June 20, 2007
The Google Show in Paris, Part 2
FT technology correspondent Maija Palmer, also in Paris for the Google event, adds:
Googling the iPhone
No tech event is complete these days without a mention of the iPhone. Eric Schmidt pulled his Apple phone out of his pocket with some smug satisfaction at Google’s Paris press day.
"You are asking to se my iPhone, aren’t you?" he said, in response to a question about Google’s partnership with Apple to put Google maps on the device.
There was a frenzied paparazzi flash of cameras, making this possibly the highlight of a day that was often a little light on financial details.
Mr Schmidt called the device "stunning" and said it was "a powerful new device" excellently suited to other Google services.
"You should expect other announcements between the two companies over time," he said.
Sounds like Mr Schmidt wants to ensure he remains top of the list for any future upgrades.
YouTube gives Germany the cold shoulder
There was a small outcry when YouTube unveiled the list of countries for local language launch - where was Germany? The list of nine "first phase" countries contained the rest of the usual suspects - the UK, France, Spain, the Netherlands, even Poland. But no Germany.
Chad Hurley and Steve Chen insisted it was a lack of resources and nothing personal, but German reporters at Google’s press day in Paris were clearly miffed.
The truth may be that a German launch lacks the same urgency as a launch, say in France, where YouTube is facing much greater competition from local rival Dailymotion. The two sites are neck-and-neck with just over 20 per cent of online video users each, according to recent figures from comScore, the research group.
In Germany, on the other hand, competition seems less intense. Local rival MyVideo may have almost as many unique visitors as YouTube, but the comScore figures suggest that the US company serves up the lion’s share of the streams.
