Google Takes Another Run at E-Commerce, and Amazon
In the past, Google has tried emulating Amazon.com Inc.’s online retail and delivery services, with little luck. Now the search giant is positioning itself as a kind of anti-Amazon, a free marketplace for merchants and Amazon rivals that’s designed to get consumers more comfortable shopping with Google.
Google to Work With Ford on Detroit Research Hub
DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. announced Feb. 4 that Google is joining the automaker’s effort to transform a once-dilapidated Detroit train station into a research hub focused on electric and self-driving vehicles.
Google Penalties Coming in May
Google is promising to double down on its policy of penalizing poorly designed websites with lower rankings in search engine returns with its next update, slated for May.
Google Seeks OK to Test Drones for Firefighting
Google asked the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for permission to test drones to research how the technology can help monitor and control fires.
The Shame Police: Google Toys With Penalizing Slow-Loading Websites
Internet search goliath Google is toying with the idea of shaming slow-loading websites by displaying a “Usually loads slow” splash screen in place of a homepage when someone is trying to visit such sites.
Waymo Begins Marketing Self-Driving Sensors
Waymo on March 6 began selling the laser-mapping sensors used on its driverless vehicles to other companies — as long as the customers don’t compete with its core robotaxi business. The sensors, known as lidar, shoot lasers off objects to determine what is nearby.
Google’s Bid to Battle Amazon Suffers Blow As Walmart Withdraws
Walmart Inc. has quietly withdrawn from one of Google’s marquee efforts to challenge Amazon.com in e-commerce.
Shippers Opt for Collaboration to Strengthen Supply Chains, TMSA Panelists Say
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Shippers are looking for collaborative transportation partners willing to understand their specific business challenges and work toward solving their current and future needs, a panel of experts said at a sales and marketing conference June 12.
Website Not Encrypted? Google Soon Will Add Warnings That Could Turn Visitors Away
Come July, Google Chrome will add stark security warnings that could turn business away from your website if it’s unencrypted. Specifically, Google will brand your site as “not secure” in the address bar of its popular web browser if it senses you’re operating without encryption. “Users presented with this warning will be less likely to interact with these sites or trust their content,” so it’s “imperative” that site operators get their websites encrypted, said Patrick Donahue, security engineering product lead at Cloudflare, a web services provider.
Google Lobbying Shifts to Transport
Google’s gravest threat is probably a regulatory crackdown on its lucrative search engine, and there’s a resurgent drumbeat about its size and power in Washington. If the company’s worried, that’s not showing up in its lobbying activity.
February 14, 2018