Google plays social media catch-up

Google, having failed to out-Facebook Facebook and out-Twitter Twitter with Buzz, began a more modest attempt yesterday to build social networking features into its Web presence: the +1 button, says Cnet.

The +1 button lets people recommend Web sites to those in their social circle.

Web site operators can now add +1 buttons to their own sites; Google and partners such as The Washington Post, O'Reilly, and Best Buy are already adding the feature, Google +1 programmer Evan Gilbert said in a blog post.

The number of Internet-connected devices is set to explode in the next four years to over 15 billion - twice the world's population by 2015, reveals the BBC.

Technology giant Cisco predicts the proliferation of tablets, mobile phones, connected appliances and other smart machines will drive this growth.

The company says consumer video will continue to dominate Internet traffic. It predicts that by 2015, one million minutes of video will be watched online every second, adding that Internet traffic will reach 966 exabytes a year.

Microsoft has joined Hewlett-Packard in trying to drum up enthusiasm for its Apple-battling tablet operating systems at a fashionable West Coast tech event, writes The Register.

Yesterday, Steven Sinfosky, Microsoft Windows and Windows Live group president, previewed the long-awaited Windows 8 operating system at All Things Ds D9 conference, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Windows 8 was shown displaying HTML5 and JavaScript with the next version of Microsoft's browser, Internet Explorer 10. It wasn't clear whether the demo took place on an Intel chip or ARM chip. With Windows 8, ARM will be supported for the first time on a full version of Windows.

Research In Motion has confirmed that forthcoming BlackBerry Bold devices will come with touch-screen and near-field communication (NFC) functionality, as well as a revamped BlackBerry 7 OS, reports V3.co.uk.

Key upgrades to the BlackBerry Bold 9900 will include a 1.2GHz processor, faster browser with HTML5 support and HD video recording capabilities.

Together with the touch-screen and NFC, the BlackBerry 7 OS will allow developers to boost security and create mobile payment applications using NFC, the firm noted on the BlackBerry Developer page.