As you keep adding words to the query, the results would change, showing also different ads.

Well, Google is testing instant streaming search results as-you-type in Google Labs, and a few users can access to it.

Search results shifting continuously seem to be annoying, but you can turn the live updating feature off and have search results delivered traditionally after pressing the enter button.

Good for Mobile Search, but PPC?

While this feature raises concerns for Adwords campaigns (how would it count ad impressions?), it actually would make sense for mobile search, delivering results instantly and allowing search refining on the go.

Probably the best usage scenario would be on touchscreen smartphones equipped with physical keyboards, users would just need to pick the best result without having to click on the Google Search enter button.

Related posts:

1. Google Injects Tunes Into Search Results

   By Richard Bramer - 29 Oct 09 - SEM

2. Google Extends the Offer with Remarketing

   By Richard Bramer - 30 Mar 10 - SEM

3. adCenter Implements Ad Preview Tool…Finally

   By Richard Bramer - 18 Sep 09 - SEM

International calls are supported too and cost just $0.02 per minute.

The voice and video chat plugin for Gmail has been recently updated to run also on Linux systems, and now it’s clear that it was just the final step before launching Google Voice services on Gmail.

Phone calls from Gmail will be free at least until the end of the year, and in the meantime Google Voice will be promoted with old-style British phone boxes in US airports and universities.

Google Voice’s integration in Gmail will cause headaches to Skype and other VoIP service providers, especially since call quality is being reported as very good.

Related posts:

1. Google phone Nexus One brings competition to th...

   By Daniel Peiser - 8 Jan 10 - Mobile

2. Look Mom, No Keys: Microsoft Ads Mobile Voice S...

   By Richard Bramer - 8 Oct 09 - Mobile

3. Google Buzz stands on the shoulders of Gmail

   By Daniel Peiser - 10 Feb 10 - SEM

Advanced browser components could be crucial for developing mobile gaming interfaces on Chrome OS: CNET reports about a new feature that would make it capable of telling which way is up. The browser would know which way the device is being held, allowing the usage of a Chrome OS handheld device as a steering wheel in driving games, for instance.

Tablets and other mobile devices running Chrome OS could be ready for web apps and casual games (even flash games that the iPad won’t show), but what if Google’s browser-operating system was the gateway for its social network?

Chrome OS would indeed provide a great mobile experience, on devices cheaper than the iPad, with seamless integration of search, photo sharing and social games. Businesses would benefit from Place Pages appearing on Google Maps results, that would be more common in mobile search and could help diverting the attention from Facebook Pages. Nevertheless, these features alone don’t seem to be enough to build a product better than Facebook, but the game changer could be one of the key aspects addressed by Google Me: privacy.

Paul Adams, user research lead for social at Google, shows in the slideshow below how simple privacy settings would shape different identities that reflect the the types of relationships we have offline, where multiple independent groups of friends, colleagues and relatives that don’t usually overlap.

Is a “Real Life Social Network” what we need, or Facebook has already shaped our online way of life that it’s now too late to remodel online relations to mirror the offline ones?

Related posts:

1. Google Chrome OS is now open source

   By Daniel Peiser - 23 Nov 09 - Technology

2. Can Google Chrome Win the Browser War?

   By Guillaume Foutry - 11 Jan 10 - Social Media

3. Google to battle Facebook on Social Gaming ground

   By Daniel Peiser - 5 Aug 10 - Social Media

After the $100-200 million investment in Zynga, the biggest online social gaming company, that as reported by TechCrunch, multiple sources link to the launch of Google Games later this year, Google is preparing to enter a crowded market. Facebook in fact is not the only competitor: Yahoo and Microsoft have already signed partnerships with Zynga, and Disney acquired Playdom for $563.2 million.

Small flash games websites that rely on Google traffic will be the ones suffering the most from Google’s presence in the casual games market, but the battle is also about establishing a standard for micropayments for virtual goods. Google Checkout has struggled to overtake PayPal, and Facebook Credits (one of the reasons for Zynga to look for greener pastures) can count on Facebook’s large user base to become the #1 virtual currency for social gaming.

Related posts:

1. Yahoo! expands Social Gaming with Zynga

   By Daniel Peiser - 28 May 10 - Social Media

2. Facebook Credits: Virtual Currency in Social Ga...

   By Daniel Peiser - 16 Mar 10 - Social Media

3. Google Me on Chrome OS: a Facebook and iPad Killer

   By Daniel Peiser - 10 Aug 10 - Social Media

The advantage of a Facebook Page vs. a Place Page is clear: You can promote your products or services on a platform with a large user base that facilitates conversations and content sharing.

Google Maps Place Pages on the other hand will rank better on Google (surprise, surprise), especially when local searches are involved. Moreover, if you are a small business owner you might find out that your Place Page is already there, populated with content Google scraped from other websites, waiting just for you to claim it.

The lack of social interaction between business owners and customers is what conveys a “dead” feeling in Place Pages (using Andrew Shotland’s words), but the introduction of the ability to reply to reviews could make Place Pages more lively.

Google Lat Long Blog announced today that business owners can now publicly respond to reviews that appear on Place Pages taken from a variety of websites.

Apart from being a powerful online reputation management tool for business owners, reviews can now sparkle conversations and work as a customer support resource that will make Google Place Pages more social and useful.

Related posts:

1. Google Local Listing Ads

   By Daniel Peiser - 4 Nov 09 - SEM

2. Every Place has a Page on Google Maps

   By Daniel Peiser - 2 Nov 09 - SEO

3. Nestlé’s Facebook Fail

   By Daniel Peiser - 23 Mar 10 - Social Media