Tag: Eric Schmidt

Schmidt triggers Euro debate

Posted on March 3, 2015 by - News

Google's Eric "Google Glass" SchmidtThe chairman of Google was summoned to meet the European Competition Commissioner yesterday, as investigations continue into alleged monopolistic habits.

Margarethe Vestager called Eric Schmidt in to discuss a number of complaints about Google, according to a report by Reuters.

Vestiges has already met a number of people complaining about Google, including executives from Microsoft and German press Axel Springer.

Google has, according to the report, has tried to settle the complaints about search engine three times, but all blandishments from the behemoth have been rebuffed.

If the competition commissioner finds that Google has been squeezing out other players in the European market, she could decide that the company has to dish out a tenth of its global revenues, that’s around $6 billion or so.

Tesco takes Google Glass plunge

Posted on January 14, 2015 by - News

Google's Eric "Google Glass" SchmidtUK megagrocer Tesco said it has developed an application that lets the few people with Google Glasses shop until they drop.
The Tesco Grocery “glassware” allows you to browse groceries, check out their nutritional value and add them to your shopping basket.
How does it work?  According to Tesco, it works alongside customer accounts and adds products to an “online basket” to be later reviewed and ordered using your computer, your tablet or your smartphone.
Pablo Coberly, an engineer at Tesco Labs, said: “We don’t envisage Glass becoming the new platform for shopping as its functionality is different, and more immediate.”
He continued: “Instead, it complements other devices and integrates shopping into everyday life because products can be ordered or added as and when customers realise they need replacing.”
Coberly said that the future of its app will be driven by customer needs and Tesco has kept the functionality “very basic” given the early stages of customer use.

 

Google plays Amazon red herring

Posted on October 14, 2014 by - Moving People, News

red herringAs Google continues to be investigated by the European Union, chairman Eric Schmidt has decided to deflect criticism by saying that Amazon is its biggest search rival.

In a speech in Berlin, Schmidt – who has repeatedly denied that Google is a monopolistic player – he also took time to diss rivals Bing and Yahoo, saying they don’t matter at all.

According to the BBC, Schmidt said that people didn’t see Amazon as a search engine but most people go there when they want to buy something, rather than Google.

How Schmidt thinks this kind of argument will have any weight with the European Union is hard to fathom.

He said: “Amazon is answering users’ questions and searches, just as we are.”

Google isn’t the be and end of it all, added Schmidt. In a note of paranoia he suggested that somewhere will be new technology that will topple it from its premier position.

Google squeezed by Europe again

Posted on September 9, 2014 by - News

330ogleGoogle is facing further pressure from the European Commission over its dominance of the search market.

EC competion czar Joaquin Almunia said that the organisation is likely to take a look into its Android mobile operating system as well as its dominance in the mobile market.

The EC first started an investigation into possible abuse of its leading position in 2010, and believes the search giant may be anti-competitive.

Last weekend, Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google, said on his blog that his company’s search engine was just part of the web landscape.  That follows adverts from a group of publishers accusing the company is too dominant .  It has an estimated 90 percent market share in Europe.

Schmidt rebutted those claims, saying that it isn’t promoting its own products at the expense of its competition. People often go directly to news sites and go to travel sites directly, rather than using Google.

He claimed that the increasing use of apps on smartphones and tablets bypassed Google completely.  He claims that Google is just interested in helping users.

Google is not evil.  But it’s not a non-profit organisation.