racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Another Google Service is about to bite the dust: Google video will be permanently closing shop on April 29.

Although uploading to video.google.com was ended last May 2009, people were still able to view previously uploaded videos. Google emailed all who uploaded their videos to the site to download from Google Video and upload the videos to Youtube.

On April 29, 2011, videos that have been uploaded to Google Video will no longer be available for playback. We’ve added a Download button to the video status page, so you can download any video content you want to save. If you don’t want to download your content, you don’t need to do anything. (The Download feature will be disabled after May 13, 2011.)

We encourage you to move to your content to YouTube if you haven’t done so already.

It’s curious as to why Google just doesn’t transfer videos on their own and is requiring that users download and upload them individually. We’ll see if Google makes it easier for users to do so.

[Article via: Techcrunch | Image via:Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)]

For Larry Page of Google, money is a big motivator. At least, that’s what his supposed internal memo reads.

With Google losing on the social aspect of the Internet, Larry Page wants to start this new quarter with a notice: Your bonus is ties to “social” ‘s performance:

In a document titled “2011 Bonus Multiplier,” Page tells his staff that “we all have a stake in the success of this effort and this multiplier is designed to reflect that.”

Will this motivate “thinkers” like software engineers to do better or will it make it even worse? Is money the only way to motivate Google’s employees to do their best? What do you think?

[Article via: PCMag | Image via: Creative Commons (Public Domain)]

Google has decided not to release the source code for Honeycomb, the latest Android version.

Despite being touted by Google that Android is an opensource project, it seems to be violating its own marketing campaign. Android is based on Linux–a GPL compliant kernel–and therefore the source code must be released to the public. The company says that it isn’t releasing the code for now because of the reasons below:

Android 3.0, Honeycomb, was designed from the ground up for devices with larger screen sizes and improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization. While we’re excited to offer these new features to Android tablets, we have more work to do before we can deliver them to other device types including phones. Until then, we’ve decided not to release Honeycomb to open source. We’re committed to providing Android as an open platform across many device types and will publish the source as soon as it’s ready.

Questions abound at what will happen to the next version of Android. With Ice Cream coming, will people still wait for the Honeycomb source code to be released? Will it also be opensource or not? These questions can only be answered when the Ice Cream comes around the corner.

[Article via: Engadget | Image via: Jake Maymar]

Google will let users of its free online services such as Gmail to pass through a second form of verification when it comes to logging in.

Two-factor authentication—this is the term used by Google to refer to its innovation in terms of Google accounts security. Once the user logs into the Gmail panel, a one-time password will be sent to him via text message or voice call. In order to access the account, an additional code is required apart from the input of user name and password.

Last September, Google Apps customers had the first bite of the additional security measure.

Simply go to the “Settings” panel for users to activate the two-factor authentication of Google.

[via Hacking Expose]

So, can you hack Google Chrome?

Google is rewarding $20,000 to anyone who can hack its Chrome browser.

The multinational public corporation bids $20,000 for any skilled hack that can go beyond the vulnerability of the browser. The hacking contest will be held at the Pwn2Own 2011 event from March 9 to March 11.

Pwn2Own is an annual computer hacking contest organized by security software company TippingPoint as part of the CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver, BC.

It is the first time that a third-party sponsor offers the cash prize for hacks. TippingPoint gave the cash prizes during the past Pwn2Own events.

[via ZDNet]