Last week, Google’s third quarter earnings report was released early.  The report surprised investors not only because of its advanced arrival, but also because it showed lower profits than the same quarter last year. The information caused a frenzy among investors, and Google’s stock dropped by around nine percent Thursday. Google might have hoped to make headlines Thursday with the release of the new Chromebook, but the earnings...

Every week, I put out a social media trends report to my colleagues, and in it, I tend to write about either Google becoming a real-life SkyNet or Facebook taking over the world. But as the social  and search titans use my interests and search histories to figure out who I am, my faux-technophobia is beginning to seem less like a joke than an actual prediction. No, I don’t really think John Connor is going to send a soldier back in time...

We’ve known that this was coming for a few days now, but this morning, Google users got this message: We’re getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that’s a lot shorter and easier to read. Gee, that sounds great. Thanks Google!  …  Wait, what? I can’t opt out and now you’ll know everything about me?? So are you saying I just agreed to let Google see the pictures I...

Okay, by the headline, you’re probably thinking this is going to be some ridiculous, self-serving braggadocio piece where I tell you how wonderful I am.  Well, you’re right … sort of.  I AM here to brag about Chip Stewart but it is not self-aggrandizement and I’m not speaking of myself in the third-person.  After all, anyone who knows Chip Stewart knows he would never do that! So I start with a question. Have you ever decided to...

You’ve seen the hype. The Internet is going insane evaluating Google+ along with its features and uses. “What does this mean for Facebook and Twitter? Who will win?” “Do we NEED another social network?” “What does this do that other platforms neglect?” And my boss’s favorite, “Why didn’t they launch with business pages?!” Piecing together what Google+ means for social networking is difficult. Personally, I believe...