Google launches two new products -- online video and PC servicing pack

Google launches two new products -- online video and PC servicing pack

	Published : Sat, 07 Jan 2006 20:05 By : Phil Bateman Print this Story

LAS VEGAS: Google Inc. is diversifying, again. The search company announced that it is setting up an online video store and starting a computer maintenance service, ostensibly to take on rivals like Yahoo! Inc., Microsoft Corporation and Apple Computer.

Google's co-founder Larry Page told the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that the online video store will have entertainment and sports content for sale and offer free programming and low-cost rentals too.

Under the computer maintenance service, the company will offer free services to PC users to install and maintain basic software, security and services through a product called Google Pack. PC users opting for Google Pack will be able to set up and maintain their machines in a matter of minutes rather than the hours required to load programmes and make the system work.

"It's as easy as going to the Google home page," page said about Google Pack.

Earlier Friday, Yahoo's chief executive officer Terry Semel announced his company's Yahoo Go TV, which enables people to watch on their TVs everything from slideshows of photos stored on their PCs to film trailers found online -- all using a TV remote. It will be a free software that would let viewers use the TV screen to search and watch the more than one million video clips in Yahoo's video search service.

Microsoft is also planning to enter the video content business. It had announced at the show a deal with British firm BSkyB under which BSkyB content will be made available through Windows software.

Elaborating on the online video stores, Google said it will immediately rent and sell television programs from CBS Corp. and the National Basketball Association. It will take three current programmes, including "Crime Scene Investigation," for rental a day after the programme is aired, and some 300 classic CBS shows. The offerings will be priced at $1.99.

But Google clarified that the online video store will essentially function as a marketplace where anyone can place video content for sale at prices determined by the seller and anyone can buy the content.

Page said a version of new Google video store for Apple Mac computers will also be introduced. "We have a version of video for Mac that is not downloadable yet. Hopefully that will come out soon."

The service can also be used by individuals to upload their video content and have it protected from viewing or accessing by unauthorised persons by using Google's copy protection technology for free.

The company has snubbed Microsoft when it named a number of preferred software, security and web service providers with whom it will partner for the maintenance service. Among the companies are Symantec Corp., Adobe Systems Inc. and RealNeworks Inc. It will undertake to install for Google Pack subscribers the Mozilla/Firefox browser.

Google has been offering video for free over the internet for about a year. It has now formalised the offer and started charging. Page said he expected different content to be available in different parts of the world, depending on rights issues.

Yahoo has another product, the Yahoo Go Mobile, which is a downloadable application, which enables the user to access contact information stored in cell phones through the Internet even if the mobile phones are misplaced or drained of their batteries. Pictures taken with camera phones can be automatically uploaded onto the Yahoo Photos and made available for viewing on the computer or television.