyers have complained of confusing customer service and other issues. Some potential buyers may be waiting for Google and its partners to iron out the wrinkles before snapping up the device.
Google Promotes Nexus One on Google.com
Posted on January 6, 2010 |
Google's Nexus One is being promoted on a piece of prime online search real estate that no advertiser normally has access to. U.S. users going to Google.com today can see a promotion for Nexus One right underneath the search box. Next to a tiny icon of the phone, are the words, "Experience Nexus One, the new Android phone from Google."
The placement is significant, as many analysts have had doubts about Google's ability to sell many units of the Nexus online. Today, most Americans buy their phones directly from carriers. The carriers spend millions to advertise the phones in TV, radio and newspaper ads. Google, meanwhile, announced it will promote Nexus One online only.
If, however, Nexus One gets promoted on the Google.com page, that could be more effective that even the TV ads in driving traffic to the new Google phone store. The page accounts for more than 71% of all U.S. online searches, according to consultant Hitwise. Several hundred million people access Google properties daily. If even a small percentage of them checks Nexus One out and buys the device, Google could beat all cell-phone sales records.
