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Unlike my blogger peers, I'm not usually wont to skewer a so-called scoop. And I won't start doing so, but I will point out that two intriguing pieces in the The Wall Street Journal came off as old news, warmed over instead of hot stuff. First is this piece about the Google cloud storage drive--something first unveiled over five years ago:

Drive allows people to store photos, documents and videos on Google's servers so that they could be accessible from any Web-connected device and allows them to easily share the files with others, these people said. If a person wants to email a video shot from a smartphone, for instance, he can upload it to the Web through the Drive mobile app and email people a link to the video rather than a bulky file.

I guess the news is that it is coming in weeks or months. I'm thinking that this will provide some interesting competition for Dropbox and Box.net, especially if the service is free for most consumers and businesses. Next up is a more recent development. The Journal noted that Google is building a home entertainment system that streams music through the home, using WiFi. Now I know for a fact that this is no shocker. I attended the same Google I/O show at the Moscone Center last May and saw Google's streaming music system for the home in action. Heck, Silicon Filter nails the point in its headline here: Then it was called Android@Home because, well, it consisted of Android-powered devices in the home. It may start with stereo systems, but Google anticipates powering lights and thermostats and household appliances, such as dish washers and refrigerators. The thing that's interesting about the Journal's story, and this is what makes it a mini-scoop, is that Google will supposedly market the system under its own brand. That's interesting; Google makes Android, but co-brands only pure Google experience phones. Some think this is the same device, compared to Sonos systems, that Google lodged a patent request for with the FCC last year. This brings me to my next point: You didn't think Fiber was just a speedy broadband test did you? Well, it is, but if it works as Google hopes it will, it will be used to power devices such as the streaming music server in users' homes. The streaming music server would be fueled, of course, by Google Music, with perhaps an assist from Sirius. Google wants to own the user experience, from desktop to mobile and back to the home, from Google TV and the music system to household appliances. All of these would be controlled and accessed by smartphones and tablets. This streaming appliance could launch later this year, which in my mind would make a late June launch at Google I/0 a distinct possibility. I expect Google Drive sooner. How about you?

Filed under: Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Google Apps Tips, Hello, Android, Tech News by Google Watch dot com (RSS Source)

One of the leading knocks on Google's freewheeling, open approach to the Android Market is that it's leaves the application store more susceptible to malware and lots of spammy apps. Indeed, Symantec, Lookout Mobile and other security firms have reported a significant rise in Android Market malware in the last 12 months. And with over 200 million Android devices in the market, with 700,000 being activated daily, and over 300,000 Android apps in the Market, there are a lot of mobile targets for perpetrators to exploit. Google's automated app approval process is a popular vector for attack. To help combat the malware rise, Google created Bouncer, an anti-malware service that automatically scans the Android Market for potentially malicious software. Bouncer, which Google has been using in its Market for all of 2011, scans new and old applications and developer accounts. Hiroshi Lockheimer, vice president of engineering for Android, explained how it works:

Once an application is uploaded, the service immediately starts analyzing it for known malware, spyware and trojans. It also looks for behaviors that indicate an application might be misbehaving, and compares it against previously analyzed apps to detect possible red flags. We actually run every application on Google's cloud infrastructure and simulate how it will run on an Android device to look for hidden, malicious behavior. We also analyze new developer accounts to help prevent malicious and repeat-offending developers from coming back.

The result? Android malware downloads decreased 40 percent through 2011, which is when Symantec, Lookout and others reported malicious apps were on the rise. I wonder if Symantec, Lookout and others knew about this feature? It's unclear, but Lockheimer did tell AllThingsDigital that Google has no plans to embrace the manual app approval process Apple and Microsoft employ to vet apps in their stores. This makes sense. Manual approvals bog down the works, which is anathema to Google, whose culture is built on speedy development and expedient delivery to market. I can't imagine Android head Andy Rubin or CEO Larry Page would ditch the automated, machine-based practices, even for malware. Which is why it needed the Bouncer. We'll see if it helps combat the spate of Netflix malware and other issues.  

Filed under: Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Google Apps Tips, Hello, Android, Tech News by Google Watch dot com (RSS Source)