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Google News Launches Facebook Application

Posted by Zonk on from the so-...-goobook-huh dept.

NewsCloud writes "Eight days after Google CEO Eric Schmidt told Zeitgeist conference attendees that social networks account for an 'enormous proportion [of Internet usage]...it's a very real phenomenon,' Google News has launched its own Facebook application. Says Google News: 'This experimental application enables users to create custom sections or select from a set of pre-defined topics, then browse and share stories with their friends on Facebook. We are trying a couple things differently with this application, and it is still in beta, but we think that it adds value to the Facebook experience and to users' overall news experience.' Check out Google News on Facebook (requires registration) — or view screenshots."

9 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. Still in beta by r_jensen11 · · Score: 5, Funny

    We are trying a couple things differently with this application, and it is still in beta, but...

    What of Google's isn't in beta?

    1. Re:Still in beta by chinkuone · · Score: 5, Funny

      Would you rather have Excel 2007 ?

    2. Re:Still in beta by suv4x4 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      > We are trying a couple things differently with this application, and it is still in beta, but...

      What of Google's isn't in beta?

      They lack direction. Their direction used to be better search, now it's just "more ad clicks in more places". The rest of their portfolio appears truly random to me, which it may very well be, as it consists mostly of "20% off time" projects left in the labs, or as early beta, or late beta.

      Looks like the 20% time has side effects. Microsoft has been bashed here regularly for its strategy of entering in all markets it possibly can and observing "what sticks", but now Google is in the same situation, even more so.

      Some random Google projects, which were abandoned while stuck in perpetual beta status:

      Google Gears (the page say "early beta")
      Google Video (looks like they recycled some of the tech in YouTube and left the rest stagnate)
      Google Talk (what happened to this thing? They virtually abandoned it, and there are some known issues still not fixed in it)
      Google Pack (they did an update some time ago, that rips off the look of Vista gadgets, and seems it staled)
      Google Accelerator (the ill-received internet accelerator that will cache your password protected pages and share them out).
      Google Product Search (former Froogle, now seems quite downplayed, and no development is happening in it. Of course, it's "beta")
      Orkut, Picassa, Blogger, SketchUp: what's going on with those, they just bought them /except Orkut/ and sit on them, no development or updates.

      Also I always wondered why they work on various improvements in the Labs, like Google Suggest, only to then never push them on the main site (oddly enough the Google search field in Firefox uses Google Suggest).

    3. Re:Still in beta by jmauro · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Orkut is actually quite popular with people overseas taking the place of MySpace and Facebook. It's got a huge Brazillian and Indian userbase. In the US it's way behind it's competetors.

    4. Re:Still in beta by smookumy · · Score: 4, Funny

      Google Talk isn't ready yet. And it won't be ready until it has a list of useless tabs on the side of the contact list, print ads at the bottom of the contact list and chats, and the ability to both violently shake the chat window and fill the chat with just the most obnoxious emoticons.

    5. Re:Still in beta by colourmyeyes · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I am in grad school, and at least at my school, gtalk is the chat client; it's what AIM was in undergrad a few years ago. Everyone uses it because everyone has a gmail account - if you can check your email somewhere, you can send someone an instant message - no additional browser windows, no proxy issues.

      Just my experience, but it has almost entirely replaced AIM for me. Google was smart to build chat into gmail.

      --
      My grandmother used anecdotal evidence all the time, and she lived to be 120 years old.
  2. Re:Depends by Deltaspectre · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Search and advertising ;)

    --
    My UID is prime... is yours?
  3. Re:Can someone explain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    As you add friends, you get to see your friend's lists of friends. It's all about the e-stalking.

  4. Makes my eyes hurt by Aminion · · Score: 4, Insightful

    [rant]

    As a new Facebook user, I'm surprised by the mess and disorganization that applications on Facebook cause. Reading other peoples' profiles is like participating in psychological experiments with lots of graphics and widgets competing for your attention. And don't get me started on regurgitated content such as "Only great minds can read this This is weird, but interesting!", vampire fights, yes or no apps, etc.

    Here's hoping that Google application implementation won't suck.

    [/rant]