Check this out
Google unveils its secure-cart Checkout program, integrated directly into search results. A little green shopping cart displays beside participating merchants; when selected, logged-in Google ID users will find the purchase process reduced to one page and returning users will find the data pre-populated (bells ring across the privacy vigilant web). Actually, in general it will be one page– a speedier checkout being Google’s major selling point–but it can be more.
AdWords advertisers will accumulate transaction fee discounts, even free usage, for increased sales. As an incentive to non-AdWords sellers, Google rates will be 2% + $.20 (in comparison to PayPal’s 1.9% + $.30) commission. Asked whether Google is considering including in search results direct-checkout options for other secure online transaction companies, representatives said only that the company would consider anything that would improve user experience.
“We can do that.”
Rupert Murdoch claims Google passed up the chance to buy MySpace at half the price he paid, just before it metastasised into 8% of Google’s search traffic. In the Verbatim of Wired’s July cover story, Murdoch summaries his impression of Google’s pass: “They thought, “It’s nothing special. We can do that.” Err… (via GigaOm)
Answering to Google
You can ask about Google, but in the end Google Answers answers to Google. In a string of playful submissions to Google Answers about the company itself, the tricksters are rooted out with a revealing final reply. Because Google Answers are written by non-employee researchers, the note says, they are not qualified to answer questions about the company. As SEW writes “Got that? Freelance researchers are apparently qualified to answer questions about any other company in the world, but when it comes to Google, special treatment is required. Incredible.”
Google, v.
The Oxford English Dictionary–last bastion of standardized English–includes “Google” as verb in the latest draft for its next edition. The pending definition, noted by Resource Shelf:
intr. To use the Google search engine to find information on the Internet.
trans. To search for information about (a person or thing) using the Google search engine.
re: Google Checkout:
Unveils it? Where?
If they announced it, ok. But you say “unveil” yet I don’t see it anywhere. Can you elaborate.
Google has a page that outlines the stores that will honor Google Checkout (as of now), as well as stores that are enrolled in the program via AdWords (it seems) below that. There are also some interesting $10 off coupon codes of orders over $20 if you use Google Checkout contained on this page as well. Last but not least, there is a link in the upper right explaining more about the “unveiled” Google Checkout.
What about yahoo or msn???
So your saying google is now the only one.
Google > yahoo+msn+others 🙂