A couple of weeks ago I was asked by a foreign university to provide a written reference for someone I didn’t know. Usually when I am asked to write a reference I know the person well and can speak to their strengths. In this case, the university in question wanted my expert opinion about the […] … learn more→

It is no secret that I am a Google+ fan. This is mainly because Google Hangouts is hands down my favorite multi-party video chat client. This past summer I integrated Google+ into the hybrid online course for which I was a teaching assistant. While I was teaching mostly online, Google+ could be a nice support […] … learn more→

Creators of online content should feel free to share material online without fear of non-attribution or piracy, or having their copyright or trademarks misused. Plainly, the current system of enforcement – whether it be self-regulation by a search engine or internet service provider (ISP) through to law enforcement – is not working. In 2011, a […] … learn more→

In what has been labelled a “bad day for the internet”, Google last week changed its search engine to include personalised results from Google+. The introduction of Google Search plus Your World has led some commentators to claim the search giant has “changed the way search works”, in favouring posts from Google+ over relevancy. But […] … learn more→

Media incorrectly report Google is abandoning renewables. In fact, the company is increasing clean energy investments. Buried at the bottom of an innocuous “spring cleaning” post on Google’s blog yesterday, the internet giant made a very important announcement: it will stop funding its Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE … learn more→

Features are not friends. That’s the simple message to Google+ from 40 University of Queensland students after using the system since its invite-only launch in July. To say the service’s fortunes to date have been up and down is an understatement. Google+ is recording dramatic rollercoaster metrics. Initial growth seemed strong: some 10 million users […] … learn more→

Google chairman Eric Schmidt will make history tomorrow as the first IT/internet executive to deliver the MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. In doing so, he will face significant challenges. The company is making overtures to the TV industry to collaborate with the US$30 billion a year internet behemoth. Schmidt is expected to […] … learn more→