The online store that was announced late Tuesday marks another step in Google’s crusade to convert the world to “cloud computing,” the idea of running applications in Web browsers instead of installing them on individual hard drives. The information entered in the programs also is stored in data centers run by third parties such as Google.

More than 50 software makers have agreed to sell their Internet programs through Google, which will keep 20 percent of the sales. The prices are expected to range from $50 annually to several hundred dollars annually per user.

Intuit Inc., a maker of business accounting software, and Concur Technologies Inc., a maker of expense reimbursement software, are among the best-known vendors peddling their wares in Google’s store.

All the applications sold in Google’s store can be melded with Google’s own cloud-computing services, said Vic Gundotra, the company’s vice president of engineering.

Google views cloud computing as a way to deepen people’s dependence on its services and generate more revenue beyond the Internet search advertising that provides virtually all its income.

Cloud computing also provides Google with a weapon that could weaken one of its biggest rivals, Microsoft Corp.

Although it’s introducing more online alternatives, Microsoft still makes most of its money from individual computer licenses of its Windows operating system and software programs.

The applications store could also could provide fodder for the low-cost computers that will run on a Google operating system named after its Chrome Web browser. The first computers using Chrome OS won’t have a hard drive, meaning they will need Internet access and cloud-computing services to perform the tasks routinely done on Windows-powered machines.

Google began offering a free online suite of e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet and calendar applications in 2006. It has been selling a more sophisticated package of online services for $50 per user for the past three years.

Cloud computing can be a tough sell to corporate decision makers worried about security risks and business disruptions if a technology glitch or major meltdown blocks access to vital applications and data stored on external servers.

Google has invested billions of dollars during the past five years to keep its systems up and running. Nevertheless, Google’s applications users occasionally have been cut off from their e-mail accounts and other services.

About 25 million people working for more than 2 million businesses, government agencies and schools use Google’s online applications, according to the company.

Google won’t say how many users pay for the service, but the number is growing rapidly. The company’s revenue from software licensing and other non-advertising sources totaled $762 million last year, more than quadrupling from $181 million in 2007.

Resource:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/time-for-developers-to-go-nuts-on-energy-efficiency-google-releases-apt-for-powermeter.php

LG, which is fighting an uphill battle against leaders Nokia, Blackberry maker RIM and Apple, plans to boost smartphone offerings with some 20 models this year, half the offerings based on the most popular Android.

The South Korean firm wants to claim a double-digit share of the global smartphone market by 2012. Currently the top three players control three quarters of the booming and lucrative smartphone market.

The model LG-KH5200, which will be sold by the country’s second-largest mobile carrier KT, will compete against Motorola’s Android-based smartphone MOTOROI launched earlier this year through top carrier SK Telecom.

Samsung Electronics, the world’s No.2 mobile phone maker, is also set to unveil Android phones this month.

LG’s smartphone with 3-inch full touch screen, 5 megapixel camera, and slider qwerty keyboard will cost around 650,000 won ($573).

LG hopes to defend sliding phone margins with premium smartphone offerings after it saw phone business profit margins falling close to zero in the December quarter as it had to spend heavily on marketing of its simpler models.

LG and its home rival Samsung together corner more than 30 percent of the global cellphone market, but they have struggled to muscle into the booming and lucrative smartphone market.

Samsung said last month it plans to treble smartphone shipments in 2010.

LG aims to sell 140 million mobile phones this year, versus 117 million sold last year to claim about 10 percent of the global market.

Shares in LG fell 0.5 percent to 103,500 won by 0020 GMT, versus a 0.2 percent drop in the broader market.

(Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Ken Wills)

($1=1133.6 Won)

Resource:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100310/tc_nm/us_lg_android_1