Daily News Courier

Larry Page’s Oddly Backward Comments on Mobile

Google’s CEO says we shouldn’t design for mobile devices. Say what now?

It was an offhanded, qualified remark made in passing during Google’s latest earnings call, but Larry Page’s comments on mobile design had all the grace of a gong being hit. “I’d almost say that we shouldn’t be designing for mobile,” he said, as reported by Quartz. “The kind of mobile phones we have now, the state of the art, are a little bit beyond, and those experiences [i.e., full websites] should work on those devices as well.”

Three Clues to Google

Google

Larry Page talks about Google, defines the Nexus role

Larry Page, Google CEO, had a sit down with Fortune to discuss search and its future, mobile, and the competition. It is an interesting read for anyone who follows tech, but there was one thing that caught my eye enough to talk it about it separately here. When talking about the Motorola buyout, and the possibility of a Motorola Nexus, the Nexus program itself got some explanation.

Part of the reason why we've done Nexus devices in the past is that we want to build an amazing device that kind of showcases what's possible on Android, gives a way for the programmers to get early builds, does a whole bunch of things that are important. Exactly what we do, which devices we do, what the timing is, how we release the software with them, all those things have been changing.

This lines up pretty well with how we feel about the Nexus program here at Android Central. Get the bleeding edge build of Android into the hands of the people making the next killer app. By the time the rest of the world is ready to move up a version, it's more stable and the niggling kinks (hello glitchy lock screen widget panes) have been worked out. But more importantly, the apps are ready. 

Larry also talks about why we did not see a Motorola built Nexus device. Forget the conspiracies and armchair QB stuff, before we get to any of that there is a simple fact to consider.

I don't think there's any physical way we could have released a Nexus Motorola device in that sense. I mean, we haven't owned the company long enough. 

The full article is really worth the read, hit the source link and have a look.

Source: Fortune

Larry Page on Android tablets: A lot of success on the low-end

Google CEO Larry Page wandered into the touchy territory of Android tablets during this afternoon's investor conference call. That's, of course, relevant because while there are 5 bazillion models of Android tablets out there, none has really come anywhere close to the popularity of the iPad. That, and longstanding rumors have Google putting out its own tablet this summer, likely on the 7-inch side of things with a price that may or may not compete, depending on which rumor you go by.

So did Page shed any light on what might or might not be coming? Not so much.

Here's his answer:

I think that we're very excited about tablets. I think, you know, there's a number of Android tablets out there. Obviously, we have strong competition there as well. I think you've seen us really invest substantially in things like Google Play, which really gives you great access to entertainment, media, books and videos and so on, as well as the apps. And we think that's an important component on what we're doing.

I think there's also, obviously, there's been a lot of success on some lower-priced tablets that run Android — maybe not the full Google version of Android. But we definitely believe that there's going to be a lot of success at the lower end of the market, as well, with lower-priced products that will be very significant. It's definitely an area we think is quite important and that we're quite focused on.

Not that we expected him to blurt out future plans or anything. Far from it. But you can't help but wonder that that says about the current state of Android tablets when Google's CEO trumpets the low-end ones that do more to muddy the waters than propel the ecosystem forward.

Larry Summers and the Technology of Money

The former U.S. Treasury secretary and Harvard president sounds off about innovation in online currencies and mobile payments.

Larry Summers has examined the role of money in society through many lenses. He’s been chief economist of the World Bank, secretary of the U.S. Treasury, and lead economic advisor to President Barack Obama during the financial crisis; his views shaped the recovery effort.