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Apr 28, 08 - 01:19 pm Comment from: silverwarloc

Why would any one want ads on their phones?

""Google will try to expand ad 'shelf space,' especially by redesigning cell-phone software... A few scratched their heads as to why Google would get into the cell-phone interface business. But now it's clear; Web screens will soon be two inches wide, and Google wants a say in what fits on that tiny screen," Kunz reports."

That Kunz is a bright lad.

He may not be right -- or Google may have other reasons as well -- but this is a plausible suggestion. Essentially, ads are how Google makes its money. How could it not be thinking about how what device you'll use will affect that?

Stay away from my phone. It's already cluttered enough with junk I never use. Gimme my Canadian iPhone please!

you know I heard all this crap about how Google's Android phone will displace the iPhone. You know it hasn't materialized - Apple is about to release their next version of the iPhone and I have not seen one Google phone...Has anyone seen or even used an Android?

Apr 28, 08 - 01:27 pm Comment from: ron

Yeah! ads, that's what I really want more of. Does anyone know of a system which will take out ALL ads on your TV automatically?

Apr 28, 08 - 01:35 pm Comment from: Robert C Suznick

@ Ron
Are you talking about the Apple TV?

Ads are a fact of life, and marketers like Google are going to figure out ways to have ads placed in front of you as often as possible. The posts here say they don't like ads, but face facts – ads work and get people interested in products/services to buy.

Google's certainly not dying to become a software company like Microsoft. Google has been extremely successful in handling advertising for companies without many people realizing that various links on pages are even ads. Why would Google let the mobile device market move on by without trying to grab the advertising share for itself?

Apr 28, 08 - 01:45 pm Comment from: ron

@ Ron
Are you talking about the Apple TV?

No, I'm writing about my Pioneer Elite plasma TV. The best! It would be even better if I didn't have to mute the crap ads all the time. They blast out at many more decibels than the program being watched.

I hate ads, I really do. but I love google. and I love all of the great free access to stuff we have on the internet. and that is only possible from ad revenue. so, I'll cope. but I hate ads... (did I mention that?) but I know why they're there, so it's okay.

FUKKKIN A. No ads and bloat on my iPhone, goddamnit. That is why Steve is sabotaging both Flash and Java for iPhone.

KILL EM ALL STEVE

Ad-driven Google phones make sense, if the phones come free, and the data rates are free. Thus, you only pay for your voice minutes. Then, customers have a choice, like paying for ad-free tv programming on AppleTV, or watching ad-driven tv programming on HULU, and others.

Apr 28, 08 - 02:02 pm Comment from: Spark

Google-- sure it makes sense for Google to protect its business model by extending it to cell devices. I can't imagine, however, cell users jumping for joy at the thought of ads on their phones. Maybe Android will be offered on 'free' phones that are subsidized by Google. Like television, the ads pay for the free content if you are willing to put up with it.

@Ron-- It's true, television commercials are often broadcast at a higher decibel on the theory that people leave the room for a snack or bathroom break when they are on. They don't want you to miss them even if you want to miss them. Very annoying to have to pick up the remote at each break to turn the damn things down. What bugs me is that even on subscription channels like HBO, where there are not supposed to be commercials, you still get inundated with HBO programming commercials. Hey HBO, Showtime, et al, if you've got time to fill, put in a short film or something entertaining, not commercials for programs coming next month!

Apr 28, 08 - 02:25 pm Comment from: Jay-Z

@ silverwarloc:

Nobody wants them on web sites either, but that doesn't stop them from showing up there... except of course, for those of us who have installed ad blockers

"I can't imagine, however, cell users jumping for joy at the thought of ads on their phones."

Well, it all depends.

Obviously, there are things I don't want. I don't want a "Your call will be completed right after this message from Taco Bell." I don't want to be walking down the street and have my phone buzz, telling me that there's a big sale at store across the way.

The ads shouldn't be intrusive.

That said, if I'm standing on the street googling for good restaurants, I have no problem with Google showing me an ad for the place around the corner. If I'm sitting in the car dealership and I check out new Acuras, I have no problem seeing an ad telling me that the Acura dealer two towns over has the same kind of car I'm looking for at a price 10% less than what the salesman just quoted me.

You want to catch the customer when they're looking for information--say, doing an Internet search or something...

Me: "We don't need no stinkin' ads." Herein one sees the real difference between Google and Apple. Google *only* makes money from ads and marketing. Apple makes money from product - hardware, software, media, etc. Apple's users don't want their experience compromised by damn marketers.

I was on MDN the other day on a computer WITHOUT AdBlock... and it was PAINFUL!!!!

Seriously, if AdBlock isn't the best reason to NOT use Safari, and use Firefox, I don't know what is.

The spawn window on this site whenever you click anywhere (just to note your place, not even an ad or hyperlink) is REALLY annoying. Now, at least I get the satisfaction knowing their tracking goes nowhere.

In the Finder Menu, Go-->Utilities -->NetInfo Manager. Click on machines (you may need to authorize) and then localhost. Go to the Edit Menu and select Duplicate. Make that cloned entry have an ip_address of 0.0.0.0 (or 127.0.0.1) and a name of media.fastclick.net. Save it and you're done.

You might make some others like it for c1.zedo.com, ad.doubleclick.net, and other privacy-invading leeches like them.

From then on, whenever you visit here, you'll spawn a new window when you click, but your machine will map it to nowhere so you'll get a blank window and have the satisfaction of not being tracked.

Of course, this site uses a bunch of other PITA tracking tags; I recommend Pith Helmet.

@Soothsayer - Thanks for the info and recommendation of Pith Helmet...

Apr 28, 08 - 03:44 pm Comment from: Brau

Y'know, when I pay for cell time *by the minute* I REALLY don't want those minutes eaten up by ads!

Apr 28, 08 - 04:12 pm Comment from: lee

Who on earth ever bought anything that they saw in a Google ad? I don't know a single person who has ever done that.

Apr 28, 08 - 04:15 pm Comment from: lee

For that matter, who has ever even read one of those Google ads? I never have. I ignore them the same as I ignore the ads here on these pages.

google is still considered the good guy, being on the right side, an ally in the battle against the dark and evil micosoft. but why people are admiring this company is beyond me. all they do is selling ads!! is there something more useless in the world? even the dark kingdom is creating something (though of course most of it is crap) but google? that's a company with 15.000 people all day trying to find better ways to sell ads.

Google have become an ad company. I personally cant see the problem with trying to make money from displaying ads on phone search results. I use my mobile internet almost every. Above my natural search results are paid links. It really will not change on Android. We all get ads now and always will.